Science Wrapped in Art: How Oakley and Tudor Pro Cycling Joined Forces to Develop a New Range of Helmets
- socials555
- Apr 16
- 6 min read
Once a piece of styrofoam, helmets have evolved into highly engineered products that provide aerodynamic advantages and the highest safety standards for cyclists. Let's talk helmets.
Since the beginning of this season, riders from Tudor Pro Cycling can be seen with brand new, sleek headgear from our partner Oakley. Marc Hirschi, Florian Stork, Rick Pluimers, and Michael Storer already took them to winning glory.
The Velo Mach, Velo Stelvio, and Velo TT are the result of a cutting-edge collaboration between Oakley and Tudor Pro Cycling, marking a first in the team’s young history: This project was fully engineered and developed by the team’s Innovation Department in conjunction with one of our strong partners - Oakley.
The Approach
Casey Lee: “We made a strategic decision to amplify our presence in professional racing by pairing our eyewear with a new set of next-generation helmets. This gave us a chance to optimize the helmet/eyewear system together and get really ambitious about elevating athlete-tuned aerodynamic performance. Function and performance always come first, but we also brought one of Oakley's core tenants into the effort by merging performance with distinctive design and next-level comfort to 'satisfy the eye, the mind, and the heart'."
Kurt Bergin-Taylor: “We recognized a significant opportunity to develop new helmets, so we focused on this area. We understood our individual needs and realized that we needed a range of helmets to cover different categories, including aerodynamics, ventilation, and time trial helmets. Additionally, we aimed to comprehend the development process itself to ensure continuous improvement of our products. Our goal is not only to create better products for tomorrow but also to enhance our processes for developing superior products with our partners in the future.”
Tudor Pro Cycling X Oakley: The Collaboration
Casey Lee: “The collaboration was very close-knit from the start. We ensured open and forthright communication, which was incredibly helpful. Working with a partner who has clear goals and targets, along with the knowledge and experience of what they want, set us on a clear path to achievement. We conducted tests every month and held weekly calls with the Innovation Department of Tudor Pro Cycling to review test results and discuss the next steps. The scans of the riders and the mannequins we created from those scans were extremely beneficial. It was a collaborative environment focused on ensuring we were on the right track. At one point, we also sent products and engineers to the team in Europe. With actual riders on the bike we conducted secondary verification wind tunnel testing in Silverstone as well as on the road during training camps in Spain. We challenged and strengthened each other throughout this process— it was a great collaboration!”
Kurt Bergin-Taylor:
“The helmet is a prime example of effective collaboration on a project. We had a clear vision for what we wanted from the product. We provided 3D scans of our riders and conducted computational fluid dynamics as a team, working synergistically with the design engineers at Oakley to enhance the design process. Having our industrial designer in-house allowed for continuous interaction and collaboration, driving the product development forward. We tested hundreds of different prototypes, both digitally and physically, to create the helmets we have today. It perfectly illustrates how we can work collaboratively with a partner; the product would not have been possible without our input, and the same goes for Oakley. Without Oakley's creativity and energy, we wouldn't have achieved the remarkable product we have now.”
On Tudor Pro Cycling’s Innovation Department
Kurt Bergin-Taylor: “Our innovation team focuses on all aspects of cycling, aiming to understand the external challenges that cyclists encounter. We recognize that they train for thousands of hours each year, dedicating a significant portion of their lives to maximizing their performance energy. Our goal is to analyze how this energy is utilized and where it is directed. We investigate various external forces, including aerodynamics, resistance, gravitational losses, and acceleratory losses, to gain insights into energy distribution. Additionally, we examine thermal factors to understand our riders' thermal physiology and temperature perception, allowing us to provide better support in this area. Safety is also a critical aspect of our research. Our team explores a wide range of elements that impact the overall cycling experience, including bikes, clothing, helmets, wheels, and data analysis systems that help us further understand cyclists' needs. Environmental conditions are also considered. All of these factors are integral to the ongoing work of our innovation team.”
Priorities When Developing a New Helmet
Casey Lee: “Aerodynamics and safety were definitely our top priorities, but we also knew the helmets needed to be well-ventilated. We couldn't simply put a closed helmet on the riders and expect them to perform optimally, especially during Grand Tours in the summer with temperatures reaching the 40s. We wanted them to confidently choose the aero helmet daily without worrying about ventilation issues on hot summer days — something that was a concern just a few years ago. The three pillars that guided us were safety, aerodynamics, and ventilation. The helmets are designed for performance, and while we understand the importance of aerodynamics in the sport, we also wanted to ensure that safety remains a fundamental consideration.”
Kurt Bergin-Taylor:
“Our vision for the time trial helmet was also clear; we wanted a product that offered high visibility while allowing our riders to maintain aggressive head positions, all while prioritizing safety. We also use safe optics, such as optically correct lenses, to protect our riders' eyes when they wear the time trial helmet.”
The Process
Kurt Bergin-Taylor:
“We first focused on the aero helmet, the 'VELO MACH', the vented helmet, the 'VELO STELVIO', and finally, the time trial helmet, the 'VELO TT'. In collaboration with Oakley in the US and at our office in the UK, we spent many hours in the wind tunnel — 13 trips in total. Additionally, a significant amount of time was dedicated to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and training camps. The Oakley team came to our training camps to obtain perceptual feedback. We also brought athletes over to the US to have their feedback directly implemented.”
Casey Lee: “At the very beginning, we went to the wind tunnel with our competitors' products. We took several top helmets from both the men's and women's fields to a wind tunnel using our first-generation mannequin and tested them intensively. We wanted to understand what we were up against, establish clear targets, and identify whom we aimed to surpass. After that, we moved into CFD and started fresh. We cleared the slate; the engineer responsible for the aero helmet was the first to begin. He created shape after shape and iteration after iteration, testing them through CFD. Selected designs were then taken to the wind tunnel for further evaluation. We went to the wind tunnel essentially every month. Our approach was not to test at the end and simply hope our product was effective; we wanted to understand exactly how the helmets performed in every riding position. Once Tudor Pro Cycling officially signed on, we remodeled the mannequins. Their innovation team provided us with 3D scans of the riders. We used those scans to remodel and reprint the mannequins and then started testing with them."
The Final Product
Velo Mach, Velo Stelvio, and Velo TT are available from April 17 at Oakley.com and Oakley stores and partners worldwide.
