Kask’s latest helmet, the Wasabi, features a sliding front vent to adjust ventilation to suit your needs and the weather. The new helmet adorned the heads of several of the Ineos Grenadiers team at last weekend’s Strade Bianche.
But Kask says that it’s designed as a high-end lid to satisfy the needs of a wide range of riders.
“We are excited to introduce to our collection a helmet that is truly designed to be worn in all seasons and terrains, and we look forward to watching how its active ventilation and thermoregulating capabilities meet the demands of road cyclists, gravel and cyclocross riders everywhere,” says Diego Zambon, general manager at Kask.
Ventilation is adjusted by sliding up and down the middle panel in the shell, opening or closing vents.
It’s a similar feature to the Lazer Bullet 2.0 helmet, which also has a central sliding vent that moves up to let air flow through a wide vent at the front of the helmet and via internal channelling to the large vents at the rear.
Kask says that closing the front vent will increase the temperature of a rider's head by 1.5ºC.
That may not sound a lot, but with less air rushing around your noggin, it’s likely to make a chilly ride much more comfortable. The all-season usability is also helped by Merino wool pads that extend along the inside of the helmet.
The Wasabi is designed to be aero too. Even with the vent open, Kask says there’s only one watt extra drag compared to it being closed.
It claims that its wind tunnel testing shows that the Wasabi is second only to the Kask Utopia in slipperiness among the high-end helmets it tested.
Elsewhere, Kask uses its Octo Fit retention system in the Wasabi, which is also found in its other helmets. And Kask says that despite its fancy venting, a size medium Wasabi weighs only 290g.
Kask has yet to announce colour options and pricing, but we do know that it will be available in sizes small, medium and large.
