The Bell Javelin aero helmet is the successor to the Meteor and could be considered the cheaper cousin of the Giro Selector, as the brands share the same parent company. The Javelin is practically identical in shape to the Selector but doesn't have quite as many features.
It comes with a detachable visor with small breathing holes in the top, two main front vents and one rear, a stubby tail (open underneath) and a fully adjustable internal cage. Despite this the weight is reasonable and we liked the range of options it gave us: three different tilts plus the ability to loosen or tighten on the fly. The ear flaps are flexible so it's fairly easy to get on and off in transition.
The Javelin performed brilliantly in the wind tunnel for a head-up position, but below average for head-down. When it was snug on our head, we found it a little tight around the temples compared to the room we had up top and we also had problems seeing far enough up the road when in the aero position. This could be alleviated by loosening the cage a little – not ideal from a safety point of view but forward vision is more important. We've encountered this problem with other helmets and at least you do have the option of fixing it.
Despite the holes in the top of the visor, you'll still have to demist it with detergent or something similar before use. We experienced some condensation collecting at the top. Although it comes with a few cooling vents, it's not designed with maximum cooling in mind.
The two front vents channel air through the shell effectively to prevent overheating. The Javelin is, however, rather noisy on the road and a rough edge on the tail snagged on our kit until we taped over it.
It comes in three sizes S (51-55cm), M (55-59cm) and L (59-63cm), and six designs.
This review was originally published in Pro Cycling and on TriRadar.com. Our wind tunnel testing was carried out by Prestige Cycles at the University of Southampton.