Van Rysel FCR helmet review

Van Rysel’s FCR helmet is a WorldTour-spec aero road helmet at a bargain price.

Created for the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team, Van Rysel says the FCR helmet has been developed and tested in a wind tunnel to optimise its aerodynamic efficiency.

In use, it impresses on practically every front, with performance and comfort comparable to the best aero road helmets – most of which cost far more.

Ventilation on hot days falls just short of some pricer helmets, but that’s easy to overlook considering the Van Rysel FCR helmet costs only £89.99 / €100.

Van Rysel FCR helmet specification and details

The FCR helmet forms part of Van Rysel’s new range of professional-spec bikes and equipment, spanning the RCR Pro road race bike through to the RCR shoes and RCR helmet (a lighter, more ventilated option).

With its egg-shaped profile, sleek appearance and semi-closed exterior shell, Van Rysel’s FCR helmet has all the hallmarks of modern aero road helmet design.

Like the RCR Pro frameset, Van Rysel says the FCR helmet was developed and tested using a wind tunnel and claims boldly it’s “one of the fastest helmets in the professional peloton”.

It hasn’t provided any specific data to support this statement, but it’s also fair to say few helmet manufacturers provide hard aerodynamic data comparing their helmets to those from other brands.

Based on our own wind tunnel testing, though, aero helmets can offer a tangible performance improvement compared to vented ones, making them a good-value aero upgrade compared to a set of aerodynamic road bike wheels.

The FCR helmet itself is made from EPS foam, with a polycarbonate shell. Pleasingly, the shell wraps all the way round the lower edge of the helmet, protecting the EPS foam from knocks and bumps.

There are seven vents up front, plus an additional inlet on the top.

Internally, these vents channel through to the rear of the helmet, where three outlets form an exhaust port.

The internal padding is simple, with two strips running across the top of your head, front to back, and a large, single piece for your forehead.

In terms of thickness, it strikes a balance between the luxuriously thick padding found in Kask’s Protone Icon (£245 / $299.95 / €275) and the thin MIPS Air Node padding found in Specialized’s S-Works Evade 3 (£275 / $300 / €330) and ABUS’s Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS (£279.99 / €299.95).

As on those three helmets, the chin strap is fixed at the ears but adjustable for length.

Amazingly (considering the price), the FCR helmet gets a Fidlock Snap magnetic buckle – the same as found on the ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS, which is more than three times as expensive.

On our scales, a size-medium Van Rysel FCR helmet weighs 293g – 3g over the claimed weight of 290g.

That’s a little heavier than an equivalent-sized S-Works Evade 3 (272g), Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS (276g) or Trek Ballista (268g), but it’s not something I noticed while riding.

There are only two colours available – all black or all white.

There’s no MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) in the standard version of the FCR helmet, but a MIPS-Air equipped version is available for £119.99 / €125.

For context, MIPS and other similar technologies (such as Koroyd, Lazer’s KinetiCore or Kask’s WG11 certification) are designed to lessen the risk of rotational brain injuries during a crash.

As explained in our buyer’s guide to MIPS, the efficacy of such technologies is still debated, but we’ve generally found having them doesn’t impact comfort or ventilation. Given this, it’s nice to have a choice, and even for £30 / €25 more, the price is still very reasonable.

Van Rysel FCR helmet performance

In use, the Van Rysel FCR helmet performs just as well as helmets costing multiple times its price.

Comfort is excellent, with the padding protecting your head from any hard edges.

The retention system works well, too, with the dial enabling precise tension adjustments even with full-finger gloves on.

There isn't as much height-adjustment range available as on Kask’s Protone Icon, but there’s a little more than with Specialized’s S-Works Evade 3.

In any case, I was able to find a comfortable height setting and had no problems wearing the helmet with my hair in a ponytail or bun.

The fact the chin strap is fixed at the ears didn’t cause me any issues, although it’ll be worth trying it on before making a purchase, just to check this is the case for you too.

The Fidlock Snap magnetic buckle is also great – as I commented in my review of the ABUS Gamechanger 2.0 MIPS, it can feel a little gimmicky at first glance, but it's nicer to use than a standard pinch buckle.

It’s surprising to see a premium feature such as this included on a helmet at this price.

I don’t have any data to prove its efficiency, but the Van Rysel FCR has all the hallmarks of a well-designed aero road helmet, including an aerodynamic shape, minimal venting and internal channelling to pull air through the helmet efficiently.

Some pricier aero helmets may well be more efficient, but certainly not by a margin you’d notice while riding.

The FCR helmet also has a set of dedicated ports for holding cycling sunglasses.

This is great because being able to remove and conveniently store your glasses, to increase the airflow over your face while climbing, for example, is a key feature for an aero road helmet (they can often feel stuffy at slow speeds on hot days).

The only area where the FCR helmet falls slightly short of the best aero road helmets is ventilation.

In my experience, Specialized’s S-Works Evade 3 and ABUS’s GameChanger 2.0 MIPS both feel a touch more airy than Van Rysel’s FCR, for example.

It’s impossible to know for certain, but I suspect the thicker padding in the Van Rysel FCR, coupled with the slightly less aggressive internal channelling, may be the cause here.

We’re talking about small differences, though – for riding in the UK, I’d happily wear the FCR helmet on all but the hottest days.

Van Rysel FCR helmet bottom line

Van Rysel’s FCR helmet is the new benchmark for racers and performance-conscious cyclists looking for an aero road helmet at a good price.

It’s not quite as well ventilated as the very best aero helmets, but this is a minor criticism considering the cost differential between it and most other high-end options.

For the price of either Specialized's or ABUS’s flagship aero helmets, you could purchase both Van Rysel’s FCR helmet and its more ventilated sibling, the RCR helmet (£59.99 / €70 or £79.99 / €90 with MIPS), and still have change left over.