With Adam Yates wearing the yellow jersey for four stages of this year’s Tour de France, we’ve seen plenty of Mitchelton-Scott at the front of the field driving the pace. Perched on top of the heads of a few select riders, it appears to be an updated version of the Scott Centric Plus road bike helmet.
A quick scroll on Scott’s Instagram page shows the brand quietly announced the helmet on the back of the new Foil and posted details on their website, but have yet to start the fireworks surrounding its launch. .
Scott manufactures two top of the line road helmets, the Cadence Plus; its ultra-aerodynamic road cover and the Centric; the ventilated but still aerodynamic offer. These helmets were originally unveiled in 2016 with big claims of aero and ventilation – at launch Scott said the Centric Plus was cooler than not wearing a helmet at 40 km / h and could win you up to at 12 seconds in a 40 km time trial. The original Cadence Plus and Centric Plus models were the first helmets on the market to feature a perforated MIPS liner.
As of yet, Scott has yet to release similar claims on aerodynamics or ventilation, however, the brand claims the helmet was developed in collaboration with its sponsored road and mountain bike racers and claims it is is “one of the lightest and best ventilated helmets in the world. his class. ”
Scott also notes that a key feature of his new cover is that it is “designed for winners”.
The new Centric Plus cuts a similar silhouette to its predecessor, but the layout and size of the vents have changed. According to our calculations, the new version has 19 vents, three more than the previous version. On paper, this may not seem like a big difference, but three vents have been added to the top of the helmet where the old one didn’t, and the size of the exhaust ports has increased significantly – which in theory should improve air circulation and allow more heat to radiate.
The small wing that was at the top of the Centric preview is now gone, with the rear of the helmet more rounded.
Being one of Scott’s flagship covers, the polycarbonate shell goes under the lower lip of the helmet to protect the EPS foam from dents and bumps.
Inside, the retention system has changed from Scott’s HALO 360 retention system to a HALO 270 with a rubber dial. We believe the 90-degree difference is partly due to the updated MIPS liner. The HALO 360 fit system was anchored directly to the yellow perforated MIPS liner and encompassed your entire head. According to Scott, the new Centric sees the MIPS liner integrated into the padding, similar to the Specialized Prevail II with the MIPS SL liner. For this reason, it appears that the retention system is anchored inside the hull, 90 degrees before a full envelope – so 270.
The previous version appears to be the lightweight straps and fixed ear separators – some colors seeing patterned straps. It also appears Scott went for a traditional buckle instead of the Fidloc magnetic buckles that permeate some high-end lids.
It looks like the Centric Plus will be available in seven colorways, including a “Vogue Silver reflective option” and a special pink and fade-purple Super Sonic version.
According to Scott, the helmet will be available in three sizes and weighs 220g. Prices and availability must be announced.
