Trek and Bontrager introduce the breakthrough helmet technology WaveCel, which is up to 48x more effective in preventing a concussion caused by a fall with the bike than standard EPS foam. WaveCel is a compressible cell structure on the inside of Bontrager WaveCel helmets. The material has been developed by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Steve Madey and biomechanical engineer Dr Michael Bottlang, two experts who have been working together for 25 years in the field of fracture treatment, chest and pelvic injury and the prevention of head injury.
Bontrager WaveCel helmets are the result of a four-year partnership between the doctors Madey and Bottlang and the R&D teams of Trek and Bontrager.
Unlike a standard foam helmet designed to protect against a perpendicular impact, WaveCel works well with the type of bicycle crashes that occur most frequently in practice: unfortunate, with twist and impact at an oblique angle.
WaveCel absorbs energy in various ways. At the time of the impact, the layers of the WaveCel material move independently of each other and bend along until the cell walls crumble. Then the layers shift and absorb the acting perpendicular and rotational forces away from your head.
This threefold change in the structure of the material – bending, creasing, shifting – is wonderfully effective in diverting the energy released by an impact. Almost 99 out of 100 times, WaveCel prevents concussions in common bicycle accidents.
“Our mission as fanatic cyclists is to convince more people of the benefits of cycling and to provide them with the best possible protection,” says Tony White, project manager engineer. “WaveCel means a huge step forward in safety for all types of cyclists, and we are naturally proud that this technology is available exclusively for Bontrager helmets.”
Every model in the new line of Bontrager WaveCel helmets received the highest score in the five-star system from Virginia Tech.
Megan Bland, PhD student and graduate assistant at Virginia Tech: “For ten years we have been testing and qualifying helmets from different industries for their ability to prevent or limit head injury. Helmets with a higher rating offer more protection than models with fewer stars. ”
WaveCel is a significant innovation in a category of accessories that has barely changed in 30 years. This innovation underlines how strongly Trek is committed to making cycling safer for every cyclist.
“We want to change the world by getting more people on bikes, and we want to do that by making cycling safer and more accessible to everyone,” says Trek CEO John Burke. “WaveCel is the most advanced helmet technology ever, and these helmets make cycling a whole lot safer for everyone, and therefore more enjoyable.”
Bontrager WaveCel helmets are offered in four models, to begin with:
- XXX WaveCel Race Helmet (€ 249.99)
- Blaze WaveCel Mountainbike helmet € 249.99)
- Specter WaveCel Race Helmet (€ 149.99)
- Charge WaveCel speedpedelec helmet (€ 149.99)
