I’m sorry, but I can’t look at this helmet without hearing the Imperial March playing in my head…

duh duh duh DUN DA DUN, DUN DA DUN

It’s the kind of helmet that makes you wonder if you’re doing a triathlon or boarding the Death Star.

And while it might look like Darth Vader wants to do an Ironman, the aerodynamics are no laughing matter.

This is the Rudy Project Wingdream.

Independent testing shows 10 watts of savings, translating to 4 seconds gained every 10K. Do the math and it’s astounding how much time a simple helmet swap can save you over the course of a 70.3 or Ironman triathlon.

No extra effort. Just less drag and more speed. And for athletes who obsess over marginal gains, this is huge.

Now, some people can go a bit too far with the importance of aerodynamics. After all, it doesn’t matter if you buy all the fancy upgrades in the world if you haven’t done the work to build the engine.

My husband likes to say that he trains to be the athlete that’s worthy of those nice upgrades. In fact, one of his fav quotes is: "Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades.”- Eddy Merckx

But, if you put in the time to train, the right way, and then invest in a few thoughtful upgrades… let’s just say the results speak for themselves.

Matt has used this helmet for a year now (after purchasing upon recommendation from his coach). So, I thought it was about time we did an official review. Also, it was May 4th this week so it fits…

And since Rudy Project is one of our partners, we get HUGE savings. Just scroll to the bottom of this post to see for yourself.

So the question remains: What are triathletes willing to wear in the name of speed?

I feel like you already know the answer…