Until Dimension Data moved to Oakley helmets for the 2018 season, Met’s Trenta 3K Carbon was used by multiple WorldTour teams and after spending some significant time in it I can why it is the helmet of choice by Met-sponsored pro riders.
You’ll see the Trenta 3K Carbon atop the heads of Ben Swift et al. of Team UAE, crucially at pretty much every type of race this year because the Trenta is billed as something of an all-rounder - light and airy enough for hot days in the mountains, but aero enough for long, flat Classics races in the chilly spring too.
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Met claims this balance between aerodynamics and ventilation has been achieved by the Trenta’s unusual construction - externally it uses 3k weave carbon fibre ‘ribs’ that are linked from the centre of the helmet by a carbon cage embedded in the liner.
According to Met the elastic modulus of the carbon structure allowed it to reduce the density of the EPS foam by 20% without affecting safety.
As a result the helmet is physically smaller, which is a large contributing factor to it being more aerodynamic while still possessing the necessary vents for it to cool your head on hot days.
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Interestingly, Met says that the Trenta is most efficient riding on the tops at 45kmh, where it saves 7 watts over a traditional road helmet.
Most companies will brag about drag reduction in a general sense, but the specificity of Met’s claim lies in the fact that it wanted the Trenta to help where most pros spend the majority of their time, which is in a fast moving peloton.
Obviously whether Met’s intentions have efficacy in the real world is impossible (certainly for me) to determine but taking the claims at face value it is good to see a degree of direction and critical analysis on exactly how a product will be used.
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Granted, the situation in which the Trenta supposedly performs optimally may not be particularly applicable for the everyday rider but it does indeed cut a low-profile silhouette and certainly did not feel cumbersome when I was riding, although this is likely due as much to its low weight as its aerodynamic efficiency.
Met claims a weight for the Trenta 3K Carbon of 215g and although I weighed my pre-production sample at 224g that is still uncommonly light, especially when you consider the helmet’s aero pretensions.
Put in context, Giro’s Synthe, a helmet widely considered to be a market leader in the Trenta’s category, weighs 234g and the Trenta feels just as fast and airy as the Synthe.
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The Trenta 3K Carbon’s padding and retention system are also top notch, being comfortable, easy to adjust and robust, just like other designs in this area of the market like Poc’s Octal or Specialized’s Prevail II.
Taking that into consideration that may be where, if anywhere, the Trenta 3K Carbon trips up. While it’s performance and ergonomics are on par with the best in the market it manages that all at a significantly higher price point - the Synthe is some £40 cheaper, and comes with MIPS as standard.
For some that might make Met’s regular Trenta a more attractive alternative. At £45 cheaper, it is slightly heavier and larger as it is constructed in a more traditional way without carbon fibre, but if you looking to buy a very light, airy and fast lid that will perform well in pretty much any riding situation Met’s Trenta 3K Carbon is definitely worth a look.