HJC Bellus 2 Road / Gravel Helmet

Ventilation That Works at Real-World Speeds

Most “aero” road helmets trade airflow for marginal speed gains — fine at 30km/h, less fine on the climb out of the saddle at 15km/h. HJC took a different approach with the Bellus 2, developing it in their own wind tunnel with a specific focus on heat management at normal riding speeds, not just race pace. Large open vents work with an internal air channel system to pull air in at the front and push heat out the rear, using the same pressure-differential principle (Venturi dynamics) that keeps aero helmets cool at speed — except here it’s tuned for the group ride and the after-work loop, not just the flat-out effort.

Front lip channels help evaporate sweat away from the brow pad, and the brow pad itself swaps out for the included soft peak when you want extra sun protection — a small detail that matters on longer gravel or bikepacking days when conditions change over the course of a ride.

Safety Tech: SLID™ and COOLPATH™

Underneath the ventilation story sits genuine safety engineering. SLID™ (Sliding Layer Impact Distribution) pads sit in the top of the helmet and are designed to reduce rotational impact energy transferred to the brain in an angled impact — a known limitation of older EPS-only helmet designs. COOLPATH™ replaces traditional padding to let air flow directly over the scalp rather than getting trapped under foam, so the ventilation gains aren’t undone by old-fashioned padding blocking the airflow.

The shell uses in-mould construction, bonding the EPS liner to the polycarbonate outer shell for added structural strength and impact reinforcement.

Built for Gloved Hands and Mixed-Terrain Days

The Fidlock magnetic clasp clicks shut one-handed, gloved or not — genuinely useful when you’re layered up for a cold morning or your hands are numb three hours into a wet gravel loop. Straps use Ionic+ anti-bacterial treatment with reflective detailing for low-light visibility, and the helmet includes increased side coverage over a standard road lid, a nod to its gravel remit where you’re more exposed to loose surfaces and lower-speed offs.