New Specialized S-Works Evade 3, S-Works Prevail 3, TT5 Helmet Prepare Teams for the Tour de France

Along with personalized bikes for the top riders of their sponsored teams, Specialized is launching three new helmets to help them get to the line first. The new S-Works Evade 3 and S-Works Prevail 3 see updates to increase cooling airflow while maintaining aerodynamic and feather light weight respectively, while the TT5 is an all new design for races against the clock.

Speed to Evade The Competition

The new Evade and Prevail mark the next generation of two of Specialized’s most popular helmets. The original 2013 Evade claimed to save 10 watts at about 25mph over the airy Prevail. When they brought out the Venge ViAS in 2016, Specialized claimed the helmet would save you 46 seconds over a 40km distance. The 2018 Evade II saved an additional 6 seconds, along with reducing weight, increasing ventilation, adding MIPS, and the integrated ANGi sensor that had replaced the old ICEdot.

Ventilation to Prevail

The new Prevail updates a helmet that has traditionally been one of the lightest and most ventilated helmets on the market. The original Prevail from 2011 was the update of the original S-Works helmet that dropped a little bit of weight and with the same high level of ventilation. It wasn’t quite as light as something like the Giro Prolight, but it had superior ventilation and looks. The second edition S-works Prevail II (2016) increased ventilation and decreased weight, drag, and mass, while also adding MIPS and the ANGi sensor. The Prevail II Vent was launched last year as an even lighter and more well-ventilated version to match other Vent products the brand had launched.

The New Quiver

Similar to the bike lineup of the Atheos, Tarmac SL7, and Shiv TT, the new helmets complete that quiver with a helmet for each condition. On hot days in the high mountains, where you want the lightest and most ventilated option, the Atheos and Prevail 3 would be your top pick. Days when you need to balance speed, weight, and ventilation, the Tarmac SL7 and Evade 3 would be my choice. Time trials, the Shiv TT, and TT5 helmet are the way to go.

Specialized has made a significant investment into their helmet lines. They have a large team of engineers, product developers, designers, manufacturing technicians, and quality control specialists working at sites around the world on the development. They use computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which you hear about with just about any product these days, but also integrate advanced solid modeling software, finite elemental analysis (FEA), and state-of-the-art testing labs around the world. All of this, with feedback from pro riders, goes into creating products that are not only proven in the brand’s Win Tunnel but also in races of all levels all over the world.

As cyclists, we are not just picking a helmet because it is aero, ventilated, looks good, or matches our kit, but also for safety. Personally, the Evade II has been my go-to for most of my road and gravel riding when not testing other helmets, because of their emphasis on safety (MIPS, ANGi crash sensor), along with the aerodynamic benefits that I have found to be one of the best out there (from my unscientific testing). Thankfully, the MIPS system is carried over in the form of the MIPS Air Node, to dissipate rotational forces in a crash, along with the ability to run the ANGi sensor on the Mindset Fit system.

Virginia Tech Helmet Score

In fact, both helmets improved their scores on the Virginia Tech Helmet Rating, an independent testing program used to identify the most protective helmets out there. The Prevail 3 jumped from 14.84 Prevail II, 12.65 Prevail II MIPS, and 11.28 for the Prevail II Vent MIPS, to 8.64 with a 5-star rating, the second beset helmet out there, and the top road helmet. The Evade jumps from an 18.50 Evade II and 14.41 Evade II MIPS, to 10.93 and 5-stars. The Evade 3 was narrowly beaten by the Bontrager Ballista MIPS with a 10.92 score, which is the top Aero helmet in the test.

What’s New

Both helmets continue to build off of their previous models’ success.

For the Evade 3, the focus was on the one weakness I felt it had, it wasn’t the best-ventilated helmet out there. It is great for an aero road helmet, but it could be improved. There is always going to be a trade-off though. Better ventilation usually means less of an aerodynamic benefit, but the Evade 3 has managed to keep the Evade II’s class-leading aerodynamics and increased ventilation by 10%. Much of this has to do with the newly redesigned rear diffuser. Designed from the inside out, the helmet features larger front vents to let more air in, while the new diffuser minimizes drag as the hot air comes out the back of the helmet. Similar to the idea behind the Tarmac SL7 as the brand’s aero, do-everything bike, the Evade 3’s increased ventilation makes it that much more versatile for more of your rides. You might not subscribe to an aero is everything theory, but the more you can reduce drag, the faster or fresher (or both) you will be at the end of your ride. Additionally, the Evade 3’s dual-density optimized EPS foam is now fully wrapped in the polycarbonate shell for increased durability and a premium finish.

The Prevail 3 sees a little more of a dramatic redesign. Looking down from the top, it really hits you how open and airy the new version is. While previous models had EPS foam bridges to support the channels, the new Prevail 3 adds 24,5% more surface area for cooling, thanks to the new Air Cage. Woven aramid “cables” create an internal structure with strands that traverse from front to back inside of the EPS foam structures and others that go perpendicularly across the helmet. These strands can be seen in place of the usual EPS bridges. On either side, the strands attach to a carbon side panel to create a base with the helmet. The Air Cage acts as a suspension to distribute forces across the helmet, instead of keeping it localized to one part. To create an integrated, protective structure, the Mindset Fit system is mounted into the lowermost strand that wraps completely around the helmet. The Prevail 3 also gets the fully wrapped polycarbonate shell.

A quick note on the MIPS Air Node. The MIPS systems s integrated directly into the helmet’s padding, adding a sleek, low friction layer for the helmet to slide on, dissipating the rotational forces from an angular impact. Specialized worked to further develop the system to help add perforations to maximize breathability, performance, comfort, and weight savings.

Additional new features include new Occipital Vase Adjustment for better fit and compatibility with sunglasses, Tri-Fix Webbing with a thinner 10mm strap to reduce noise, and updates to the Mindset Fit System to improve grip and reaction on the dial for on-the-go adjustments.

TT5 Against the Clock

The new product in the lineup is the TT5, which replaces the S-Works TT4 as the brand’s top-of-the-line time trial helmet. The radical new shape takes a step back from the stubby helmets we have been seeing as of late and flows more to the rider’s shoulders. This helps to reduce the eddy of air near the shoulders that creates drag. the helmet has an integrated Class 1 optics shield that provides zero distortion when looking through it. It also has a hydrophobic coating to repel water, along with an EN166 high-grade anti-fog coating.

One of the most interesting pieces of the new helmet is the Head Sock. It is a feature that goes on first over the head and covers down to the neck. It looks similar to an open-faced ski mask but made of a thin, breathable material that also helps to wick moisture away, The Head Sock is said to help keep the helmet in the optimal position, while also working with the MIPS Air Node to help reduce rotational forces.

While we’ll have to wait for the TT5 to possibly become available to the general public, the S-Works Evade 3 and S-Works Prevail 3 are available on Specialized’s site and at local dealers now. both come in three sizes (S, M, L), three colors (White, Red, and Black), and range in weights from 290-350g for the Evade in CPSC configuration (260-300g in CE), and 280-320g for the Prevail (250-300g in CE).  Price for either helmet is $300.

With the Tour de France starting tomorrow, keep an eye out for Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl, BORA-hansgrohe, and Team TotalEnergies to use all three helmets throughout the race.

www.specialized.com