Specialised Prevail 3 helmet assessment: Air flow to blow you away

The Specialised Prevail has lengthy been the ventilated light-weight helmet within the American model’s vary and its newest iteration, the Prevail 3, launched in summer time 2022 alongside its aero sibling the Evade 3.

As a range-topping helmet within the Specialised lineup, it is priced at £250.00 (US$300.00 / €290.00 / AU$475.00) and makes use of revolutionary know-how to search out the right stability of consolation, security and efficiency for riders who need most air flow. 

Its greatest draw, even greater than the abundance of airflow it gives, is that it boasts one of many highest ever scores within the impartial helmet testing carried out by the power at Virginia Tech College, one of many only a few to check rotational impacts.

I have been utilizing the helmet on and off since its launch. It rapidly earned a spot in our purchaser’s information to the finest highway bike helmets, however now it is time to share an in depth run by my expertise with it, and the way it fares towards rivals from the likes of Kask, Bontrager and extra. 

Design and specs

Beginning with the fundamentals, the Prevail 3 helmet is on the market in three sizes, in roughly 10 colors, though this differs by territory.

Visually it seems to be as if Specialised changed all the lateral items of EPS foam with carbon fibre rods, thus lowering their dimension and growing the air flow, however that’s solely half the story. 

Moulded into the EPS foam of the helmet is a carbon fibre skeleton referred to as ‘Aircage’ that joins collectively these rods to create a robust, light-weight shell. Specialised then moulded the EPS foam onto it to create the form of the helmet and supply direct affect safety. 

On the within, the model then built-in MIPS ‘Air Node’ attachment factors to enhance rotational affect safety.

The result’s a helmet that, at launch, boasted the best rating within the impartial rotational affect testing carried out by Virginia Tech with a rating of 8.64. 

The rear cradle mimics the cradle from different helmets within the Specialised vary, with a vertical sliding top adjustment for the rear cradle and a rubber dial for retention.

The straps are smaller than most helmets, at roughly 6mm vast moderately than the extra frequent 10mm. That is largely unnoticeable in use; logic would dictate that it makes issues a contact much less cozy, however this is not one thing I’ve felt was an issue prior to now. I count on it helped me to keep away from foolish tan traces on my current vacation in Morzine, though it is unimaginable to say for positive. 

Regardless, all that design combines to create a very comfy helmet that is exceptionally ethereal and reassuringly protected, which leads us properly onto its efficiency. 

 Efficiency 

Highway bike helmet efficiency is made up of some competing components: consolation, air flow, aerodynamics, affect safety, any added options, and price. Most of those are at odds with one another, so enhancing one facet often means one other will get worse. 

Manufacturers know this, after all, and the efficiency of any given helmet is a mirrored image of how a model has chosen to — after which managed to — stability the varied components to create the specified product.

The Prevail 3’s focus is on air flow over aerodynamics, and it completely excels on this division. I have been testing the helmet for greater than a yr, but it surely had its greatest check lately on my week-long driving vacation in Morzine, with the brand new catered chalet firm Treacle Velo. The climate was completely scorchio. I noticed 46C/114F at one level and spent many an hour slogging up mountains on the Issue O2 VAM in mid-afternoon 30-35C (round 90F) warmth. There was the odd drop of sweat onto the within of my sun shades, however given the trouble stage and temperature, these have been impressively rare. 

Evaluating that to its competitors, I’ve lately additionally used the Kask Protone and the Specialised Evade 3 and discover the restrict of these prime out at round 20C/68F earlier than the sweat drops turn out to be common. 

Kask’s Elemento suffers considerably right here. I get the post-ride pad-squeeze on each trip and the brow fountain begins to pour at any gentle depth over round 10C/50F. I’ve not examined each single helmet available on the market, however having consulted with our tech author Josh Ross, who lately accomplished our helmet grouptest and wrote the accompanying finest highway bike helmets purchaser’s information, I’ve little doubt that the Prevail 3 is market main in its air flow. 

Along with the massive vents, two small extra vents on both facet present a storage spot on your sunglass arms. They work properly with numerous sun shades. I’ve used them extensively with Oakley, 100%, Scicon and Koo, and briefly tried them with others too. Some fashions are finest saved the wrong way up to maintain the nosepiece from fouling the helmet forehead, however all pairs keep fastened in place comfortably. 

On the consolation entrance, I’ve just one small criticism. The place the plastic cradle is moulded into the EPS on the within, there’s a step up of the helmet’s EPS, and this fouls my head inflicting ache when stress is utilized. 

It isn’t noticeable when sporting it, neither is it regarding sufficient for me to cease sporting it, however given any slight downward stress on the helmet causes ache, I do fear {that a} crash may create an undesirable stress level, moderately than dissipate the pressure. 

A medium is match for sizes 55 – 59cm. (small: 51 – 56cm; massive 58 – 62cm). I put on a dimension medium constantly, and the Prevail matches true to dimension and as anticipated. 

At 276g, it is moderately mild on the top and aside from occasions after I’ve deliberately been serious about its efficiency, it is by no means lengthy earlier than I neglect I am sporting it. 

Apparently, the Evade 3 aero helmet is simply 2g heavier in the identical dimension, regardless of packing far more EPS. If it is race efficiency you are after, the quicker Evade 3 could be my advice between the 2. It is the helmet I selected when driving Chasing Cancellara final summer time. 

I’ve not objectively examined the aerodynamics of the Prevail, so can not remark with any certainty or proof, however my expertise with the helmet and my subjective feeling is that it performs pretty properly right here too. 

I count on aero testing would spotlight a detriment when in comparison with a devoted aero helmet. Specialised claims the distinction is 9 watts. 

The dial retention on the again is simple to work with one hand. The vertical sliding adjustment does take a little bit of finesse and pressure to get it to maneuver and is finest finished earlier than you set it on, but it surely differs from the Protone and Elemento in that it stays put as soon as chosen. These will be adjusted whereas sporting, however generally tend to drift up and down as you tilt your neck. Neither system is essentially ‘proper’ however I do choose the Specialised approach right here.

In the case of affect safety, that is one other space that I’ve not examined, and hopefully, I by no means must. 

Fortunately, the impartial testers at Virginia Tech College run lots of of helmets by a constant drop check, measuring the rotational affect safety and changing that right into a rating. The decrease the rating, the higher the degrees of safety. The Prevail 3 scored 8.64, and on the time of writing, has solely been overwhelmed by two different highway bike helmets: the Giro Aries Spherical and the Candy Safety Falconer 2VI, which now occupy spots 1 and a couple of respectively.

In contrast to the Bontrager Circuit helmet which has mounting factors for lights and cameras, there aren’t an enormous quantity of added options to debate on the Prevail 3, as a performance-focussed highway and race helmet.

The one add-on comes within the type of a security provision that Specialised calls ANGI, the impact-detection machine that pairs together with your smartphone and can name for assist if it detects a fall. 

The sensor itself doesn’t include the helmet, it’s an aftermarket buy, however there’s a small clean plate constructed into the rear cradle to accommodate it, like all of Specialised’s helmets.

 Worth  

Naturally, with so few compromises in efficiency, there must be one within the worth. At £250.00 (US$300.00 / €290.00 / AU$475.00) it is definitely on the premium finish of the market, but it surely’s consistent with its rivals. 

The Giro Aries Spherical, for instance, is dearer within the UK at £289.99, however they each share a retail worth of $300 within the USA. Bontrager does are available a good bit cheaper, at £160 for its Velocis MIPS, however in distinction, the Kask Elemento stands out alone at a staggering £335. 

Verdict

The Specialised Prevail 3 is a high-performance helmet with little in the way in which of compromise. It is immensely comfy whereas boasting class-leading air flow and one of many best-tested affect safety scores available on the market.

If it is the fundamental perform of a helmet you are after, then much less cash will get you what you want. In case you’re a die-hard aero nerd, you then too ought to look elsewhere. As I discussed, I would go for the Evade 3 for race-day efficiency until the temperature is properly above 20C/68F. 

However if you happen to’re searching for most air flow and need reassurance that you simply’re sporting one of many most secure highway bike helmets round, then the Prevail 3 is tough to look previous. It is the one I’ve reached for on practically all of my rides this previous yr. 

However after all, the largest competitor will probably be the Giro Aries Spherical. Each have a novel tackle MIPS that provides wonderful outcomes. Each provide wonderful consolation and air flow, and each look nice. It is doable to mount a rear mild to the Aries, however the ANGI sensor right here is exclusive. The Virginia Tech rating is barely higher on the Giro, however the choice will probably come down to non-public desire, how every model matches your head. It would assist that the Specialised is cheaper.