When Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in the 2011 World Championships he was wearing a Specialized Prevail, with a special cover, designed to seal the vents and make him faster. Other riders and helmet manufactures noticed and since then we have seen the emergence of the aero road helmet.

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The Specialized S-Works Evade has been worn en route to many famous wins. It was worn to victories in Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France and World Championships, supporting Specialized’s claims the helmet can save the rider as much as 40 seconds over 40 kilometres over a conventional road helmet. In the absence of our own wind tunnel testing, it is impossible to back up Specialized’s claims.

A close up of the venting

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However, I can report that this helmet feels fast and is very quiet at high speed, with noticeably low wind noise than other helmets. Our sample was a size medium weighing 278g, compared to 224g for the S-Works Prevail (Specialized’s lightweight helmet). This difference was barely noticeable when holding both helmets in each hand and even less noticeable when worn.

The Mindset retention system on the evade

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Having used the helmet for a year, I am very impressed as it is amongst the most comfortable I have ever worn. The “Mindset” fitting system works well and the micro dial allows for fine adjustment whilst riding. I really like the aesthetic profile of the helmet, but I am aware that others strongly dislike it. While the Prevail is comparatively wide and square shaped, often transforming wearers’ heads into “mushrooms”, the Evade is narrower and more rounded.

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Regarding ventilation, I decided to put it to the ultimate test of climbing the fearsome 12.4km long, 10.5% Mortirolo pass in 28ºC heat, on a sunny August day. The helmet performed admirably. It is slightly warmer/sweatier than the Giro Synthe, but I felt no urge to take it off.

It is hard to fault the Evade, but it would be good to see more colour options. At £160, this helmet is firmly within the premium bracket, but it is significantly cheaper than the aformentioned Giro Synthe.

For more information, head over to Specialized.