Specialized has announced a new model in its flagship road helmet range. The S-Works Prevail II Vent is a super airy version of the brand’s all-round (i.e. not aero-focused) race helmet.
As with the S-Works Vent shoes, the new Prevail II Vent is an addition to the range rather than a replacement for the existing model.
The S-Works Prevail II Vent will retail at £240 / $250 / €319.90 / AU$400 and is available to buy now.
S-Works Prevail II Vent: it’s all about cooling
While Specialized’s Evade helmet is all about reducing drag, the S-Works Prevail II Vent is focused on increasing airflow over the rider’s head, a particular concern for hot weather riding.
Specialized says the new lid offers a 20 per cent increase in vented area and moves air across the head 18 per cent faster than the standard Prevail II, making it the coolest helmet the brand has ever made.
This was achieved by the removal of seven foam ‘bridges’ across the central channel of the helmet.
These have been replaced by far more slender “robotically spun Aramid ropes” giving the appearance of an almost completely open channel down the middle of the helmet.
Like the existing Prevail II, the Prevail II Vent uses MIPS SL safety tech to reduce the effects of rotational forces on the wearer’s head and brain, a system that claims to offer 10 to 15mm of rotation in every direction.
For the new model, Specialized has used a redesigned MIPS pad kit which aims to be more breathable thanks to a perforated ripstop backing. The new Prevail also includes the ANGi crash detection system as an additional safety measure.
We haven’t seen the precise score, because it’s not been published yet, but Specialized says the S-Works Prevail II Vent achieved the maximum five-stars in Virginia Tech’s Helmet Ratings.
The S-Works Prevail II Vent is available now in four colours. Expect to see it worn by pro riders from teams including Deceuninck–Quick-Step, Bora–Hansgrohe, Legion of LA and SD Worx.
It will be interesting to see which riders opt for the Prevail over the more aero but less vented Evade. Conventional wisdom would suggest that aero gains will usually be more important, but it’s easy to imagine that riders faced with a hot day’s racing would favour the extra airflow offered by the Prevail II Vent.
