Specialized’s new Prevail Helmet takes over from the S-Works model as the top of the line for their brain buckets.
The original press releases and info on it gave it a claimed weight of about 185g, which is obscene. Well, safety standards being what they are, our review model landed in our office with a sticker stating 215g. That’s still really, really light, but about 20g heavier than the claimed and actual weight of the Giro ProLight we reviewed.
When it comes to helmets, for me anyway, weight is a very close second to safety, about equal with comfort because a heavy helmet will end up causing neck fatigue and pain on longer rides. Yes, a few ounces really can make a difference. That said, my much older medium S-Works helmet weighs in at 257g (274 w/ visor), and it’s pretty good for me on long rides.
How does this come in when it’s actually on the scale? Tip past the break and see…
The medium S-Works Prevail we’re testing weighed in at 228g without a visor. I’m happy to report that the visor from my old S-Works helmet fits on it just fine…which is good because the Prevail doesn’t come with one.
Click any image to enlarge. The Prevail comes with an extra set of pads, stickers and instructions/legal disclaimers.
The replacement pads, oddly, are generically shaped red pads that are likely just to provide some cushioning in the event you lose these pre-formed ones. One of the immediate benefits of the new design is that the brow pads are no longer mounted on an external thin plastic ring. On my S-Works, as the pads have worn, it can get pressed into my forehead, particularly when using with a light or camera mounted to it.
The Mindset rear retention mechanism is height adjustable by way of two sliding top strips. They allow quite a bit of range and easily get the main body of it under the base of your skull.
To fit the helmet snugly, simply dial in the twist adjustment to bring in the thin plastic strips that snap into the insides of the helmet’s sides about 3/4 of the way to the front.
Like most super light helmets, the main straps are fixed in position. So far, we haven’t tried any on that don’t seem to have the position pretty well dialed and it’s actually kinda nice not having to mess with it. The buckle position is adjustable as normal.
First impressions of just putting it on and dialing the fit in are impressive. It’s very comfortable and one of the most secure helmets I’ve ever put on my head. By this, I mean it stays in position well without feeling overly snug (read: tight) at all. I’m looking toward to putting in some miles under it.
