It’s always hard to best a gold standard. And while Specialized’s first Evade was not the first aero road helmet on the market, it became the one to beat over the past few years. So, the folks at Specialized had their work cut out for them to best the best in the world. And to do that, Specialized didn’t just concentrate on speed (though it is faster). No, Specialized made cooling and comfort their primary goals. Because while speed wins, heat can most definitely defeat.

The S-Works Evade

The new Evade is cool. In fact, Specialized tells us that the new helmet is as cool as wearing no helmet at all. To get there, Specialized invented their own testing protocols to find how far they could take cooling while still making the Evade even faster than its predecessor – six seconds over a 40km TT Specialized tells us (though, they didn’t provide the criteria they used to arrive at that number).

While the shape looks similar at first glance, a closer inspection quickly starts to show the differences. The front and side ports are enlarged to let more air over your scalp. And the rear is almost completely opened up to let all that air escape. The result is a helmet that Specialized says is as cool on as if you had chosen to ride sans helmet, which we seriously hope you aren’t planning to do!

To keep the Evade comfortable on your head, Specialized fitted it with an Ultra-light Mindset HairPort II micro-dial fit system with height adjustability and a Tri-Fix web splitter for improved comfort and ease of strap adjustments. Under your chin is the same magnetic closure that we found worked so well on the original Evade Tri.

No matter how much ventilation you have, it is going to get hot. To help with that is a Gutter Action brow pad design for increased comfort and sweat management. There is also the thin, soft, and lightweight 4X DryLite webbing that won’t stretch out with sweat or water.

The S-Works Evade is available now in three colors for $300.

Our Thoughts

As every one of Specialized’s competitors can attest to, besting the original Evade is going to be tough. But this new Evade seems to have what it is going to take, at least it does on paper. Faster and cooler is the way to our hearts – and our wallets. We are looking forward to getting a new Evade on top of our noggins and starting to put it through its paces in the South Florida heat. Stay tuned to AeroGeeks.com for our full review as soon as our test helmet arrives at HQ.