Bespoke Blog

New helmet is lighter, cooler and more aero than the original Evade.

Buy the new S-Works Evade II from Bespoke, with free UK delivery

Aerodynamic road helmets have become hugely popular with racing and performance cyclists over the last four to five years, and when Specialized launched its original Evade in 2014 (but first unveiled by Mark Cavendish in the year before) it was one of few options available.

Aero helmets try to balance the demands of aerodynamics and ventilation. More aero than a well-ventilated helmet but more ventilated than a time trial helmet. The original Evade was actually modelled by cutting holes in the company's S-Works TT helmet, which it reckons is the most aero helmet it has ever tested.

Fast forward to 2018 and Specialized now has its own wind-tunnel, which has helped in the development of the new Evade II. The new helmet is lighter, up to 20g, plus it's a claimed 6 seconds faster than the old Evade. In an era of increasingly marginal gains, that's a substantial improvement.

The new Evade II retains a similar DNA to the original, but it's 2.5cm shorter with a much lower profile and more compact shape. Specialized admits the original Evade could run a little hot, so it used heat sensors during development to refine the venting. The result is a 1.5% improvement. Look inside the helmet and you'll see deep channels that are designed to funnel air over the head, and the external vents have been refined.

The helmet is constructed from two densities of EPS foam to manage impact energy and weight, with an Aramid-reinforced skeleton. There's the same 4x DryLite straps and Tri-Fix splitter as on the Prevail II, along with a new magnetic buckle. The Mindset micro-dial retention system offers a wide range of adjustment and now better accommodates pony tails and long hair.

The Evade II costs £200 and comes in three sizes (small, medium and large) and there are five colours to choose from.

Full specification:

Through extensive Win Tunnel development, the Evade is the fastest road helmet we've tested.

• 4th Dimension Cooling System with deep internal channels, large vents, and aligned exhaust ports make it the

best combination of aerodynamics and ventilation.

• Patented Energy Optimized Multi-Density EPS construction helps to manage impact energy.

• Patented Aramid-Reinforced Skeleton provides internal EPS support to help manage impact energy.

• Ultra-light Mindset HairPort II micro-dial fit system with height adjustability for the perfect fit.

• Gutter Action brow pad design for increased comfort and sweat management.

• Thin, soft, and lightweight 4X DryLite webbing won't stretch out with sweat or water.

• Tri-Fix web splitter for improved comfort and ease of strap adjustments.

• Instrap webbing system for ultra-light construction and security.

Buy the new Evade II from Bespoke, with free UK delivery