![]() Specialized has designed a Gutter Action brow pad that is designed to divert sweat away from your eyes, I can’t really comment on how effective it is as it’s either not been that hot or I haven’t been trying enough. Overall once cinched down, the helmet is extremely secure and hasn’t required any mid-ride adjustments. If you like the ultra locked-in feeling of low down retention then the Prevail II may not give that. There are five vertical positions although the pads don’t go as low as some other helmets which left me running mine in the deepest position. The helmet snugs up gently yet securely with a good amount of fine adjustment. The retention is managed by Specialized’s Mindset HairPort II micro-dial fit system, vertically adjustable with retention managed using a traditional dial. ![]() The straps themselves only offer under the chin adjustment but are well-positioned to give plenty of ear clearance and the Tri-Fix web splitter keeps the strap junction organised and free of fluttery annoyances. In use, this makes little difference other than encouraging the fashion faux-pas of sunglasses under straps. This means unlike most helmets the straps sit a little bit away from the head. Straps are fixed within the EPS rather than mounted within the shell. ![]() There are also a few other colours as well including the wonderfully outrageous Acid Lava/Acid Purple fade that they sent us. Specialized offers a range of different colours with classic black, white and of course the trademark Specialized red. Other than the rubber attachments, MIPS SL is visually unnoticeable and hasn’t been the cause of any discomfort. The liner itself consists of sections of plastic sheet that are held between the helmet and the padding using rubber pins to create a slip plain to help absorb rotational impacts. The Prevail II is no different, however, it gets an exclusive MIPS SL design, designed as a collaboration between MIPS and Specialized, the MIPS SL liner is extremely minimalist so it doesn’t impede the helmet’s ventilation. Specialized is committed to the MIPS concept with every helmet in its range available with a MIPS system. The lack of a Cyclingnews wind tunnel means we are unable to confirm this, although anecdotally the Prevail II is a very quiet helmet when riding at speed. We expect the claim is mostly due to the reduced overall volume of the helmet. ![]() While the Prevail II is not an aero helmet, Specialized has had it in its wind tunnel and make a loose claim of a six-second advantage over 40km when compared to a ‘standard road helmet’. Visually the Prevail II is the obvious successor in the Prevail line and carries over many aesthetical ques from the previous model however Specialized has added more coverage with the Prevail II sitting a little lower on the head than the previous model to add more coverage and protection. The Prevail II has had a bit of a facelift, or rather a face drop. If you anticipate riding into an area without a signal, a ride timer can be set that automatically sends a distress message with your last known location should you not finish your ride when expected. It isn’t perfect, ANGi is dependent on the Specialized Ride app - which means remembering to open yet another app on your phone before you start riding - and relies on your smartphone having a signal to be able to send the notification with your location. For riders who are often on their own, this could be a significant advantage as in serious crashes time is often of the essence. The most notable addition is ANGi, a little crash detection device mounted on the rear of the helmet that, on detection of significant impact or rotational forces, can notify an emergency contact of an incident and coordinates of your location. While Specialized has managed to pack a wealth of safety features into the Prevail II, serious consideration has been made into how the safety for riders can be improved beyond the usual construction, fit and rotational safety features that can be found on the best road bike helmets. As with any Specialized product that has been given the S-Works moniker, the Prevail II shows some very high attention to detail in the design.
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