Specialized has unveiled the new Evade 4, which is said to be 2.4 per cent cooler than before and features an updated internal shape to improve fit and comfort.
The brand says the improved cooling and comfort come “with zero aero penalty”, compared to the highly-rated Evade 3 – though this also implies it hasn’t managed to move the needle any further in the pursuit of speed.
There’s also a small weight penalty, with a size medium Evade 4 now weighing a claimed 290g – up from 272g for the previous model.
Perhaps, with the UCI’s updated helmet regulations banning the use of ear coverings and visors in mass start events, we’ve reached the peak of what can be achieved with aero road helmets.
Peak aero helmet
Specialized was one of the first brands to introduce an aero helmet that was versatile, and good looking enough to wear day-to-day, rather than just on cool days.
The original Evade, which launched back in 2014, stole a march on existing options, like the Giro Air Attack, by using a more aggressive-looking shape and a decent amount of ventilation holes for cooling.
Since then, the Evade formula has remained consistent, with the biggest changes coming for the second-generation model, in 2018, and only minor tweaks since.
It’s fair to say it’s a successful formula, too. Not only is the Evade 4 a popular pick amongst Specialized-sponsored pro racers, but it’s always scored well in our testing (the Evade 3 earned an almost perfect, 4.5 stars).
With the UCI putting the kibosh on time trial helmets in road racing, it seems Specialized is instead focusing its development resources on the fact that critical races such as the Tour de France are increasingly ridden in extreme heat.
According to Specialized’s global category leader for mountain bikes, Sam Benedict, the number of days in the Tour where temperatures reach “over 90 degrees [fahrenheit] is higher than ever.”
So while 2.4 per cent might not look like an enormous improvement on paper, Benedict says it means riders will be more inclined to select the more aerodynamic Evade 4 over the better-ventilated Prevail 3, more of the time.
In terms of physical changes, the Evade 4 features seven ventilation holes on the front of the helmet, compared to just five on the Evade 3, plus an additional slotted ventilation hole on either side of the rear half of the shell.
As before, two of the front vents double up as sunglasses storage.
Specialized says it took design details from its time trial helmet, the TT5, to inform the Evade 4’s aerodynamic design.
Lionello Bardina, who manages Specialized’s ‘Win Tunnel’ (its in-house wind tunnel) and its CFD modelling, amongst other things, says the Evade 4 is designed to be “flexible” in terms of its aero performance.
This means it should (in theory) work across a variety of riders and riding positions, and its truncated shape doesn’t punish the ‘heads down’ position riders often adopt during sprint finish, for example.
The brand also claims the Evade 4 remains "class-leading" in terms of aero performance, though it hasn't supplied any evidence to back this up.
Comfort improvements
While it’s hard to quantify how improvements to fit and comfort affect performance, Specialized nevertheless made this an area of focus for the Evade 4.
The primary changes, according to the brand, are a change of headform – the model ‘head’ around which a helmet is shaped (similar to a last for a shoe) – and an update to the retention system and cradle.
Benedict says the new headform is slightly rounder and less ovalised than before, with the intention it better fits a wider array of people.
It also gets an upgrade to MIPS Air Node Pro padding, which is claimed to provide improved protection against rotational brain injuries, in the event of a crash.
As noted previously, the claimed weight from a size medium Evade 4 is up slightly, at 290g for a CE-certified model, or 330g for a CPSC equivalent.
Our size medium CE sample, in the White/Red colour scheme, came in just under that at 287g – 15g heavier than the Evade 3 we tested in 2023.
The Specialized Evade 4 costs $350 / €329. UK pricing to be confirmed.
It is available now in six colours; Black, White, White/Red, Root Beer, Silver/White and Multi Aurora.
