The Vice is Specialized’s top-end open-face trail helmet and has strong strands of DNA from the ‘best of the rest’. Imagine the shape of the Fox Flux, venting from the Giro Xar and almost the depth of the POC Trabec and you get the drift. It’s why, for the money, Specialized sell loads of them.
It would probably sell more if it had an adjustable peak. That said, the Vice is a very accomplished piece of design, moving air efficiently to make it hardly any more sweaty than Specialized’s cross-country lids. Fit is vice-like thanks to the deep sides, which make you feel like your head’s in a safe place.
The deep rear section is kept securely snug thanks to a fit system that allows you to adjust height as well as width. Getting the height sorted by way of poppers is fiddly, but it's worth spending those few minutes for the solid performance.
This article was originally published in What Mountain Bike magazine.
