Tech Specifications: Specialised Be successful 3 MIPS
Retail worth: £250.00 / US$300.00 / €290.00 / AU$475.00
To be had colors: Black, Vibrant Purple, White, White Mountains, White/Black, Fjällräven Inexperienced, Hyper Dove Gray, White Sage Metal. Colors might fluctuate by way of territory
Rotational Have an effect on era: MIPS Air Node
Weight: 276g as measured in dimension M
The Specialised Be successful has lengthy been the ventilated light-weight helmet within the American logo’s fluctuate and its newest iteration, the Be successful 3, introduced in summer time 2022 along its aero sibling the Evade 3.
As a range-topping helmet within the Specialised lineup, it is priced at £250.00 (US$300.00 / €290.00 / AU$475.00) and makes use of cutting edge era to search out the very best steadiness of convenience, protection and function for riders who need most air flow.
Its greatest draw, even larger than the abundance of airflow it supplies, is that it boasts one of the crucial best possible ever ratings within the unbiased helmet checking out carried out by way of the ability at Virginia Tech College, one of the crucial only a few to check rotational affects.
I have been the usage of the helmet off and on since its release. It temporarily earned a spot in our purchaser’s information to the excellent highway motorbike helmets, however now it is time to percentage an in depth run via my revel in with it, and the way it fares towards competition from the likes of Kask, Bontrager and extra.
Design and specs
Beginning with the fundamentals, the Be successful 3 helmet is to be had in 3 sizes, in roughly 10 colors, despite the fact that this differs by way of territory.
Visually it appears to be like as although Specialised changed all the lateral items of EPS foam with carbon fibre rods, thus lowering their dimension and lengthening the air flow, however that’s best part the tale.
Moulded into the EPS foam of the helmet is a carbon fibre skeleton referred to as ‘Aircage’ that joins in combination those rods to create a robust, light-weight shell. Specialised then moulded the EPS foam onto it to create the form of the helmet and supply direct affect coverage.
At the within, the emblem then built-in MIPS ‘Air Node’ attachment issues to support rotational affect coverage.
The result’s a helmet that, at release, boasted the best possible rating within the unbiased rotational affect checking out carried out by way of Virginia Tech with a rating of 8.64.
The rear cradle mimics the cradle from different helmets within the Specialised fluctuate, with a vertical sliding top adjustment for the rear cradle and a rubber dial for retention.
The straps are smaller than maximum helmets, at roughly 6mm extensive moderately than the extra commonplace 10mm. That is in large part unnoticeable in use; common sense would dictate that it makes issues a slightly much less at ease, however this is not one thing I have felt was once an issue previously. I be expecting it helped me to keep away from foolish tan traces on my fresh vacation in Morzine, despite the fact that it is not possible to mention evidently.
Regardless, all that design combines to create a in point of fact at ease helmet that is exceptionally ethereal and reassuringly protected, which leads us properly onto its functionality.
Efficiency
Street motorbike helmet functionality is made up of a couple of competing components: convenience, air flow, aerodynamics, affect coverage, any added options, and value. Some of these are at odds with each and every different, so bettering one facet in most cases method every other will get worse.
Manufacturers know this, after all, and the functionality of any given helmet is a mirrored image of the way a logo has selected to — after which controlled to — steadiness the quite a lot of components to create the required product.
The Be successful 3’s focal point is on air flow over aerodynamics, and it completely excels on this division. I have been checking out the helmet for greater than a 12 months, but it surely had its greatest take a look at not too long ago on my week-long using vacation in Morzine, with the brand new catered chalet corporate Treacle Velo. The elements was once completely scorchio. I noticed 46C/114F at one level and spent many an hour slogging up mountains at the Issue O2 VAM in mid-afternoon 30-35C (round 90F) warmth. There was once the strange drop of sweat onto the interior of my sun shades, however given the trouble degree and temperature, those had been impressively rare.
Evaluating that to its pageant, I’ve not too long ago extensively utilized the Kask Protone and the Specialised Evade 3 and in finding the prohibit of the ones most sensible out at round 20C/68F earlier than the sweat drops turn out to be common.
Kask’s Elemento suffers considerably right here. I am getting the post-ride pad-squeeze on each trip and the brow fountain begins to pour at any gentle depth over round 10C/50F. I have no longer examined each unmarried helmet available on the market, however having consulted with our tech author Josh Ross, who not too long ago finished our helmet grouptest and wrote the accompanying excellent highway motorbike helmets purchaser’s information, I don’t have any doubt that the Be successful 3 is marketplace main in its air flow.
Along with the massive vents, two small further vents on each side supply a garage spot to your sunglass hands. They paintings properly with quite a lot of sun shades. I have used them widely with Oakley, 100%, Scicon and Koo, and in brief attempted them with others too. Some fashions are excellent saved the other way up to stay the nosepiece from fouling the helmet forehead, however all pairs keep fastened in position conveniently.
At the convenience entrance, I’ve just one small criticism. The place the plastic cradle is moulded into the EPS at the within, there’s a step up of the helmet’s EPS, and this fouls my head inflicting ache when power is carried out.
It isn’t noticeable when dressed in it, neither is it relating to sufficient for me to prevent dressed in it, however given any slight downward power at the helmet reasons ache, I do fear {that a} crash may create an undesirable power level, moderately than expend the power.
A medium is are compatible for sizes 55 – 59cm. (small: 51 – 56cm; huge 58 – 62cm). I put on a dimension medium persistently, and the Be successful suits true to dimension and as anticipated.
At 276g, it is slightly gentle at the head and except occasions when I have deliberately been enthusiastic about its functionality, it is by no means lengthy earlier than I overlook I am dressed in it.
Curiously, the Evade 3 aero helmet is best 2g heavier in the similar dimension, in spite of packing a lot more EPS. If it is race functionality you might be after, the quicker Evade 3 can be my advice between the 2. It is the helmet I selected when using Chasing Cancellara final summer time.
I’ve no longer objectively examined the aerodynamics of the Be successful, so can not remark with any walk in the park or evidence, however my revel in with the helmet and my subjective feeling is that it plays reasonably neatly right here too.
I be expecting aero checking out would spotlight a detriment when in comparison to a devoted aero helmet. Specialised claims the variation is 9 watts.
The dial retention on the again is straightforward to paintings with one hand. The vertical sliding adjustment does take somewhat of finesse and power to get it to transport and is excellent completed earlier than you place it on, but it surely differs from the Protone and Elemento in that it remains put as soon as decided on. The ones may also be adjusted whilst dressed in, however generally tend to glide up and down as you tilt your neck. Neither gadget is essentially ‘proper’ however I do desire the Specialised manner right here.
Relating to affect coverage, that is every other space that I’ve no longer examined, and with a bit of luck, I by no means need to.
Fortuitously, the unbiased testers at Virginia Tech College run masses of helmets via a constant drop take a look at, measuring the rotational affect coverage and changing that right into a rating. The decrease the rating, the simpler the degrees of coverage. The Be successful 3 scored 8.64, and on the time of writing, has best been crushed by way of two different highway motorbike helmets: the Giro Aries Round and the Candy Coverage Falconer 2VI, which now occupy spots 1 and a couple of respectively.
Not like the Bontrager Circuit helmet which has mounting issues for lighting fixtures and cameras, there aren’t an enormous quantity of added options to speak about at the Be successful 3, as a performance-focussed highway and race helmet.
The one add-on comes within the type of a security provision that Specialised calls ANGI, the impact-detection software that pairs together with your smartphone and can name for lend a hand if it detects a fall.
The sensor itself doesn’t include the helmet, it’s an oem acquire, however there’s a small clean plate constructed into the rear cradle to deal with it, like several of Specialised’s helmets.
Worth
Naturally, with so few compromises in functionality, there needs to be one in the associated fee. At £250.00 (US$300.00 / €290.00 / AU$475.00) it is without a doubt on the top class finish of the marketplace, however it is consistent with its competition.
The Giro Aries Round, as an example, is costlier in the United Kingdom at £289.99, however they each percentage a retail worth of $300 in the United States. Bontrager does are available a good bit inexpensive, at £160 for its Velocis MIPS, however by contrast, the Kask Elemento stands proud by myself at a staggering £335.
Verdict
The Specialised Be successful 3 is a high-performance helmet with little in the way in which of compromise. It is immensely at ease whilst boasting class-leading air flow and one of the crucial best-tested affect coverage ratings available on the market.
If it is the elementary serve as of a helmet you might be after, then much less cash gets you what you wish to have. If you are a die-hard aero nerd, then you definitely too must glance in different places. As I discussed, I might go for the Evade 3 for race-day functionality until the temperature is definitely above 20C/68F.
However in case you are in search of most air flow and need reassurance that you are dressed in one of the crucial most secure highway motorbike helmets round, then the Be successful 3 is tricky to appear previous. It is the one I have reached for on the majority of my rides this previous 12 months.
However after all, the most important competitor can be the Giro Aries Round. Each have a novel tackle MIPS that gives superb effects. Each be offering superb convenience and air flow, and each glance nice. It is conceivable to mount a rear gentle to the Aries, however the ANGI sensor right here is exclusive. The Virginia Tech rating is fairly higher at the Giro, however the determination will most probably come down to non-public choice, how each and every logo suits your head. It could lend a hand that the Specialised is inexpensive.
| Design and aesthetics | Appears to be like nice, and a very good reconsider of helmet design that has supplied remarkable effects | 10/10 |
| Convenience | One slight bugbear with the step down of the EPS foam. It is nonetheless at ease although and seldom enters my awareness when using | 9/10 |
| Air flow | Can I give it 11/10? It is remarkable. Just be sure you put on a hat in wintry weather. | 10/10 |
| Protection | A few of the easiest ever examined by way of Virginia Tech | 10/10 |
| Worth | There are inexpensive helmets to be had, after all, however that is priced consistent with competition | 8/10 |
| General | Row 5 – Cellular 1 | 94% |