Specialized Vice Helmet - Review
Better known for their all encompassing line of bikes, Specialized also has a complete range of helmets to suit most rider's needs. Inside we'll take a closer look at their all-mountain oriented Vice helmet. Featuring more protection and a load of massive vents, the Vice has styling all its own.
Read on...Specialized Vice Helmet
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The Vice is Specialized's answer to the rider who is looking for more coverage and protection while still wanting a lightweight and airy helmet. The Vice has quite a bit more protection at the rear of the helmet that extends lower than a traditional XC dedicated lid. Out of the box the first impressions of the Vice are of a very well put together helmet. The finish is top notch and the styling is all its own with a look that sets it apart from your run of the mill lids. The angles are a bit more square and Batman-like, as opposed to the more common rounded look found on other AM intended options. The Vice covers quite a bit at the rear area of your head, with the coverage beginning to drop down just after your ears. Vent wise, there are loads, 33 of them to be exact. Five large vents at the front of the helmet look ready to suck in air and let it pass out the rear of the helmet. Three openings are tucked under the visor as well that resemble the open mouth of some bottom feeder fish. The non-adjustable visor is held on with allen head bolts high on the helmet and two plastic clips that hook into the lower vents. While you can't raise or lower the visor, it certainly is solid.
The Headset SL adjustable retention band is very minimalist and all extra material has been removed. The central dial makes it a one handed affair when you adjust it, and each click is not only very tactile but also audible. The band can also be adjusted for height, with four positions available that simply clip into place.
![photo]()
Specialized Vice Helmet Details
• Rear coverage extends lower than your average XC lid
• Headset SL retention band uses micro adjust dial to fine tube fit
• Retention band has four height positions
• 33 different vents
• Color matched visor that attaches via allen head bolts - no cheesy visor mount!
• Completely In-molded shell means less exposed foam
• SNELL/B90A certified
• Color options include black, blue, camo black, silver, or white
• MSRP $114.99 CAD
![photo]()
Specialized Vice Helmet Sizing
• Small 20"-22 1/2" / 51 cm-57 cm / Hat size 6 3/8-7 1/8
• Medium 21 14"-23 1/2" / 54 cm-60 cm / Hat size 6 3/4-7 1/2
• Large 22 1/2"-24 3/4" / 57 cm-63 cm / Hat size 7 1/8-7 7/8
![photo]()
How Do We Feel About The Vice Helmet?
Fit is obviously quite a personal thing, but all of us in the office felt that the Vice had an overall comfortable feel to it, although one point of contact could be felt as being a bit hard. The shape of the shell should work for the majority of riders, but be sure to have a test fit before purchasing just to be sure. The Headset SL band applies even tension and being able to adjust the band's height came in handy as I found that I preferred it to be set higher than others who tried it on. Turning the dial to fine tube the band's tension is an easy one handed job that can be done while on the bike if needed. When turning it the clicks are solid and easy to feel through gloved hands, as well as being easy to hear. While none of us took advantage of the extended coverage at the rear of the helmet (which is good), we all appreciated the extra protection just in case.
While being passed from rider to rider, two issues seemed to get raised consistently. The first being that the non-adjustable visor was a touch low and most of us found it annoying. While it is certainly sturdy (and also flexible so it should take some abuse), we all wished it didn't figure into our peripheral vision quite as much. The second point of contention is a single hard spot that we all felt at the highest point of our heads. Upon further inspection we discovered that the shell is shaped in such a way that it can easily apply pressure to a single point instead of spreading it out like at the front of the helmet. Further exasperating the issue is a lack of padding in said spot, although the Vice does come with spares to put in problem areas like this one.
![photo]()
A helmet is a hard thing to review due to fit playing such an important roll. With that in mind, while we all found the Vice to be generally comfortable there were a few issues that we feel could be improved upon. Helmets that cover more of your head do make a lot of sense, especially when they can still have great looks and as many vents as the Vice sports. In addition, the Vice's Headlock SL is one of the easiest to use retention bands I've ever tinkered with and is very well thought out with a large range of adjustments. If you're looking for a new lid with more protection than a light weight XC option, then put the Vice on your short list, but be sure to have a test fit to see if it will work for you.
Visit Specialized.com to see their entire range of bikes and products.
Read on...
The Vice is Specialized's answer to the rider who is looking for more coverage and protection while still wanting a lightweight and airy helmet. The Vice has quite a bit more protection at the rear of the helmet that extends lower than a traditional XC dedicated lid. Out of the box the first impressions of the Vice are of a very well put together helmet. The finish is top notch and the styling is all its own with a look that sets it apart from your run of the mill lids. The angles are a bit more square and Batman-like, as opposed to the more common rounded look found on other AM intended options. The Vice covers quite a bit at the rear area of your head, with the coverage beginning to drop down just after your ears. Vent wise, there are loads, 33 of them to be exact. Five large vents at the front of the helmet look ready to suck in air and let it pass out the rear of the helmet. Three openings are tucked under the visor as well that resemble the open mouth of some bottom feeder fish. The non-adjustable visor is held on with allen head bolts high on the helmet and two plastic clips that hook into the lower vents. While you can't raise or lower the visor, it certainly is solid.
The Headset SL adjustable retention band is very minimalist and all extra material has been removed. The central dial makes it a one handed affair when you adjust it, and each click is not only very tactile but also audible. The band can also be adjusted for height, with four positions available that simply clip into place.
• Rear coverage extends lower than your average XC lid
• Headset SL retention band uses micro adjust dial to fine tube fit
• Retention band has four height positions
• 33 different vents
• Color matched visor that attaches via allen head bolts - no cheesy visor mount!
• Completely In-molded shell means less exposed foam
• SNELL/B90A certified
• Color options include black, blue, camo black, silver, or white
• MSRP $114.99 CAD
• Small 20"-22 1/2" / 51 cm-57 cm / Hat size 6 3/8-7 1/8
• Medium 21 14"-23 1/2" / 54 cm-60 cm / Hat size 6 3/4-7 1/2
• Large 22 1/2"-24 3/4" / 57 cm-63 cm / Hat size 7 1/8-7 7/8
The Vice's Headset SL retention band
Fit is obviously quite a personal thing, but all of us in the office felt that the Vice had an overall comfortable feel to it, although one point of contact could be felt as being a bit hard. The shape of the shell should work for the majority of riders, but be sure to have a test fit before purchasing just to be sure. The Headset SL band applies even tension and being able to adjust the band's height came in handy as I found that I preferred it to be set higher than others who tried it on. Turning the dial to fine tube the band's tension is an easy one handed job that can be done while on the bike if needed. When turning it the clicks are solid and easy to feel through gloved hands, as well as being easy to hear. While none of us took advantage of the extended coverage at the rear of the helmet (which is good), we all appreciated the extra protection just in case.
While being passed from rider to rider, two issues seemed to get raised consistently. The first being that the non-adjustable visor was a touch low and most of us found it annoying. While it is certainly sturdy (and also flexible so it should take some abuse), we all wished it didn't figure into our peripheral vision quite as much. The second point of contention is a single hard spot that we all felt at the highest point of our heads. Upon further inspection we discovered that the shell is shaped in such a way that it can easily apply pressure to a single point instead of spreading it out like at the front of the helmet. Further exasperating the issue is a lack of padding in said spot, although the Vice does come with spares to put in problem areas like this one.
A helmet is a hard thing to review due to fit playing such an important roll. With that in mind, while we all found the Vice to be generally comfortable there were a few issues that we feel could be improved upon. Helmets that cover more of your head do make a lot of sense, especially when they can still have great looks and as many vents as the Vice sports. In addition, the Vice's Headlock SL is one of the easiest to use retention bands I've ever tinkered with and is very well thought out with a large range of adjustments. If you're looking for a new lid with more protection than a light weight XC option, then put the Vice on your short list, but be sure to have a test fit to see if it will work for you.
Visit Specialized.com to see their entire range of bikes and products.
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I've always been fan of Specialized XC helmets. They have an excellent crash replacement policy too. Even if your helmet isn't crashed! You can send an old helmet back to them and get a new one at a big discount. I might well trade my current one for one of these when the time comes?