Specialized have launched an updated and fourth iteration of their popular trail helmet, the Tactic 4, featuring MIPS C and is even ebike-rated.
The fourth generation Specialized Tactic trail helmet has landed, sporting all the features you’d expect from a modern half-face. Pete gives his opening thoughts on the Big S’ latest offering.
Key features:
- SBC Integrated Fit System
- MIPS C equipped
- Fixed visor position
- Ebike certified (NTA-8776)
- Six colour options (Doppio tested)
- Small (51-56cm), Medium (55-59cm) and Large (58-62cm) sizes
- 380g (Size medium, as tested)
- £100.00 RRP
- Specialized.com
Unsurprisingly, the Specialized Tactic 4 has pretty much everything you’d want from a modern trail helmet and at £100.00, it’s cheaper than a lot of MIPS (or equivalent) equipped trail helmets on the market. The new Tactic is equipped with MIPS C and sits inside a shell that provides a considerable amount of protection for the back of your head. Fit is managed by the SBC Integrated Fit system, with a dial at the rear of the helmet.
Eyewear storage is built into the helmet and the fixed position visor will break away in a crash. Despite the amount of coverage, the Tactic is well ventilated, with the peak channelling air through the brow. The Tactic sports 13 vents total.
Often with helmets, fit is key, and with a large range offered across the three sizes, you should be able to find one that fits your loaf. One thing I did find, having been a size Large/XLarge all my life with helmets, is that the Large is too big for my head. With a 60.5cm head, I should fit almost dead centre on the Large Tactic, but found it too loose even when fully tightened. A Medium fully almost fully open was what I settled for in the end. The SBC system didn’t squish my large, square head either.
Once fitted, you can soon forget about the Tactic 4, the sign of a comfy helmet. There were no points where the SBC system did anything but fit to my head, there was no odd pressure points and I didn’t feel the need to adjust it while riding. Weight-wise, the Tactic is pretty much on the money for most helmets of this type, with few being lighter. I’m not sure I’d trust a helmet that was too much lighter, anyway.
Despite the humid autumn conditions, my head didn’t feel like it was leaking either, not did it get too chilly either. The peak stays well out of your vision unless you’re looking straight up through your eyebrows.
Thankfully, I haven’t needed to test the safety features of the Tactic 4 yet, but I’m confident it’ll keep me right when I run out of talent. I’m a big fan of large coverage helmets and the Fox Pro Frame has been my go-to for some time. The Tactic seems to follow in that vein so I’m looking forward to getting more miles with it on my dome.
