Uvex Race 5 helmet

The Race 5 is helmet manufacturer Uvex's flagship model which at £139.99 is quite cheap (relatively speaking) for a range topper. It's fairly light and well-ventilated and its adjustment system makes for a very comfortable fit.

Uvex have used wind tunnel testing to perfect the Race 5's aerodynamic shape. That's always a hard task when you have to take vents into account, especially when you are talking about 23 of them. Thankfully there's no 'watts saved over 40km' marketing and to be perfectly honest it doesn't really look any more aerodynamic than a lot of other helmets on the market. That aside though I like the looks with curved front and square aggressively styled rear vents.

To get the fit right the Race 5 comes in three sizes, 52-56, 55-58 and 58-61cm to get you started. It's then up to the 2k IAS system to dial the last bit of adjustment. It's basically a ratchet system than adjusts both up and down and diameter to get things spot on. It does provide a nice secure fit all the way round the head circumference meaning its secure as well as comfortable.

The neck straps use the usual sliders to adjust for height under the ears and a simple button press clip secures everything in place.

Once fully adjusted, the Race 5's fit was spot-on.

The pads use carbon fibre to keep bacteria and whiffy helmet syndrome at bay and should they ever need a wash they are fully removable and washable. The pads is plentiful and again very comfortable and being positioned between the vents get plenty of cooling air to keep them dry. You get a mesh panel inside too. To be honest I'm not sure what it's for as it's too high on the head to keep out insects but it does help the helmet sit nicely on the head and keep the sun off if you're lacking in the hair department.

The high impact shell is in-moulded to the polystyrene carcass. The Race 5 meets EN1078, TUV GS & CE standards. Uvex have gone for plenty of small vents therefore haven't needed to go for the carbon fibre reinforcing we've seen on the likes of high end Giro's.

The vents keep you cool though and once up to speed you can feel cold air travelling through the helmet and out the back.

Weight wise this large model weighs in at 285g which is about on par with the Bontrager Velocis and RH helmets we've recently tested, they're about the same price too.

Overall then the Race 5 performs well; it's pretty light and cool on hot days. The thing that stands out the most is the adjustable fit which makes it, for me at least, a very comfortable helmet. The matt black and green isn't the only option either so have a look to see if there is one that matches your kit.

Verdict

Well priced, cool and light; the adjustable fit makes it stand out