Eight years after it was first used on Team Sky helmets, Kask has announced an update to its longtime favorite Protone road helmet.

Known as the Protone Icon, the new helmet is virtually indistinguishable from the previous model at first glance. The original has won 10 Grand Tours and four Olympic gold medals and has become a staple in buyers' guides to the best road bike helmets. The new Protoon Icon is clearly an evolution rather than a revolution, as Cask has tried to maintain the original's winning formula.

Despite its aesthetic similarities, a comparison of one to the next reveals a number of minor updates that Kask claims to have introduced to provide a more modern look, better ventilation, and a more comfortable helmet.

Perhaps the biggest point of contention as to what is new is actually what is the same, namely Kask's claim of impact protection performance. While many consumers will be offended by the lack of a MIPS liner or similar clear indication of rotational impact protection, Kask claims that the protone icon has been developed in accordance with the Kask WG11 protocol.

Kask describes WG11 as "an objective, scientific approach to measuring helmet performance against rotational impact," and further investigation reveals that the Rudy Project also follows the CENTC 158Working Group 11, which emerged from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) It turns out that the Rudy Project also manufactures helmets in accordance with the same standard, abbreviated CENTC 158Working Group 11, which came out of the European Committee for Standards (CEN). The original Protone is said to have passed the same tests, suggesting that little has changed in this regard.

The first actual new aspect of the helmet is an almost invisible update in the form of an overhaul of the internal frame structure. As a result, the shape of the helmet has been subtly altered, including the rounding of the most central vent, the thickness of the horizontal struts, and the shape of the vents.

A more noticeable change was an update to the Octofit retention system, replaced by the new Octofit+. This means larger, rubberized dials for easier adjustment, and a modified cradle shape that Kask claims improves stability and comfort. The padding has also been changed to Coolmax material, which is said to dry more quickly.

The Pro Tone Icon is available in three sizes to fit heads 50-62 cm in diameter and weighs 230 g for the medium size.

At launch, it will be available in 10 different colors covering both glossy and matte finishes, priced at £245.00, $299.95, and €275.00; it will be available in Australia in October, priced at A$409.00.