Smith 2017 Eurobike
Features / Thu 22nd Sep, 2016 @ 3:30 am
Smith had a much larger presence at the show this year, reflecting their efforts into the bike industry. 2 years ago they burst onto the protectives scene with the Forefront helmet. This year they have the Rover as a cost based lid for bikers in addition to the Forefront as well as new Chromapop lenses on their goggles and glasses to help you see even more when you are riding.
Rover Helmet
The Rover is a new price point lid from Smith; it offers excellent protection, including to the back of the head. Unlike the Forefront it doesn’t use a full Aerocore inner shell. Instead, Smith did loads of research and added this extra protection in the places you need it most. Targeting what they call “important zonal impact areas”. This is combined with the AirEvac ventilation and VaporFit adjustable fit system to create a great helmet packed with technology at a good price. The helmet is available both with and without MIPS, although in a nod to safety not all colours are available without MIPS, Smith are really pushing you to spend a little extra and get better protection!
Forefront
This is one of our favourite helmets on the market, yes it’s expensive, but it offers fantastic impact protection, just watch one of Koroyd’s videos about the tech and you’ll be sold. The AeroCore shell covers the entire inside of the helmet, it allows plenty of ventilation and as one of our buddies put it the other day, it stops bees and wasps flying in, because they take one look and think the helmet is inhabited already and they fly off in the other direction!
The Forefront is designed to fit perfectly with your goggles, sunglasses, light, and POV camera, thanks to the integrated thread in the top of the helmet. Available both with and without MIPS the Forefront offers the ultimate in enduro styling and safety.
Eyewear
Chromapop is the headline where the eyewear is concerned. This new technology allows you to see more, in better detail than ever before. ChromaPop filters two specific wavelengths of light that cause colour confusion. By doing this, the lens delivers greater definition, more natural colour, and unmatched clarity to allow you to see more detail.
The Squad MTB is Smith’s first MTB specific goggle, and it’s packed with tech. The ventilation on the frame and around the lens is insane; it shouldn’t steam up in even the most humid of conditions. There is a large field of view and the goggles ship with both a coloured and clear lens. A massive array of colours mean you can get the perfect match for your lid and also make the most of the Chromapop tech too.
For more information head over to http://www.smithoptics.com
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater is the Publishing Editor of IMB Magazine; he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but his passion for bikes knows no bounds. His first mountain bike was a Trek 820, which he bought in 1990. It didn’t take him long to earn himself a trip to the hospital on it, and he’s never looked back since. These days he’s keeping it rubber side down, riding locally and overseas as much as possible.
