With vents seemingly filled with plastic straws, Smith was the first brand to employ Koroyd in its bike helmets, with the honeycomb structure claimed to offer superior energy absorption to EPS foam with less weight and more airflow.
Interestingly, the latticed Koroyd is also found in some children’s car seats, and Thule employs it as a back protector in some of its hydration packs, among other things.
When the platform first launched, the Smith Forefront mountain bike helmet was quite a contrast to most of the stack hats on the market with the lime green Koroyd insert forming a complete protective shell around the wearer’s melon.
In contrast to most helmets on the market at the time, it was also a bloody oven, as were the road helmets. While the thousands of little straws allow some heat to radiate out, air can only flow through if it’s blown head-on to the opening and only a small selection were at the right angle.
Koroyd only where you need it
With the Forefront 2 mountain bike helmet, Smith has made some adjustments, including splitting the Koroyd liner in two, leaving a substantial channel with three large vents up the middle. It is amazing how much a difference this has made to the climate control inside the shell and now the latest Forefront doesn’t create a cascade of sweat dripping into the top of your sunnies when you start to work hard.
It is by no means the breeziest helmet I’ve ever worn, but I’ve happily reached for it on SEQ summer days when it’s so hot and humid it feels like you can chew the air.
The Koroyd also seems to do a pretty good job of keeping bugs out, but as someone who suffers from a perpetually itchy head while riding, the honeycombed structure also does a fantastic job of stymieing a finger chasing said itch.
MIPS and other features
Our test lid is the MIPS version, and Smith says there’s also an internal skeleton moulded inside the foam so that it will stay together should you really get into trouble and experience a multi-impact cartwheeling crash.
With quite a round head form, Smith employs its VaporFit dial-based retention system, which wraps three-quarters of the way around your head. While on paper it’s not as spiffy as its counterparts that wrap the full way around your noggin, it works well and provides for a secure hold, that doesn’t allow the helmet to move while you ride, nor did it create any hot spots for me.
Inside, you’ll also find Ionic+ antimicrobial padding that’s claimed to have ‘sweat-activated odour control’. I’m not so sure about that last part, but Smith has used it sparingly to maximise heat transfer out of the helmet, and it does dry quickly.
The straps are made of lightweight webbing that is soft on the skin, however the adjustable ear splitters proved to be fiddly and annoying. I wish helmet manufacturers would just swap over to the fixed ones and be done with it because they are worlds better and more comfortable.
It does appear that Smith is making just that change with some colours on the Smith AU website featuring the fixed splitters, while the Matte White colour we have hasn’t quite received the update.
At the front, the visor has three positions that slot securely into place, and there is room for sunnies and goggles underneath. The peak is quite short but still provides a degree of sun protection and also doesn’t make you look like an awkward unicorn. Under the brow there is also vent openings to give the hot air behind the lens of your goggles or sunnies somewhere to go.
Eyewear integration
Speaking of sunnies, given Dr. Bob Smith first started making eyewear in 1965, it should not come as a surprise that the Forefront 2 is designed specifically to integrate with the brand’s glasses. The narrow channelling that runs the whole way around the shell is designed to serve as a sunglasses garage.
It takes some time to acquire the feel for getting the arms fully seated, especially if you’re moving but your sunnies are seriously locked in. It works best with Smith’s own sunnies, but I tested with a few pairs of Oakleys and some Shimano sunnies which all held securely. The caveat here is that it will only work with glasses that have straight arms,
Smith has nifty light and camera mounting that screws into a threaded port on top of the shell. Unfortunately, this accessory is sold separately.
Weighing in at 390g in a size medium by our scales it’s about on par with the Specialized Tactic (386g), and Fox Speedframe Pro MIPS (398g). It’s a well-finished helmet with the shell wrapping under the bottom edge to keep the foam free from gouges and dents. So far in our test period, with this lid serving as a daily driver and being dragged through airports locally and abroad, beyond a bit of mud splatter, it looks brand new.
Priced at $357 AUD the Forefront 2 is not a cheap helmet putting it in a similar bracket to the TLD A3 MIPS, and POC Kortal Race. With similar feature lists, the Koroyd does set the Smith apart and offers a claimed additional safety feature, but it also doesn’t breathe as well as either of these lids — though it’s not far behind.
