Smith Overtake helmet

Smith Optics launched its Forefront mountain bike helmet last year and this is the more road-styled Overtake helmet. Both helmets depart greatly from the ‘normal’ helmet construction of EPS (expanded polystyrene) in favour of a material called Koroyd. In essence, Koroyd is made of thousands of polymer cores joined together – think of a wall of plastic drinking straws glued together and you’d be on the right track. Smith claims that these cores absorb 30% more energy than EPS and the material can provide ‘increased venting and better managed airflow’.

There is still EPS used in the helmet for the general structure, but the holes in it – and they are massive//ITS// holes – are filled with Koroyd, giving a very unique look to the lid. The Overtake, being a road/cross-country helmet, doesn’t come with a peak but I’ve been using it for general trail riding all summer to see how it would cope.

The fit of the helmet on me is very good. I have a slightly wonky head and often need to get the back of a spoon out to some helmets to get them to fit better. This wouldn’t really work with the stiff Koroyd, so it’s good that it fits well off the shelf. There is the usual rear closure to keep the helmet snug and the under-ear buckles are cam-locking and easy and quick to use.

The peculiar slot around the helmet’s midriff is Smith’s sunglass integration design. It’s simply a groove into which your sunglass arms will fit, for occasions like long climbs when you might want them off your face. They work with Smith glasses of course, but will also work with Oakleys and other shield-type glasses. I didn’t have any Ray-Bans to hand, but I wouldn’t chance it.

Individual looks aside, the helmet doesn’t really look that well vented because the vents are, well, full of helmet, as the Koroyd takes up any open space with its drinking straw texture. However, those polymer tubes are just that – tubes – and Smith claims that they act like chimneys to vent away heat.

I’ve used this helmet all summer, including mid-July racing in Alps where it was very hot on occasions, and I found the helmet to be surprisingly comfortable. There’s a bit less of the feel of the cool wind on your temples, but it seems that cooler air does find its way in and hot air does get whisked away. The helmet is certainly a talking point and a couple of random strangers have come up and asked to prod the Koroyd. I did find I used the sunglass slot on hot climbs, though your shades can still be knocked off by a shouldered bike or overhanging branch, and it’s not as secure as the more fiddly ‘glasses arms through helmet vents’ method, which won’t work on this lid.

The Forefront will get a review in due course, but if the lack of a peak doesn’t put you off, then the Overtake is worth a look. £250-worth? That’s up to you, but it’s the most expensive non-downhill helmet we’ve had in so far. And there’s an (even more expensive) MIPS version too.

Overall: Great use of new technology to produce a unique-looking helmet that works as well as EPS lids. It doesn’t seem stronger, lighter or better vented than EPS, though.

Review Info