EUROBIKE 2015 | On show from Smith 2016
With the launch of the Squad, the team from Smith took to this year’s EUROBIKE to present their very first, seriously MTB-specific pair of goggles. Vastly improved from previous models, the Squad has set the bar even higher, and thanks to new lens technology, Smith’s lifestyle sunnies can rule the trails once more.
Smith Squad goggles
With a legion of clever features, the Squad marks Smith’s very first mountain bike-specific pair of goggles. While designed specifically to fit Smith’s own open-faced helmet, the Forefront, the Squad goggles haven’t ruled out any other open or full-face helmets, and should work optimally with the rest of the competition. To guarantee a secure fit, the goggle strap features a silicon strip on the inside.
As enduro races include much more than just hardcore downhill sections – think tough counter-climbs and long sections of pedaling – Smith kept optimal ventilation at the forefront when designing the Squad goggles. As the frame has a lattice design without the regular foam covering, the airflow should be unhindered and the likelihood of the goggles steaming up is vastly reduced. The frame can easily be dismantled to swap the lenses; clear lenses are delivered alongside the standard tinted, reflective ones. Available from October, the goggles come with a goggles bag for 80 €.
ChromaPop lenses and Guide’s Choice glasses
For its lifestyle and fashion sunglasses, Smith are utilising the latest lens technology, which goes by the name of ChromaPop, and reputedly ‘eliminates colour confusion’ by essentially splitting colourways to send specific individual colours into the eye. The resulting effect is that we visualize the colours far more intensively and it is less exhausting on the eye. Whilst at the EUROBIKE stand, even we could comprehend that the reds were redder, the blues bluer, and the greens greener. According to Smith, the lenses are 20% clearer and 20% lighter.
The ChromaPop lenses are used in the new Guide’s Choice glasses, which will be available from October in several colours and tones for 220 €. Not only a snug fit, the glasses are particularly flexible and robust. The silicon strips on the arms ensure they fit well in their position, rendering them a great option for a bike ride or other outdoor activities.
For more information head to: smithoptics.com
Words: Daniel Schlicke Photos: Christoph Bayer