Moshy Review: Dirty Road to Black Pearl product review

We follow AMB contributor Ben Morrison on his journey and evolution from drop gun to cross country builder, as he prepares to take on the Quad Crown Black Pearl. As part of his preparation, he is testing new Smith products to use in his debut.

Smith Optics has been around since 1965. Smith is a member of Greenspark – a community change initiative dedicated to sustainable practices. Considering that we are riding outside in the environment, it is good to see a large product dedicated to tackling climate change with every order placed. They even made a few glasses out of recycled plastic bottles!

Track MIPS

For my Black Pearl ride, I use a Trace MPS helmet using Koroyd. This looks like a honeycomb and surrounds the helmet to provide extra protection. It produces high ventilation by working with internal air channels and exhaust ports.

The Trace uses AirEvac, a system that releases heat build-up from your head to prevent eye fog. So far, I haven't had a problem with this, so I have to say it works. I've never burned either, so the added safety of the Koroyd is a plus without the side effects. As a sunglasses brand, Smith's Trace allows for easy and natural storage of your sunglasses. You can keep them facing down 'street style' in the front or with an unobstructed view across the helmet.

The fit of the Trace is great and easily adjusted with the VaporFit dial system and adjustable straps. At 280g, there are some lighter helmets on the market, but some come where they don't feel safe. The Koroyd system adds a few grams but allows Smith to open larger air vents without compromising safety, resulting in an excellent helmet.

Smith Vert and Wildcat

Smith has given us two different styles of riding-based glasses, both of which use their ChromaPop™ color enhancement technology and come with a clear spare lens.

Vert feels empty; as a frameless model it is very simple as the arms connect directly to the lens itself. The set I have uses a violet mirror lens which is great for medium to bright exposures, like you find on many trails that are surrounded by native trees and not fully covered, like riding in a pine forest.

Next up is the Wildcat; these have a great selection of lenses in the Smith range and feature a mid-frame design that eliminates that lens bridge between your eyes. They also use the same materials in the frames as found in Smith glasses, so they are stylish and versatile to add to the luxury factor. This lens is a low light, very contrasty copper prime lens, perfect for heavy tree overcast days, and I've used it in the dark for early morning walks as the sun rises.

Hydrophobic lens coating is also really cool and makes sure that moisture doesn't build up on the lenses and allows dust to stay on them. And it makes cleaning a lot easier.

Overall, I'm impressed with Smith's helmets and goggles, and they make preparing for the Black Pearl a breeze.