With a soft launch in late January, the Fox Speedframe range is now officially let out into the wider world and our man Pete had a chance to run it out ahead of its release.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Fox’s helmets, and while they tick a lot of boxes in terms of tech, they fit Pete’s big, square head a treat too, making them a winner. The new Fox Speedframe Pro is no different.
Key features:
- Features Mips® Air Node protection system
- BOA® Fit System for micro-adjustability
- FIDLOCK SNAP helmet buckle
- Removable, washable Ionic+® liner
- Optimized venting with channeled, in-molded EPS
- One-hand adjustable visor is compatible with sunglasses and goggles
- Sunglass-specific storage solution
- £164.99 RRP
- FoxRacing.co.uk
The Fox Speedframe Pro boasts a second place in Virginia Tech’s 5-Star evaluation of 258 helmets on the trail. Who took first place I hear you say? Well, that would be the Speedframe RS. An in-moulded EPS liner sports MIPS Air Node protection, all fine tuned by a BOA Air Node closure and a Fidlock SNAP buckle. You get a Ionic+ liner fitted to the helmet and another spare in the box.
What wasn’t a particularly weighty helmet comes in lighter than previous which is impressive considering how much coverage the helmet offers. The thin BOA Air Node cords do feel a little odd at first compared to the broader, more traditional closures but you soon forget they’re there. The cradle sitting low on the head means that you don’t need to swing off the indexed dial to have the helmet sit tight.
For my large, square dome, Fox have been my go-to of late as the fir has been retained from the previous lids, meaning that they are just a treat for me to ride. I soon forget that it’s on my head and can crack on knowing my melon is protected.
A myriad of vents keeps the head from getting sweaty even in some sporty early Spring sun and the tool-free adjustable visor makes it easy to fine tune. Getting a pair of sunglasses into the slots is harder in the real world than in the mirror at home, but this is mostly due to the soft rubber grippers that will keep them in place. I haven’t found a situation I could simulate or create on the trail that could lose them either.
Having been used almost constantly since it arrived in the New Year, the Speedframe Pro shows little sign of the battering it has received, despite not having being driven into the ground. Much like its predecessors, the fit and finish have held up to the rigours of the winter with flying colours.
Arguably the key to the lack of a feeling of a sweaty head has been the Ionic+ liners that have yet to show any real sign of the work they’ve been doing. Three months in and they don’t feel, or smell, like they have been working hard and I know the fresh set is waiting when they do. It’s been very easy to just forget that I have this helmet on my head.
What do we think?
The Fox Speedframe Pro once again becomes the helmet by which the others are compared. The Virginia Tech rating speaks for itself but that also adds up in the real world too. Fit is so important with helmets, and the low cradle allowing a lower tightness to be secure is a large part of this. The personal fit is just the icing on the cake.
With all the tech in this helmet, the asking price isn’t too steep and they don’t make you look like a stormtrooper either.
We love:
- Light weight
- Good coverage
- Loaded with tech
Could do better:
- The helmet that others will be judged by us
