I've never had a LBS that could explain reflectiveness in helmets to me, they just want to sell me the most expensive model. My Specialized Tactic does not have the channels like the Volt does, but from the photo, the holes in the Volt look like they are offset from one another. My helmet has 7 rows of holes that are aligned in a straight row but has wide channels on each row from front to back. I must agree with the styrofoam insulating the head, but I'm wondering if the silver or white color of the helmet somehow offsets the refractiveness of the black foam around the holes? Just a guess. I haven't read any studies on helmets and cooling properties, all I can tell you is that I could notice the difference between the same helmet model in silver and in a dark navy blue.