Matt and Kris from Wide Open distributors stopped by the Spoke HQ yesterday to show us all the POC goodies that will be making their way to NZ shops soon. Well actually there will be a limited drop of product, mainly the complete Trabec helmet line on September 20th and then the full 2014 range will arrive on 20th January. And the full range looks very, very cool. First up, the Trabec Race MIPS (pictured above) is the flagship helmet in the POC mtb line and will have the all-mountain fanboys out there frothing at the bit. It obviously features the Trabec’s classic shape, but on top of its full Aramid-reinforced EPS core and 16 vents it features a MIPS liner.
Now we told you a little about the MIPS liner the other day, as the new Scott Stego also features it. But just to recap, the yellow inner liner of the helmet floats independently of the actual helmet, allowing your head to rotate 10-15mm in a crash, reducing life threatening brain and neck injuries considerably. It’s pretty cool and doesn’t effect fit or airflow. The Trabec Race MIPS weighs 350g and will retail for $340
The Trabec Race comes sans MIPS in three colours but retains the full Aramid fibre reinforcing. It only comes in the two-tone colour scheme, so at a glance people will know that your pockets are overflowing with cash. The Trabec Race weighs 340g and will retail for $285.
Finally in the range is the original head-turner of a helmet, the Trabec. Available in solid colours it weighs the same as the Trabec Race but only features the Aramid fibre reinforced EPS core in key impact areas, not throughout like the Race and Race MIPS. Retail on the Trabec will be $250
Dirt jumpers are well catered for in the POC line up with freeirde superstar Martin Soderstrom as well as Danny MacAskill both repping POC pisspots. Unlike other hard shell helmets the Receptor Flow (pictured above) features a size adjustment system for precise fit. The Receptor Flow weighs in at 500g and retails for $135.
For the DH heads out there, Wide Open will be offering the MIPS equipped Cortex DH helmet, it’s a full carbon helmet wrapped around POC’s Aramid EPP liner. The double layering and overlapping shell allows for a fully ventilated helmet without sacrificing penetration resistance. The Cortex DH weighs in at 1000g and will retail for $699 (there is also a non-carbon and non-MIPS model that will retail for $340).
Finally for the XC whippets out there POC have just launched the ludicrously light 198g Octal XC/Road helmet… I don’t have too much info on it but I can tell you that it will be $420 and you’ll be the raddest looking cat on the Sunday bunch ride.
There’s gloves too, a Martin Soderstrom Pro model and a few other models but they all have a couple of features in common, and that is an unpadded, super-thin palm for maximum bar feel (and they are all touch screen friendly!) They start at $70.
POC also make a shit-ton of protection but the boys from Wide Open just had the VPD range on hand. The VPD DH pads (the hard shelled pads on the left) will be arriving with the Trabec helmets in September but the VPD 2.0 knee and elbow pads (right and top) won’t be here until January. The VPD 2.0 will retail for $179 and the DH is $195.
People will think you are on the way to IKEA and not heading out for a ride when you’re wearing POC’s very cool apparel that politely states “I don’t look like a mountain biker, but this stuff is functional.”
And finally, Matt pulled out this POC backpack… a must have for any Enduro racer as it features integrated back protection and a helmet carrying pouch that will hold a DH and an AM lid for those transfer stages. It also has all the useful stuff you’d expect from a 15 litre bag like an iPod pouch, hydration bladder compatible, and a bunch of pockets and compartments for tools and spares… The VPD 2.0 Spine Pack 15 will retail for $260.
All ways wounded what POC means in Swedish. Can anybody enlighten me? Not the same as in English I’m sure.