Safety is really a before and afterthought for most serious trail and Enduro riders. Everyone wants to be prepared, and everyone wants to walk away unscathed. While you are shredding up and down the trails you are constantly managing your skills and your bike's capabilities versus the demands and pitfalls ahead of you. Safety enters into it, but if you are focused on safety you aren't focused on the millisecond reactions and adjustments that allow you to assert and push your lines. POC has been at the forefront of modern helmet safety with features such as their aramid bridge structure, reinforced EPS liner, and unified construction process. POC was a leading adopter of MIPS protection as well. The Tectal is POC's high ventilation, open face trail/Enduro helmet and this new version the Tectal SPIN adds an innovative POC safety technology.

SPIN refers to Shearing Pad INside. SPIN is a brand new, patent-pending, rotational impact protection system, which for those who have learned about MIPS, has similar goals. Medical experts in the POC Lab know that oblique impacts are common in cycling and can cause serious head injury due to a rotation of the helmet and head. That rotation at impact causes shearing or twisting of the brain within the skull, which leads to tissue damage beyond point of impact and the rebound effect. To counter oblique impacts, POC has created SPIN pads, which are optimized to provide rotational impact protection based on the precise location of the skull and pads inside the helmet. The pads feature silicon inside, which allows the movement. POC still uses the excellent Polygiene pad covers to wick away moisture and prevent funk. The objective is to minimize the effects of an oblique fall by allowing the helmet to move relative to the head. With a properly fitted helmet you get the external impact protection, then the pads allow the helmet to rotate, reducing the shearing forces of rotation. That this technology merely replaces existing pads, there is no real weight gain or need for an expanded shell size to accommodate any layered protection system.

Like all great trail helmets this dedicated mountain bike helmet is designed to provide more coverage at temples and back of head while being completely comfortable while riding. POC's retention system is fantastic and easy to use. The straps are molded into the helmet structure with the liner, keeping them secure and out of the way. The huge vents that define the visual look of a POC helmet are massive air passages that keep ventilation simple and comprehensive. POC always nails the details. Their glasses and goggles integrate perfectly, with a retainer for the google strap at the rear. The visor angle is adjustable, and offers the best combination of protection and sight lines in the category. Combine SPIN, all the features, the integrated aramid bridge technology with the EPS liner for enhanced structural integrity, lightweight molded-in polycarbonate shell, and the strong POC design and you have one of the most safety-oriented, best wearing trail helmets available today.