We all know downhill mountain biking is dangerous, but with the tracks getting faster and tougher, protecting our heads is more important than ever.
That’s why POC’s latest full-face helmet, the Barocon Carbon, is rated to the US DOT FMVSS 218 motorcycle standard.
It’s not the only helmet to receive that rating, though, and doesn’t come cheap at £730 / $900 / €800, but at 1,074g in size medium, it is one of the lightest.
Aside from the safety credentials, there’s a lot going on with the new Barocon full-face lid, including a carbon shell, magnetic visor, MIPS liner and a sturdy helmet bag that looks more like an overnight holdall.
Made for mountain bikes, not motorbikes
While the Barocon Carbon has been tested to meet the US DOT standard (that's different from the ECE 22.06 European equivalent, which it doesn’t meet), POC is quick to point out that this is by no means a motorcycle helmet.
The Barocon is very much a mountain bike helmet, designed to keep your head as safe as possible when barrelling down a mountain, not lapping a motocross track.
However, by testing the Barocon to a higher standard, POC should have been able to create a safer helmet than a standard downhill lid.
Impressively, POC has managed to keep the weight down. The medium lid I have tipped the scales at 1,074g.
That light weight and carbon shell don’t come cheap. The IXS Trigger MX 1.0, which meets both the DOT standard and ECE 22.06, costs a fraction of the price at €199-€299. The Trigger weighs more, though, with the size large coming in at a claimed 1,400g.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the standards, though. The important thing is POC has created a DH helmet that’s been tested above and beyond regular full-face mountain bike helmet standards and done so without making it too big, thick or cumbersome in the process. As a result, it can handle great impact forces and shouldn’t strain your neck while you ride in it.
Carbon and cool
Standards aside, it’s important to look at the other details that make the Barocon so interesting.
To help keep the weight down, POC has used a carbon outer shell. This is bonded directly to the EPS (expanded polystyrene) inner shell.
Inside, there’s a MIPS Evolve liner, which is tethered to the inner shell on short, thick elastomers. These are there to provide a bit of movement between the MIPS liner and pads that are against your head, and the inner shell of the Barocon. The theory is that if you land awkwardly and your head hits the ground at an angle, that little bit of movement should lessen the rotational forces, limiting damage.
What was unusual when pulling the helmet from its bag was the visor wasn’t attached. On most lids, that’d be annoying, but the Barocon is different.
Like the older Fox Rampage Pro Carbon, it uses magnets to lock the visor in place. It’s quick, easy and accurate – you can’t mess up the visor’s position because there’s only one and thanks to how the visor locks into the outer shell, it’s impossible to get it wrong.
More important, though, is that the fit feels very secure, with no wobbles or rattling.
Being magnetic also means it’ll pop away from the helmet should you hit your head. This should mean if you land awkwardly, the visor will come off and not cause any strain on your neck when you hit the floor.
I am concerned, though, about what would happen when contacting a stray branch, for example, because the visor comes away quite easily.
The closure is taken care of by my preferred double D-ring buckle, complete with a popper at the end of the strap to keep things neat and tidy.
Unsurprisingly, because this helmet is designed to meet some pretty rigorous standards, the vents are relatively small.
POC has squeezed in what it can, though, including a nifty brow duct, designed to draw air in, then up and over your head, some channelling in the inner shell and corresponding exhaust ports for the air to leave.
Sizing is limited to small (54-55cm), medium (57-58cm) and large (59-60cm), so if you sit at the extreme ends of helmet sizing, there might not be a Barocon Carbon for you.
Finally, in typical POC fashion, the helmet bag the Barocon arrives in is stunning. Its subtle looks and sturdy construction make it one of the nicer options out there.
Stay tuned for a full review of the POC Barocon Carbon full-face helmet over the coming months.
