Swedish protection specialist POC will have two new mountain bike helmets early next year. The Tectal is a new trail-oriented half-shell while the Coron will be the company’s premier full-face helmet.
Related: BikeRadar’s complete Interbike coverage
The Tectal blends elements of the road-going Octal with the company’s first half-shell mountain bike helmet, the Trabec. POC claims this new off-road helmet is nearly as well-vented as the Octal. Compared with the Trabec, the Tectal sits lower on the back of the head. POC claims the Tectal Race weighs in at 340g, which means it's approximately 20g lighter than the Trabec.
The standard Tectal will retail for $190. The Tectal Race will set buyers back $210. Upgrades over the standard Tectal include a google retention strap on the rear of the helmet, a full aramid liner and the inclusion of a RECCO reflector. UK and AU pricing was not immediately available.
RECCO is a search and rescue tool developed for finding skiers lost in the backcountry or buried under avalanches. RECCO is essentially a passive avalanche beacon. A first responder uses a RECCO radar detector to send out a signal that is bounced back to the device when it hits a RECCO reflector. POC already uses RECCO in its snowsports line, so it was a natural progression to bring the system to MTB helmets.
For gravity riders, POC has developed the Coron. The new helmet uses an outer shell constructed from M-FORGE, a material used in high-performance motorsports applications. POC claims that in addition to being lighter than carbon, M-FORGE is also slightly softer, meaning it does a better job of absorbing impacts.
The Coron also has a breakaway visor and ventilation channels at the front and rear of the helmet to pull air over the rider's head to aid in cooling. The Coron will retail for $499. (UK and Australian pricing TBA.)
What about MIPS, you ask? Well, according to a POC spokesperson, we may see MIPS-equipped variants of both helmets in a year or so.
