The POC Ventral Lite is claimed to be the lightest road bike helmet the brand has ever made, weighing a claimed 180g for a size small helmet.
Alongside the helmet, POC has released the Supreme Rain Jacket – a semi-transparent, ultralight waterproof jacket that weighs a claimed 85g in a size medium and costs a heady £450 / $500 / €490.
POC Ventral Lite helmet
Said to be designed for riders that prioritise “weight and ventilation above all else”, the POC Ventral Lite is based on the shape of the Ventral Air.
To save weight, the EPS foam liner is exposed in certain areas, with the polycarbonate shell only used sparingly in key areas.
The chin strap is also slimmed down, losing the plastic splitter buckle for a simple sewn strap instead.
The size adjustment system is also said to have been optimised, though exactly how is not specified in the POC press release.
As with most helmets, the Ventral Air is available in several models to suit the various testing requirements of different territories around the world.
In a most welcome stroke of transparency, POC has actually supplied claimed weights for the helmet in each territory across all sizes (we can’t help but wonder why more brands don’t do this).
| Small | Medium | Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
| POC Ventral Lite EN1078B62 | 180g | 190g | 210g |
| POC Ventral Lite AS-NZS | 210g | 230g | 250g |
| POC Ventral Lite CPSC 1203 | 220g | 240g | 270g |
The new helmet is available now direct from POC or via select retailers with an RRP of £240 / €270. The new helmet will be worn by EF Education – Nippo at Paris-Nice on the 7 March.
POC Supreme Rain Jacket
The POC Supreme Rain Jacket is a three-layer waterproof jacket with a claimed weight of 85g in a size medium.
Unlike some super-lightweight cycling jackets, the Supreme is designed for riding in the rain with a claimed hydrostatic head of 20,000mm and sealed seams.
The outermost layer of the jacket’s three-layer construction is made from a 10-denier knitted polyester fabric, which is said to provide a form-fitting overall fit. This is treated with a fluorocarbon-free DWR coating.
The Supreme’s fabric is semi-transparent, so provided you wear a suitably bright layer beneath, this jacket could offer better overall visibility in the rain compared to Gore-Tex’ Shakedry, which is pretty much only available in boring ol’ black (with a handful of exceptions).
POC describes the coil zipper as “water-resistant”, suggesting that in the prolonged downpours, it may soak through.
Unsurprisingly, all of this doesn’t come cheap and the jacket will set you back a lofty £450 / $500 / €490.
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