Ive been riding mtb for over 30 years and have lost count of how many helmets ive owned. My last one was a specialized ambush pro, and was probably the first one that i enjoyed wearing, because it was comfortable, functional, fit well, and looked cool. But it got caught be tween my head and a tree one too many times and cracked. I suffered a mild concussion on the last hit, i would probably be very messed up if not dead without that protection. I was a little disappointed that it cracked only because it was the thin ribs between vents that cracked. I think manufacturers started using the number of vents as a marketing point (more =better) but my experience is that it weakens the helmet, and didnt do much for venting. Having ridden the poc now, it seems that bigger vents is more important than quantity. The tectal is so light, and ventilates so well, that you forget you are wearing it. Plus, this allows for larger structural ribs, which i think will give this lid some added durability.Honestly i wanted the tectal when i bought the ambush, mainly because i like the way it looks, something about that thick line on the front of the visor just makes it look solid. The overall shape of the helmet, the vents, and way it resembles the facets of a tortoise shell is just cool. Added to that, you get more coverage on the temples, and back that any other helmet, and ive taken knocks in both those areas so the more protection the better! You should head over to poc’s website or youtube and look at the technology in these things, its leading edge. Epp foam reinforced with kevlar, molded in a unibody construction with the shell and other internal structure makes it one of the most robust helmets on the market. I am totally confident that this is the most protection you can buy in this style of helmet at the moment, and in my experience offering the most comfort. This helmet does not have mips, but if you spend an extra $50 on the tectal race, you will get poc’s version of it. While I like the fact that my last helmet had mips, and i feel like it allowed my head to spin in a couple of hits, I didnt like the fact that it allows for a little slop in the fit. I ride with a light on my helmet, and the weight of the light makes the mips slop noticeable.Finally, a couple of other features and a first for me, the tectal comes with recco, which is a built in radar reflector that makes you visible to search and rescue teams carrying the matching radar emitter. Probably not going to help me in the east, but I’d definitely want it out west. You also get a spot to hold your glasses by mounting them on the back., pretty sweet!I highly recommend this helmet, if you ride hard, you are going to wreck, and it makes sense to get the best even if it seems a litlle overpriced.
