New POC Procen Air Helmet

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I don't care what it looks like. Every POC helmet I ever tried had zero adjustibility on the chin strap at the ears resulting in a kind of uncomfortable 'Dumbo effect'. Don't know why they do that....

The straps on mine come out of the shell rather than inside creating wind turbulence and they don’t work with cat ears. A deal breaker for me after discovering them.

[benb]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

The straps on mine come out of the shell rather than inside creating wind turbulence and they don’t work with cat ears. A deal breaker for me after discovering them.

I have a 1st Gen S-Works Prevail and it has this dumb design. The trick is to always wear glasses and follow "the rules" and put your glasses on the outside of the straps. It holds them down to your face and reduces the noise level by an outrageous amount.

That S-works helmet the straps would actually vibrate and "sing" descending if you didn't have your eyeglasses securing the straps. Incredibly dumb and they obviously fixed it in the next generation of the helmet.

I also have a Bontrager Ballista from 2018. It is a little goofy. The new one is goofier like all these other ones. I think the new ones might just be *too* goofy for me to be seen in. But the other thing is they are all hot helmets. This new POC one in black has got to be hot, white is probably highly recommended, cause black helmets are pretty bad anyway in terms of visibility.

My Ballista should probably be retired but I actually keep it around for colder days where I don't need to put a helmet cover or Balaclava on. I wore it today.. only 50 degrees and quite windy, not that much steep climbing, perfect day for it, the aero benefits come into play and it's a little more comfortable.

But a hot day with lots of climbing? No thanks. And all these new ones look hotter. Maybe they aren't.. but I don't know that I'd take the marketing folks word on it, nor the influencer type people. Since the LBS would never let me actually test ride a helmet they would not be easy to buy.

And even though I have a winter sports helmet with a built in visor these are too goofy on the bike. The winter sports helmet with a built in visor solves a big issue and saves me a lot of money by a) not fogging my glasses b) I don't need to buy goggles. c) The helmet was cheaper than goggles, and way cheaper than a regular helmet + goggles.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

The straps on mine come out of the shell rather than inside creating wind turbulence and they don’t work with cat ears. A deal breaker for me after discovering them.

I don't know about the cat ears thing specifically, but there are some known glitches that people report about online, and POC seems to be unconcerned at least based on an e-mail discussion that I had with them. I have an otherwise nice helmet that I can't wear...weird.

[benb]

My experience was basically not even that something like cat ears doesn't work but that the straps themselves actually make *dramatically* more noise.

My S-works helmet the straps sit out in the airstream instead of in the lee of your head and then they vibrate and sing like a rope on a sailboat under high tension.. basically making a painfully loud noise right near your ear. (It's much higher pitch than a rope singing)

Straps mounted outboard on the helmet shell is now something I look for and it's an instant "do not even try on".

[edgerat]

Originally Posted by BRad704

It's not bad visually. Seems like something I'd only wear in an actual race or TT though. I'm not rolling out from home like that for a solo ride.

have you seen what they look like on the EF Team?

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by benb

My experience was basically not even that something like cat ears doesn't work but that the straps themselves actually make *dramatically* more noise.

I think it's not the straps themselves, but the way they push your ears up and forward right into the air stream!!! HAR!!!

[notsew]

Originally Posted by hernium

That being said, in the quest for aero, is looking dumb that bad for free speed? [/url]

Yes.





J/k. Different strokes for different folks, but I don't think I'd feel super comfortable with the visor biz. Hard pass.

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by hernium

That being said, in the quest for aero, is looking dumb that bad for free speed?

You'd best be attacking from the gun if you're going to be trying this hard.