Swedish brand POC has been around since 2004 and has garnered a strong following in the road and off-road markets. POC specializes in helmets, eyewear, protection, and apparel, with a strong leaning towards design and innovation, it certainly isn’t afraid to push boundaries.
We recently received the brand's latest high-end ‘road’ orientated helmet called the Cytal Carbon (currently being used by the EF Pro Cycling team) and were keen to see if such a road-focused design can lend itself to fast gravel or XC riding. Take one look at the start line of an XC race or the pointy end of a gravel event, and you won’t see a MTB helmet peak in sight. Racers often choose what would normally be considered a ‘road’ helmet in the pursuit of saving weight and keeping cool – a skinsuit often completes the look. I haven’t gone as far as donning a skinsuit for this test, but I have managed to test the Cytal Carbon off-road, with some fast XC and gravel riding, to see how it performs.
