The POC Octal road helmet is another product we first spied in Friedrichshafen, Germany, back in September and, like the Neil Pryde Zephyr, its now available in the UK as of this month.

POC are better known for their ski and mountain bike helmets, but they’re entering the road cycling market for the first time and the Octal is the headline piece. You may have seen it on the heads of Garmin-Sharp riders at the Tour Down Under.

It’s a striking helmet – unlike any other on the market – but, POC say, its design is derived from a desire to improve rider safety, rather than to stand out from the crowd in a competitive market.

As a result, the Octal provides significantly more coverage around the temples and at the back of the head than existing road helmets. The helmet also has a unibody construction, which means the plastic outer shell is designed to provide the strength and rigidity of the helmet, rather than an internal roll cage, and POC say this has allowed them to use a softer EPS foam, which their tests show is more efficient at absorbing impact. Ventilation is taken care of by twenty oversized vents, which POC claim lets more air flow through the helmet. The Octal’s weight is also impressively low at a claimed 195g for a size medium (54-60cm).

All that technology doesn’t come cheap, with the Octal, available in orange, blue or white, priced at £225, or £250 for an aero version which has a smooth shell and minimal vents.

Website: POC Sports
UK distributor: 2Pure