REVIEW
POC Helmets: Tectal Race Spin and Axion Spin
When my truck got broken into a month or so back, I vowed to turn lemons into lemonade, and I used it as a shameless opportunity to score some free shit. In the end, I might even come out ahead! Other than having to pick broken glass out of things for several weeks, and having to deal with the sketchiest auto glass shop in all of South Vancouver.
One of the things that I lost was the helmet that I had fairly consistently been turning to over the last few months. It didn't fit all that well, but it had a number of features that I quite enjoyed. It just did its job and got out of the way.
So, I've managed to turn that one ill-fitting helmet into two POC helmets (the Tectal Race Spin and the Axion Spin). Let's see how that works out.
Helmet #1 - Tectal Race Spin
We'll start with the Tectal Race Spin. This isn't a new helmet for POC, and has been around for a little while in one form or another. It's priced at 280 CAD and 240 USD, and is available in 3 sizes (XS-S, M-L, XL-XXL). It comes with most of the features you would expect at this price: Super solid adjustable visor held in place with hardware, Enduro approved goggle strap, fancy head protection technology, etc. It also comes with a few you wouldn't expect: a RECCO reflector and an "aramid bridge system for improved structural integrity." Advanced technology is great, but what really stands out for me on this helmet is how well POC has done all of the standard helmet type things.
Let's start with the straps. This is how every helmet should have their straps, with the attachment point at the bottom of the helmet, and a plastic gizmo dealing with how things flow around your ears. I can imagine there's some poor guy out there with weird ears that this system won't work with (poor Prince Charles!), but for the rest of us, I think this is the simplest and most effective way to keep a helmet on your head. One interesting thing about the straps, though. They're made of a really thin material that is quite slippery. The adjustment buckle moves very easily on the strap. This can be helped somewhat by adjusting the band on the helmet strap right down to the bottom of the buckle, but the buckle still tightens and loosens very easily, especially if you pull on the actual buckle. I never had it loosen up while riding, but I always seemed to need to tighten it up at the start of a ride. Just something to think about.
Next, we move on to the padding and the fit gizmo at the back of the helmet. The helmet, as mentioned, comes equipped with POC's (soon to be discontinued) Spin technology and all of these things work as a system. The frame for the fit gizmo wraps all the way around your head. The pads are attached either directly to the fit gizmo frame or to the shell of the helmet. And the Spin technology is embedded right into the pads (and works similarly to MIPS according to POC, without the need for an extra plastic piece between your head and your helmet). This all leads to a helmet that fits really, really well. Of course, this will depend on your head shape, but by putting so few things between your head and the helmet shell, this helmet starts with a leg up.
I'll keep harping on about this, but there is barely any space between my head and the shell of the helmet, and the fit gizmo at the back of the helmet is really just for fine tuning. This helmet feels like it surrounds your head. Indeed, I found that in putting it on and taking it off, it was better to subtly rotate it onto my head, rather than slam it straight down. This was with the fit gizmo adjusted as high on the helmet as possible. If you wanted, you could adjust it further down and really get crazy.
Moving on to peripheral items. The visor does exactly what you need it to do. It's solid and has a large range of adjustment. The only challenge is that the center adjustment screw is recessed into the front vent, and it's a bit finicky to loosen and tighten. I don't move my visor around very much so this is no big deal. Lastly, the goggle strap. I never used this, but it's there, if you need it. I could see this being a good candidate for a goggled half shell, as it's a super solid platform that should deal fairly well with the pull of a goggle strap.
So summarize, this is a really great helmet, jammed with features. Not only that, it seems like POC has put this technology to good effect, and this helmet fits well with minimum gaps to the shell as a result (for my head, anyhow). If only it came with a different strap material, it would be quite close to perfect.
Tectal Race Spin Weights XS-S: 337g M-L: 368g XL-XXL: 390g
I can imagine there's some poor guy out there with weird ears that this system won't work with (poor Prince Charles!)
A note on packaging
A lot of times, when things wind up on Uncle Dave's doorstep, they're in what's known as "less than new" condition. Somebody will have worn it/fondled it/discarded it, and the packaging is but a poof of smoke in somebody's memory. So, I'm not totally familiar with current trends in helmet packaging.
However, if memory serves...don't most helmets show up in a cardboard box with a cutout on the front so that you stand at a distance in the showroom and gaze in on the wonder of the helmet? Is the cutout itself maybe not a teensy bit over the top? I mean, we don't need a cutout on our shoe boxes. We're generally pretty confident that things won't change all that much from the time we take possession of the box until we arrive at home.
But POC ups this nonsense, and includes not just a cutout, but a plastic window! A giant plastic window, in on an inanimate object. And they wrap the helmet in foam. Swedish minimalism it is not. And I'm going to call them out for this. Your helmet box does not need a window and I'm confident that this is a place where we could reduce our plastic consumption, just a teensy, tiny bit. Because it makes that box pretty much unrecyclable, unless you spend a good amount of time separating the plastic piece from the rest of the box. As well, if you just put the helmet in the helmet bag that the helmet comes with, you wouldn't have a need to wrap said helmet in foam.
It's very silly.
Helmet #2 - Axion Spin
The Axion is a new helmet from POC with a much lower price tag than the Tectal (CAD$170 and US$150). While it's much cheaper than the Tectal, it has most of the things that make the Tectal great. It keeps the spin technology and the great fit, but does away with the RECCO reflector, goggle strap and aramid reinforcement. It also swaps in a hardware free visor that adjusts using a snap system, rather than hardware. This does away with the need to adjust a finicky piece of hardware (like on the Tectal), and replaces it with brute force. It has 4 clicks of adjustment, and one of them will probably work for you.
The Axion has a similar strap as the Tectal (which is great), and even manages to one up its pricier brother. The strap on the Axion is much thicker (about the same as you would expect to see on most helmets). As a result, it doesn't move around like the one on the Tectal. Once you've adjusted it, it stays put and only moves if you really want it to.
The Axion has the same wrap around fit and padding system as the Tectal, which once again provides for great fit and minimal shell gaps. However, the Axion uses a different dial system in the back, on the fit gizmo, and, unfortunately, this one is not as good as the Tectal. For the first few rides, no matter what I did, the fit system would not stay tight. It would loosen off when I put the helmet on, and loosen off again if I tightened it up once the helmet was on my head.
There was a distinct lack of clicks when I tightened the dial up, and it felt like this was probably the root cause of the problem. I decided to crack in to the system and have a look, and my suspicions were confirmed. The outer teeth shown on the photo below are what is supposed to keep the fit system in place, but you can see that the inner gear wheel is barely making contact with the outer teeth, so there's nothing to hold it in place. I put the system back together and tightened it down as much as I could. This helped, as there was increased friction to keep things from moving, but it was never as solid as the one on the Tectal. As a result, I've mostly been using it as a commuting helmet, as I don't have faith in it staying in place on a mountain bike ride.
I will note that my helmet has a giant "Sample: Not for Resale" decal on the inside. It is possible that this issue is something to do with it being a sample. I reached out to our contact at POC but haven't heard back. It will be easy to check if it's still an issue on the helmets that make it to stores. Just give the dial on the back a few spins, and if there's a solid click, you're good to go.
Which brings up another interesting point...this helmet was announced in the summer, but still hasn't made it onto POC's website. The only information I can find online is from the stories announcing its launch. Since then, POC has announced a new partnership with MIPS, so I'm wondering if they're just going to phase this helmet out before they bother launching it? Or fit it with a new MIPS system?
If they do, I hope that they keep all of the great things that this helmet has going for it (low price, great fit) and fix this one glaring issue. The non-clicky fit gizmo is the only thing holding this helmet back from being a really great lower cost helmet option. The M/L size of the Axion Race Spin weighs 305g.
Here's the link for more on the Tectal Race Spin. (no sign of the Axion on the POC site)
Comments
Rob Gretchen
4 years, 11 months ago
Agreed on the POC packaging... excessive. As a bike shop owner I am now pushing back at manufacturers and distributors who use ridiculous packaging for their products... Shimano and Raceface are my latest diatribe. But there are many out there that could do much better. Come on guys get your shit together and show you care a tiny bit about our planet.
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Kenny
4 years, 11 months ago
Yeah it's a good point, funnily enough my 6 year old used my tectal race spin's box for a school project, het turned it into a terrarium that houses papier mache snakes. Which I guess makes sense since it's more terrarium than helmet box. Haha.
I love my tectal spin for the same reasons though. It fits like a hat, feels so close to my head all the way around, not like it's only touching my head in a few spots and standing way off my head.
It's also my second because I went OTB on Seymour with my first one and broke my fall using my temple, straight onto a rock. It was a hard hit and dented the helmet. No concussion, headache, stars, or other funny business (but it was hard enough to perforate my eardrum).
I went out the next day and bought another one.
I don't like the bobblehead feel most mips helmets seem to have.
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Dave Tolnai
4 years, 11 months ago
Ouch! Perforated eardrum! That's a new one for me.
Question for you...what do you think of the strap?
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Kenny
4 years, 11 months ago
I did find the straps had a tendency to loosen off when I first got it. I wore a lot of d-ring helmets as a kid though so I habitually pull the loose end of any helmet strap I clip on anyways.
Now that the current one has 20 rides on it or so it stays put but I still tug the strap end out of habit. Haha.
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SixZeroSixOne
4 years, 11 months ago
Hmmm, no mention about sweat or heat management...you could of easily checked this out in a sauna if it being "the wrong time of year" precludes doing that here (or grabbed an all-expenses paid trip to somewhere hot)
;-)
Also, no mention of "crash replacement" policies. Some manufacturers offer(ed?) a replacement helmet at much reduced cost if damaged in a crash. Is that still a thing? Would be useful to know...
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Dave Tolnai
4 years, 11 months ago
No idea about crash replacement, but assume since it isn't mentioned anywhere on their website, there isn't one.
In all honesty, every time I've taken advantage of a helmet crash replacement program, it's hardly felt worth the bother...what with wait times vs. actual amount of money saved. But it's been a few years.
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Morgan Heater
4 years, 11 months ago
POC replaced my tectal race spin for roughly 50% off after I broke it. Messing around on dirt jumps on a bmx bike, looped out on the landing, hit the back of my head and cracked the helmet. No concussion.
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Luix
4 years, 11 months ago
Sorry for the barely related note, but for the mother of Thor, I cannot see the name of the Tectal without reading it "Rectal". And my phone's autocorrect does exactly the same.
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[user profile deleted]
4 years, 11 months ago
This comment has been removed.
Kenny
4 years, 11 months ago
No but when I type "ride" or "riding" I get similar suggestions. Not sure it reflects well on our society. Lol
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Kenny
4 years, 11 months ago
This comment has been removed.
TrailgnomeValemount
4 years, 11 months ago
Totally agree on the nice positive fit of the Tectal Race Spin. Low profile and fits snug and firm like a motorsports helmet.
Tested the spin, and crush ability of the helmet this fall. I thought the noises it made was my head or neck crumpling as I took a header into a debris field of rock off trail edge.
No ill effects, no concussion, crushed 2 helmet ribs and carried on with the day. Well worth the money spent!
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dave_f
4 years, 11 months ago
FWIW, the Axion is a dark matter candidate.
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Dave Tolnai
4 years, 11 months ago
Due to it not actually existing anywhere?
I did try to get more information about what the deal is, but I didn't have any success.
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cxfahrer
4 years, 11 months ago
https://www.rosebikes.de/poc-axion-spin-fahrradhelm-2684542
4 weeks delivery...
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Andy Eunson
4 years, 11 months ago
POC do make a good looking helmet but like nearly all bike helmets I am between sizes. Small is too tight and the next size up is too low and will ride on my eyewear and obscures my vision. Recently I retired an older helmet and tried , Smith, POC, Bell, Giro, Sweet, Lazer and maybe some others but only the Leatt fit well. Then I dinted another Leatt (I usually run two helmets so I always have one that is not sweat soaked) and being late season there wasn’t much around. But found a Fox Drop frame for cheap. Actually fits OK. I’m sure it’s my odd shaped noggin but it’s frustrating that most helmets fit the same for me.
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Randomscruff
4 years, 11 months ago
Had a crash with the the Tectal Race Spin. Fell right on top of my head. Helmet destroyed but no concussion. Bought a replacement which seemed to have an issue and emailed POC North America and Europe multiple times, messaged them on FB and Instagram and received zero response. Terrible customer service and looking elsewhere for another new helmet now.
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Graham Driedger
4 years, 11 months ago
The TectaI, I feel like it's one of the best on the market in terms for the quality of fit, ventilation, and impact protection.
The yoke under your ears certainly helps with proper positioning, and I see more than a few folks who don't know how to properly adjust theirs on other helmets - so can everyone adopt a feature like this?
I can't say the slippery strap is an issue with my buckle loosening off. I tighten it and make sure the rubber/plastic ring on the strap stays flush to the buckle - then it doesn't seem to migrate - minimally at most.
Like a few others have mentioned, this is my second Tectal, and I went from the Race to the Race SPIN lid. One would not expect a difference between the two, but, sweat absorption is vastly reduced with the SPIN pads. As I'm likely one of the sweatiest dudes on the mountain, that visco-gel ends up being a barrier to the massive air vents, which regularly do a damn good job of keeping a cool head. I'd rather have a better engineered pad material made out of a sham-wow, or something that will take the sweat from your brow and funnel it to the temples.
It'll be interesting to see the successor to the Tectal when MIPS is brought back in. I'd much prefer the MIPS spherical introduced, but unlikely considering the licensing from Bell Sports. Can POC engineer something similar, without compromising the otherwise amazing vents?
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Kenny
4 years, 11 months ago
Mips spherical is the opposite of everything I like about the tectal unfortunately. I have a super dh with mips spherical and it's wobbly and squeaks as it wobbles.
Since I broke my first tectal on about the 3rd ride and I still have it, i have a full set of pretty fresh spare pads and all other parts for my second one at least.
I worry it's not possible to build a mips equipped helmet with the fit and stability the tectal has, but barring crashes I have enough parts to keep my current one going for a couple more seasons at least. :)
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