POC release the Procen Air helmet
Since the start of the 2024 World Tour season, many riders from EF Pro Cycling have been competing in a brand-new helmet, one which has challenged the conventional idea of a high-performance cycling helmet and led to a string of successes.
The Procen Air is POC's latest aero-optimized road helmet. It combines years of experience and deep collaboration with the riders and performance experts at EF Pro Cycling and is now available to all.
The Procen Air has already featured in many notable races and performances this year, but the challenge wasn't just to make a faster road helmet. It also needed to help riders improve their performance for long days in a dynamic, fast-moving peloton, enhance their sight and sound, and protect them in the event of a fall.
POC's Director of Hard Goods, Magnus Gustavsson, explains, "Impact-wise, we know how to make a safe helmet. Here, it was more about being on the bike, in the peloton, where you have a lot of things happening around you. Our mission with the Procen Air was to create a helmet with all the watt savings of a TT helmet, not compromising safety and improving a rider's ability to hear and see."
As part of POC's Aero initiative, the Procen Air was developed in collaboration with EF Pro Cycling riders and performance experts. Naturally, a significant focus for a road helmet of this type is aerodynamics, but consistent performances will always require a balance of needs and be equally dependent on ventilation, cooling, and protection.
It is a process that has been tested and refined and has been several years in the making, as described by Performance Director at EF Pro Cycling, Peter Schep: "After we developed the technique to allow more airflow through an aerodynamic TT helmet, the Procen, we thought, 'Hey! This is going to solve a lot of our limitations.' At that point, we could quickly switch into gear, and we embraced the challenge. It was then just a matter of fine-tuning to ensure that a rider would be adequately cooled and would hear and see well so they could know what was happening behind them and around them. Safety is always number one. With that in mind, we were able to develop this helmet. It is certainly significantly faster."
DETAILS
Airflow
The openings at the front of the Procen Air drain the high-pressure zone, which reduces stagnant air and additional air resistance that a rider needs to push through. The air is guided through the helmet, and by creating the Venturi effect inside the helmet, as used in POC's Ventral helmets, the airflow supports superior ventilation and cooling. The enhanced cooling and airflow will improve the overall performance of the helmet and rider.
Visibility/ Magnetic lens
In addition to the ventilation and aerodynamic performance, the Procen Air utilizes a new lens, which ensures that a rider has maximum peripheral vision and can see better and react quicker to all race scenarios and the hustle of a frantic peloton. The new magnetic lens attachment system gives riders the simple option to have the lens on or off and support optimal vision at any given moment. The Clarity lens can be removed and placed on a series of magnets at the rear of the helmet until needed again, all with one hand and no need to touch the lens itself. The magnetic 'garage' in the rear is designed so the lens will not interfere with a rider in a tucked or aero position when it is stowed away.
Sound and fit
In a peloton, hearing is often a cyclist's first warning system. A racer's spatial awareness depends on their ability to perceive sound, especially when other riders are coming up from behind them, outside the range of their peripheral vision. As such, the point where the helmet covers the ears has been highly tuned to provide optimal aerodynamic performance and sound. The reduced turbulence around the ear and semi-open design will result in most riders hearing more clearly. In addition, comfort and fit are essential in maintaining focus. Procen Air's whole-head adjustment system makes it easy for every rider to find a secure fit, ensuring optimum position and protection.
Aerodynamic performance
There is little doubt that the Procen Air is fast, as EF Education-Cannondale has already proved this year. From Noemi Rüegg's high-speed sprint win at the Trofeo Felanitx-Colònia de Sant Jordi to Kristen Faulkner's 50-km solo win at the Omloop van het Hageland to Kim Cadzow's GC victory at the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa, the women's squad has already won seven races with the Procen Air.
The results reinforced the data that POC and EF Pro Cycling's performance team collected in the wind tunnel, with CFD and during on-road tests. Tested against the established and very fast Ventral, the Procen Air showed significant performance gains, typically ranging from 5 watts at low speed to 18 watts at high speed (approx. 30-60km/h).
Another real-world example of enhanced performance is the data behind Alberto Bettiol's beautiful long-range solo attack that led to his Milan Torino victory in March. Attacking with 30 km to go, Alberto covered the remaining distance in 39 minutes, which his team recorded in three differentiated speed windows: high speed, 11 min; normal speed, 18 min; and low speed, 10 min.
Even on the road where the wind blows as it wants, and end-of-race effort and fatigue begin to set in, the difference for Alberto and the team was evident as Performance Director at EF Pro Cycling, Peter Schep, explains – "Alberto had averaged 46.5 km/hr during his solo. According to our calculations, Alberto's Procen Air had allowed him to cover the distance well over ten seconds faster than he would have had he worn his already fast POC Ventral. And on top of that, the Procen Air had exceeded the demands of a warm 177-km classic."
EF Pro Cycling article – POC and EF collaboration and joint development of the Procen Air.
PROCEN AIR – PRODUCT DETAILS
– CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tested for optimum aero efficiency.
– Wind tunnel and road-tested ventilation for optimum comfort.
– Venturi-inspired airflow improves cooling.
– Aero and sound optimised ear covers.
– Unique Magnetic visor and garage
– Lightweight adjustable fit system.
– Optimized EPS liner to provide crash protection at a low weight.
– Outer PC shell is lightweight and enhances the structural integrity of the helmet.
– EVA lower zone of the helmet for enhanced comfort.
– Clarity Road technology lens which heightens contrast and manages the colour spectrum for optimum vision on the road.
– The helmet comes with a spare clear lens.
Certification
Certificated under - EN 1078/CPSC/AS/NZS 2063
Sizes
S/50-56cm | M/54-59cm | L/56-61cm |
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Price
EUR 400,00
Colours
Hydrogen White, Uranium Black Matt
Weight
350g (Medium EN1078)
Availability
Globally available immediately — online at pocsports.com and in official POC retailers and e-tailers.
Notes to editors
Assets
All assets are available - HERE
Procen Air Product page - HERE
About POC
POC, a leading manufacturer of helmets, eyewear, protection and apparel, has been awarded more than 70 international safety, design, and innovation awards. Founded in 2004 in Sweden, POC’s mission is to ‘protect lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for athletes and anyone inspired to be one’.
www.pocsports.com
About EF Pro Cycling
We're pro athletes, cultural enthusiasts, and world travellers with a hunger for adventure. We're in search of new perspectives, on our bikes and off. We are EF Pro Cycling, a different kind of pro cycling team.
Matt Beaudin
Communication and Marketing Director
EF Pro Cycling
matthew.beaudin@ef.com
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