Trying to decide between:
Tectal / Ventral / Octal
does anyone happen to know if the visor on the Tectal is removable?
and other than reading some Virginia Tech tests (which I have) does anyone know a real answer as to the difference in safety between MIPS and SPIN in POC helmets?
many thanks!
real-world experience appreciated
I live in LA - so weight and cooling are priorities i’d say,
many thanks!
I have the Tectal for trail riding but I wouldn’t use it for XC. Just feels too bulky. I wouldn’t get too hung up on MIPS vs Spin, they’ll both do the job just fine.
And for your needs I’d look at Ventral Air rather than Ventral
Have you tried on the Omne?
I looked at those others too. The fit didn’t seem consistent across the models (the shape of the crown of my head fits differently in different models) and I was concerned about comfort and cooling while in the blazing heat for 8 or more hours. I liked the fit of Omne better. In fact the first one performed so well I’m now on on my second one. In three years.
I’ve had Octal X race spin and Tectal race spin. I love them both, and primarily wear the Octal. The visor on the Tectal is removable with a 3mm hex, but I would just buy the octal if you are going that direction as it is lighter and breathes better. The new MIPS on the Kortal makes the helmet a bit larger in comparison to the same size helmet with “Spin” and I don’t care for the fit as a result. Cannot speak to the safety of one vs the other.
I have the Tectal Spin for trail/enduro riding. I love it, but it is a bit bulky. Visor is removable with a 3mm, but I never ride without visor. I would probably prefer the Ventral for your needs, the Tectal isn’t the best ventilated and is probably overkill for most XC and XCM races. I wear the Tectal for XCM, but I am on the coast in BC, but I like having the added protection as the descents here are quite a bit harder than in other areas.
I own a Tectal and a Ventral. Love them both. One note on the Tectal. It comes down near the temples and this made it not work with either my road or mtb glasses. I had to take the helmet to a Sunglass hut and try both on together to find a pair that worked. One nice thing about the Tectal is that it has a strap on the rear for securing your sunglasses when not in use. The downside is you have to stop and take the helmet off to get to it with any accuracy.
thank you so much for the details!!!
Had an Octal for a while, always felt like I was wearing this…
Tried a Ventral Air and kinda felt the same but looked a tiny bit better. Got a Kask Protone and it fits great. Every head is different though…
If you are going to do any night riding or racing, make sure your helmet will accomodate the light you want to use. I use Exposure’s Joystick for instance - and it didn’t work with the Kask Protone so I switched out to the Kask Valegro.
Not sure about POC and lights - but something to check.
I use to break out in hives when my head got sweaty during riding. ESP trail riding in the humid south. 28 and been riding/racing since I was 14 and never found a fix to this.
This spring I got a Ventral Air Spin and I’ve never had the problem since. I would happily drop $300 on this helmet again for that cooling factor alone.
One thing to consider with POC helmets is the non-adjustable strap splitter/divider/keeper. If you have a taller head or ears that sit lower on your head you might run into issues with it touching your ear lobes or running really tight to the bottom of your ears. That was my experience with the Omne Air Spin. Fantasic helmet otherwise @ $150.
IMO this is an unacceptable design-flaw.
