The POC AVIP collection reviewed

Wearing a helmet when you head out on a ride can significantly reduce the risk of head injury. Ideally, though you’ll never have the opportunity to test out that brain bucket you wear every day and taking steps to improve your visibility is one way to help prevent an incident.

But most people aren’t going out on their early morning group ride in a safety vest and a set of Canadian Tire reflectors on. Collections like the AVIP (Attention Visibility Interaction Protection) series from POC are changing the stigma around making yourself seen on the road.

Getting out on the roads is always preferable to even the most spirited ride through Zwift’s Watopia. But in shoulder season when the sun is still rising late in the morning and sunset sneaks up quickly grabbing the attention of drivers is of utmost importance. Even better is that there’s no need to sacrifice performance for the sake of being seen. The POC Ventral Spin in fluorescent orange is a grand tour proven helmet but available in a colour that can help to keep your loved ones feeling a little more comfortable when you’re out there on open roads. If you’re working full time fitting in rides during the week you are either going out early in the morning or after work. While morning rides can be relatively traffic free, by the time you get home the morning commute will have started and wearing a high contrast and bright colour can certainly help to keep things rubber side down. Riding defensively and prudently is always the best practice when it comes to staying safe but you can do a lot to help make other road users aware of your presence by incorporating clothing like the AVIP collection into those rides where you might be more vulnerable.

The P in AVIP, of course, stands for protection. The clothing in the range uses high contrast colours to help stand out from the natural environment but it also includes ceramic panelling on the shoulders, arms and hips. These areas tend to take the brunt of the damage during a crash and these panels are included to prevent some of the road rash you normally suffer during a crash. Nobody was willing to do an A/B test for this material but it is good to see these kinds of injuries being taken into account when clothing is being designed. But beyond the safety component, the jersey hits the notes with modern details like longer sleeves and fairly low collar that avoids irritation in even the most aggressive positions.

Visibility gear has come a long way from the dorky and baggy safety gear we once knew. Collections like the AVIP from POC are bringing high performing items into colour palettes that will help keep us safe and keep the pedals spinning kilometre after kilometre. Let’s face it people care about looking good on the bike and if you can produce a lineup that checks both the safety and aesthetics boxes as POC has done then you’ve done something pretty impressive.

The Ventral Spin retails for $350 and the AVIP short sleeve ceramic jersey can be purchased from retailers for $210