How SPIN technology in the POC Ventral helps protect your noggin
Shearing Pads INside offers rotational impact protection replacing MIPS in POC's top-end aero road helmet
POC were one of the first to use MIPS in their cycling helmets to help counteract the forces your head experiences in a crash and minimize brain injuries. With the new Ventral, POC have opted to use their own technology called SPIN which stands for Shearing Pads INside. The technology is intended to resist a variety of impacts your brain can experience in a crash thanks to an innovative padding that fits on the inside of POC’s helmets just like regular padding would.
SPIN was first introduced in POC’s line of winter sports helmets and then make an entry to the mountain bike line of offerings last year. It’s introduction to POC’s new top-end aero road lid, the Ventral, means riders will benefit from the added protection it affords though hopefully, most wearers will stay safe and upright without putting the technology to the test.
MIPS, which stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, is now used by many helmet brands. POC have confidence that SPIN replaces the patented slip technology that appears in helmets as a yellow liner designed to reduce rotational forces during certain types of crashes. MIPS and SPIN were both developed in Sweden.
The SPIN pad contains a bladder which allows them to shear counteracting yaw, roll and pitch impacts that can be damaging to your head. Like MIPS, the pads are designed to be a rotational impact protection system designed to reduce the impact of linear and oblique forces. If these forces can be minimized, it can help reduce the damage in certain types of violent impacts.
The blue pads are injected with silicone to give them the shear needed to resist rotational forces. Instead of the forces directly transferring to your nogging, SPIN allows your head to twist, tilt and turn within the helmet. The pads are still moisture wicking and can be removed for washing like traditional pads. The silicone bladder is hidden away beneath the surface.
In addition to the SPIN technology, POC have added structural protection in the form of ticker EPS foam in the rear of the Ventral where they observed many cycling helmets take the brunt of an impact in a crash. POC analyzed the damage left on helmets crashed by POC pro athletes to come to this conclusion to bolster the protection around the rear of the head.
Stay tuned for a full in-depth review of the POC Ventral.