The amount of scientific advancement stemming from cross-disciplinary sports is infinite. There is a universal web of various outdoor (and indoor) activities borrowing from one another, and applying those advancements to their own discipline.
And then, they develop even further.
Mountain bikes got their disc brakes from motorcycles, and road bikes got their discs from mountain bikes. The quasi love-affair between skiing and cycling is certainly one of the more popular symbiotic relationships in sports history. The ski industry has benefited from the use of carbon-fiber technology that has been de rigueur in the cycling industry for decades. Clipless pedals originated from the step-in boot bindings found on modern skis. Racing helmets, cat suits, aerodynamics and even the biomechanics of turning are constantly studied and discussed between these two disciplines.
There is a lot more ski technology incorporated into today’s pro cycling circuit. POC Sports happens to be one of those companies on the cutting edge of athletic development, transforming their knowledge from two skis into two-wheeled technology.
And they are just getting warmed up.
POC History
POC appeared in 2005, creating helmets for gravity sport athletes, especially World Cup racers like Julia Mancuso. The Swedish company has always searched to create the best in protective gear. They figure, accidents are inevitable. Their goal is to save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for armies of extreme athletes. New technology and innovation developed by their unique POC Labs radically improved ski racing safety. These experts found a way to reduce the force of impact to the brain and spinal cord during high-impact accidents.
Battle Gear
The POC body armor and ski helmets made waves. The Lab’s army of brain scientists and sports medicine experts revolutionized a discipline and brought Mancuso gold at the US Winter Olympics in Turin. Ever since this historic event, POC has evolved and diversified its line of safety wear through goggles and helmets. They have also opened up their research to include studies on free-skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.
Thus, POC continues investigating safety not only in skiing, but also in other athletic pursuits. Their goal is to protect lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for athletes and anyone inspired to be one.
POC and One More Ride
Today, One More Ride is pleased to cooperate with the scientific labs of POC Sports.
Our guests can pre-book a material test when they register for one of our bike adventures. Each of our cyclists can choose their own model of helmet and sunglasses when registering for a departure. There is the stylish Ventral Air Spin helmet used by Simon Clarke and the EF Pro Cycling Team. Or you can choose between the Ventral Spin and the Omne Air Spin helmets. Color choices are fashionable: either white or black.
Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from glare, but also keep bugs and dust out of your eyes as you fly down the mountain. Choose among a series of models like the Crave, Aim, Aspire, or DO Half-Blade.
If you enjoyed your experience with these POC products at the end of your tour, you can take them home with a sweet discount from POC.
POC and Cannondale
Cannondale and One More Ride are working together to get you on the best bikes to have the best bike experience. Now, you can have the best bike protection as you ride through Europe with One More Ride.
POC started a three-year partnership as the official helmet and eyewear supplier of the Cannondale-Garmin pro Cycling Team. It was also in 2014 that POC – who had already designed plenty of equipment for the mountain bike discipline – founded the AVIP road bike specific range of products. AVIP (Attention, Visibility, Interaction and Protection) incorporates all of POC’s commitment to safety and security as they have demonstrated in extreme gravity sports.
AVIP is by far one of the most daring initiatives promoting road bike safety to date. This new branch of research inspired POC to create the WATTS Lab, bringing together aerodynamic specialists and neuroscientists to push the frontiers of safety technology. It is a highly specialized department whose objective is to improve POC products, helping cyclists stay safe while maximizing their velocity.
Is Faster Really Better?
When it decides the outcome of a UCI World race, it sure is.
Ryder Hesjedal won the 2012 Giro d’Italia after a grueling 91 hours in the saddle. The difference between him and second place Joaquim Rodriguez was only 16 seconds. Divided up across the 3,476 kilometers of this Italian Grand Classic, you get an average speed difference of 0.005 seconds per kilometer between 1st and 2nd place. And if you look across the whole 21 stages of the race, it means Ryder was 0.76 faster per every stage of the 2012 edition of the Giro.
While most citizen riders are not trying to win the Giro or the Tour, it’s reassuring to know the helmet on your head is the maximum protection you can get. And it also isn’t slowing you down.
More than Heads and Eyes
Don't think that POC and all this analysis is only for your head and eyes. They don't just study how you see, they study how you are seen.
From hoodies and puffies, duffle bags and ponchos, POC has taken their science to a different level. Many of their products focus on snow-sports, especially for days on the mountain, or afternoons of après.
POC is also transparent about their research and development program. Reading the POC journal will take you fascinating articles like this one on POC and MIPS: a Swedish safety technology company. This partnership will see innovative enhanced rotational protection systems in certain POC products by the end of 2020.
Even if you don't "geek-out" over the cool safety innovations, the POC blog is a great read. The stories will take you from science to travel at the click of a mouse.
POC and Research
As a result of this deep dedication to gravity sports, POC has established offices in 25 different countries. The company has won over 40 international safety and design awards for the ingenuity of its products.
However, the WATTS Lab deserves specific mention. This center pioneers highly specialized products, optimizing performance.
And they should. They have hundreds of cyclists to work with
The combination of members from the Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team, and experts in fluid dynamics and crash safety, push the envelope every year. The closeness of the Watts Lab with the POC products helps the company predict and improve performance at each stage of development.
At One More Ride, we are all about fun and adventure. But safety is always our number one priority. Sign up for one of our destinations, order your POC helmet, and get your head into science.
See you soon for One More Ride