It seems like not all that long ago that poc really started gaining traction in the industry, when they released their XC/AM helmet the Trabec. At that point they were just starting to rapidly expand their line, and now have full lines for Snow, Wheels, and eyes. In addition to the Crane helmet and the VPD 2.0 Spine packs that Marc scoped out at Interbike, poc has a host of new VPD products with protection first in mind, though style isn’t far behind. Take the new Index DH VPD for example – the VPD 2.0 knuckle protection molds to your hand, but like all VPD upon impact it stiffens immediately absorbing most of the impact. The Index DH also features a padded, reinforced synthetic sued palm and is touch screen compatible.
To protect upper body when you’re ripping brown pow, poc’s new Spine VPD 2.0 DH jacket offers even more protection with back, chest, shoulder, and elbow protection – all certified to motorcycle standards (1621-2 Level 2). Stretch mesh fabric and perforated 3d molded VPD 2.0 pieces help keep you cool. The DH version also features a crash retention strap and low friction hard elbow caps to keep the rocks from tearing up the softer VPD panels.
New VPD 2.0 pieces also make their way to your knees and elbows with the new Joint VPD 2.0 DH Elbow and Joint VPD 2.0 Long Knee pads. The Long Knee on the right, is essentially the exact same thing as the regular Knee, but it is 8cm longer to keep your pedals from taking bites out of your shins.
The DH Elbow is again built with a flexible low friction hard shell to act as a skid plate when your elbow meets the dirt, or tree, or rocks… Inside is a 3d molded VPD2.0 pad to absorb what impact isn’t displaced by the hard shell. The whole thing is built in Kevlar reinforced stretch fabric to keep it together and a CRS strap prevents it from sliding out of place.
Finally, for the stuff we haven’t covered there is the new Hip VPD 2.0 shorts which offer a good bit of protection that you can integrate into any short you own. The Hip shorts offer 3 ply VPD hip protection with an optional tailbone protector for your Coccyx. The chamois-less shorts are made from stretchy ventilated mesh which will provide a bit of compression while keeping you cool.
Check out the whole line of poc gear, to better protect yourself for the coming season.
