POC

Cytal Carbon Helmet

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"I've ridden the Cytal Carbon on long road days and race efforts and the carbon wing with Koridion core is the feature that separates it from other helmets at this weight — it adds a structural impact management layer that doesn't show up in the gram count but shows up in protection performance. The in-mold construction keeps things rigid and light simultaneously, the airflow channels perform well on sustained hot climbs, and the temple-to-temple fit adjustment is easy to dial in precisely and holds its position throughout a long ride."

Road performance helmets at the top of the category are judged on three variables that rarely align cleanly — aerodynamic efficiency, protection depth, and weight — and the POC Cytal Carbon Helmet is engineered to advance all three simultaneously rather than trading one for another. POC has built a reputation for applying serious safety engineering to cycling helmet design without defaulting to bulk, and the Cytal Carbon brings that philosophy to a wind-tunnel-developed road lid designed for riders who expect pro-level performance from every piece of kit.

The structural foundation of the Cytal Carbon is an in-mold polycarbonate exterior shell fused directly to an optimized EPS liner during the manufacturing process, creating a single integrated structure with greater rigidity and impact resistance than a separate shell and liner would achieve at the same weight. The defining feature of the helmet's protection architecture is the integrated carbon fiber wing with a Koridion core — a structural element embedded within the helmet that serves dual functions. Under aerodynamic load, the carbon wing contributes to the helmet's slippery profile by managing airflow around the rear of the shell, consistent with the wind-tunnel testing POC applied to the Cytal Carbon's overall geometry. Under impact load, the wing's carbon fiber construction and Koridion core distribute and disperse impact forces across a broader area of the helmet rather than concentrating energy at the point of contact, a meaningful addition to the protection picture at a weight penalty that is negligible relative to the performance gained. The result is a helmet that earns its aerodynamic claims through engineering rather than marketing, and backs those claims with a protection system that goes beyond a standard polycarbonate and EPS construction.

Ventilation is handled by wide internal airflow channels fed by front open air-entry ports, a system designed to create directed through-flow across the scalp during high-output efforts rather than relying on passive vent area alone. The architecture keeps head temperature regulated across the sustained climbing and sprint efforts that define road racing and ambitious training, without the aerodynamic penalties that come from large open vent geometries. The temple-to-temple rear fit adjustment system spans the full width of the occipital area, providing a stable, secure retention that holds the helmet in position through aggressive riding postures and head movement while contributing additional ventilation at the contact points. At 240 grams in a small, 250 grams in a medium, and 290 grams in a large, the Cytal Carbon is competitive with the lightest options in the performance road category across all sizes. The helmet meets U.S. CPSC certification standards and carries a limited one-year manufacturer warranty.