The original POC Tempor, with its mushroom-like shape that tapered out towards the shoulders, caused quite a stir when it was first launched at the London Olympics back in 2012. It was ridiculed by many for its somewhat challenging aesthetics, as there was nothing else remotely like it at the time – or indeed for the following 12 years until the Giro Aerohead ripped up the TT helmet rulebook in 2024.
But looks matter little when it comes to lowering a rider's CdA and going as fast as possible, and the Tempor's unique shape proved to work well for many riders. It became a bit of a cult classic among the time trial crowd and was famously 'revived' by Dan Bigham and the Huub Wattbike track team, prompting POC to restart production.
But things move quickly in the world of aerodynamics, and, from what the guys at EF Education told me, this latest helmet is the fastest they've ever tested. As is often the case with new or prototype products at the Tour de France there weren't many details, but I did get to hold one of the riders' helmets and here's what I found.
It's surprisingly light considering its size (though I didn't have any scales with me for confirmation), largely due to its clever internal EPS structure, which is impressive to look at up close. It has a spider's web of internal structural support that looks very sturdy, and given POC's usual focus on safety, I'd expect this to perform as well as protective headgear as for its aero benefits. It also felt surprisingly balanced; the 'nose' extends a long way in front of the forehead, which I assume could be felt in the neck muscles and might end up being a hindrance in an aero position for longer periods, but apparently that wasn't the case here.
Ventilation looked far down the list of priorities with no visible vents at the front – unlike the Tempor's two intakes, but then it's designed to help air flow as smoothly as possible around it, so it might be that there's some other clever trickery going on with exhaust ports or similar to help keep riders cool.
It tapers out towards the shoulders, but less aggressively than the original Tempor, and is closer to the current leader in the extreme TT lid category, Giro’s Aerohead. It's a striking bit of kit, but dare I say slightly easier on the eye than some of the competition. Aero helmets aren't about looks, but POC's clean Scandinavian design does a reasonable job of neutralising the challenging shape, and the matt silver finish certainly helped. I was told it will be a 2027 product and we don't have a model name – Tempor II? – so keep your eyes peeled if you have plans to beat that ten-mile PB...
