The job of a helmet, first and foremost, is to protect your head. This has been lost somewhat in recent years as everyone realised they have huge impacts on aerodynamics.
The POC Cytal isn’t necessarily very aero, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for in safety. It is, in fact, the safest road helmet that Virginia Tech – the industry’s leading independent helmet testing institution – has ever tested, receiving a 5-star rating and outperforming the majority of MTB helmets too.
Head straight to the deal: POC Cytal £300 £137.99
At a full retail price of just shy of £300 or $350, it’s a helmet that, while safe, is likely out of budget for many of us. I’m happy to report that, while searching for deals with which to fill our Black Friday Bike Deals hub, I found the Cytal knocked down by over 50%, making it not only affordable but an absolute bargain.
With over £150 off the price this is the cheapest we've ever seen the Cytal MIPS. Considering it's one of the newest road helmets in POC's lineup this is a bit of a surprise, but a happy one for sure.
We can all agree that the Cytal is safe by the numbers, and so probably a likely contender for our guide to the best road bike helmets, but is it actually nice to ride in? Happily, I’ve spent all summer in the non-carbon one, and can confirm it is ace! (The carbon model, strangely, is less safe and more expensive.)
POC helmets, in my experience, tend to be among the most comfortable I’ve come across, and the venting on the Cytal is wonderful for summer riding when the mercury rises. Yes, it’s hard to imagine now there’s a hard frost on everything and my fingers are numb as I type this, but it will be warm again soon. Luckily, POC has also stopped using white straps in favour of black, as the old white straps very quickly turned a kind of grey-brown with sweat and dirt; yuck!
Elsewhere, Black Friday is already upon us, so fantastic cycling deals like this are flooding in thick and fast. We've also found a great deal on Tadej Pogačar's tyres, aloingside an insane deal on the newest-gen Apple Airpods 4. There's also the Garmin Edge 540 at its best-ever price, and over a dozen roundup articles, such as the best Black Friday bike deals, a collection of Specialized deals, indoor cycling-specific Wahoo deals, plus clothing over at the Rapha deals roundup.
- Black Friday bike deals: All things cycling this Black Friday
- Black Friday Canyon bikes: discounted Aeroad, Ultimate and more
- Black Friday Trek bikes: Madone deals, plus helmets and shoes
- Black Friday Specialized: Road, gravel and mountain bikes and kit
- Black Friday cycling clothing: Kit out your cycling wardrobe without paying a fortune
- Black Friday cycling shoes: Black Friday deals on footwear
- Black Friday Wahoo: Save on computers, trainers and more
- Black Friday indoor bike trainers: Everything you need to ride inside
- Black Friday kids' bikes: They grow so fast, so don't pay full price this Black Friday
- Rapha Black Friday: Black Friday deals on the British clothing brand
- Black Friday Garmin: Smartwatches, cycling computers and more
- Black Friday Castelli: Premium cycling kit on a budget
- Black Friday Amazon: Savings on tech and more
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