Founded in 2017, Switchback Sports distributes a range of premium cycling products to over 200 South African bicycle stores. From December 2020 the Cape Town based outfit will add POC helmets, eyewear and apparel to their portfolio. The Swedish outdoor brand joins a stable of products which include Easton components and wheels, Rondo bikes, Panaracer tyres, Wheels Manufacturing hangers and bottom brackets, and Geosmina bikepacking bags. Customers will be happy to note more South African bike stores will be adding POC’s offering to their line-ups.
POC has built a formidable reputation, since Swedish founder, Stefan Ytterborn, took on the skiing market in 2005. 2014 saw the first introduction of cycling helmets as POC entered the road market, and a few years later the mountain bike scene. In the process they created POC Lab, an innovative collaboration of material and medicine led by medical experts, neuroscientists, specialists in spinal cord injuries, and even traffic accident professionals.
Although safety precedes form and function, POC has not allowed that to hinder their design process raking up over 60 international awards, including the coveted bike industry ‘Brand of the Year’ award. Furthermore, The POC WATTS Lab work closely with their professional athletes, including EF Pro Cycling Team, to optimise performance and aerodynamics. Due to POC’s multi-disciplinary background they are able to draw on inspiration and knowledge gleaned in sports like skiing and snowboarding to create premium products, for road, gravel and mountain bike riders.
Their drive to create safer products does not end with their helmets. POC’s AVIP collection (Attention Visibility Interaction Protection) brings an additional level of safety to their helmets and apparel through increased visibility measures.
POC’s Aim eyewear feature oversized Carl Zeiss lenses to maximise your field of vision and enhance colour contrast, in order to help you identify obstructions on the road or trail. Photo by POC Sports. POC’s Ventral Air SPIN helmet is ideally suited to South African conditions. Boasting ample ventilation, an aerodynamic design and POC’s SPIN technology which aids in the dissipation of concussion-inducing rotational forces typically imparted during a cycling accident. Photo by POC Sports.
Switchback Sports will ensure a wide range of POC helmets, eyewear and cycling apparel are available, through their network of retailers. “We’re really excited to showcase POC’s incredible products to a larger number of South African cyclists than ever before” said Switchback Sports founder, Charles Keey. “Personally, I love their helmets and gloves. The fit is exceptional with an undeniable quality feel.”
“Unlike most helmet-eyewear combinations, where you’re bringing different brands together, POC designed the Whole-Helmet approach. This means POC combinations are greater than the sum of its parts leading to increased comfort, user function and style to match!”
POC helmets, eyewear and cycling apparel with be available in South Africa from early December 2020. For a full dealer list or to view the range of POC products sold by Switchback Sports please visit www.switchbacksports.co.za.
Source: Seamus Allardice Media
