When it comes to eyewear, there are three filters I apply before a purchase:

1. Can I afford them?
2. Do they fit?
3. Do they look good?

Unfortunately for me, I've only had the green light on all three once in my life and as a result I'm still wearing a 10-year-old pair of Tifosi Crit sunglasses. There's nothing theoretically wrong with them; they pass the first two filter tests, but they are now decidedly dated. Like ankle socks, and short short sleeves, my sunglasses are retro, and not in a good way.

While most riders have been donning large lens eyeshields, commonplace among the best cycling sunglasses, since the early 2020s, my small face means that not only do they look more like a windscreen, but they are so ill-fitting that, unless I point my nose in the air, even the slightest road imperfection will send them crashing to the ground.

However, my decade-long streak of facial fashion faux pas has finally abated. And it's thanks to the same brand that had managed to turn all the sunglasses filters green before, Tifosi.

Construction

The 'frame' of the Vogel XC is made from Grilamid TR, a transparent polyamide known for its low density, toughness, flexibility, and good bending strength.

I say "frame," but in reality, this is just the arms and a lens hinge. The rest of the glasses have polycarbonate wraparound lenses, which, according to Tifosi, offer 100 per cent UVA/UVB protection.

The nose and ear pads are made of hydrophilic rubber, which is designed to attract a thin layer of sweat and become tackier, effectively gripping the sunglasses in place. It should also prevent pressure points, which can occur from the over-tightening of adjustable nose pieces.

This minimal design helps keep the glasses lightweight, with my matte black pair weighing just 26 grams on my scales.

The glasses measure 130mm across the temple, which is the same as the aforementioned Tifosi Crit and another incredibly old pair of 100% Speedtrap sunglasses. However, from top to bottom is another story. While the Vogel measures 50mm, the Crit measures just 45mm, while the Speedtrap model is nearly 65mm (no wonder they swallow my face). The gap across the nose pieces also plays a large part in fit, with the Vogel measuring the smallest at just 25mm at its widest, while both the Crit and Speedtrap measure at least 30mm, although the Crit does have adjustable tabs.

Performance

As I ticked off each item on my checklist, it became clear that the Tifosi Vogel XC were already standing out from the crowd.

Priced at just £54.99/ $39.95, these are firmly in my affordability camp, and are competitive with many of the best budget sunglasses. They also provide an incredibly good fit. My small face is often swallowed whole by oversized wraparound glasses, but these fitted like the proverbial glove, stayed put regardless of the terrain, and best of all, actually looked really good.

I was initially concerned that the lack of polarisation would prevent riding in low light levels or under tree canopy, but so far, so good. Thanks to it being spring in northern England, we now get daylight from 4am until nearly 10pm, so nighttime riding is yet to be tested. Tifosi do make the Rail Clarion with a photochromic lens, but they are more expensive.

I have, however, again thanks to spring in the north of England, thoroughly tested them in the rain and hail and can confirm that despite their wraparound design, I've not suffered from any lens fogging; even in the rain, the water seems to bead off, creating constantly clear optics.

Value and conclusion

I rate the Tifosi Vogel XC so much that it's genuinely hard to find fault. They are super versatile for both road and off-road riding, and the lens clarity is incredibly clear thanks to minimal frame scaffolding, with minimal hindrance. In fact, there are times when I forget I'm wearing them because they're so lightweight.

However, there is a concern that no lens swap-out/replacement is available, and, coupled with the lack of a hard carry case, I'm worried that the mirrored lens will scratch easily when not on and just in a kit bag or at home. I can commandeer a case from another pair, but sacrificing a case from another pair of glasses to protect them does jar, even though I appreciate that not including one has helped keep the cost of the glasses down.

With some brands of cycling sunglasses costing upwards of $ 300/£300, finding a pair that fits brilliantly and looks good for less than triple digits feels like I've actually won something. If this statement may seem a little too gushing for a pair of sunglasses, then you've clearly never had the struggle of trying not to look like you're a decade late to the bike ride or have just finished welding a bike frame together.

Prescription sport sunglasses exist in a niche within a niche. Finding good ones takes time and effort and often requires spending a small fortune with no guarantee that the final result will work out. Sport sunglasses, as a broad category, have gotten very, very good, but prescription options remain limited. As a result, they seem to be the item that I receive the most questions about from other riders; anyone who needs prescription sunglasses is always on the hunt for something better. I’ve made it a goal to test as many different prescription sunglasses as I can, since I’m in a somewhat unique position of having both poor vision and a platform to review cycling equipment.

Roka first began as a wetsuit brand with a triathlon focus, before pivoting to sunglasses. Now an established player, the company has an extensive catalogue, including the newly launched San Remo model (released alongside a half-frame San Remo Air variant), which blends endurance-sport tech specs with the durability and style of a casual sunglasses design.

Design and Construction

The San Remo sunglasses are built with an injection-moulded nylon frame embedded with titanium wires in the arms, which are covered in grippy black rubber, as is the nose piece. Roka calls this substance “Geko Grip.”

The frames use a single-piece, shield-style design that is relatively flat compared to many other cycling-specific designs. The model has a 5-base curve, which results in less eye protection than more tightly fitting options, but happily, it means that the design works with stronger prescription lenses as the lenses sit in front of the eyes more squarely.

Roka lists the prescription range for the San Remo frames as follows, with the caveat that “in some cases, specific frame, prescription, and pupillary distance combinations may be rejected by the lab.”

Sphere +3.00 to -4.00

Cylinder up to -2.00

Total power: -5.00

The listed weight with standard lenses is 27 grams. My custom version weighed slightly more, at 31 grams, which is still extremely light for prescription glasses, and since my prescription is on the strong side, it is reasonable to expect most would weigh less. The lens dimensions are 142 mm x 55 mm, and the overall width is 146 mm. The temple length (along the length of the arms only) is 127 mm long.

As for how the prescription component works, the corrective portion of the lenses is bonded to the inside and outside of the regular lens shield. These additional lenses stick out somewhat, though the exact amount will depend on the specific prescription. This is a similar construction method to other prescription glasses on the market, and allows for the lenses to minimise the amount of distortion caused by adding more lens correction.

Along with the glasses, Roka also provides a hard travel case, a microfiber bag, and multiple different sizes of interchangeable nose pads. The components are manufactured in Italy and assembled in Texas. Pricing for the prescription version starts at $325.

The Ride

I tested out the San Remo glasses over a few months of regular riding and during my local cyclocross season. The shield-style lens provides a good balance of wind protection and ventilation, and the glasses do an excellent job of staying put.

To place an order, you'll need two things: a recent prescription from an optician/eye doctor and a PD (pupillary distance) measurement. My prescription is strong enough that many of Roka’s frames won’t work for me, but fortunately, the San Remo was one of the available options. The company’s website also allows you to sort by prescription strength, though it appears that not all the new models are included.

Roka’s ordering process is straightforward, even with the addition of the requisite prescription values. The website has options for different lens materials, as well as a choice for polarised vs. non-polarised lenses.

Testing while racing in the harsh conditions of a PNW cyclocross season demonstrated to me how well these glasses stay in place over rough terrain. The Geko Grip is very grippy, and the arms have enough adjustability to fit each rider’s anatomy and stay out of the way of helmet straps where needed.

I opted for the Dark Arctic Mirror polarised lenses, which allow 10% light transmission, which in hindsight was not a great option for an autumn review. I should have opted for something that lets more light through, given that I live in such a dark climate, but I’ll be all set for next summer.

I was very pleased with how well the glasses did during hard efforts in terms of clearing moisture. Fogging can be a big problem during lower speed, higher intensity ridin,g but as long as I was moving, the glasses stayed fog-free.

The included extra nose pads allow for some fine-tuning for how the glasses sit on your face. The different pieces are similar to one another, however, and I wish that the nose rest had more adjustment built in.

Fitwise, the glasses are slightly wide for my face, but that is often the case with the current trend of Google-style shield glasses. The bold look certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s nice to have options for glasses that don’t scream “I love cardio,” and the San Remo fits firmly into that category.

Value & Verdict

After wearing them extensively, I came away very impressed by Roka’s San Remo glasses, both for their light weight and how well they stay in place when things get bumpy. Compared to non-prescription glasses, they're pricey at around $350, as tested here.

When placed against other corrective sport options, however, they’re a bargain. French company Julbo offers many prescription options with prices starting around $425. Oakley makes prescription glasses, too, and while the ones I’ve tried have impressed, single-vision lenses can cost upwards of $500, plus the cost of the frames themselves. Thus, $350 for made-to-order prescription glasses seems very reasonable.

Depending on where you live and your insurance coverage, you may be eligible for some assistance from your insurance company when purchasing prescription glasses.

Rudy Project’s Kelion glasses have been available since the autumn of 2023 – Team Bahrain Victorious first modelled them during that summer’s WorldTour – and, to my eye, they’re still looking pretty sharp. Stylistically, they fall within the ‘full shield’ category, a look popularised by genre-defining stalwarts like the Oakley Sutro and the POC Devour.

At launch, the Sutro – it’s incredible to think this Oakley style is now six years old – made a, ahem, sizeable impression. Today, the oversized trend they helped spawn is still going strong, so the Kelion remains at the height of fashion. However, let’s focus a lens on whether this pair of riding glasses is a clear performance choice too.

Construction

The Kelion is a full-frame, single-lens pair of sports glasses with a relatively shallow base curvature of 5.2, typical of shield-style eyewear. This curvature is relatively flat – most reading glasses are 4-base, while true wraparound styles can be as curvaceous as 10-base.

The benefits of flatter lenses are that they offer a less distorted view of the world and are more likely to accept corrective inserts, which the Kelion does. The drawback is that light can creep in around the edges, although with shield-style eyewear, this potential weakness tends to be mitigated by the sheer size of the lens.

This really is a supersized pair of glasses, with the lens alone measuring 144mm across and 62mm deep (the arms are a more standard 125mm long). Despite these Brobdingnagian dimensions, the Kelion remains remarkably lightweight. Rudy Project claims 36g, but my scales read just under that at 34g, which is precisely the same as my much smaller Oakley Jawbreakers.

The Kelion's lightness is partly due to Rudy Project choosing to build its ImpactX 2 photochromic lenses from proprietary ‘patented polyurethane optical polymers’ that it says are 16% lighter than CR-39 and 10% lighter than polycarbonate. Both of these materials are popular lightweight alternatives, making them a worthy comparison.

Staying with the lens, ImpactX 2 lenses are also unbreakable and highly resistant to chemicals and environmental degradation. What’s more, Rudy Project says they have a lower refractive index and suffer less chromatic dispersion than polycarbonate, suggesting they offer improved brightness, sharper clarity and higher definition.

Interestingly, unlike many brands, Rudy Project embeds the photochromatic pigments – the ingredients that turn the lens light or dark – into the material itself rather than adding them as a coating. This method enhances durability because, over time, photochromic coatings can be scrubbed off during vigorous cleaning. A high dynamic range (HDR) filter is also incorporated within the polymer.

Additionally, Rudy Project employs more traditional coatings to reduce fogging, repel water, and protect against scratches. There are only two photochromic shades available for this model, 2Laser Purple and 2Laser Black, but the Kelion can also be bought in four non-photochromic iridescent, colour-shift hues: Multilaser Yellow, Multilaser Green, Multilaser Sunset, and Multilaser Red. The non-photochromic lenses, branded RP Optics, offer a 20% cost saving.

The ImpactX 2Laser Black lens has light transmission values of 74% to 9%, while the 2Laser Purple lens, which is the one fitted to my glasses, is slightly darker overall at 48% to 8%. The solid lenses are typically around the 10 – 15% region, making them Cat 3. Rudy Project says all its lenses are UV400-rated, meaning they block 100% of UVA and UVB radiation.

Both lenses have ventilation cutouts below the top bar and at the bottom corners.

The frames are unusual in that they are made from a versatile, durable polymer called Nylon 11, branded Rilsan Clear. This material actually dates back to the 1930s and was used a couple of decades later to make fuel lines for the original Citroën DS car. Readily 3-D printed, it’s found favour recently for products that demand flexibility, robustness and chemical resistance, such as medical kit, racket strings, skis and ski boots, pipeline coatings and, of course, glasses frames.

Rudy Project says it has also chosen Rilsan for its environmental qualities. The material is bio-based, made with a high proportion of castor oil, a renewable resource that, in this case, is sourced from the fields of Gujarat, India.

The frame is manufactured in two parts – upper and lower – for easy lens replacement. Dismantling the two sections is simply a matter of pressing the buttons located in front of each hinge, enabling the lens to lift out.

In an attempt to ward off fogging, sixteen tiny slots in the centre of the top bar work in conjunction with the uppermost lens cutout to wash air upwards and outwards.

There’s plenty of adjustment for fit. The replaceable rubber nosepiece adjusts laterally to grip the schnozzle, while generous, flexible rubber tips at the end of the arms provide a snug fit for the temporal/parietal regions. Unfortunately, the arms are not adjustable for length.

A robust hard case and a soft bag are supplied with the glasses.

The ride

I judge riding eyewear on six criteria – protection from the sun’s rays, protection from flying debris, comfort and security of fit, field of view, clarity and definition, and, last but by no means least, aesthetics.

The Rudy Project Kelion neutralises any concerns you may have about harmful UVA and UVB rays damaging your eyes. Not only are all available lenses rated UV400, but the frontal area is so massive it provides comprehensive coverage. With the lens being so flat, I was initially concerned about light creeping in around the sides but, in use, this was never an issue.

The pair of Kelion glasses that Rudy Project submitted for review is glazed with ImpactX 2Laser Purple photochromic lenses that, as described above, have a light Cat 1 base tint with a Visible Light Transmission (VLT) value of 48%. In other words, even in deep shade, they’re not clear. For me, this makes them perfect for cloudy, overcast days, but I’d be uncomfortable wearing them on sketchy gravel trails in dark forests, or for any kind of night riding.

At the other end of the spectrum, in the brightest sunlight, these lenses darken down to just 8% VLT, which is close to Cat 4 (the darkest tier). For most of my riding in the UK, this range – 48% to 8% – hits the sweet spot. I’m protected on the rare days when we have wall-to-wall sunshine, and I’m also covered when the sky is nothing but an endless expanse of grey cloud for weeks on end.

If you’re hunting for a pair of glasses that react instantly as you ride from bright sunshine to tree cover and back, then frankly, you’re being unrealistic about the speed at which photochromic glasses can transition. In the riding conditions I regularly experience, the ImpactX lenses are fast but, just like their competitors, they’re not instant.

Instead, these glasses excel on rides where I expect to spend extended periods both in the shade and sunlight, rarely switching much between the two. This might be a woodland ride that ends with a long open section, but more commonly, it’s when cloud cover at the beginning of a ride is burned off by the afternoon sun. Additionally, photochromatic glasses, like these, are near essential for early- and late-season riding when, at the extremes of the day, the sun is blindingly low in the sky.

Rudy Project says that its ImpactX lenses are ‘unbreakable’, a claim it backs up with a lifetime guarantee. Fortunately, during my riding, I didn’t get to test my glasses to destruction, but all of the brand’s lenses meet or exceed US (ANSI Z87.1) and European (EN 1836-2003) standards for impact resistance, which is reassuring. I found their generous coverage protected not only my eyes but also my lower forehead and upper cheeks from wind, flying insects and debris.

Inevitably, comfort and security of fit will vary from person to person. I have a 59cm head circumference and found the arms to be just about right in terms of pressure, but I would have preferred them to be a touch longer. At this price, it is a shame they are not adjustable for length. The nosepiece fits snugly, resisting movement even when I build up a disgustingly moist coating of sweat. With the arms and nosepiece working in tandem, I find no amount of ducking or diving can dislodge the Kelions from my face. Nor can a good old shake.

The field of view is simply outstanding – an enormous, uninterrupted expanse of what’s directly laid out in front of you. Peripheral vision is undisturbed; I can make out the bottom of the frame and the hinges at my temples, but only just. Ventilation through the lens cutouts and the small slots in the frame appears to work well. I have only suffered slight lens misting once, when waiting at the lights on a warmer-than-expected autumnal morning. I was baking, having overdressed for the ride, so I only have myself to blame.

To my eye, clarity, resolution, and definition are all excellent. The ImpactX lens doesn’t introduce any loss of detail, with fine lines and textures rendered just as clearly with or without the glasses (possibly helped by increased contrast). Chromatic aberration is minimal with no visible coloured fringing or halos.

The large, yet relatively flat, wrap ensures there is no discernible distortion across the entire field of view, and the absence of light intrusion from the sides helps minimise internal reflections.

It’s impossible to argue with Bootsy Collins’ call to arms: “That's the law around here, you’ve got to wear your sunglasses, so you can feel cool.” Well, I feel cooler with the Kelions on than off, and I can only hope that they help me look convincingly ‘fashionista’ too.

Appearance matters because few of us make rational decisions when selecting riding glasses. Inevitably, we are attracted to what we believe looks good. The design team at Rudy Project has done a great job with the sleek, minimalist Kelion, but there’s no doubt that this style is better suited for those with larger, rectangular faces. If you are blessed with softer features, you might want to look elsewhere.

Similarly, check that the tall, deep frame works well with your current cycling helmet. The top of the Kelion frame sits quite high, which is perfect when you’re looking forward from a tucked position. However, this means that the top of the frame may come into contact with the front lip of cycling helmets designed to sit deeply over the forehead. Believe me, there’s nothing more irritating than riding for hours with your glasses rattling against your cycling helmet every time you roll over a small bump in the road.

The purple lens colour fitted to my sample glasses filters blue and green wavelengths, which should reduce glare and haze. At the same time, reds, oranges, and yellows should pop, making it easier to spot brake lights and traffic signals. In truth, out on the road, I don’t find that coloured lenses make that much of a difference. Call me shallow, but I genuinely believe that most of us choose one hue over another to match our cycling jerseys, helmets and shoes. If you find that coloured lenses do have a noticeable effect, and dislike the blue/green filtration, then the black photochromic lenses should prove more neutral.

Value and conclusions

There’s no doubt these are desirable riding glasses, made from quality materials to a high standard. Six months after first wearing them, they still look brand new, with no yellow discolouration to the bright white frames whatsoever, an issue I have experienced with less expensive glasses.

The ImpactX lens provides an expansive view bursting with detail, and I found its tint adapts quickly to changes in ambient light. Protection from shield-style glasses, whatever the brand, is unrivalled when compared to smaller glasses with less coverage, but whether they suit your face or not is a different matter.

At £208.99, the price for the photochromic version of the Kelion is eye-wateringly high, yet it is comparable with other prestige brands. Oakley Sutro glasses, with Clear to Black Iridium Photochromic lenses, cost £179, while a pair of similarly configured Oakley Jawbreakers will set you back a jaw-dropping £240. POC Devour glasses, in photochromic guise, are even steeper at £270. Meanwhile, a pair of perfectly serviceable Decathlon Perf 500 photochromic riding glasses is yours for just £39.99. You pay your money, you take your choice.

Nevertheless, I rate the Kelion. My purple-lensed version might be too dark for night riding, but at every other time of day, year-round, it keeps me protected.

Smith Optics might not be as popular as the perennial favourites dominating the best cycling glasses space, but the company has been around for the past sixty years and naturally knows a thing or two about eye protection. The brand is, after all, the official performance eyewear and helmet provider for the UCI Women’s WorldTour team, Human Powered Health Cycling team, and has previously partnered with AG2R Citroën, supplying the team with sunglasses from 2021 to 2022.

To commemorate its 60th anniversary, Smith revived the iconic Ultralite sunglasses, a 1987 throwback inspired by ski culture and eighties sports fashion.

Construction

The Smith Ultralite sunglasses utilise a retro aesthetic with a ski-goggle-inspired design. Our test pair features a matte-black colourway, with matching ChromaPop black lens and complementing gold Smith wordmark logos on the lens and temples. The colourway is relatively muted but refined and will complement most helmet and kit designs.

The lens colour is not specifiable from purchase and is locked into the frame option, so if you’re after a lens for low-light conditions or improved clarity, you’ll need to choose a specific frame colour, of which there are five options. This includes matte tortoise, matte malachite (teal), high voltage (black and yellow), and 80s night (magenta with black flecks).

The design melds retro with contemporary, incorporating a durable, bio-based half-frame with arms that join halfway up the lens. This arm configuration ensures the lens protrudes above the brow for improved coverage and protection. There is a frame divider that runs behind the top of the lens, extending down to the nosepiece, but this has little impact on vision.

There is a series of circular ventilation ports that runs the length of the upper lens, serving both as aesthetic enhancements and functional demisters. There are a further three cutouts on each side of the lower portion of the lens for extra ventilation. The lens is replaceable but not specifiable at purchase.

Another cool feature that hints at the casual nature of these shades is the goggle-inspired strap-compatible temple tips. Here, you can further customise the Ultralites with contrasting aftermarket cords depending on your taste and needs. A very nice addition that many will appreciate.

The Ultralite’s hallmark feature is undoubtedly the lens. At 145mm x 52mm, it provides a slight wraparound and offers a commanding, uninterrupted view ahead. According to Smith, the ChromaPop lens technology “enhances contrast and natural colours to make the details pop.”

The lens uses a moisture-resistant coating for easy cleaning (this also helps reduce sweat and moisture smearing) and also boasts a 100% UV protection rating.

In terms of weight, anything under 40g is considered light for cycling sunglasses, and, at 32g, the Ultralites are one of the lighter options in class, but still 10g heavier than the POC Elicit.

The glasses are very well-made, and that is evident in the details, such as the ‘AutoLock’ hinges, which ensure they can be put on or taken off with one hand while riding.

The Ride

One of the biggest issues I have with contemporary cycling glasses is the design of the nosepieces. While some companies supply a removable nosepiece (often in two sizes), many lack adjustability. The Ultralites, however, utilise an adjustable, non-slip nosepiece that works effectively with my nasal bridge. Usually, the nosepiece is too wide or narrow, leading to unnecessary pressure, which can lead to pain and discomfort, but that’s not the case here. So, top marks to Smith for paying attention to this often overlooked detail.

The lens is top-notch and works incredibly well in bright conditions, helping to soften the light and improve visibility. The smoked hue has a visible light transmission (VLT) of 12% – in layperson’s terms, this is the amount of visible light that can pass through the lens (a low number is best suited for bright days and a high number for overcast conditions). As a result, they are better suited to bright, sunny days than overcast or shady areas with mottled lighting.

Having tested them in various conditions, including the odd downpour, the glasses performed well. It’s only when moving from high-contrast light situations to shaded tree cover that your eyes might struggle to adjust – other than that, there’s nothing negative to report.

Another area of the lens that impressed was its resistance to fogging. Fogging is something that can plague many sunglasses, especially when coming to a standstill after a hard effort. However, the Ultralites mitigate this issue thanks to a series of 20 vents that help quell condensation buildup with improved airflow.

The sunglasses pair nicely with most modern helmets, including aero models with low-cut flanks. Often, the arms can make contact with the rear edges of the helmet, which affects fit and comfort, but the Ultralite's downward sweeping arms ensured this was not the case.

In addition to cycling, the Ultralites can be used as casual shades or for running and hiking, thanks to their trendy aesthetics and versatility.

Value and Conclusion

Smith might not be the first brand that springs to mind when shopping for a new pair of sunglasses, but the brand’s rich heritage provides peace of mind and a solid alternative to options from Oakley, Rudy Project, 100%, Koo, et al. At $175/£160, the Smith Ultralite sunglasses are among the priciest options in the segment, but the stylish design, supreme fit, and comfort they offer are close to the best in class. For comparison, their nearest rivals are the 100% Aerocraft and Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep, which cost $189/£175 and $194/£168, respectively.

The inclusion of a soft fleece pouch is a nice touch, but you’d expect a hard case for storage at this price point. Also missing is a clear lens, not to mention the option to specify lens colour at the time of purchase. Overall, it’s a top-performing pair of sunglasses with a great fit and comfort levels to match.

The Oakley Velo Kato build on the previous Kato design with several updates and new features. The standout feature of these glasses is the huge wraparound, visor-like lens. Using Oakley’s PhysioMorphic technology, the lens not only wraps around all planes to create a spherical wrap across and down the face, but also extends out as a sort of nose cover.

This allows the lens to be as close to the face as possible without being in contact directly to any part. Often with cylindrical lenses there are gaps at the side or they can sit too close in the centre.

Construction

This lens also features another Oakley staple, the Prizm lens technology. Designed to enhance contrast and reduce glare, this makes spotting changes in road surface, texture, or obstacles easier. These Sapphire lenses are particularly heavily tinted, with Category 3 lenses that allow for 12% light transmission.

Prizm Road for example allows a 20% transmission. These lenses are also hydrophobic, oleophobic, scratch resistant, and impact resistant, so clarity of vision should remain high even over time and in poor weather conditions.

Another carry on feature is the use of Unobtanium on the arms of the glasses and the nose piece. This is Oakley’s proprietary grippy material that aims to keep the glasses securely on the face while not degrading over time or after exposure to sweat. A ribbed texture on the arms is also targeted at keeping the glasses in place.

Where things start to really differ from the previous Kato is the frame. This now extends more above and below, which should give a bit more lens protection especially when placing them on a surface. Oakley have also added what they call flow conditioner tabs on the sides to direct the flow of air better when paired with the Velo Mach aero helmet released in conjunction with these glasses and Tudor Pro Cycling.

To further aid this aspect of performance, the arms are hingeless and don’t fold - like the old Pro M frames from 20 years ago. To account for this a much larger zip up hard case is supplied with the glasses along with spare nose pad and cleaning cloth. Lenses however cannot be changed. Instead one of the eight different colour or lens options must be bought in full for different lens options. Weight comes in at 41g.

How we used the velo katos

Out of the box, the Oakley Velo Kato are quite different to any other glasses I’ve used before. Taking them out of the box, they immediately feel more akin to a visor with arms. It’s not a common design, with the Alba Optics Mantra being the only other current pair I’ve seen go hingeless in the pursuit of performance.

Putting the glasses on my face is where they really do impress. Oakley’s PhysioMorphic len is similar to other spherical lenses, in that bending around multiple planes allows the glasses to wrap around the face without leaving gaps at either the sides, the top or the bottom.

Our faces are spherical, not cylindrical, and it’s a gripe of mine that most cycling sunglasses now use cylindrical lenses which leave openings for daylight, wind, rain.

Where the Velo Kato differs and is fairly unique compared to other brands, is that the lens is shaped to fit over and around the nose, rather than featuring a cut out. It’s the same as the standard Kato, and to a lesser degree the Encoder glasses. It looks a bit like Scicon's ‘aero beak’ used by Dylan Groenewegen, but a lot neater. The lens also houses the attachment for the nose piece, impressively all of this is one single piece of polycarbonate.

Staying with the lens, every Velo Kato option uses Oakley’s top of the range Prizm lenses, designed to enhance colours and contrast, and reduce glare. Out on the road this works brilliantly.

Riding in dappled light conditions under trees, the Prizm lenses work to bring out the shadows and therefore changes in the road surface. It is still one of the best lens technologies available and makes for superb optics. Additionally riding early in the day or late at night with low sun, there were no issues of glare even in direct sunlight.

The sheer size of the lens gives full face coverage. This does however have the side effect of being even more polarizing in the style stakes. Every single person who has seen them has had a comment about them, and they vary in either seeing them as very cool, or just way too much.

I quite like the locked-in sensation of putting them on and seeing nothing but the lens, completely unobstructed by bits of frame or light. This gives ski-goggle like protection; great for colder starts where wind chill tends to make my eyes water.

Moving onto the frame, and this is a bit of a strange one. A big change is now that the arms, where the lens attaches to, extend across the top and bottom of the lens more, offering protection against impacts if they are put onto hard surfaces. At the side there are ‘flow conditioners’, but at present there is no aero data to support this having an effect on performance. The POC Propel aero glasses for example claim a modest 1 watt saving, so expect something around that and decide for yourself if it's worthwhile.

The lack of hinges though is an odd choice as Oakley ditched this design element back in the noughties when they stopped making the Pro M frames, the glasses of choice for Lance Armstron.

These are heavier glasses at 41g, so weight saving is not a consideration. Stashing the glasses away in helmet vents is also easy as the arms have a degree of flex and the grippers keep them secure in vents or on the face. It does mean that for packing they take up more room and they can’t be stashed on the top or rear neck of a jersey or in a pocket.

Perhaps most frustratingly, you can't change lenses or get replacements, you need to buy another pair of glasses. This also means no prescription lens options are available such as RX clip compatible glasses like the KOO Hype. All this does detract from their practicality, but in some ways that’s the point. The Velo Kato has been made to go fast and give you a clear view of the road ahead.

Oakley velo katos: Value

£271 is a lot of money to pay for a pair of sunglasses. Given that Oakley have Prizm lens glasses options such as the Oakley Sutro available at £159, the Velo Kato comes with a massive premium. A level of that will be the PhysioMorphic lens technology which requires a great deal more manufacturing than other lenses, and the price is the same as the standard Kato.

It is a fact that the quality of the lenses is superb, and the huge wrap around lens gives a nearly unrivalled field of view without any obstruction. It does also have a unique look that is bound to turn heads and draw attention if that’s what you want. However it is impossible to wear this in any way that could be described as understated. It is a statement piece.

There are also practical issues such as the arms not folding, no replacement lenses meaning for a clear lens you need to shell out another £271, and no prescription inserts. It is an impressive piece of kit that does perform well, but there are both more practical and far better value options available out there. However if you want something that looks unique, and impressively for Oakley likely won’t be seen on the group ride very often, this may be the pair of glasses for you.

Oakley velo katos: Conclusion

The Oakley Velo Kato glasses are a proper statement piece. Practicalities are forgone in favour of out and out performance to the nth degree. The PhysioMorphic is a marvel of lens engineering and wraps around the face both protecting you from the elements and giving unparallelled field of vision. Add to that the same great quality of optics to be expected with Oakley Prizm lenses, and you have a real high performer here. But for £271, it needs to perform that well, and some.

A lack of arm hinges and inability to switch lenses detracts massively from the value and practicality of these glasses to the extent that these really are surplus to most people’s requirements. If you want a pair of glasses that can do it all, these are not the ones. But if you want something entirely performance orientated, money no object, then the Velo Kato certainly hit the mark.

Along with a helmet, the only other piece of cycling kit I insist on wearing is eye protection. Even in the unpredictable northern hemisphere, where winter months see more darkness than light, wearing the best sunglasses year-round is vital to keeping my eyes safe.

To that end, one of the best technological advancements in cycling history is the development of photochromatic lenses, which allow light and dark riding with the same pair of glasses.

So when a pair of Rudy Project Spinshield Air cycling sunglasses promises swift lens adaptation and a light and secure fit suitable for multiple sports, could they signal the end of needing multi-lens and multiple-sport sunglasses?

Construction

The heart of any eye protection is the lens. Rudy Project has decided to invest in their brand-exclusive polycarbonate ImpactX.

According to Rudy Project, this lens is ideal for sporting use due to its semi-rigid and impact-resistant structure. This allows for a degree of flex in the lens, making it less vulnerable to the stresses and strains of sports use.

The ImpactX lens also promises to seamlessly adapt to changes in light. When paired with their polarized Polar 3FX, it eliminates reflections while providing complete UV protection. Rudy Project also states that the ImpactX lens offers incredibly high clarity compared to any other polycarbonate equivalent due to its minimal chromatic dispersion, surface reflection, and 'rainbow effect.’

It's a bold claim for a non-Zeiss lens, which most of the best cycling sunglasses use.

Regarding the photochromatic feature, Rudy Project indicates that with the lens colorway that I tested (Laserpurple), I should expect 48% light transmission when inactive. For instance, while riding in low light conditions, the lens will let in about half of the available light, but only 8% in the brightest conditions, when the lenses are fully active.

Rudy Project also states that another benefit of the ImpactX lens is that polycarbonate is thinner and lighter than its plastic equivalent (CR-39) lenses.

This, along with the Nylon frame, has enabled the SpinShield Air's wraparound half-frame design to be incredibly lightweight. My test pair weighed just 25 grams on the scales.

Putting this in the context of most top cycling sunglasses, that makes these lighter by about six grams. Oakley Encoders for example weigh 31 grams. We're dealing with very small numbers here, but that's 25% lighter.

Our current favourite photochromic sunglasses, the Oakley EV Zero Blades, weigh 29 grams. The Spinshield Air's are still 4g lighter than those.

Six grams, equivalent to a teaspoon of sugar, isn't substantial but plays a significant role when sports glasses need to withstand the demands of intense movement.

They're certainly lightweight and if you combine that with Rudy Project's claims of a comfortable and stable fit—thanks to their grippy and interchangeable nose pad, temple tip pads, and what they call face-hugging geometry— that makes the SpinShield Air a strong contender for multiple sports.

The biggest win for some athletes could be the integration of the Spinshield Air sunglasses with prescription lenses and inserts. The Optical Dock provides versatility through a clip-in solution, offering incredible options for riders who need a quick and easy way to find sports glasses that not only ensure clear vision but also deliver the benefits of sun, wind, and overall eye protection.

The Ride

As with any industry, trends come and go, but unfortunately for me, the oversized cycling glasses are a fashion I've been wanting to fade quicker than others.

As I wrote five years ago when reviewing the Tifosi Crit sunglasses (which are still my go-to pair to this day), "When it comes to eyewear, I'm an awkward customer. I'm a fully grown adult with a child's size head."

This means that the Rudy Project Spinshield Air sunglasses were already at a disadvantage when I tested a pair. Despite their large square size, I was surprised by how light they were. I replaced the standard nose piece with the 'Asian fit' version, which ensured that they didn't rest on my cheeks. While they didn't interfere with my helmet, the arms would need remoulding to fit around my ears. They also made me feel self-conscious about looking like I was wearing a pair of VR goggles, but I completely forgot I was wearing them while riding at a steady pace.

Regardless of the bike riding position I assumed, I remained completely unaware of the frame and was solely immersed in a sea of high-definition images. The visual clarity was particularly striking when riding through densely wooded areas. I was not only oblivious to the graduated polarizing of the lenses in both active and inactive modes, but I also observed that I could still discern a considerable level of trail detail.

However, I also noticed that when more dynamic movements were introduced to my riding, the glasses were simply too large for my face to remain absolutely secure. The Spinshield Airs certainly wouldn't be suitable for me during any vigorous activities like running or racket sports, contrary to what the marketing suggests they could handle.

Testing these glasses in colder weather usually means I expect some fogging when at a standstill, but the Spinshield Air somehow managed to remain consistently clear. This did not sacrifice wind protection, as testing in winter often results in streaming eyes when riding at speed, and I must admit that I was completely unaware of this occurring.

Value and Conclusion

As a premium-brand glass option, with genuine multi-sport potential, these have exceptional optics and really helpful integrations for prescription lenses. Weight is also best in class which is particularly impressive given their sheer size and good coverage. Whilst I’ve mentioned that they’re not fitted very close to my face they do deliver undeniably strong performance when it comes to fogging – I didn’t experience any difficulties at all.

The price is however very high in what is an increasingly competitive segment, where exceptional optics, lightweight and comfort are the price of entry. My relatively humble but high-performing Tifosi Crit glasses deliver many of the benefits and much of the quality on display here, but cost a seventh of the price. That can't be ignored.

However, if you’re happy to pay a brand premium and want to try an alternative to Oakley’s offerings, the Rudy Project Spinshield Air's are right up there in performance terms, and don’t want for anything extra.

The KOO Hype is the eyewear brand’s latest range-topping product, which it claims to be its most innovative pair of glasses to date. With many of the best glasses for cycling promising exceptional performance driven by technological advancements, it was interesting to see how these premium-priced shades would compare.

Construction

The Hype glasses use a Grilamid frame for impact protection, with the arms designed to wrap around the head to provide better security; rubber grips are included on the arms to aid this.

A new feature is the Maximum Ventilation System, which is essentially a central frontal port on the glasses and temple vents to improve airflow and reduce fogging, especially when climbing in humid conditions.

To allow for the vent, the lens features a cutaway, making it look like a two-lens design despite it being a single piece. Again, it's a new offering. KOO have long been using the Zeiss lens technology, but the Hype uses the brand's new Toric lens with a double curvature design. Most lenses are cylindrical, and wrap around the horizontal plane, whereas these are spherical, and also wrap around the vertical plane. This is designed to offer better coverage, especially at the top and bottom of the lenses.

The supplied Super Pink Mirror lenses have a light filtration of 13%, making them category 3 lenses. Nine frame colour combinations are available along with nine different lenses; the lens is interchangeable so you can switch based on the weather conditions. An optical clip can also be attached internally for prescription lenses.

The glasses also come with multiple nose pieces to allow for a more tailored fit, as well as a soft case to store them in.

The ride

The spherical nature of the lens is quickly noticeable compared to cylindrical lenses. The main difference is the great coverage towards the base of the glasses and around the periphery. A cylindrical lens tends to leave more space towards the top or the base of the lens as it does not curve down with the shape of the head.

The slight spherical curvature of the Hype lenses means that the top and base have better coverage, which has a twofold effect. Firstly there isn’t a different tone of light visible and the glasses cover the full field of vision far better. Secondly, there is less unwanted airflow that goes through the lenses when your head is in a more dropped position.

It’s often a bit more expensive to make lenses like this, due to how they are cut, and the lower curvature can mean sweat is more likely to drip onto the lens rather than fall behind it. However, it is a lens shape that I think is far better thanks to the greater coverage it provides.

Aside from the spherical element, the lens is the same Zeiss optic as used in previous KOO models. These offer fantastic clarity and a decent level of hydrophobic performance, as discovered during some fairly wet and windy rides.

Early morning starts with low sunlight also showed off how effective the glare protection is. The Super Pink Mirror lenses supplied are for brighter conditions, letting in 13% of transmittable light, but perform well even in murky or cloudy weather thanks to the high clarity.

As mentioned, while they look like a double lens design, they are in fact are a single lens so are a little easier to switch out. KOO also offers an optical clip to be used with any of their lenses, which allows the use of prescription lenses without needing to pay more for multiple prescription lens options if you want darker or lighter lenses.

My only issue at present is that there is no photochromic option available. It's a shame as the KOO Fuchsia Photochromic lenses are quite possibly the best changeable lenses I’ve used. Their inclusion would make these glasses a superb all-year, all-weather option.

The frame of the Hype glasses is another area that has been heavily updated from the Alibi and Demo models. The arms feature more of a wraparound design on the arms for added security. And it works. They stayed securely in place even when worn over head and ear warmers with no skin for traction. This makes them a little tougher to store in some helmet vents, but for the most part it was fairly easy and in some cases more secure.

For added venting, KOO have introduced what they call the Maximum Ventilation System. This includes the centre port between the eyes, and two ports on the arms of the frame. I personally didn’t really notice much airflow around the arm vents, but it's worth stating that I haven't tested them in warmer weather as yet. At the front however, the unobtrusive centre vent worked very well to reduce lens fogging, which I often find happens in winter weather. However it didn't provide enough airflow that my face felt noticeably cooler when working at higher intensities.

Value

At £180 / $215, this is certainly not a cheap pair of glasses. It does however keep it in line with offerings from Scicon, 100%, SunGod, and Oakley which all sit in a similar price range depending on the options and lenses that you go for. Lacking a dedicated hard case, rather than a sturdy cardboard box does detract a little compared to the Oakley Sutros, but they don’t feature a spherical lens shape. There is also no spare clear lens supplied as standard like you get with Scicon glasses.

However, for the level of performance, anti-fogging, and superb lens quality, I think the KOO Hype glasses represent reasonable value when compared to other high-end cycling sunglasses available. If you don’t want to spend that money, there are cheaper alternatives, but you will likely have to settle for lesser lens quality and fewer features.

Conclusion

The KOO Hype glasses are an impressively practical and high-performing pair of cycling sunglasses. The Zeiss Toric lens is fantastic in its clarity, glare protection, hydrophobic properties and coverage. Add to that the updated frame design, which is more secure than previous models while adding effective ventilation and anti-fogging elements, and you have a well-rounded pair of glasses. They are expensive, and a hard case and spare clear lens would be greatly appreciated at this price point. But compared to other high-end offerings they represent decent value.

I have a small face. I've always found this fact strange because I'm not aware of my head looking disproportionately small atop my body (others may say differently). However, evidence that this an undisputable fact has followed me throughout my life: as a young adult, handing a child a small helmet that "fits me", only to discover it was far too tiny; the fact that some 'small' helmets still fail to meet the circumference of my head; and, the difficulty in finding sunglasses that do not envelop my features beyond what is normal in the age of 'bigger is better'.

If you share my woes, I have good news: the Koo Alibi may be the best cycling sunglasses you'll ever find. I've tried several pairs of 'narrow', 'small' and 'junior' glasses, and these represent the superlative, thus far.

Koo Alibi sunglasses: construction

The Koo Alibi glasses are available in 'regular' and 'large' fit, the former is designed for 'narrow faces'. Having previously only found comfort in the likes of 100%'s 'XS' (Extra Small) Speedcraft glasses, and Oakley's Radar EV 'Youth Collection' glasses, I'd suggest naming these 'Small' and 'Regular' might have been more accurate, but I'll leave that naming quirk with the marketing department.

The glasses utilise a 'half-frame design', meaning there is no frame on the lower half, which is my preference as it avoids any chance of a bulky plastic section invading the view mid-ride. The arms curve very slightly, which creates a reassuring feeling of being 'locked in', even if I vigorously shake my head (or, find myself rattling down an off-road trail). This fit is aided by secure nose pads, which sit flush as they should, and consist of one long pad on each side, attached via two plastic prongs. This is an area where I've seen glasses fail, long term, as overly fragile pads don't respond well to abuse if you're not the kind of person who consistently utilises a hard case (I am not), but Koo's design appears solid.

The glasses are available in 12 different configurations, which dictate both the (aesthetic) frame colour, as well as the lens colour, the latter has implications upon the best conditions for use. I tested the 'Galaxy - Metallic Pink / Super Pink Mr', which offers 11% Visible Light Transmission (VLT) and falls into filter category 3. All of this means that these are glasses for riding under bright, sunny skies. However, alternative lenses are available for other riding conditions (£45-90/$62-$115).

The lenses come from market leader Zeiss, and feature ventilation holes to guard against fogging.

Koo Albili sunglasses: the ride

From the moment I put these glasses on, they were a winner for me. The close fit offers a feeling of security, with no interference when paired with a helmet (I tested these wearing a Specialized Evade, and the Giro Aries).

The lenses were crystal clear in the sunshine, blocking out the rays and providing a clear view of the roads and trails ahead. When caught in a sudden, heavy shower, I could see clearly and didn't feel the need to whip the glasses off as the drops grew heavier.

Stopping at lights, the lenses didn't fog up, either. Though, interestingly, I notice this has been the case over the last few pairs of sunglasses I've tested, once a constant bugbear, this does appear to have improved across the board.

I did test these lenses on gravel trails, shaded by low-hanging trees, and on overcast days. These are not the conditions they're designed for, and they didn't excel in the way they do in bright light. However, I wouldn't have any qualms about using this lens until deep winter, when I would want to swap to a clear, photochromic or more suitable option. Thankfully, all six replacement lens options are available in both 'regular' and 'large' fit.

What truly sets these glasses apart is that they embody a more modern (fashionable), large-frame style, in a smaller package. So far, suitable glasses I've tested have offered excellent visibility, and 'youth' or 'extra small' options have been effective. However, the Alibi from Koo is the first I've tried that really nails the fit alongside a more en vogue aesthetic.

Koo Alibi sunglasses: value

Koo's Alibi glasses cost between £170-£210 ($190-$235), depending upon the lens and frame selection, the pair on test will set you back £170 ($190), with replacement lenses from £45-£90 ($62-$115).

This positions the glasses in the midline vs competitors, 100%'s Hypercraft XS comes in between £112 and £131, the Speedcraft XS from £112 to £175. Oakley's Sphaera, comparatively, starts at £190 and climbs to £230.

Whilst clearly an investment, these glasses provided an excellent fit which I've struggled to find elsewhere, so, they come highly recommended.

My only criticism is that the glasses arrived supplied in a cardboard box, with a soft case, a lack of a hard case does feel like a let-down considering the relatively premium price tag.

Koo Alibi sunglasses specification

• Weight: 25g
• RRP: £170-£210 ($190-$235)
• Lens: 11% Visible Light Transmission (VLT), filter category 3

Engo began life in 2021 as a branch of MICROOLED, the largest manufacturer of near-eye micro displays outside of Asia. The brand specialise in making sports sunglasses with real-time heads-up displays (HUDs), which is exactly what these are.

Using the ActiveLook app to connect your Garmin, Suunto, Samsung phone or iPhone to the cycling specific sunglasses, they allow you to display your data while keeping your eyes on the road. 

ENGO 2 cycling sunglasses construction 

The Engo 2 glasses are pretty lightweight at 40g (claimed 41g) for their large pair, not much heavier than many regular pairs of sports glasses thanks to the Engo HUD weighing just 6g. There is also a smaller lens version at 36g claimed and comes in White, Black or Stealth. The lenses are high-definition Polycarbonate Category 3 lenses with impact resistance. 

Connectivity to Garmin and Suunto devices as well as Samsung and Apple phones comes via Bluetooth Smart 4.2. Battery life is a claimed 12 hours while charge time is 3 hours using the USB to magnetic pogo-pin cable charger. 

The HUD unit itself consists of the battery to the left of the nose-clip, while the projector for the HUD is located to the right hand side. There is a gesture control unit which responds to the user swiping across the centre of the lenses to change the display screen. 

ENGO 2 cycling sunglasses in use 

The Engo 2 glasses were very easy to charge and set up. The ActiveLook app works very well with them and I was able to connect my phone and smartwatch to use the glasses. However it did disconnect a few times and required a full re-pairing more than once. 

Once in the app, you are able to adjust the data screens to have multiple different options with different metrics displayed. I did have some trouble connecting the glasses to Strava, in order to use the Strava live segments, but I think this would have been more effective if paired with a Garmin head unit or smart watch. You can also use the app to adjust the position of the HUD in your field of view, although there is no option to change the HUD colour from the slightly greenish yellow. 

Out on the road, the first thing I noticed when wearing the glasses was that the battery unit on the left of the glasses would constantly rub my eyelashes whenever I blinked, this was distraction enough that I had to move the glasses slightly down my nose. This then had the effect of impairing the HUD view, so I pushed them back and accepted the discomfort.

The actual HUD itself is bright and nicely clear, however in certain light conditions it can be very difficult to see the metrics. The option to change HUD colour would be very useful to counter this. Also, because the HUD is slightly off to the left, you do have to look away from the road ahead to see the data. You still have the road and any potential hazards more in your field of view than looking at a bike computer, but I think it's important to note that it's still not right in front of you. 

The actual data was useful for intervals and efforts, where you are working at a set workload and for a certain amount of time. It was particularly good for short repeated intervals such as 40/20s and getting to the right intensity for the right amount of time. There is also the capacity to switch display screens by swiping your hand/finger across the front of the glasses. However, I feel this is a work in progress, as there were a few times when I did this unintentionally and it would sometimes not respond to my gestures.

In terms of battery life the glasses hold true to the 12 hours of performance on a 3 hour charge. However, when turned off, the charge dropped to zero after a week of not using them, so be sure to charge before longer rides just in case.

The glasses themselves are pretty lightweight, weighing just 40g for the larger model. However a good amount of that weight is located in the HUD unit, which does weight the glasses slightly further forwards. Given I had to position them slightly down my nose for comfort, the front loaded weight did mean that they did not feel quite as secure as my usual glasses. This is also in part due to the straight arms which - although have a rubber coating - are not the grippiest.

The lens itself is genuinely faultless, with small ventilation holes working nicely, and the lenses offering great coverage while being superb in brighter conditions with brilliant clarity. 

ENGO 2 cycling sunglasses value

At the moment, these seem to be the only cycling glasses with a HUD, which makes comparison difficult. They are cheaper and lighter than previous models such as the Everysight Raptor glasses and the previous generation Engo 1 glasses. Currently they have no serious competitors. 

At £264 / $320.29, the glasses are expensive, but not that much more so than some Oakley models which feature no HUD. Value is in the eye of the beholder - it really depends what you want from your sunglasses. If you want a HUD, these are the best option.

Conclusion

The Engo 2 are the lightest, best value, and most refined cycling glasses with a HUD yet. 

However, they are not faultless and the unit is still a little bulky which can be uncomfortable and rub your eyelashes. The HUD itself is great with good brightness, lots of options for displayable metrics, and different screens available. The ability to change display colour would be good to work in different light conditions though. The lenses themselves are also great, and the price is decent for a quality pair of sports sunglasses with this many additional features.

Specification

• £265 / $320.29
• 40g (Large shield) 41g claimed
• Claimed 12 hour battery life
• 3 hour charge time
• USB to magnetic pogo-pin cable charger
• High-definition Polycarbonate Category 3 lens
• Lightweight and impact resistant, comparable to other high-performance lenses

I included the Bolle C-Shifter glasses in my Gear of the Year 2022 list, and even though we’re now over halfway through 2023 I’m still wearing them on every ride.

The French brand says the C-Shifters allow you to “stay on top of trends and performance” and I’d agree with that: for me they’ve spent many weeks at number one.

Big shades are (thankfully) not quite so in vogue any more, and the Bollés are sensibly sized and stylish looking, with lots of nods to the past. I still have two pairs of Oakley M Frames from the early Noughties, which I loved - even though they now look ridiculously tiny - and I can see their influence in the Bollés with the half frame design. Obviously they have a much a squarer shape than the swoopy M Frames and are more like current 100% S3s, but with the smaller nose bridge they have a cleaner appearance than those.

My test pair came with the Volt+ high-contrast lens which, as well as doing the job of protecting your eyes, enhances colors and works like a polarising filter. It’s great for spotting details such as potholes in tricky light conditions that the naked eye struggles with and, if you can take your eyes off the road and enjoy your surroundings, the sky looks bluer and the clouds sharper.

There are different frame colors and lens options available, including a photochromic Phantom lens and the more basic Classic lens.

Bollé C-Shifter glasses: construction

The Bollé C-Shifter frame - or rather half frame -  is made from Grilamid TR90, a type of nylon ideal for sports glasses thanks to its low weight, toughness and resistance to fatigue (it can flex without losing its springiness).

The nosepiece is adjustable via little hinges on each side, with a decent amount of adjustability. If, for example, you want the glasses to sit higher up so that you don’t see the top of the frame when in a low-headed aero position or sprinting, you can squeeze the sides closer together and they’ll sit higher. Or if you have a wonky conk, you can let one side out so the glasses sit straight.

Bollé says the Volt+ is the first lens to have been designed by AI, but don’t let that put you off. AI might not be very good at writing pop songs or commentating at Wimbledon, but it can test millions of combinations of tints faster and more accurately humans, and the result is, according to Bollé, “30% superior colour enhancement to help you see colors you’ve never perceived before while maintaining white balance. In addition to enhancing all colors, Volt+ offers high contrast vision, improved depth perception and high performance polarization.”

The lens isn’t replaceable, and that’s a pity. For really gloomy conditions the Volt+ lens is on the dark side and it would be nice to be able to pop in a clear lens for winter rides.

The ride

I’ve already mostly given the game away: I like the Bollé C-Shifters a lot.

The things not covered so far – which you only discover when you ride in them – are the compatibility with various helmets, whether they fog up/get sweat streaked and how comfortable they are.

My favourite helmet is the Abus Gamechanger (original version), which seems made for the Bollé C-Shifters. The top of the frame follows the brow of the helmet as if they were made for each other, and that pleases me.

But other helmets I’ve been wearing, such as the HJC Furion, work well with it too, as do the Giro Helios and Giro Synthe MIPS II. Additionally, the arms don’t get in the way of retention systems since they point slightly downwards behind the ears rather than straight back like Oakley's.

Venting is fine but only as good as you’d expect of 1mm-wide vents cut out of the top of the lens on either side. If it’s hot or you’re riding hard, sweat will always run down the inside of your glasses, but it hasn’t been too offputting with the Bollés and is more a spray of sweat than a line, so I’m concluding that a jet of air is getting through and dissipating it.

As for the grip of the arms, the glasses are held well in position without undue pressure on the sides of the head with the help of Thermogrip temple tips (grippy bits on the insides of the arms, not as sticky as Oakley Unobtainium).

I didn’t deliberately crash test them, but I have had a low-speed tumble while wearing them, and they didn’t end up broken in the middle of the road like Fabio Jakobsen’s bike on Tour stage four. In fact, I stood up still wearing them, salvaging a bit of cool, I like to think. OK, maybe not.

Value and conclusion

The C-Shifters are slightly lower priced at $140 / £145 for this Volt version than most glasses from the more established cycling eyewear brands such as Oakley. The Oakley EV Zero Blades,  for example, are some of the more affordable Oakley glasses but the C-Shifters undercut them. The Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep, probably the current Oakley model that’s most similar to the C-Shifters, is also priced a little higher.

The 100% S3 basic model is also slightly higher priced, but we’re only talking $20 / £15.

So the the Bollés are competitively priced but not a total steal. I was very impressed with the Salice 022 glasses, which are sub-$120 / £100 and not only have a replaceable lens but also come with a spare clear one.

Specs

• Weight: 35g
• UV protection: 100%
• Lens width: 140mm
• Lens height: 62mm
• Arm length (from hinge): 125mm
• Options: 7 frame/lens combinations

Poc launched new Propel sunglasses with the claim that they are "the most aerodynamic cycling sunglasses Poc has ever produced", thanks in part to the addition of "side fairings" to the wrap-around lens - the better to help guide air away from the rider's ears.

With Poc itself being less than precise about the exact aero gains, I did my best to put the Propels through a rigorous testing programme and see how they stack up against our other best cycling glasses. But in terms of how many watts are actually saved, unfortunately I don't have any clearer a picture. 

Poc Propel: design

I doubt it was Poc’s intention – difficult to negotiate copywrites and all that – but I can’t get over the uncanny similarity between the Propels and Doc Brown’s mirror-shield visor glasses he dramatically dons as he and Marty set off to travel Back to the Future. Or, to be exact, these are probably the ones he would wear in the alternate version of 2015, it’s just taken a few extra years to get them to market.  

Unlike Doc’s, Poc’s tech isn’t entirely in the wrap-around lens of the Propel. Much of it has to do with the close fitting and very subtle ‘trailing edge’ flaring of the sides of the frames which – according to Poc’s computational fluid dynamic modelling – reduces drag and turbulence around the rider’s ears. Designs as subtle as this make me wonder the effect on aerodynamics of different ear sizes and angles, side burn thickness and earring design. POC haven’t publicly said what watt savings a rider might expect although Poc's head of global PR and communications Damian Phillips has gone on the record as saying “…we are seeing watt savings, typically in low single figures when riding at 40kph.” 

For those who are keen to pursue every aerodynamic gain that is theoretically possible, one or two watts extra will be very attractive. I suspect the rest of us will be basing a decision of whether to buy on the vision and fashion credentials of the Propels.

Poc Propel: construction

The huge wraparound lens uses Poc’s Clarity technology for a clear view and sharp contrast. It also has a repellent coating for muck and moisture and an anti-scratch treatment. The standard lens is for road riding in mid-light conditions and there’s a clear lens included too. Additional lenses are available for trail riding or brighter conditions.

The frame itself is really minimal just running on the sides and across the base of the lens. The arms are adjustable by sliding in and out and there are three different sized nose bridges. 

There are six different frame colours with coordinated mirror lenses for mid-light conditions. 

Poc claims that the ‘majority’ of the ‘biogrilamid’ frame is made from renewable resources. The company doesn’t expand on what actually the ‘majority’ percentage is and what it defines as renewable.  It’s a small step in the right direction but I’d like to see some tangible information to substantiate these headlines.

Poc Propel: the ride

Despite all the tech and design wizardry, I can’t help but liken the lightweight plastic frames to something you could buy from a £/$1 shop for a kid’s dressing up outfit. Sorry Poc, I do believe that they are much better than this, they’re just so incredibly lightweight (1.1oz / 32g on our scales).

Despite the plasticy appearance of the Propels they feel really great on, they’re really comfortable and stable. Adjustment is easy and effective which the other half interpreted as permission to borrow the glasses whenever he liked.

The field of view and lens clarity is really stunning. The Clarity lens definitely does it’s job, sharpening what’s in view. It’s not until you wear something like this that you realise that your view is typically quite restricted by the edges of the frames and lenses. With the Propels there’s much less need for those subtle head and eye movements to keep what’s around you in your peripheral vision, an attractive feature for bunch riders and sprinters alike.

By nature of the aerodynamic design there’s not much airflow under the lenses so if you’re a steamy rider then you might find these misting up a fair bit. And, again, because of their shape it’s also quite difficult to shift them a bit to improve the flow or wipe your face. I, for one, won’t be wearing these for hot climbing days.

And finally, onto the elephant in the room; did I ride a little faster with a little less wind noise around my ears? If I did, I can’t say that I noticed. Maybe I’ll need to start addressing all my other aerodynamic disadvantages before I can fully assess this one.  

Poc Propel: value and conclusion

At $275/£230 the Poc Propels aren’t going to be an idle purchase, even if they do come with two lenses. As a comparison, Oakley Jawbreakers are a mere $225/£180.

If you have the money and can pull off the pro-peloton look then there’s much to like about the Poc Propels. The lens quality and field of vision is outstanding and let’s not forget about those few extra watts you get from the aero profile. For most of the riding mortals out there, there are many excellent sunglasses out there which cost a lot less money and a whole load of more proven ways to gain some extra watts in the saddle.

The Cutline sunglasses are Rudy Project’s answer to the Oakely Sutros and the current trend for ever wider shades.

Founded in 1985, the Italian headwear brand is the official partner of Team Bahrain Victorious and uses the input from World Tour riders to help refine its designs.

Rudy Project Cutline: The construction

The Rudy Project Cutline sunglasses have an incredibly modular design, pretty much every part of the sunglasses can be removed and replaced.

Starting with the lens, don’t be alarmed by the tiny Torx bolts at the corners of the glasses, you don’t need to whip out the tools to swap in a different one. Just pressing your thumb on the screw head releases the arms from the lens – a far quicker and easier system than ones which require you to bend and pop the lenses out of the frame.

The rubber bumpers at the top and bottom of the lens are simple to pull off and can be replaced with different colours to better match your kit – or left off completely to transform the Cutlines into a frameless design.

Should you not be happy with the contact points that come with the Cutlines, different temple tips and nose pad inserts can even be swapped in to refine the fit.

The lens I have here is the Multilaser Orange which has a mirror finish and a visible light transmission rating of 12.6%. It also has four vents cut into the top to improve airflow and reduce problems with fogging.

The ride

Popping on the Cutlines, they feel much darker than their VLT rating of 12.6% would suggest. For me, I couldn’t ride them on cloudy winter days, but when the sun shone brightly – and especially as the days have been lengthening – they have done a great job at cutting out the glare and increasing contrast.

Perhaps my sense of sunglass size has been recalibrated by the huge specimens out there, but the coverage of these feels pretty spot-on to me – wide, but not exorbitantly so. As a consequence of its size, the bumpers framing the lens are incredibly unobtrusive, causing no distractions and hardly featuring in my field of vision.

Having previously managed to slice my cheek open after crashing wearing a set of frameless sunglasses, the Cutlines and their low-profile bumpers seem to offer the very best of both worlds.

The anti-fog cutouts did a good job at encouraging airflow, with the glasses never suffering from clouding up when out on the roads. When stood still on cool days after working hard, the mist would start to build, but it would only take a few seconds of riding for them to clear again.

The fit

Surprisingly for such an adaptable set of sunglasses, I struggled a bit with the fit.

The adjustable nosepiece I found almost had too much adjustment, providing more scope for getting it wrong rather than allowing me to perfect the fit. But after quite a bit of bending, I did manage to get it into a shape that played well with my nose.

With people’s noses coming in so many shapes and sizes, some level of adjustment will always be of benefit. But I find an indexed design best balances fit against ease of use.

The security of the glasses was another issue I had, finding the Cutlines had a tendency to rattle and slip about on rougher terrain. Although this included off road riding, it wasn’t limited to it, with the rougher B roads throwing up similar issues.

Potentially a different set of temple tips could have provided greater security, but the set of glasses I had on review only came with the stock set.

Value

The Rudy Project Cutline sunglasses are much more modular than most competitors, but at £169.99, they are very expensive.

At literally half the price, the Salice 022 sunglasses offer a great fit, good optics and a stylish design – they also share the chic of being made by an Italian brand. However, they do sit very much at the opposite end of the scale when it comes to adjustability.

Sitting at a halfway house between these two glasses are the Rapha Pro Team Full Frame sunglasses, which impressed with a secure fit, great coverage and good ventilation. At £120, they are also significantly cheaper than the Cutlines.

Founded in 2016, Koo is the eyewear arm of the well-known Italian helmet brand, Kask. The Spectro Sunglasses were developed specifically for the Trek-Segafredo men’s and women’s teams, along with the smaller framed Demos model.

>>>Read more: Best sunglasses reviewed

Although the larger of the two, the Spectros sit in a happy middle ground with regards to sunglasses size. Still offering a wide coverage, but not to the extremes of certain Oakleys or 100% models.

Koo Spectro Sunglasses: The construction

First thing to note is that although the glasses come in a very smart looking cardboard box, neither a microfibre pouch nor a hardshell case is provided. It isn’t a massive issue as the glasses aren’t awkwardly big and do fit in standard cases, but it is an extra expense if you don’t have a spare case knocking about.

Zeiss lenses are used throughout Koo’s range and with this model getting the Silver Mirror Lens. Intended for those brighter days, the Spectro transmits just 11% of visible light and comes with a Filter Category of three. To reduce issues with fogging, four ventilation ports are present in total.

The arms of the glasses are quite curved to follow the shape of your temples, unlike some other brands which go for a much straighter design. Extending from the tips to about halfway along is an elastomer insert, which is intended to increase grip and aid comfort.

The ride

Setting up

Putting on the Spectros, their curving arms proved a good match for my head, providing a secure fit. They played well with Met, Giro and Kask helmets (although you would hope they would get on with the Kask one!)

I really liked the adjustable nose bridge design on the Specto with its definite clicks into different settings. Although ones which can be bent into any shape might be able to provide a more tailored fit, I find they just offer more scope for getting it wrong.

Heading out

The full frame is a little more prominent in the field of vision, as compared to larger designs. But I found I stopped noticing the bottom and tops of the frame quite quickly once out riding. What I did find noticeable was the limit on my peripheral vision coming from the large section of plastic in the corner of the glasses. It wasn’t so bad as to be annoying, but was conspicuous nonetheless.

Fogging when riding on the road was never an issue, with the ventilation ports performing their intended purpose well. That said, when gravel riding in the woods – with the extra humidity and slower speeds – I found that they were a little more susceptible to fogging compared with glasses that come with an anti-fog coating.

But in the long run, the physical fog-reducing design of the Spectro Sunglasses would probably be preferable. Anti-fog coatings have a habit of wearing off, whereas the Spectros will continue with their high – albeit, not top – performance indefinitely.

Although the visible light transmission is only 11%, I found I could happily wear them on even cloudy winter days, making their usable range really quite broad. The combination of clouds with dense tree cover in the weak winter light did prove a little too much, but to be fair, that was asking rather a lot of them.

Security-wise, I found they did a great job at staying in place. Rattling down the rocky descents of the South Downs, the Spectros stayed firmly in place and never once were dislodged.

Value

At £169, the Koo Spectros are certainly pricey, £40 more expensive than the Koo Demos – which perhaps makes sense because they are a larger pair of glasses.

The Rapha Pro Team Full Frame sunglasses have a similar “large, but not too large” style about them, but are significantly cheaper at £120.

So value-wise, the Spectos aren’t an obvious buy, but with Sunglasses being such a personal choice regarding fit and style, these could well hit the spot for you, where other glasses miss.

Koo - the eyewear department for helmet aficionados Kask - launched two new pro worthy cycling sunglasses styles last year: the Demos and the Spectro glasses were both designed with Trek-Segafredo men's and women's teams in mind.

The Italian brand designed these to be performance orientated, created with "speed chasers" in mind. Whilst still fashionably large, the Demos are the lower volume of the two pairs, making them slightly better suited to smaller faces in my experience.

Koo Demos: construction

In the case of both the Demos and Spectro glasses, Koo has opted to drop the inward folding mechanism seen on its other models. Whilst this folding mechanism set them apart, I can't say that it enhanced the experience at all, so this move seems like a good one to me.

There are seven different colour options, each with a unique lens that offers protection designed for slightly different conditions. In this case, I had the white frame with light brown lens - this sits in the filter category '2' with a visible light transmission (VLT) of 23 per cent. VLT refers to the amount of visible light that can pass through a lens, you'd want a low number for very bright days and a high number for more overcast conditions. The lowest VLT within the range is 11 per cent, and the highest is 58 per cent, placing the light brown option as a middle ground choice.

All of the lenses are Zeiss Polycarbonate, promising 'optimum clarity' from the specialist brand.

There are four ventilation ports to prevent fogging, and anti-slip inserts at the temple. The glasses are only available a size medium at the moment.

Koo Demos: the ride

Koo sent me a pair of both the Demos and Spectros. I favoured the former - the latter proving just a little too big to fit comfortably on my face alongside a helmet (NB: I do have a notoriously small face, so those with larger heads will likely not experience this issue).

Koo offers only a size medium, but these fitted comfortably for me, which is more than can be said of many other brands' standard sized offerings. The glasses come shipped with interchangeable nose pieces, but I was fine using the standard size that came pre-fitted.

The frame feels well constructed and has held up well following around five months of use so far. I also like the shape and style, though of course that's subjective.

What really stands out about these glasses is the lens quality. Wearing them on bright sunny days, they offered excellent clarity. And whilst, unlike many brands, Koo does not ship these with extra interchangeable lenses, I also found the light brown option performed perfectly well when there was ample cloud cover as well.

The vents were effective. I've yet to find a pair of glasses that won't stem up when stopped at the lights, but on the ride these stayed clear from self-inflicted fog.

Koo Demos: value

The Demos from Koo come in at £129, so they're the cheaper of the two new models - the Spectros cost £169. That means they undercut my favourites: the 100% Speedcraft XS at £139.99 by a little and the Oakley Radar EV Advancers (£195) by a lot. However, whilst the 100% Speedcraft's lens is not as versatile - being better suited to sunny days - the glasses do come with a spare clear lens whilst Koo provides no such add-on. There is a pink lens designed for low light conditions, available for £40 as an add-on.

The Koo glasses also come in a cardboard box, with no hard case. This is fine if, like me, you tend to leave your glasses in the vents of your helmet for safekeeping. However, if you prefer to use a proper hard case (as you probably should) the lack of provision will be a source of irritation.

Level with me, what are you looking for from a pair of sunglasses? If you’re spending £100+ you can be fairly confident they’re going to fit comfortably and be durable enough to warrant the expenditure, whichever brand or model you’ve chosen. Therefore, the two most important questions are always: do they look good? And do I feel good wearing them?

The Rapha Pro Team Frameless sunnies cost £110, £40 less than my bike, so it now doesn’t matter how slow my 50km loops through central London are, I feel like I might as well be in the pro peloton. When stopped at traffic lights I sit nonchalantly on my stem as if on the start line of stage 16 of whichever Grand Tour I’ve graced with my presence, the large lens (larger than a pair of Oakley Jawbreakers) mean if I keep my mouth closed no-one will see how spent I am, catching my breath before sprinting away past the commuters as soon as the amber light flicks on for a race they have no idea they’re competing in.

>>> Buy now from Rapha for £110<<<

So yes, these glasses achieve the much sought-after bug-eyed look of the pros, and the subsequent unearned sense of superiority over other two-wheeled road users. The feel good factor gets a big tick.

“Only my eyes can show the suffering” reads the Fausto Coppi quote inscribed on the inside of the case. In other words, you will never get close to the accomplishments of the Italian great so these expensive glasses will make you feel good in a different way. BUY THEM.

Rapha refuse to pick a fight with nature, however, including interchangeable nose pieces for an adjustable fit, giving respect for the fact our noses are all made equal yet unique.

Are they the most aesthetically appealing pair of sunglasses ever? They’re less divisive than Oakley Sutros, more inconspicuous than the sci-fi-ready Jawbreakers, and certainly less cumbersome than Rapha’s Full Frame version of the Pro Teams. The purple/green lens is the most fun of the available colourways, but their corresponding dark navy frame’s fade on the arms is a touch dated. The black pair would be an inoffensive option were it not for the white fade.

The benefits of the frameless model is improved venting, although one colleague says his experience compared with wearing the full frame version is that the lack of plastic skirting board meant nothing stopped the sweat dripping off the front of his helmet and onto the lens. I didn't experience either the glasses fogging up or the dreaded sweat-drip, although that could be down to a lack of application rather than functional design.

If you’ve got £110 to drop on a pair of sunglasses you’ll only wear while riding your bike, these will do the job. Cheaper than similar offerings from Oakley or 100%, you could even give the leftover money to a charitable cause. Then you’ll feel good on the outside and the inside.

The Salice 022 sunglasses go large with the retro visor look and supply great wraparound lens coverage. They’re also very comfortable thanks to their low weight and, with their forward-angled design, they’re much better at keeping the lenses free of sweat streaks than other glasses that sit closer to the eyebrows.

They come with two lenses – one mirror coated UV400 rated (100 per cent protection against UVA, B and C) and the other clear. They don’t have the adjustability or customisability of some glasses from the premium brands and unlike the Oakley Flight Jackets with their anti-fog nosepiece they don’t have any party tricks. However, their design says they have the Oakley Sutro in their sights anyway and they compare well with those. In addition the price is competitive, especially considering they’re made in Italy.

Salice 022 sunglasses: construction

The Salice 022 frame is made from what Salice says is a flexible, shock-absorbent Grilamid TR90. This is a type of plastic commonly used for sports glasses that is light, strong and has good shape integrity – meaning the arms grip the sides of the head securely. There's none of the forward slippage that we found with the Oakley Sutro – though much depends on individual head shape.

At 34g they're light to the point of feeling flimsy – though the Sutro is even lighter at 32g – but having used them regularly for the last month I can confirm that they're as durable as any. Although the Grilamid has a slightly brittle feel it's very springy.

The actual construction is basic – it’s a full frame with no customisable elements, removable bumpers and so on, there's no slotted venting system and the nosepiece is not adjustable. The lens is very easy to change – it just snaps straight into the front of the frame.

The Megol anti-slip rubber ear tips are nowhere near as sticky as Oakley’s Unobtainium, but I found the light grip of the arms held the Salice 022s in place well enough so that no stickiness was required. Incidentally, the Sutros don't use any type of grip on their arms at all.

I’ve been impressed with the optical quality of the mirror lens. Salice doesn’t supply any details about who makes it (some brands like to namedrop a Carl Zeiss or similar) but it says it’s a “high contrast, multi-layer, mirror coated RW lens with wide panoramic vision and IDRO water & dust repellence. UV400 lens rating ensures protection against 100% of UVA, B and C rays.”

The clear lens doesn’t claim to supply any UV protection and is intended to protect against winter road debris, which it does very well being so big.

The 022s come in a good-quality carbon-patterned zip-up case, which is a really nice touch.

If you don’t like this Italian version – if I'm honest, it's not quite me – there are nine more frame/lens colours to choose from.

Build quality is good: the hinges work smoothly and evenly and the Italian tricolore paint is very neatly applied.

The ride

The mirror lens is definitely for sunny days and is a bit too dark for an ordinary overcast UK sort of day, but it cuts glare very effectively with a dark blue tint rather than the brown you might expect from the gold mirror coating. Right to the edges it’s consistently crisp with no peripheral distortion at all. Oakley's Prizm lens might have the edge when it comes to overall clarity and contrast, but the Salice lens is good for very bright light.

When you're wearing them you don’t see the central reinforcing section of the frame – also a feature of the Sutro – that runs from the nosepiece to the frame top.

But perhaps what impressed me most about the Salice 022 sunglasses was how they avoided the streaking that can make many glasses unwearable for me when the sweat starts flowing about 30 minutes into a ride. Although there’s no actual venting system, the forward tilt of the frame lets in plenty of air so that not only does the lens stay fog free but it also sits clear of the eyebrows, where sweat gathers and will cascade down the inside of a too-close lens.

I also noticed that when sweat inevitably does hit the lens – whether the mirror one or the clear one – the minimal streak it leaves behind is not a deal breaker. Salice says it’s a hydrophobic coating; it seems to be sweatophobic too.

Apologies if that's a bit TMI, but sweat-streaked glasses do ruin my ride. Now these Salice 022s seem to have solved that and I’ve been wearing them every time I go out.

Durability seems good after a month of wearing the Salices. The lenses seem as scratch resistant as any and the tricolore paint on the frames has not chipped at all.

Value

The Oakley Sutro has a RRP of £135, so the Salice 022 undercuts its American rival by a good chunk.

The Oakley Flight Jackets cost upwards of £187 (though there are plenty of good deals around on them) and the Rudy Project Defenders from upwards of around £130 (again cheaper if you shop around).

We also reviewed the Rapha Pro Team Full Frame Sunglasses glasses recently, which cost £120

Meanwhile there are glasses that cost less, such as the Tifosi Crit, which we liked a lot.

Cycling sunglasses serve a very practical purpose - shielding your eyes from the sun, and/or debris. However, there is no denying that riders also use them to make a fashion statement, and SunGod aims to please those keen to stand out.

The British brand offers two styles - the Vulcans and Velans. Both can be purchased as a full or half-frame - cyclists who choose the former option can transform their shades to the latter by removing the bottom part of the frame if and when they choose.

Every purchase is made following a design process, where you the customer can choose the colour of the frame, lens style and even the arms and 'SunGod' decal logos. There's eight colour choices at every turn and ten different lens options.

I opted for a Matte Mint hue, to match my team kit, in the half-frame guise with brushed purple icons and navy blue ear socks - just to make sure I'd tried as many colours as possible.

For the lens, I chose the 8KO Iris HV blue - this is a photochromic lens designed for low light conditions (with a Visible Light Transmission - VLT - of 34-79%), there's a "smoke" photochromic option more suited to brilliant sunshine with a VLT of 16-43%.

Going with the photochromic lens boosted the price from £125 to £165 but I'd always consider that a worthwhile investment since it saves swapping lenses, or having a separate pair for winter.

Using the website builder to make my selection was easy, and the lens guide was very useful too.

The lens is, of course, the most crucial element in any pair of cycling glasses. SunGod says the 8KO lenses are 'optically superior' to others on the market. They also come with a triple-layer scratch-resistant finish, and hydrophobic and oleophobic treatments repel moisture, fingerprints and sweat.

In low light conditions, I found my vision was good, I could pick out debris on the road and I wasn't overly aware of the frame whilst riding. I used these for many off-road rides too, where you often want a more transparent lens to help you pick through shaded forest sections.

The photochromic nature of the lens did its job and these changed to a darker hue under sunlight. However, they're designed for mild days. In hindsight, I do wish I'd gone for the smoke lens as this would have a wider range of use.

I'm not sure I'd agree that these were 'superior' to the lenses in other glasses on the market, but they were more than up to the job in hand. I'd probably need to try a darker pair on a bright sunny day to truly put this to the test.

The frames feel well made, and the glasses are shipped with an array of nose pieces to help you tune the fit. Weighing in at 35g, these are within range of competitors - the same as the Koo Cube glasses I tested earlier this summer though marginally heavier than the 100% Speedcraft XS pair.

Whilst the large frame is stylish and in keeping with current trends, I did find that the upward jutting edge at the top of the frame interfered a little with some helmets. I do have a notably small face and head, this may be less of an issue for most riders. However, Oakley, 100% and Koo all offer 'XS', 'Junior' and 'Asian fit' options, so given the infinite customisable nature of the SunGod glasses, it would be nice to see a range of sizes available - even if that meant a small drop in the colour choices.

Coming in at £165, these represent good value for a photochromic lens. A pair of Oakley Radar EV Path Photochromic Sunglasses comes in at £190, with 100% Speedcraft Photochromic Sunlasses at £199. And of course, the huge array of choice is certainly very appealing, especially for those who like to match their kit with accessories and - of course - the bike.

Rapha went sunglasses mad in June, releasing a whole host of new specs for every occassion.

Leading the way on the road is the Pro Team Full Frame and the Pro Team Frameless. The full frame editions are made for "complete protection and clear vision while training and racing" and are out there to compete with the big dogs in the cycling glasses market like Oakley and 100%.

In fact the Pro Team Full Frame glasses have a lot in common in terms of their wrap-around style as Oakley's Jawbreakers, which is certainly not to their detriment. The Pro Teams have a slightly bigger lens however, which I preferred; not being quite as inescapably large as something like the Oakley Sutro, but an ideal size for full coverage with no unwanted intrusions below your eyeline.

>>> Buy now from Rapha

The lenses themselves (I was using the pink/blue lenses with 21 per cent light transmission) feature Rider Optimised Surface Enhancement lens technology. Bit of a mouthful so it's just abbreviated to ROSE, which is Rapha's equivalent of 100%'s HiPER lens or Oakley's Prizm, offering enhanced contrast between light and dark so you can see the road more clearly in those wooded areas or areas with dappled light.

I found the Pro Teams worked just as well as anything else I've used in this respect, helping to spot those pesky potholes on country lanes under dappled light. I certainly could hardly tell the difference when switching between these and Jawbreakers with the road Prizm lens.

The fit on these is good; they sit quite high in the default nose position but the nose piece is easily adjustable to find what suits you. I really like the rubbery grippers at the end of the arms and the way the arm curves back over the ear. If you struggle with keeping a secure fit on larger riding glasses then these may be worth considering as they're lightweight and have a snug fit.

The Pro Teams come with military-grade anti fogging treatment. I know, you never knew you needed it, but here it is. To be fair, this worked really well and barely fogged up even with my super-sweating levels. There's two narrow horizontal vents at the top of the lens and two much wider vertical vents at either end of the lens to help stop the fog-ups, and this is where my only gripe with these glasses comes in.

While these undoubtedly will help with the venting, it took me a while to adjust to catching the big vertical vents at the sides in my peripherals. This might be a symptom of changing glasses too often, but on bigger rides it wasn't something that weighed on my mind for long.

The Rapha Pro Team Full Frame sunglasses retail at £120 (so cheaper than the Jawbreaker) and are available in three colourways. Each pair also comes with an interchangebale clear lens for low light riding.

Bollé has resurrected one of its most iconic eyewear shapes and relaunched it for 2020. The original Chronoshield glasses can trace their history back to 1986 and had a design inspired by Bollé’s best selling Chrono ski goggle. As the trend for larger eyewear has increased over the last couple of years so it became ripe for Bollé to revamp one of the originators. The new Chronoshield glasses leave no doubt as to where their inspiration comes from but Bollé has given them a not so subtle revamp to bring them more up to date.

The best eyewear for cycling 2020

The glasses benefit from a lightweight and durable nylon frame, featuring clever features to make them incredibly comfortable to wear. The rear half of the arms are made from a malleable and soft rubber that can not only be bent to any shape that suits your head but will retain that new position, keeping the Chronoshield glasses locked into position. This single feature alone makes them one of the most secure fitting and comfortable sets of eyewear tested.

Adding to this comfort is a self-adjusting nosepiece that features the same grippy rubber. This Thermogrip rubber is hydrophilic and stubbornly stays in place despite my best efforts to sweat them off my nose. As a tribute to the original, a removable foam padded brow bar is also included to aid in sweat absorption, however I only used this a couple of times as it increases the height of the frame and can interfere with some helmets.

Read: Bollé Shifter Phantom review

The lens is the star of the show. This particular version came fitted with Bollé's Phantom photochromic lens in the road and trail friendly Brown Red tint. It transfers between 15-35% of light dependent upon tint, which I found suitable for everything from gravel riding under forest canopy to open road riding in bright sunshine without feeling like it was too dark or I was having to squint. The golden/bronze tint is really high contrast so it picks out all the little nuances in road and trail imperfections and really does enhance your vision. Finally Bollé has coated the lens with a proprietary anti-fog layer that has been pretty impressive in how quickly it clears any slight misting that might occur.

I do have to mention the styling of the Chronoshield glasses as this will probably be the only stumbling block for a set of eyewear that is impressive in its performance. The Chronoshield glasses are large to the point of extreme, eclipsing even the Smith Wildcats in proportions. The glasses measure 148mm wide and 71mm deep and even looks a little large for my distinctly medium head size. What that does mean is that they have the widest and deepest field of vision I have experienced outside of a full goggle, and they offer complete eye protection from wind, rain and debris.

At £215 for this Phantom lens version the Chronoshield glasses is phenomenally expensive. The range does start at £145 with a standard lens if you like the style but balk at spending the full amount, despite the Phantom lens being really, really good.

The Tifosi Crit sunglasses were selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

When it comes to eyewear, I'm an awkward customer. I'm a fully grown adult with a child's size head with control requirements of a fighter jet pilot. I therefore found a pair of Oakley Radar glasses with smoked lenses that fitted like a glove about 10 years ago and have been wearing them ever since. So long in fact that they're now considered 'retro' (but not in an uber cool way).

Perfect Fit

So when the  Tifosi Crit sunglasses landed, I was slightly reluctant to try. The first mirror check, however, hooked me at once.

They fit my face. Hallelujah. There are two fits on offer, with the actual stats of the smaller pair sitting at 150mm across, arms 120mm, lenses 74mmx42mm, nose bridge 12mm.

The end of the arms are even adjustable, allowing for a custom fit, and wrapped in hydrophilic rubber, they're not only soft, but actually increase in grip the more they get wet, with sweat or rain.

The same rubber is used on the nose piece, which is also incredibly adjustable, meaning the glasses stayed put whatever direction I looked in. This includes the stem, which I found myself mostly looking at during a particularly hot and sweaty ride up a mountain. Reigning from Manchester, I can also validate the 'staying put in rain' statement too, they don't call it the Rainy City for nothing.

>>>10 best cycling sunglasses for 2020: a buyers guide

Of course it's not just rubber that keeps the Tifosi Crit sunglasses in place. The frames are made from an incredibly light nylon, Grilamid TR-90, and weigh in at just 31g. Tifosi says the material is also durable that resists chemical and UV damage, so ideal for the construction of sunglasses.

Variable light conditions

What excites me even more about the Tifosi Crit sunglasses, is the fact that I've not only found another pair that fit, but a pair that match up to my visual accuracy needs.

To start with, the lenses are vented, so they remained totally clear when riding. There was a bit of misting up of the when stopped, but no more so than a standard pair of glasses.

Tofosi say that it's also made the scratch-resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate optically decentered, which eliminates distortion and prevents unwanted magnification, and I have to say, they met with my need for 100% clarity.

Naturally, the Tifosi Crit sunglasses lenses also come with 100% protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays, but the Tifosi Crit sunglasses piest de la resistance is their photochromic Fototec lenses. I was testing the Smoke Fototec version (a grey tint), but there is also a clearer Light Night pair for the same price.

They are so swift at swapping from light to dark and back again that I didn't even notice. Even at the entrance of a long mountain tunnel they did their thing so rapidly that there wasn't that usual few seconds of black out.

During winter light I found these exceptional performance wise. The constant strobe like effect of the sun popping out, or even just riding in the hills where it's hidden, creating quite dark shadows, only to crest or descend the other side and find yourself staring the sun full in the face. These glasses really are remarkable and have totally raised the bar in the photochromic world.

Bigger is better. This certainly seems to have been Smith Optics' design brief for the Wildcat glasses, the largest performance oriented eyewear currently in its range.

Designed for everything from lycra-clad road riding through to off-road blasts, the Wildcat glasses' styling is built upon a lens that offers the same size and eye protection as some of Smith's goggles - so you can get a good idea as to the coverage we are talking about.

The Wildcat glasses offer a full frame design, meaning the frame extends around the entirety of the lens. Sometimes a full frame can be a negative as the frame can become quite noticeable in your peripheral vision. The Wildcats aren't immune to this problem, however thanks to the larger and deeper lens the effect is less distracting. Opt for a lighter coloured frame and it becomes less noticeable again.

The Wildcats sit very comfortably on your face thanks to an adjustable width nose piece that produces minimal pressure on the nose. They also have a soft rubber construction that grips to sweaty skin almost as well as Oakley's Unobtanium. The slightly hooked arms are also covered in the same rubber - something Smith call Megol - to help keep them in place.

I have a pretty average width face/head and these glasses didn't apply a lot of pressure to the temples. This is a bit of a double edged sword, on the one hand it minimises any discomfort but at the expense of perceived grip and security - it can feel like they could drop off your face at any given moment (they didn't, though).

The Wildcat glasses don't have the same level of curvature as many other 'performance' style glasses, so they sit away from the face at the sides a little more. This prevents them from fogging a little better than styles that tend to sit closer to the face, although it does also allow a little more wind or debris to infiltrate.

The optical clarity of the Chromapop lens and the additional included clear lens is faultless with zero distortion. I also really like the way the Chromapop lens maintains object definition even under tree cover and in lower light, a quality important for spotting dangers - particularly when travelling at high speeds or riding off-road trails. Despite the red mirrored tint the lens maintains your vision in true colour with just a hint of grey that actually makes green hues really 'pop'.

Lens swapping was very simple and both frame and lens can cope with a lot of abuse. I have been using the same set of Wildcat glasses for well over a year of continuous use and the lenses have picked up minimal scratches, despite my best efforts to neglect them.

The only other thing to note with the Wildcats is that there might be a little integration issue with some helmets owing to the tall shape. I felt with helmets such as the Bontrager XXX WaveCel the low brow of the helmet pushed the glasses a little too low on my face. There is of course zero compatibility issues with Smith's own helmets such as the Ignite.

The Smith Wildcats sit towards the top end of the price spectrum for premium eyewear at £165 and that is a lot of money for most of us. But when you factor in the quality of the optics, the comfort and the durability it seems justified.

The 100% Speedcraft XS cycling glasses were selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

100% has quickly zoomed its way from the 'new kid on the block' in the cycling glasses world, to a well respected brand that looks set to establish itself as a market leader very soon - if it hasn't already.

>>> Buy now: 100% Speedcraft XS at Freewheel from £119.99

Eyewear sponsor to the likes of multiple World Champion Peter Sagan as well as Team Movistar, the brand also creates glasses and goggles for motorsports as well as mountain biking. The offerings have always scored pretty well with the Cycling Weekly tech team, and these are no different.

Personally, I've had less experience with 100% up until now, because I have a fiendishly small face. Now that the brand has launched its Speedcraft staple in a new XS design, I and many others with the same smaller-than-average sized head affliction are much better catered for.

The Speedcraft glasses have been designed to offer distraction free vision. The frame is open at the bottom, and the lens extends right to the edge of the rider's face - meaning that there's no nasty infractions on sight.

The frame has a slightly odd shape at the top - with a stepped design that reaches its height in the middle. I can't see any performance reason for this, it seems like a mostly aesthetic decision. Initially it felt a little cyborg-esque but once accustomed I grew to like it.

These glasses are 15 per cent smaller than the Speedcraft SL and measured at the widest point, from hinge to hinge, these come in at 14cm. That's 0.5mm narrower than the Oakley Radar XS and 1.5cm narrower than the Koo Open Cube glasses in a small. Of the three pairs, the Speedcraft XS model fits my face the best, and I found these the most comfortable and unobtrusive to wear.

The glasses come with a flexible nose gripper and flexible arms as well as a replacement nose gripper to help hone the fit. I stuck with the standard and had no complaints.

The lenses themselves don't include vents as per competitors, but there's gaps between the plastic nose bridge and the rubber gripper - these allow circulation and I didn't have issues with fogging whilst testing these.

My white frames came specced with the 'Blue Mirror' lens, and there was also a clear lens in the box for overcast days. This configuration comes in at £139.99. Go for the smoke lens and it's £119.99, or the HiPER Red for £159.99.

Replacement lenses, including the 'HiPER' lens and Photochromic options are available one the Freewheel website. Granted, they're not in stock right now but under Covid circumstances we can be quite forgiving, we're told they'll be back in July. Knowing that there are plenty of replacement and spare options is a nice to have and is not always the case in 'niche' sizes.

The lens is shatterproof for safety, as well as being impact and scratch resistant. It offers 100 per cent UV protection as well as having a treatment designed to repel water, dirt and oil. I definitely found that touching the lenses with greasy fingers left marks, and these showed up pretty clearly on the blue lens, so the effectiveness of this treatment is under debate but it's generally not smart of touch expensive lenses with your hands and cleaning them with a cloth brought the shine back with no problem.

The blue lens was excellent in bright sunshine - I could pick out small imperfections in road surface and glare was eliminated. When under tree cover, or when extending rides into dusk, I found that the lens was a little dark. I could pick out obstacles and view the road surface, but found myself straining more.

Swapping on the low-light lens was easy and I didn't have to hold my breath for fear of breaking anything. However, personally my preference is for a lens I feel works in almost all conditions - which I do get from the likes of Oakley's Path Prizm lens on the Radar glasses. This complaint would be easily fixed within the 100% range - simply by choosing to upgrade to a Photochromic lens (£84.99) which changes automatically under sunlight or choosing the HiPER Silver Mirror option (£64.99) over Blue Mirror (£49.99), but this comes at extra cost.

The glasses come presented in a hard case, with a fabric pouch. Personally I'd rather the case was a bit smaller to make slipping it into a race bag the night before an event a bit easier (sounds minor, but shoes, helmet, glasses, gels, kit, tools, spare socks... etc - it all adds up and those race bags can get mighty messy). Coming in at £139.99, in a category where prices often exceed £200 for the 'greatest and most advanced' (read: coolest shape), these represent good value to me.

I have a small face. I'm average height, with average size feet and average sized hands - but finding glasses and helmets to fit me has always been a struggle. My standard approach is to order junior/youth or Asian fit options, but this does limit choice.

Enter: Koo, the glasses range from helmet giant Kask. These glasses have a lot going for them - they'd be a great buy for an individual with a 'normal' sized face too, but I'll start with their adjustability as it was the feature which impressed me the most.

Sizeable range

Koo makes its Open Cube glasses in a standard fit, split into Small and Medium, as well as an Asian fit, also split into Small and Medium.

I opted for the standard model in a size Small, and they fitted well, without any 'overlap' or concern over them slipping off my face. A comparison to the Oakley Radar EV Youth model showed these are very slightly wider.

The arms have flexible temples and they fold inwards, as opposed to outwards. The design allows for three distinct positioning options to help riders pair the glasses with a range of helmets. Regardless of arm placement, the frame did come quite high up my forehead, so the glasses slightly contacted my Specialized Evade helmet, but this isn't uncommon and would be less notable on a standard (non-aero) helmet.

The glasses come with an adjustable nose piece in two parts, and they're also shipped with a second option which sits in a single bridge. The latter lifted the glasses slightly further away from my face. However, in swapping the two-part version back on, I managed to break the rubber replacement bridge with relative ease, but we'll come to build quality later.

The Open Cube's are available in 12 different colourways and I chose blue/orange to match my team kit.

Zeiss tech lenses

Koo has reached out to specialists Zeiss to create its Open Cube lens. These glasses come with an 'Ultra White'  shield as well as a clear option for winter rides or off-road excursions under the trees.

The 'Ultra White' lens comes with 16 per cent Visible Light Transmission (VLT), which is considered very dark and suitable for sunny days. The filter category is '3', this is on the safe side and good for use in the mountains. Some of the other colourways use different lenses, such as Smoke Mirror and Infrared. These have a higher VLT.

Donning the glasses with the Ultra White lens fitted for a summer's evening ride, they shielded my eyes from the sun and allowed me to pick out imperfections in the road surface. When the sun began to set and the atmosphere around me became darker, especially under trees, my vision was still good and I'd have no qualms over using these on slightly overcast days.

The clear lens provides a shield against road debris and suicidal insects when out in the woods testing gravel bikes.

The open design means there's no frame at the bottom of the lens, and my peripheral vision wasn't affected by the frame at either end. Koo has built in four vents along the top of the glasses, and stopping at lights I experienced no fogging - though I would expect some on cold or wet days (I've not found glasses that prevent this completely).

Build quality

At £199, these glasses are a considered purchase and you'd want them to be long lasting. They arrive in a large presentation box, with padded inserts for the spare lens as well as a fabric carry pouch and a lens wipe.

The case itself is very much an added luxury, but it measures 14 x 17 x 8cm. This works well for storing the glasses at home, but (outside of lockdown) I'm often packing a race bag for events and would rather a smaller hard case I could slip into my kit bag.

Breaking the replacement nose piece when swapping between the two options was also pretty unfortunate, and it was largely because I had to pull quite hard to get the frame's plastic holder to release the rubber. I also found initially that swapping the lenses required quite a bit of force, but once I'd done it a few times it became quite easy to do by accident.

Whilst I love the fit and lens clarity of these glasses, the build quality of the plastic frame doesn't quite mirror that of similarly priced options on the market.

Liv, and its sibling brand Giant, aim to provide everything a cyclist needs to get started under one marque. This can be particularly helpful for new cyclists - the bike purchase comes with a one-stop-shop for clothing, helmets, shoes, and indeed glasses.

>>> Best cycling glasses reviewed 

The Vista NXT Varia cycling glasses are the range toppers in the Liv eyewear collection. They come in at £89.99, and the defining feature is the NXT Varia lens.

This adjusts to light changes - so in low light, riders enjoy a clear lens which will keep grime and muck away from their peepers. As soon as the sun comes out, the lens takes on a dark hue to protect against the rays.

The colour change feature worked exceptionally well for me - and I was impressed by how rapidly the switch would take place, bearing in mind that these come in well below the price usually associated with this technology.

There's a vent at the corner of each lens, which helped to clear condensation (for example, at traffic lights) and these didn't mist up any more than an average pair of riding glasses.

I tested the white pair, with purple temple tips, but there's also a black pair with pink details. The temple tips, combined with a rubberised and adjustable nose pad, kept the glasses on my face, with an impressive lack of slippage - even leaning forwards and shaking my head around, there was no movement.

Liv has opted for a flexible TR-90 plastic for the frame, and dropping onto the scales at 29g, which is only 3g heavier than my favourite pair of Radar glasses from market leader Oakley.

So far, so good. However, Liv boasts a 'panoramic lens' for the widest field of vision yet, as well as a slim, women's specific fit. Sizing is listed as "one size fits most".

The lens is indeed wide, but it didn't wrap around my face - instead hanging off the edge in a way that, front on, looked and felt a bit odd.

I will add that I do have a notoriously narrow face, always opting for "slim fit", "junior fit" or "Asia fit" wherever possible. However, I had hoped that this women's fit would suit me, too. Not so.

Face shape and fit are of course both personal factors. However, I'd say these glasses were wider than many other pairs I've tried, to the point I didn't feel comfortable in them, despite the excellent grippers which did at least prevent them from moving around.

The lens technology here is great, when considered alongside the price, but unfortunately these won't become my next go-to riding specs.

Scicon's reputation is strongly founded in its high quality bags and boxes, but in recent years the Italian brand has been encroaching on spaces elsewhere, launching the Scicon Elan Power Saddle as well as this foray into eyewear.

The glasses have rapidly made their way into the pro peloton, with Scicon supplying to the likes of NTT Pro Cycling, Israel Startup Nation and UAE Team Emirates.

To produce its shades, Scicon worked with eyewear experts Essilor Sun Solution. All of the performance glasses feature SCN-XT lenses, which are made from Essilor Italia's trademark NXT polymer. Originally designed for use on the windshields of attach helicopters, the order of the day is high impact resistance as well as UV 400 protection, blocking out 100% of harmful rays, and in this case fast acting photochromic properties.

The lenses are clear when out of the sunlight, becoming darker under the rays. The pair I had on test darkens to blue, but there are also red, silver and bronze options available to suit differing conditions, and all lenses are interchangeable.

Active ventilation is built in, with small perforations along the top and bottom of each lens to help prevent fogging.

Scicon's glasses are designed to be incredibly customisable. They come in three lens sizes: regular (50mm in height), medium (55mm) and large (60mm). Taller lenses will provide a greater field of vision, but obviously eclipse a greater area of your face. All of the glasses measure the same overall width.

The brand has also added Flexi Fit temples - meaning the arm tips are coated in thermoplastic elastomer material which can bend to fit smaller (or larger) faces, ensuring they stay put. Each pair also comes with three different nose pad options to help create a more custom fit, and there are also exchangeable 'Clip Switches' (in black or white) which can be exchanged to increase or decrease flex. 

Sticking with the personalisation theme, the Aerotech glasses come shipped with 'fenders' in two colours. The rubber inserts sit at the bottom of the lens - in this case, coming in both white and black. In place, they provide extra protection in the case of a crash, but they can also be removed.

I tested the Aerotech glasses in the "regular" size. In terms of height, they were just right. The flexible temples were very effective, and did mean that the glasses stayed put without sliding off, but the lens were too wide for me, extending past the point where my face ended.

When wearing glasses from other brands, I have opted for "youth" fit options, so these glasses might fit more comfortably on those with wider faces.

The clear lens provided excellent protection on a very wet and muddy club run, with my vision remaining fog free even under light rain. Riding on one of those rare sunny winter days, the lenses became tinted quickly, and I didn't note any issues with slow changes when moving from bright lit areas to tree covered canopy roads.

The removable fenders are a pretty neat idea. With them fitted, I found the rubber intercepted my field of vision, and was a bit annoying, so I favoured riding without them. It's quite a nice touch that Scicon gives riders these two options - a little like getting two pairs of glasses in one, but of course if you've got a solid preference the likelihood is you'll opt with that and stick with it.

Coming in at €250.00/£219 - these aren't cheap glasses. Whilst this price point isn't alien in the cycling world at all, it is similar to what you'd expect to pay with established market leaders Oakley. You are getting the benefit of layers of customisation - which could be a selling point, should you plan to truly use it.

The Oakley Radar EV Advancer sunglasses were selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

You just can’t beat a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Even in this rather subdued colour way with its very good adaptive lens’s which are great for the winter months. These are lightweight, comfortable and look great and that is way they’ve made it into Editor’s Choice once again.

The Oakley Radar EV range is arguably the pinnacle of what the eyewear giant produces. Its design, lens technology and style make them the most desirable offering in our eyes and it is hard to argue against the masses of cyclists, pro or amateur alike, who wear them daily.

The update to the Radar glasses borrows technology from the likes of the Flight Jackets that can only be described as an upside down Radar design, removing the rim at the top of the lens.

The Advancer technology is a new adjustable nosepiece that moves the frame and lens away from the face to help venting and reducing fogging of the lens.

>>> Best cycling sunglasses: a buying guide

When you are in the market for a pair of sunnies we all have most certainly looked at Oakley. The American brand has a large number to choose from and if you are unsure which'll suit your best bet is to try the Oakley Radar EV's as they offer the least show off style out of the lot.

Oakley Jawbreakers or the latest Flight Jackets all offer the same tech but for us the best fitting and least obtrusive remain the Oakley Radar EV.

It isn't only looks that attracted me to the Oakley Radar EV's. In functionality alone the Oakley Radar EV scores a solid 10/10 and this is a key area where it out scores a lot of rival brands. Zero distraction is key here, if I am able to forget the sunglasses are there then it's doing its job, exactly what the Radar's do.

This is thanks to a great all round fit. No digging in around the ears, nose or temples. The frames remain firmly in place even when doing your best Chris Froome head roll too. The 'zero distraction' is also helped by the low weight, with the Oakley Radars (in standard size) hitting our scales at 29g.

The lenses are the best bit, though, with several options available. The least expensive is Oakley's standard HDO lens, which comes in several colours including the blue pictured below.

This is a great option and often worn by Team Sky. For £10 more Oakley offers its road cycling-specific Prizm lens, which is my favourite. It provides excellent clarity and helps make the world look slightly more vivid – useful when trying to spot pot holes. For £185 Oakley also offers polarised lenses which are great at filtering out reflective glare.

However, as said, I have found the Prizm Road lens optimal. But if you ride in lots of different light conditions its changeable lens will be best for you.

The quality, performance and aesthetics are all excellent and in my mind beat Oakley's other top of the range glasses. Although, the likes of 100% are on the up and pushing Oakley on the performance front.

Large sunglasses are in vogue right now but the 100% S3 glasses aren’t  just style over substance. They offer a great fit and an expansive field of view and that’s why they have earned a spot on our Editor’s Choice list for 2019.

The 100% S3 glasses are the latest set of shades from the American upstart company that has taken a bite out of the riding glasses market.

They're not replacing the coveted 100% S2 glasses, which I awarded a spot on Cycling Weekly's Editor's Choice list, instead they will exist alongside each other, but they do have a very different design.

Whereas the S2 was only a half frame, the new S3 has a slightly extended nose bridge, presumably to better support the larger lenses, amd a pointy, rectangular lens that's almost identical to the 100% Speedcraft. I really liked the distinctive look of the 100% S2s but the S3's design offers a more expansive field of view.

The lens feels almost limitless and the peripheral vision is simply superb, plus with the increased size comes increased protection and the S3 lens does a great job of keeping out the elements. My eyes water far less in the S3s than they did in the S2s, or any other sunglasses for that matter. They do, however, get grubby quite quickly, despite a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating.

Watch: Inside Team Wiggins-Le Col

Typically, my slim face hasn't suited larger glasses, and in the past Oakley Jawbreakers and Oakley Sutros have all moved off the end of my nose when I've looked down. I was fully prepared for the S3s to do the same, so it was a relief to find them to be different.

The gap between the glasses and my temples is slim and the rubber-tipped arms offer an assured grip on the side of my head, making these the first glasses I don't have to constantly adjust. Because of this, they've become my go-to glasses.

Using the HiPER lens is a significant improvement on 100%'s standard lens, and I'd recommend forking out the extra £20 for the increased contrast. However, I'm not convinced the lens is quite as vivid as Oakley's Prizm technology, which in my eyes is still the market leader in lens technology. But by increasing the number of lens options – there's a now a photochromic replacement available – 100% is taking steps in the right direction.

Bollé‘s Shifter Phantom sunglasses boast impressive performance and resistance to fogging

The Shifter Phantom has to be one of the best sets of eyewear we have ever tested and not just in one aspect but across all categories. Superb lens clarity, excellent fit and above all devastatingly good looks; it has to be in Editor’s Choice 2019.

Bollé has again paired up with AG2R La Mondiale this season, so its Shifter glasses are being worn by the likes of Romain Bardet and Tony Gallopin. It’s an excellent choice, with the Bollé Shifter Phantom glasses giving really good performance.

The vermillion Phantom lens in the Bollé Shifter Phantom glasses is photochromic, so it adjusts to light levels. I’ve always found photochromic lenses ideal for UK conditions and the Phantom lens is a really good example. It shields well from bright light and stops you being dazzled even when the sun is low. But get under deep tree cover or glowering clouds and it lightens up, so that you’re not left riding in gloom.

>>> Cycling glasses buyer's guide

Optical clarity is great too and the reddish vermillion base tint helps develop contrast, so it’s that much easier to see obstacles ahead.

The Bollé Shifter Phantom is one of the increasing number of large lensed glasses now on sale. As with 100%’s glasses, there’s lots of peripheral coverage and the frames don’t obstruct your field of view.

The design is, like the Rudy Project Defender glasses that we tested a few weeks ago, based on an older model. In the case of the Bollé Shifter Phantom, that goes right back to the 1980s and the Chronoshield, although the Shifter lens isn’t quite as large as that model’s.

What’s really impressive with the Bollé Shifter Phantom is its resistance to misting up when stopped or riding slowly. There is a long slot vent under each eye at the base of the frame and just one vent at the top in the centre. But it’s enough to keep the inside of the lenses completely clear, even up hill in the rain. That’s probably down to Bollé’s expertise in skiing goggles as well as cycling. The large, flat lens means that it’s easy to wipe raindrops off the outside too.

The matt navy nylon frames have a quality feel and Bollé adds grippy inserts at the temples and for the nosepiece so, coupled with the robust frame, there’s zero slippage in use.

Buy now: Bollé Shifter Phantom for £149 from Wiggle

There’s a range of lens tints available, with only the Phantom lenses being photochromic. There are seven different frame colours, and Bollé will fit prescription lenses too. At £149 a pair, the price of the Bollé Shifter Phantom is reasonable for top notch photochromic sunglasses.

Personally, I feel Oakley is still the best eyewear brand out on the market for cycling, but there's no denying the American brand has been reeled in by the likes of 100% and Smith. However, with its new Oakley Sutro glasses, an urban visor like offering, the brand is look to fight back.

>>> Buy now from Evans Cycles for £130

Recently, there has been a bit of a trend to go larger on the glasses front, which I like a lot and Oakley was the first to reintroduce the larger lens with the Jawbreaker. Those initially divided opinion, with many either totally loving the styling or hating them and the same can be said for the latest Oakley Sutro.

>>> Best cycling sunglasses

I must say, I like them a lot and spent much of my time in Mallorca recently enjoying them in a much less urban environment that they where initially intended for.

When I say the new Oakley Sutro's are big, I mean big! Big enough that the lens does not interrupt vision, and big enough that we are talking about face coverage, not just eye coverage. But that is the trend and you can see that in the likes of the Glendale's from 100%.

That vision is enhanced with the use of the very good Prizm lens technology that Oakley has. During the very sunny rides in Mallorca my eyes never felt tired, or over used during the long, dry and bright days, testament to the comfort of the frames too.

However, those frames feel large too and as many of my close friends would say: I have a very large head, so no sunglasses should slip or fall but the Oakley Sutro's did. I found myself constantly adjusting them, and even just checking my cycling computer they would slip slightly.

These glasses are made for a more casual urban setting where I find myself looking around a lot more due to the hazards of traffic, meaning that these would become even more annoying out in town.

However, ventilation is pretty good despite the large nature of the lens itself and haven't noticed any misting and even on the hot days I didn't have to deal with overly hot, sweaty eyes. Good for the commute in the city too.

I like the Oakley Sutro's, though I can't say they are better than the JawBreakers or even the much newer Flight Jackets.

Sunglasses are an essential part of any riders kit bag, with style and functionality often carrying equal weight when picking your new set of lenses.

>>> Buy now from Roka for £225

Texas-based sports equipment brand Roka has broken into the cycling sunglasses market, offering its own unique twist with the customisable Roka CP-1 model.

>>> Six of the best cycling glasses

The first thing that struck me about the Roka CP-1's is the look - a simple, stylish design that doesn't go overboard on lens style while still offering a visor-like aesthetic.

With two sizes of the CP series - 52mm with the Roka CP-1 or 56mm with the CP-1X - mean you also get a choice of more coverage if a bigger lens is your thing.

One minor detail that could be fixed is the removable lens, with the corners sticking slightly above the frame at the corners. It's not noticeable from a distance, but it does slightly spoil the sleek lines of the frames.

But the real hook of the Roka CP-1's is the customisation, which gives you the opportunity to choose the colour of your frame, lenses, rocker and arms.

With a choice of 13 lens colours and more for your frames, you can design your glasses around your team-kit, favourite colours, or even just as a way of standing out.

The CP-1s have been also been designed with performance in mind and the glasses are ultra-lightweight at 27 grams.

Reducing the weight does come with a sacrifice, and the Roka glasses feel more flimsy than their biggest rivals on the market like the Oakley Flight Jackets.

The wraparound lenses offer great peripheral vision and the frames stay well out of view regardless of position.

Roka's patented Geko retention system - inspired by the sticky feet of the gecko - involves serrated rubber on the nose pad and arms.

The system works, as the CP-1s comfortably grip your head without causing discomfort, staying in place on rough terrain and regardless of how you hang your head when suffering on the bike.

But the close fit of the glasses does compromise vision on occasion, as Roka's offering is prone to lens misting.

While other brands have opted to improve airflow to keep air flowing behind the lens to prevent steaming up when you're giving it gas, the Roka's did tend to suffer from blurring vision when the temperature rose.

At £225 for the standard colourways, the Rokas are also expensive and cost considerably more than rivals like the Flight Jackets, which retail at £185.

The trend to larger lenses continues, with 100%’s extra-large sunnies worn by Peter Sagan and Simon Yates’s Scott sunnies so large that when riding the Vuelta he looked like a giant hoverfly, with just his mandible showing beneath his specs. But it’s not a new trend: the Rudy Project Defender sunglasses are based on the Aggressor model from 1992.

As with the brand’s other models, the Rudy Project Defender is available with a range of different lenses. The ImpactX2 red photochromic lenses tested offer excellent clarity and are unbreakable. I find photochromic lenses ideal for typical UK conditions, when you’re never sure whether you will be riding in bright sunshine or overcast gloom – and one ride can easily include both.

Even if the weather doesn’t change while you’re riding, tree cover can change the light conditions quickly. The Rudy Project Defender’s lenses adapt as quickly, so you keep good definition to see road obstacles. The lenses lighten to almost transparent, while the red tint helps with definition and visual acuity.

Misting can be a problem with larger lenses and the wrap-around style, but the Rudy Project Defender sunglasses are resistant to this in most conditions. It was only when riding a cyclo-cross course in the rain at low speeds or coming to a stop at the top of a hill that this happened for me. There are plenty of ventilation slots built in at the base and along the top of the lenses, as well as between their sides and the frame’s sidepieces, so any misting quickly clears.

Rudy Project includes a removable soft piece at the bottom of the lens, to add a bit more protection in a crash and to prevent damage to the lens. With its large size, there’s a wide field of vision, so it’s easy to see peripheral obstacles. The lens can be swapped out too, by unclicking it from the side of the frame.

If you don’t fancy the red photochromic lens tested, there is also a grey photochromic Impact X2 lens offered with three different frame colours. The Rudy Project Defender is also available with red, blue or orange mirrored or black non-photochromic lenses. Prices start at £129.99.

Coming soon is a new Rudy Project Defender model, with graphene incorporated into its matt grey frames.

Thanks to its S2 glasses, upstart eyewear brand 100% has stolen a march on its competitors and created a superb set of glasses worthy of a spot on our Editor’s Choice list this year.

100% has been gaining ground in the sunglasses market for a long time, but with these 100% S2 glasses it has rocketed itself into the lead.

Their fit is different to their more sizeable 100% Speedcraft siblings; whereas my face was too thin for those frames and there was a sizeable gap between my temples and the frame, there's no such problem with the S2 glasses, and the frame sits much closer to my face and the bridge rests more comfortable on my nose. Most importantly it doesn't shift of my face when I look down at my cycling computer.

The frame also feels better constructed than the Speedcraft pair, they're less plasticky and feel higher quality.

I also prefer the rounded lens, it gives good coverage and I can only just see the bottom of it; as a result it offers decent protection from the elements and doesn't interfere with the ride. In fact, much like the Oakley EVZero glasses, I completely forget I'm wearing these when out on the road.

Equipped with a HiPER Red mirrored lens, these S2 glasses do cost slightly more than the standard option but the difference between the two lenses is dramatic and if you're set on a pair it's definitely worth the extra cash. Whereas the standard lens washes out colours, the HiPER lens really amps up the contrast, which is great for both sunny and cloudy days.

The HiPER lens increases saturation, and the top of my red mulitlayer lens has a blue tint which passes into reds and oranges towards the bottom. The result is more vivd surroundings although I'm not convinced it's quite as intense as Oakley's Prizm lenses.

There's limited fogging – even wearing these through very hot days my sweat didn't cause much misting – and only when stationary did they fog and it cleared very quickly when starting again. However, it does make the lenses mucky and the Hydroilo coating didn't do a great deal to prevent this.

A clear lens accompanies the glasses in the box, which I'll probably swap in for dark morning commutes in winter while saving the HiPER lens for, hopefully, the brighter daytime rides.

Lastly, and potentially most importantly, the 100% S2 glasses look great. They're favoured by Peter Sagan, who won Paris-Roubaix with these shades on before they were released, and thanks to them the glasses market has just become a whole lot more competitive.

With a half frame design, the Tifosi Alliant sunglasses are designed to fit a wider face and provide plenty of airflow. There are large slot vents in the bottom outside corners of the single lens as well as smaller slots under the brow.

The photochromatic lens of the Tifosi Alliant has a light transmission range claimed to run from 28 per cent to 76 per cent. That’s a bit lighter than some other photochromatic options like the photochromatic Oakley Radar Path, but enough to keep your eyes shaded from bright sunlight. The lens tint is also designed to be colour neutral.

But the lens works well in low light conditions, letting you see a lot more when you ride into deep shade than a non-light sensitive lens. I found this useful when riding in the typical light and shade of a UK summer backroad or bridleway.

The Tifosi Alliant sits quite high on the face. That’s good for when riding in a more head-down position, as it gives you a better view of the road ahead, without the top frame getting in the way.

But it does mean that the open lower edge of the lens can come into your line of sight when riding in a more upright position, as when you are climbing. The side vents are also then noticeable. At first I found this a little distracting, but you soon get used to it.

The nose and ear pieces are adjustable so that you can dial in the fit and with non-slip treatment they’re not prone to moving around or dropping down as you ride.

>>> The best cycling sunglasses reviewed

Photochromatic lenses up the cost of sunglasses, but at £100 the Tifosi Alliant glasses are a bit less expensive than Oakley or Rudy Project photochromatics, for example.

As well as the photochromatic version that we’ve tested, the Alliant is also available with three different frame colours as a non-photochromatic three-lens set.

In typical fashion Oakley has brought another love/hate product to the market in the form of the new Oakley Flight Jacket, which was launched in April of this year.

The new sunnies follow a similar design to a personal favourite of mine, the Oakley Jawbreakers. However, the new Oakley Flight Jacket's remove the upper frame to help vision - especially whilst sprinting - and ventilation.

Ventilation is adjustable also with a moveable nose piece that basically can move the frames closer or further away from your face to give more airflow.

Typically of the last few releases from Oakley, the new Flight Jackets have divided opinion and that is true in the Cycling Weekly office. Some lovers of the design and some naysayers.

For me I'm a little indifferent in terms of looks but what is for sure is that I prefer the Jawbreakers in this regard.

What the Oakley Flight Jacket glasses have got going for them is great ventilation. I used these on a very muggy and slightly moist ride in Italy at the launch of the Pirelli Cincurato tyres last month. I experienced no fogging when stopped and didn't feel my eyes or face overheat despite the 27 degree temperature.

I didn't actually need to use the adjustable nose piece for more venting.

The Prizm lenses featured here are as good as ever, offering really good visuals in low or patchy light, allowing you to pick out potholes pretty neatly on descents.

They sit on the face nicely and the glasses fit around the temple and ears well - you can adjust the arms to suit helmet styles and fit around the ears. Although whilst riding on the road I didn't have much issue with slip down my nose, off road around Italy and some Strade Bianche gravel roads quite often the glasses would move down my nose.

The Oakley Flight Jackets almost felt a little bottom heavy; these glasses are not heavy at all, maybe just unbalanced with all the frame being at the bottom of the glasses.

I tested them with the Specialized Evade II and the Specialized Prevail. I used the Prevail on my Italian trip. The helmet straps don't sit flush to the temples so this could have a factor in the glasses slipping down, although I haven't had that issue with other Oakley models.

But ultimately these Oakley Flight Jacket's are a great pair of sunnies for cycling. You get unobstructed view and great optics, whilst the great ventilation helps minimise heat build up on the face. I like the popping pink colour over the black - other colours available of course!

The Smith Attack Max sunglasses use the brand’s recently introduced ChromaPop lens tech, coupled with a new lens swap mechanism.

ChromaPop lenses are designed to filter out two specific wavelengths of light. So whereas sunlight has a continuous colour spectrum, ChromaPop lenses separate this into three distinct ranges of colour. Smith says that this helps improve visual acuity, so that you can see detail more accurately.

The Smith Attack Max glasses come packaged with two lenses: a platinum mirrored grey version for strong light conditions and a Rose Flash pink lens for lower light. Both are very effective. The platinum mirror lens cuts out glare under bright sunlight, without being too dark for more overcast UK conditions.

Swap to the pink low light lens and clarity and definition at lower light levels are good too – it’s the sort of lens which you take off after an evening ride to discover that it’s actually quite dark out, but you hadn’t realised it.

>>> The best cycling sunglasses 2018

The Smith Attack Max is available with six different frames and three different main lens colours: two frames with the platinum mirror lens, three with a red mirror lens and one with a green mirror lens, all with ChromaPop.

The lens on the Smith Attack Max is large: Smith measures it at 53mm deep. Like the 100% Speedcraft sunglasses used by Peter Sagan, it has a raised part above the eyes, making sure that there’s good coverage even with your head down. Peripheral coverage at the sides and bottom of the lens is also very good, so there’s very little unfiltered light finding its way in. Despite this, the frameless design means that the Smith Attack Max sunglasses are not prone to misting.

Smith’s temple grips are very comfortable and hold well. There’s a long rubber section and the rimless lens means that they flex easily to provide a close fit.

Smith has also refreshed its lens interchange tech with the Attack Max. A pincer on the end of each side arm clips onto the side of the lens and is held in place by a strong magnet between its two sides. This leads to very fast and easy lens swaps and gives a secure connection once in place.

You also need to swap over the nosepiece, which also clicks between two different widths. Again, this is a quick and easy process.

So although they’re not photochromatic, their lens tech means that the Smith Attack Max glasses work really well in a wide range of UK light conditions. But all this tech doesn’t come cheap, with the £195 price tag putting the Attack Max at the premium end of the sunglass spectrum.

Following a meteoric rise in popularity – partly due to bold looks, partly due to a canny partnership with Peter Sagan – I was keen to put the 100% Speedcraft glasses to the test. Wide frames and big lenses put them in direct competition with the Oakley Jawbreaker.

However, whereas the Jawbreaker is a full frame design, the 100% Speedcraft glasses are in fact closer to being half frames and the bottom half of the frame protrudes out slightly from the nose piece to help hold the lens in place. As a result, they're lighter than their large looks would suggest and they don't feel heavy or obtrusive when they're on your face.

Granted, that doesn't stop them looking bulky and the bright yellow colour way of my test sample doesn't create a subtle look – but if you're after big, brash and different then these are the glasses for you.

Changing the lens comes closer to deconstructing the glasses; the lens, the frame, the arms as well as the nose bridge all come apart separately.  It's not exactly intuitive and neither is it as slick as changing lenses on the Jawbreakers, especially when trying to reconstruct them.

But with that gripe aside, the lens and the body of the glasses give great unobstructed views, and anyone who put these on in the CW office was impressed with the field of vision – even the bight yellow frames are easy to forget about.

Even better, there's excellent line of sight extends upwards if you're sprinting on the drops, and the top of the frame doesn't edge into view – something I'm sure Peter Sagan values. I also love the fact that when I look down they don't move away from my skinny face as I've had a lot of trouble with glasses - including the Jawbreakers - doing this in the past. To be honest, I'd still argue that, aesthetically at least, these are frames better suited to wider heads.

My sample glasses came with 100%'s own purple multilayer mirror, it's a standard lens that just dims the sunlight. For a few bob more you can buy the set with the brand's Hiper lens technology (the equivalent of Oakley's Prizm tech) which ups the contrast and makes the details standout.

It's also supposed to be coated in 100%'s Hydroilo treatment, but I still found that water has stuck to the lens and has dried on. They've also been a magnet for oily finger marks, and reconstructing the glasses only made smearing the lenses even easier.

They're definitely head turners, but if you want that Peter Sagan look these are the specs to wear. Of course, it probably helps if you're as fast as him...

"A mile stone in the heritage of performance is now available for youth," Oakley says. It doesn't mention that the introduction of youth fit cycling glasses in Oakley's Radar style also means that the same standard is available for adults who just happen to be bestowed with small faces.

>>> Best cycling glasses

Most of Oakley's glasses are available in standard fit, and 'Asia fit'; but the latter isn't as easy to get hold of from mainstream retailers in the UK. That means that in the past the small face brigade (and, I suppose, the actual youth contingent) has generally been forced to stick within a limited range of models.

Up until recently, I've worn Oakley's Youth Fit Quarter Jacket Prizms. The Prizm lens is excellent, but the shape wouldn't be my first choice, bucking current fashion trends in being a bit bug-like (let's call it "understated") in style and failing to offer the distraction free wrap around fit of the Radars. And so, it has been with much jealousy that I've oggled the glasses of my buddies on club runs - until now.

I've tried 'adult' standard Radar glasses, but they just interfere with my helmet, take up half my face and feel like they'll fall off if I lean forwards.

Oakley Radar EV Path Youth Fit Sunglasses construction

The Radar EV's are award winning - taking a position in our 2017 Editor's Choice awards. The one-piece lens means that there's no frame interference with the rider's view of the road - giving a panoramic picture of the outside world from behind the safety of your glasses.

The lens in question uses Oakley's High Definition Optics - this promises optical clarity, "visual fidelity" and impact resistance. It's a Prizm lens, well known for  offering unrivalled performance thanks to colours which are tuned to maximise contrast, making obstacles and road imperfections easier to spot.

The fit is 'specifically engineered to fit youth faces' - with Unobtainium earsocks and nosepads designed to increase grip, even when you sweat.

I measured the width of the youth glasses as 14.5cm hinge to hinge, compared to 15.5cm for the standard model - the difference is quite clear when the two are placed next to each other.

Oakley Radar EV Path Youth Fit Sunglasses - the ride

I put the glasses to their first test over the course of a 70 mile road race in the worst conditions I've even raced in. It rained from mile zero to the end and I rarely put my nose into the wind, so it's fair to say there was a lot of spray involved.

Initial impressions were that the frame fit was absolutely spot on - there was no notable gap between helmet and glasses, but the two didn't interfere with each other either. The nose piece sat perfectly - though it can be removed/replaced but can't be adjusted.

When I first put them on, the lens was crystal clear - and on race day remained so for about 40 miles in consistent rain.

The clarity lasted until about 50 miles in the steaming rain - at which point a large drop of muddy water made its way onto the inside. I had nothing clean on my whereabouts to wipe it with so I decided the grit of going glasses free was a more friendly option. But that was always going to happen at some point. If it had been a normal ride I would have been able to wipe them with something clean and continue in comfort and clarity.

Testing the glasses on more sedate rides, I found they remained clear, even in damp conditions. There was some fogging when I stopped, but it was never necessary to wipe it away - as soon as I began moving again the mist would clear, I expect thanks to venting at the top of the lens.

In the sunlight, which admittedly has been limited so far this year, the Prizm lenses perform excellently. I'd say that whilst they work well enough in low light conditions, they're more suited to sunny days where they ensure that obstacles are easy to pick out and your eyes remain shaded from the rays.

Gaps around the top of the lens did trap quite a bit of grit and dirt. However, this is easy to remove with some handy q-tips  (the best invention ever for bike cleaners with a touch of OCD) and of course the lens can be removed for a proper clean.

Value

Got a small face? We've got good news for you: you can go VAT free.

The standard Oakley Radar EV Path Prizm glasses come in at £155, but the youth fit version carries an RRP of £120 (shop around and you'll pay less).

Over £100 may seem like a lot for a pair of glasses, but considering they can be worn in all conditions and will therefore be your partner on almost every ride, it's not a lot.

The lens is the most important element of a pair of glasses, and Oakley's Prizm technology really does stand head and shoulders above other options on the market in terms of clarity; improved vision is something worth paying for.

The Olympo sunglasses – RH+ calls them sportglasses – are one of quite a range of different styles from the Italian brand, which also makes cycle clothing and helmets.

The Olympo sunglasses have a wrap-around style and there’s good peripheral coverage. They’re not so enclosed that misting is a problem when stopped or going up hills though.

The nosepiece of the Olympo sunglasses is wide, comfortable and easily adjustable. RH+ says that it’s made of an exotic-sounding titanium-beryllium alloy, with a soft rubber coating.

I found the frame of the Olympo sunglasses quite a tight fit – not uncomfortably so, but enough to ensure that they stay put well and have no tendency to slip down when riding. The sidepieces are chunky looking and the rubber end grips, although soft, grip well. They slide back and forth on the frame by 6mm, so you can adjust their length to suit your head, which is a nice touch.

>>> RH+ ZY MIPS helmet review

You get a large Zerorh+ branding on the sides of the glasses and more branding over the sides of the lenses. Although the latter looks quite large, it’s well enough tucked away at the top side of the lenses not to interfere with your vision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHy3N-Zn-Q

RH+ makes the Olympo sunglasses with a range of eleven frames colours and several lens options. The £105 version comes with a single grey lens colour with 16% light transmission. This is fairly dark for UK winter conditions; although it’s good for bright sunlight, it lacks a bit of definition under the usual leaden skies and when riding under tree cover.

>>> The best cycling glasses

An extra £10 buys you mirrored silver or red lenses, while the Olympo Triple Fit Varia sunglasses cost £110 and come with photochromatic grey lenses. These vary between 11% and 34% light transmission, dependent on light conditions. The extra £5 looks like a good investment for the increased flexibility to deal with varying light levels.

Although they don’t come with spare lenses, it’s quite easy to remove the lens and RH+ sells replacement lenses if yours get damaged.

The frame of the Tifosi Davos sunnies is made of Grilamid TR-90. This material feels a bit more harder and less soft to the touch than some rival sunnies, although Tifosi say that it has a very high bending strength. It also says that the frame is resistant to chemical and UV damage.

The lenses have good optical clarity. They are wide enough that their edges are not intrusive, particularly at the top, if you’re riding in a low down, aggressive position. There is a small vent at the top of each side of the lens and another two on the bottom. These are effective to reduce misting.

The lenses are polycarbonate and the Tifosi Davos sunglasses are supplied with three lenses: clear, orange tinted and smoke. None of them are too tinted, so you get good definition even on dreary UK days, but still enough protection if the sun does come out and 100% protection from UV rays.

Swapping the lenses requires a bit more force than the likes of Oakley and its RadarLock system for example. You'll need to prise them out of the bottom half of the frame and pull them down out of the top. This feels a bit nerve-wracking the first time you try it as it feels as if the lens or frame might break. Fitting the replacement lens is a lot easier, although you will end up with them covered with fingerprints.

>>> The best cycling sunglasses

The nose pieces and ear pieces on the frame are of soft rubber and mouldable to suit your facial dimensions. They are hydrophilic, to help keep the glasses in place well if you start to sweat. You can buy replacement nose pieces, ear pieces and lenses, which come in five tint options.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHy3N-Zn-Q

The Tifosi Davos glasses come with both a soft case and a hard case, which has a removable sleeve for the spare lenses.

>>> How to cycle in the wind

An extra £5 buys you the Tifosi Davos with a single photochromatic lens, with light transmission varying between 15 and 50%. Unless you particularly like having multiple lenses, this might be a better option for its versatility and reduced fiddling.

If you don’t fancy the fluoro yellow Race Neon frames, the Tifosi Davos sunglasses are also made in white, blue, black or red.

Decked in gold and adorning the face of Vincenzo Nibali at this year's Giro d'Italia, these Rudy Project Tralyx sunglasses certainly have a pedigree in braggadocio as well as racing.

To go with the bling gold frame Rudy Project has included its Rp Optics Multilaser Orange lenses that create a nice contrast with its design but also the experience. Much like Oakley Prizm lenses, the Multilaser lenses creates more contrast between colours when out riding, making it easier for you react to stimuli on the road.

Flat light is a common feature of the UK summer and occurs when the sun is diffused by overcast cloud, reducing contrast and tones. Rudy Project Tralyx Multilaser lenses worked well to combat that while also defending against harsh bright rays when the sun actually does come out. Unfortunately, if the cloud was too heavy and the light too dark, the specs would struggle thanks to the darkened lenses.

Heat build-up wasn't a problem thanks to the Rudy Project Tralyx Powerflow system. This is the name Rudy Project uses for its venting system. One problem that I normally have with sunglasses is heat build-up when I slow down.

Specs that are too close to my face will trap heat and condense the inside of the glasses causing a nuisance once I start riding again. With the Tralyx the venting and spacing behind the lenses was incorporated so well that this was never a problem.

>>> Best cycling glasses for 2017

Lastly, the frame offers decent customisation with the nose holder being freely adjustable – perfect for anyone with a nose smaller or larger than most while the arms are made of a flexible rubber that not only grips but adjusts accordingly to your head. This is great if you find that most sunglass arms are too rigid or uncomfortable.

If you fancy changing up the lenses then the simple click system is easy enough to use – great if you want to change while out riding.

There are a number of different lenses on offer but like the glasses themselves, they aren't the cheapest.

New for this year, the Smith Pivlock Arena glasses come with Smith’s own, also new, ChromaPop lens technology.

According to Smith, the new tech should stop our brains confusing blue and green and red and green colours, filtering light at two specific wavelengths, giving much greater definition.

>>> POC Do Blade review

Whether or not my brain was less confused is a tough call, but the environment around me when riding was certainly defined, putting the lenses easily on a par with Oakley’s class-leading Prizm technology.

The lenses aren’t only clear, though, they’re also expansive, covering 99 per cent of your field of view. You really have to strain your eyes to the extreme to see any real daylight peeking in from the tops or sides, and even then it’s not distracting.

The Smith Pivlock Arena glasses are very low key in terms of construction – they only really have arms and a nose bridge – but what they do have they use smartly, especially when it comes to changing lenses.

Watch: How to dress for hot conditions

In this sense, they're the opposite to the Oakley Jawbreakers, but happily it is a design that makes them both lightweight and comfortable as well as well vented – they rarely got steamy at all.

This lightweight construction does possibly have it drawbacks, though. The fact there are no rubber edges to the frame, like on the Oakleys, can let air through, making your eyes water, especially if it’s cold.

That said, my skinny face probably was a factor in the airflow issues. At least they didn’t move around when riding or looking down at my cycling computer.

Changing lenses means literally disassembling the glasses – but it’s not as hard as it sounds. In fact, it’s a total breeze to do and just involves separating the arms from the lenses and and removing the nose piece before reversing the system around the replacement lens.

The Oakley EVZero Path design is frameless and super-light at only 21 grams. The lines around the edge of the Oakley EVZero Path lenses are etched in and cosmetic rather than being structural. I usually prefer a frameless or half frame design for cycling, as it ensures extra peripheral vision and should result in good airflow to prevent misting.

This is the case with the Oakley EVZero Path glasses, although I did find I could get steamed up on hot, slow climbs and when stopped. The lenses clear quickly once you start riding faster, though. Likewise, peripheral coverage was adequate, although not quite as good as on some other sunglasses I’ve tested.

But the definition provided by Oakley’s Prizm lens is first rate. Oakley says that it transmits 20 per cent of incident light and there’s good definition and eye protection in bright sunlight. Oakley claims 100 per cent protection from UV and from shorter-wavelength blue light too.

>>> Danger of counterfeit Oakley sunglasses laid bare

When going onto more shady roads and trails it’s harder to spot obstacles, though. For a price comparable to the Oakley EVZero Path glasses, some brands offer a more versatile photochromatic lens option.

Being so light, the Oakley EVZero Path sunnies are comfortable. They have wide, flat earpieces and a swappable nosepad that support the glasses well, with no tendency to slip around, even when you sweat. And I like the look of the red mirrored lens coating.

>>> Best cycling glasses for 2017

So the Oakley EVZero Path Prizm Road sunglasses are a good companion for bright conditions on your summer rides. But you can’t get away from the fact that you’re paying a premium for the big O on the side of the frame.

Swinging at the premium end of the cycling glasses market, the POC DO Blade glasses take the fight to the likes of the Oakley Jawbreakers.

There are plenty of features to like here: quality changeable lenses, a good field of vision and a decent, face-sparing weight.

It's dead easy to swap the lenses in and out, although you'll have to acquire the other lenses separately. When you have them, it's as simple as pushing in the curved bit of plastic on the bridge of the nose and then popping the lens out. It's then just a case of popping the replacement back in.

These are good-quality lenses, too, and while they might just be pipped by Oakley's glass in terms of performance, the POC DO Blade lenses are still made by Carl Zeiss and provide crisp, clear fields of view.

>>> Best cycling sunglasses: a buying guide 

This is also aided by the good peripheral vision, and thanks to the wide lens your field of view isn't hindered by the frame.

That said, my particular frame was slightly invasive, but I'll attribute that to the fluoro-yellow colour scheme, which is probably visible from space.

The only times I suffered any fogging was when stationary and wet; however it lifted quickly when riding and didn't hinder my view.

Watch: How to dress for hot conditions

Where POC loses this battle, though, is in terms of the fit. It's not a case of pinching or hot spots, and I never suffered any type of rubbing or discomfort from the glasses. It's just that these are glasses for those with a wider face, and on my own skinny head I found they were far too eager to move around. They consistently lifted off my nose whenever I looked down at my feet, handlebars or gears.

Making matters worse, there aren't any real grippers here, and this becomes very noticeable when placed side-by-side with Oakley's Jawbreakers.

The DO Blade glasses do have a rubber nose piece and then a thin strip on the arms. In general I tend to find that glasses with rubber around the bottom sit on the face better, even if it's not quite as aesthetically pleasing.

Oakley’s Radar Pace are smart glasses, born out of a collaboration of Intel and Oakley. Rather than opt for the heads up display or mini screens of previous smart glasses, such as Recon Jet and Google Glass, Pace has no display and gives you information through headphones, via a slightly robotic, female, American voice.

Personally, I am waiting for the update where you can change the voice to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator barking commands such as "do it, do it now" and "get to the chopper" would be a great motivator.

 >>> Buyer's guide to cycling glasses

Set up out of the box was fairly straightforward and required me to download an app on my iPhone. The glasses create a training plan for you by noting down your vital statistics, when your season goal is and how much time a week you can dedicate to training.

 >>> Should you cycle with earphones?

The clever bit is that Radar is able to create a training plan, adapt that plan if you miss a session and constantly analyze your power and heart rate data. By monitoring your data, the glasses will adjust your training zones over time – smart indeed.

 >>> Review of Oakley Radar EV

It’s good, and maybe a cost effective ‘coach’ for beginners, but is less well suited to more experienced athletes, who know how to train, recover and fit in training around other commitments. It is important to factor, that in order to get the most out of the product you will require sensors that record, cadence, heart rate and power. If you don't own a power meter, put the money towards that before buying this.

What's more you feel utterly ridiculous while talking to a pair of glasses, with other human beings within earshot. In you head, you might be imagining you will be as cool as David Hasselhoff talking to Kit in Knightrider, the reality is that you will sheepishly checking over your shoulder there is no one around before you ask "Okay Radar, how am I doing."

Fundamentally the product is flawed. Headphones and cyclists will always be a divisive issue. When using the product, my sense of hearing was undoubtedly diminished and there were moments when cars surprised me. It’s less of an issue in wide, open quiet roads, but in built up, densely populated areas I need my wits about me. The south of England where I am based, is particularly congested.

Video - Tech of the month, featuring Oakley Radar Pace Glasses

Secondly, the product is not especially suited to riding with others. If you do all your training alone, then great, but with the headphones in you will struggle to hear your companions which is a key part of riding in a close group.  Further more, when the glasses instruct you to start an interval, it is not very sociable when you seemingly attack your mates. I should point out that you can opt to ride with one headphone though.

Not having to look down at a Garmin could be argued as safer, but the Pace is not good enough at relaying information to the rider to replace a dedicated bike computer. It periodically tells you your metrics, but it’s too slow, meaning that by the time Oakley Radar Pace tells you your speed or power, it’s already changed. It feels noticeably laggy when you ask it a question too such as "Okay Radar, what's my heart rate?"

I did suspect that this would be less of an issue if you were using the glasses for running and this is perhaps a better application as running with headphones is considerably safer than cycling too.

Other Details

I had some connectivity problems with my iPhone 6, with the Bluetooth connection to the glasses dropping out with a frequency of about twice per hour. This is highly irritating when in use but its seems to be down to iOS 10 right now rather than Oakley Radar Pace. As it is a new product I suspect issues like with will be ironed out.

Battery Life is quoted as six hours normal use, or four hours of music. My longest ride with the glasses was three and half hours and I had no problems. The only real issue I can envisage is for those doing ultra long events. The battery is integrated, meaning that once it dies, you would have to stop and charge it.

In comparison, Recon Jet gives you the option to take a spare battery you can swap in, when needed. Connectivity to third party apps isn't great. To get your files on Strava or Training peaks you have to it manually, which is clunky.

Although based on the Radar EV, the lenses are no compatible with the Oakley Radar Pace, with an ever so slightly different shape - I tried.

Although twice the weight of standard Radars, the Pace is commendably comfortable and could easily be worn all day. You can also listen to music as well as make and receive calls, but, I like to escape that when I am on my bike.

For more information head over to Oakley.

When I put the Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses on indoors, the lenses were pretty colourless and I had the feeling once I set out to ride that they still were. So I took them off to have a look, to find that they’d actually turned quite dark grey. The tinting is subtle enough to not really notice, so it gives a lot of contrast and road detail when out riding, yet it still provides a decent level of protection from bright sun.

>>> Review: Uvex Race 1 helmet

Uvex claims that the Sportstyles cover protection levels against the sun from S0 to S3 (with S0 being effectively clear and S3 being for bright sunlight; S4 is not suitable for driving but good for crossing glaciers). My experience above suggests that this is accurate. There are mirrored photochromatic and non-photochromatic versions as well as these non-mirrored photochromatic ones on test.

I’m not normally a fan of full rimmed sunglasses for riding, preferring open sides and bottom for uninterrupted peripheral vision, but the Uvex Sportstyle 810 V sunglasses have sufficiently large lenses and a wrap around style so that I didn’t really notice the frames. And the curvature and lens size means that there’s very little unfiltered light finding its way around the sides.

>>> The sunglass-saving device you never knew you needed

Watch: how to dress for hot conditions

Despite the large lenses, I did not find misting a problem. There’s a ventilation slot in the side of each lens and Uvex says that the lenses are anti-fog treated too. The Sportstyles are comfortable to wear for extended periods; they have a wide, rubberised, adjustable nosepiece. The temple grips are rubberised and can be bent to ensure a good fit. The plastic from which the frame and side pieces are made feels a bit unyielding compared to some other makes’, although they are durable and comfortable enough in use.

I’m personally not sure how much of a market there is in the UK for Nacer Bouhanni tribute sunglasses, but that’s the market that Ekoi is trying to hit with this gold edition of its Guerra sunglasses.

>>> Buyer's guide to cycling sunglasses

Apart from the gold colour (which adds the not insignificant sum of £25 to the overall price), the glasses you see here are the same as the standard Ekoi Guerra sunglasses. That means a TR90 Grilamid frame with dead straight arms that provide a secure hold around your temples and six vents at the front to prevent the lenses from steaming up.

The lens of the Ekoi Guerra sunglasses is made from “unbreakable” polycarbonate, are inter-changeable, and are available in four different colours (red, green, blue, and smoked) each of which provide 100 per cent UV protection, as well as a photochromic lens that will change according to brightness (although unfortunately this option will also add an additional £25 to the price).

>>> Hot weather cycling: five tops to help you keep your cool

I was generally impressed with the quality of the lenses, which didn’t mist up and provided crystal clear vision even when it was perhaps a little too dark for sunglasses. However they were spoilt by the Ekoi logo in the corners of the lenses, which were constantly in the corner of your vision. These logos are in three other places on the sunglasses, so why they are needed on the lenses I have no idea.

The other annoyance was that despite the nosepiece being adjustable, the Ekoi Guerra sunglasses consistently slipped down my nose when riding out of the saddle or riding on rough roads.

>>> Icons of cycling: Oakley M Frame sunglasses

Slightly better is the classy carbon-fibre style case that the sunglasses are sold with, which is solid and a bit more understated than the gold sunglasses themselves. Of course, if you’re not quite good enough to pull off the gold Bouhanni tribute look, then the standard Ekoi Guerra sunglasses have the same construction and can be modified with whatever colours you want through the company’s website.

For more details visit the Ekoi website.

Sunwise is a UK sports sunglasses brand which aims at the middle ground, rather than being super-expensive. It has a wide range of styles and lens types suitable for cycling and other sports, ranging up to a frameless design with photochromatic lenses at just under £100.

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The Sunwise Equinox sunglasses are available in white, grey, blue or pink as well as the green frame we have tested. They have quite straight side arms which come with rubberised temple grips in a contrasting colour. The nose pieces are also rubberised and match the grips.

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The Sunwise Equinox sunglasses come with no fewer than four sets of interchangeable lenses, ranging from clear category zero lenses right up to smoke mirrored category 3 lenses which are suitable for strong sunlight. All the tinted lenses give good contrast, which is helpful as it enhances detail when out riding. I found that the yellow category 1 and orange category 2 lenses work particularly well in typical UK winter riding conditions.

The bonus of the two lens design is that it is easy to carry a spare pair of lenses in a jersey pocket in case light levels change during a ride. The lenses are easily swapped out, but click into place firmly, so that I had no problem with them coming loose while riding.

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The lenses on the Sunwise Equinox sunglasses are not as large as for some other glasses, which results in a bit of unfiltered light making it into the peripheral vision, but not enough to be distracting. The bonus from this is that the sunglasses are quick to clear if you mist up when stopped or on climbs.

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I found the Equinox glasses comfortable to wear for extended rides and the straight arms fitted well over a winter cap as well as being comfortable when just used under a helmet. They’re very light too and Sunwise sells replacement lenses, including non-standard tints if you lose or damage yours or just fancy a change.

I’ve been impressed by the Sunwise Equinox sunglasses, which are well suited to variable UK conditions and come at a realistic price.

Oakley says that the Flak 2.0 Prizm sunglasses are not only suitable for cycling but also a variety of other sports including trail running, rock climbing and golf.

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They come with two separate lenses, rather than the wide one-piece lens found on many cycling specific sunnies - like the Oakley JawBreaker and the BBB Select sunglasses.

The lenses use Oakley’s Prizm technology to maximise contrasts and its patented High Definition Optics to enhance visual clarity.

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The result is great visibility, particularly in changing light conditions.

The Oakley Flak 2.0 come in a standard size and on the Cycling Weekly scales came in at a sprightly 24g - 10g lighter than the JawBreakers.

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The rubber-like Unobtanium nosepiece and arms keep the glasses in place - I didn't experience any real slippage or movement - and along with the very low weight give a comfortable fit. I was almost unaware I was wearing them.

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Some may not be a fan of the relatively small lenses, but they provide sufficient coverage and it is only when riding in the most extreme and aggressive positions that you notice the frame in your peripheral vision.

Oakley worked in collaboration with world-class British sprinter Mark Cavendish to create the most popular pair of sunglasses in the pro-peloton, the Jawbreaker.

Together they produced a pair of distinctive sunglasses that will definitely get your friends talking.

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Available in seven different colour schemes (including a Tour de France version) and with several lens options, you can choose your preferred aesthetics and ensure that you get the correct lens for your type of riding.

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Using a wide lens means that, although they may look a bit out of place off the bike, they ensure you have great peripheral vision on it. In fact, other than the classic Oakley M-frames there are not many sunglasses out there that provide a wider uninhibited view.

The adjustable arms mean you can get a good fit which removes any fear of your top end glasses plummeting to the floor. Combined with the comfortable nose piece, I barely noticed I was wearing them even after multiple hours in the saddle.

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The above is all very interesting, but what really makes the Jawbreakers stand out from the crowd, and give them their name, is Oakley’s innovative Switchlock interchangeable lens system.

You pull the nose piece up to release the clip on the top of the frame which in turn allows the lower, jaw-line, to drop down and for the lens to removed. In short, the straightforward and sturdy system allows you to easily swap out and then lock in securely your selected lenses.

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Coming with wide lenses which provide great peripheral vision, these are fairly large sunglasses. As a result some might feel they are a bit too big for their face shape and it is hard to argue that they look good off the bike- however they are not designed for casual wear, they are performance glasses.

Put simply- if you are looking for great optical quality with eye-catching innovative design, and the aesthetics aren't a no no for you, the Oakley Jawbreaker sunglasses are a superb option.

The 012 range from Salice extends to eight different lens types and is available in a host of different lens and frame colours too – in total there are over 30 different combinations to choose from.

The CRX range comes with a single-piece photochromatic lens, as well as a replacement lens for low light conditions – in the case of the CMDCRXs it’s a light orange tint which accentuates detail effectively on dull days.

The photochromatic lens works well too, reacting quickly to changing light levels and not being too dark to work well in UK summer conditions. The lens is quite large, so there’s good peripheral coverage and side glare isn’t an issue. This does mean that there’s some misting when you stop though, although with slot vents built into the tops of the lens, it soon clears once you get moving again.

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Salice claims that the lens is treated to ensure that rain beads off quickly, although this wasn’t an effect which I noticed in practice. There’s also an antiglare treatment to the inside of the lens. I did find that I had little eye strain on longer rides, so this seemed to be effective.

The arms are comfortable and there’s a softer piece built in at their ends. The nosepiece is made of the same material. It’s quite large and extends up toward the bridge of your nose, but I found this comfortable too. If you change lenses, you need to swap this out, although this isn’t a difficult operation and the nosepiece clips firmly into place.

Swapping out the lens is quite straightforward too, with a tab at either end and a slot in the top of the frame into which the lens clicks. It can be slightly fiddly to position, but once in place, I found that it stayed put perfectly well.