Cycling Glasses
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Cycling Glasses
With Tour De France finishing and Giro d'Italia well underway, at PRETAVOIR we have been taking notes of the brand’s at the forefront of Cycling.
Frames appear to be getting larger every tour with a broad range of colours, materials and technology taking over each rider’s face… However, cycling glasses are not just about protecting cyclists' eyes from the summer sun, the eyewear actually acts as a protective barrier to dust, dirt, snow, rain and wind. With the winter months ahead, cyclists and commuters may start to notice more of these elements interfering with their ride.
Coverage
With all jokes aside about the size of cycling glasses. You really want to look for decent coverage when shopping for a new pair of glasses. As mentioned, you want your cycling frames to keep dirt, bugs, water, and wind out of your eyes as these can become uncomfortable and disarm you while cycling. In order to provide this type of protection, many models designed with one piece lenses - stretching a little further than your normal sunglasses would - or wraparound lenses which give you further coverage around the sides of your eyes.
With all jokes aside about the size of cycling glasses. You really want to look for decent coverage when shopping for a new pair of glasses. As mentioned, you want your cycling frames to keep dirt, bugs, water, and wind out of your eyes as these can become uncomfortable and disarm you while cycling. In order to provide this type of protection, many models designed with one piece lenses - stretching a little further than your normal sunglasses would - or wraparound lenses which give you further coverage around the sides of your eyes.
Frame
Having a frame that fits well is very important. Whether you are moving your head from left to right to look for traffic or whether you’re looking down and putting some serious pedal to the metal - your glasses should remain on your face. A lot of cycling glasses are developed with rubber tips on the arms in order to ensure a tight yet comfortable fit around the top of your ears. Some cycling glasses also have an adjustable rubber nose pieces that stops your glasses slipping down your face. However, on the reverse side you don’t want your glasses to be too tight otherwise they will quickly become uncomfortable which can lead to headaches.
Lenses
Usually designed with modern-polycarbonate, cycling lenses are designed not to shatter on impact, instead bending when coming into contact with any extreme pressure. Transition lenses are useful for cycling glasses as you can come into a range of different lighting conditions on a long cycle, however most are developed with interchangeable lenses. This usually consists of the first lens being a standard shaded lens dimming bright light and providing 100% UV protection. Be careful when selecting your lens and when you choose to wear your sunglasses as they shouldn’t be so dark that you are struggling to make out the road in front of you - so avoid shaded lenses at night. Your second lens should have a slight coloured tinge that will assist in brightening your vision and providing clarity when you’re cycling in overcast conditions. These types of lenses should make it easier for your eyes to spot rough surfaces in flat light. Then finally, your eyewear should be equipped with a clear lens that is there to protect your eyes from the environments when you’re riding in the dark.
Coatings, Glazes & Design Features
Aside from the cycling frames and lenses, you can look for coatings and technical design features. Hydrophobic coatings make your eyewear water resistant. This transparent coating of titanium dioxide that is placed on the surface of the lens and ensures that water doesn’t stay on the lens and in your line - ensuring you have a clear field of vision. Anti-scratch coatings are an incredibly important aspect of cycling eyewear as you can come into contact with a range of materials when cycling on or off road. These also provide an extra layer of protection to your glasses if they do happen to come off your face while you’re cycling. Then some glasses are fitted with ventilation systems to assist with air-flow so your glasses avoid misting which can be a problem when sweating or riding in damp, humid, conditions. These systems are usually featured through vent slots on the temple or through an adjustable nose piece which allows moisture to disperse through the frame.
Having a frame that fits well is very important. Whether you are moving your head from left to right to look for traffic or whether you’re looking down and putting some serious pedal to the metal - your glasses should remain on your face. A lot of cycling glasses are developed with rubber tips on the arms in order to ensure a tight yet comfortable fit around the top of your ears. Some cycling glasses also have an adjustable rubber nose pieces that stops your glasses slipping down your face. However, on the reverse side you don’t want your glasses to be too tight otherwise they will quickly become uncomfortable which can lead to headaches.
Lenses
Usually designed with modern-polycarbonate, cycling lenses are designed not to shatter on impact, instead bending when coming into contact with any extreme pressure. Transition lenses are useful for cycling glasses as you can come into a range of different lighting conditions on a long cycle, however most are developed with interchangeable lenses. This usually consists of the first lens being a standard shaded lens dimming bright light and providing 100% UV protection. Be careful when selecting your lens and when you choose to wear your sunglasses as they shouldn’t be so dark that you are struggling to make out the road in front of you - so avoid shaded lenses at night. Your second lens should have a slight coloured tinge that will assist in brightening your vision and providing clarity when you’re cycling in overcast conditions. These types of lenses should make it easier for your eyes to spot rough surfaces in flat light. Then finally, your eyewear should be equipped with a clear lens that is there to protect your eyes from the environments when you’re riding in the dark.
Coatings, Glazes & Design Features
Aside from the cycling frames and lenses, you can look for coatings and technical design features. Hydrophobic coatings make your eyewear water resistant. This transparent coating of titanium dioxide that is placed on the surface of the lens and ensures that water doesn’t stay on the lens and in your line - ensuring you have a clear field of vision. Anti-scratch coatings are an incredibly important aspect of cycling eyewear as you can come into contact with a range of materials when cycling on or off road. These also provide an extra layer of protection to your glasses if they do happen to come off your face while you’re cycling. Then some glasses are fitted with ventilation systems to assist with air-flow so your glasses avoid misting which can be a problem when sweating or riding in damp, humid, conditions. These systems are usually featured through vent slots on the temple or through an adjustable nose piece which allows moisture to disperse through the frame.
Now you know a bit more about how your cycling glasses should fit and do - what brand are you going to pick?
We stock a range of brands that manufacture impressive sporting spectacles. One of the most popular are Oakley Sunglasses. Oakley boast their adaptability while you ‘power on into the sun’, their eyewear actively shields your eyes and their designs are some of the most resilient frames on the road. Each pair of Oakley sunglasses prides itself upon their use of lightweight materials with no compromise on durability or longevity to the Oakley frames. Simplistic design with classic colours and shape, Oakley is the brand for active people seeking extreme comfort and high performance from their eyewear, each pair of sunglasses redefines the standards of world-class invention and artistic license. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and unparalleled brands on the market. Popular with pro-cyclists such as Mark Cavendish who can be seen wearing the Oakley Jawbreaker OO9290 36, Chris Froome who is wearing the Oakley Flight Jacket OO0401 16 Prizm and Egan Bernal who is photographed in the Oakley Sutro OO9406 02 Prizm - each pair offers enhanced peripheral view, aerodynamism and airflow technology.
Smith Sunglasses are also a popular brand in cycling specialising in easy-to-wear shapes that are lightweight and flexible. Smith Optics have developed their own ChromaPop™ lenses which enhance the contrast and natural colour making the details on your cycle ‘pop’. Their lenses also come with a smudge and moisture resistant coating which make for easy cleaning and clear optics meanwhile still offering 100% UV protection.
Nike are a huge name in sport, so there is no surprise that they have developed their own range of cycling eyewear. Nike developed Nike Max Optics in order to eliminate distortion when looking straight ahead, as well as minimise it in the peripheral vision. Their frames offer a large amount of adjustability, including the arms and the nose bridge. They have also made innovations with ventilation design, minimising the risk of fogging the lenses while playing sports.
Adidas Glasses proudly hold a long history in making some of the world's best sporting equipment. Adidas have created a highly technical range of sunglasses, their eyewear tackles issues of a perfect fit, clarity of vision, and versatility in different light conditions and this development has led to some really innovative solutions.
Adidas cycling sunglasses are specifically designed to be helmet compatible, featuring an integrated ventilation system to reduce fogging. Alejandro Valverde wears the Adidas Zonyk Aeros which are composed of a polycarbonate lens in one single piece. The eyewear is designed to adapt to any lighting conditions you come into contact with on your journey, as well as the elements - with an easy to remove lens design, the Zonyk Aeros, allow you to remove and clean the lens after a long ride.
Bolle Glasses offer truly aerodynamic experience, the brand have developed special shapes that allow air to flow freely through the frame and therefore minimising any condensation. Wrapping seamlessly around your face, Bollé uses their very own ‘b-clear technology’ which promises perfect vision regardless of the elements you’re facing. 
This is a very generalised guide when it comes to shopping for cycling sunglasses, so if you have further specific questions when it comes to your eyewear needs then please get in contact with our team who will be more than happy to assist you in finding the correct equipment. Just email us on hello@pretavoir.co.uk, call us on +44 141 552 5065 or send us a message on live chat!
Au revoir,
PRET A VOIR
PRET A VOIR
