SIX OF THE BEST
Keep the sun out of your eyes so you can focus on the trail
Summer riding glasses – keep the sun, wind and bits of crud out of your eyes so you can focus on the trail ahead
Endura SingleTrack £69.99
SO GOOD… These come with three lenses – mirror, smoke and a low-light orange option, which we used most. Lens coverage is pretty decent and the half-frame design means the field of view is almost uninterrupted. They stay put nicely, thanks to a pliable nose piece and head-hugging arms, which grip well without feeling too tight. Compared to others here, they’re not hugely expensive. NO GOOD… The mirrored lens distorts slightly towards the centre and the smoke option, while offering better clarity, is a bit dark for woodland trails. Swapping lenses is fiddly and not for the heavy-handed. www.endurasport.com
Oakley Flight Jacket £185
SO GOOD… Oakley’s ‘Prizm Trail’ lens enhances trail features in low light while still dealing with glare nicely when the sun is shining. It also allows your eyes to adjust almost immediately when zipping from the open into the woods. Thanks to interchangeable arms, the Flight Jackets work with lots of helmet shapes. The ‘Advancer’ nose bridge uses a tiny lever to lift the frame away from your face, with the result that we had no fogging.
NO GOOD… That lever is small and awkward to find on bumpy trails. Lifting the frame alters the fit and pressure on your ears and nose. You can see the lower frame while riding. They’re expensive too. www.oakley.com
Scott Spur £75.99
SO GOOD… There’s plenty of coverage and protection here, thanks to the Spurs’ deep lens, which has long slots at the top to combat fogging. The well-shaped frame and easy-to-adjust nose piece ensure they don’t bobble around or feel overly tight. Scott supply a mirrored lens and clear lens, and it’s easy enough to swap between them. The green-chrome lens was great on bright days, taking the glare off and adding definition.
NO GOOD… Because the green lens is quite dark, it can be tricky to pick out trail features in shaded sections. The lenses need to be locked into place carefully. www.scott-sports.com
100% S2 £179.99
SO GOOD… Offering an uninterrupted field of vision, the S2s are like a mini windscreen for your face. The flexible arms, soft nose piece and low weight make them some of the comfiest here. While the ‘HiPER’ red-mirror lens looked dark, it coped impressively in low light as well as dealing with dazzling sunshine brilliantly. You get a clear lens for drearier days too. The swap procedure is pretty basic, but quick and easy.
NO GOOD… The vents at the bottom of the lens aren’t particularly effective, with the 100% glasses fogging up more quickly than the best here on humid days. They’re pricey too. www.madison.co.uk
Tifosi Alliant £99.99
SO GOOD… The Alliants are the only glasses on test with a photochromic (light sensitive) lens, and it works really well. Clarity is good and the transition when going from dazzling light into the depths of the forest is rapid enough that you can still spot awkward trail features almost instantly. Vents at the top and bottom of the lens meant we had no issues with fogging.
NO GOOD… Those lower vents are visible while riding. You get used to them, but they still draw your attention on occasion. The lens is one of the smallest here too, so coverage isn’t quite as good. www.zyrofisher.co.uk
Smith Attack Max £190
SO GOOD… Smith’s Attack Maxes are light and comfy, with a deep, wide lens that provides masses of coverage and an uncompromised field of view. They come with two ‘ChromaPop’ lenses, which can be swapped out in seconds, via magnetic clasps on the arms. Lens quality is superb, with the ‘contrast rose’ option working well both in bright sunlight and shady wooded areas. With no frame around the lens, it takes a lot of sweat and humidity for them to start to fog.
NO GOOD… They’re the priciest on test. We’d like to see a clear lens included too. The dark mirror lens works well on bright days but struggles in dense woodland. www.smithoptics.com