Oakley Sutro Lite sunglasses
£229.99, zyrofisher.co.uk
£143, oakley.com
Sported by Egan Bernal and Giro hero João Almeida, Oakley’s Sutro sunglasses have been a popular choice in the pro peloton in recent times. To earn the ‘Lite’ moniker these glasses have lost the bottom half of the frames, which Oakley says increases the field of view and improves ventilation.
Another upgrade is that the arms now use Unobtainium rubber, a material that was previously used only on the nosepads. According to Oakley, Unobtainium – not to be confused with the soughtafter mineral in the film Avatar – not only makes them more comfortable but also actually increases its grip with sweat. The rest of the setup is the same as the original Sutro: the contrast-enhancing Prizm lenses, durable O Matter frame and the oversized form factor. With wünderkind Remco Evenepoel seen wearing Sutro Lites they’re set to become an even more prominent fixture next season than the Sutros were in this one.
The Helios Spherical slides in just beneath the Aether Spherical in Giro’s hierarchy, adding a second helmet to the range that can boast ‘Spherical Technology powered by Mips’.
As the ‘powered by’ phrase suggests, this helmet includes a system a bit like Mips but not the same as regular Mips. For anyone who is unfamiliar with Mips, it’s a thin plastic structure that sits inside the shell of a helmet that can slide in multiple directions, helping to reduce the rotational impact on the skull in the event of a crash. It’s a safety innovation available to any manufacturer and seen on a lot of top-end helmets, but what Giro has done is to take the concept one step further. Spherical Technology eliminates the conventional slip-plane layer and instead comprises two helmet shells, one inside the other, allowing for rotational movement a bit like a ball and socket joint. The system was pioneered with the Aether Spherical, and where the Helios Spherical differs is that it is a less race-focussed helmet.
That means it is slightly more compact, with smaller vents and more padding inside the shell. It weighs nearly the same as the Aether (a claimed 250g for a medium) and while it may be less well ventilated than its sibling, it apparently tests a little faster in the wind-tunnel. More importantly, it comes in some £40 cheaper than the Aether Spherical, so is a touch friendlier on the wallet.