Sunglasses for cycling – Joe’s top picks

In 2010 I cycled from London to Paris with 9 friends. It was the 10 year anniversary of being all clear from cancer and I wanted to do something challenging and memorable to raise money.  Most of us were in our 30’s and had not been on a bike since school so it was challenging but since then I have become an avid cyclist completing many major sportives and cycling events across this country and Europe.

It is true that most of us are particular about the way we look on the bike, one friend likes to say that cycling is 95% about the way you look and 5% about the way you ride! Not sure how true that is but we do like to look good when we are out on the bike!

Most cycling gear is fairly standard, bib shorts, lycra top, and always a helmet for safety so the area we can push the envelope is with our cycling sun-specs.

Obviously they have to be functional but we also like them to be fashionable.

I don’t have a prescription so I am lucky in that I can pick anything I like the look of, but I know friends who wear glasses on a daily basis and they still have a wide choice of good looking frames and styles with the option of prescription lenses or clever, discreet clip-in prescription inserts.

My preferred brand is Adidas who do some great styles and options for both with and without prescription. The Movistar team wore Adidas sunglasses in last year’s Tour de France and I loved the style.

For cycling the specs need to be fairly curved to give good peripheral vision when on the bike. I must confess that I have 3 pairs of sunglasses I wear for cycling including the Evil Eye Halfrim Pro and the Tycane Pro, and these have different interchangeable coloured lenses including polarised, orange tinted and clear. Clear lenses are essential on a dark winter day when you need to keep the wind and bugs out!

I obviously get off my bike occasionally and its nice to wear something different so I have a pair of Oliver Peoples sunglasses and I’ve just purchased a pair of Ray bans with blue mirrored lenses for my holiday this year! I’m starting to wonder if I might have a few too many pairs!!

What I love about my adidas sunglasses for cycling

• Quick change lens system – easy to swap lenses to suit the weather conditions
• Sweat blocker – no explanation needed!
• Traction grip sides – means the glasses don’t slip but without digging in!
  
• Ventilation system – this ensures the air is directed in a way that is not intrusive or disturbs your eyesight
• Tri fit 3 level adjustable height system – this means I can still get the same great field of view whether I’m sitting up and looking around or head down into the wind.