As a keen time trialist and triathlete, cycling glasses are a very important piece of kit.
When I’m looking for a new pair of glasses, there are a few key things that I look for:
close, comfortable fit without any slipping; good optics; minimal fogging;
interchangeable lenses for different light conditions; good looks and reasonable price.
So when I was asked to test Lomo’s Elite cycling glasses with three interchangeable
lenses, I was curious to see just how many boxes I could tick.
The first box to be ticked off immediately was interchangeable lenses. The glasses
come with a clear lens for dull conditions, an orange lens for brighter days (this lens has
Category 2 UV400 protection against UVA & UVB rays) and a darker category 3
polarised lens for bright sunshine or very low angle glaring light.
Another box to be quickly ticked off was that of price. This range of Lomo’s glasses
retails at just £15.00, which is an amazing price considering the fact you get three
different lenses included, especially for those who tend to lose or break their glasses a
lot!
While the glasses don’t come with a hard case with storage for the spare lenses, they
do come with a very useful cloth case that doubles up as a lens cleaner. This can be
easily stashed in a jersey pocket so you can keep your lenses clean while out riding
super for after a rain shower!
I was extremely impressed with the fit of the glasses. They have a wraparound style to
protect your eyes from bugs and grit etc., and have a soft nose bridge and have padded
inserts on the legs make them comfortable and to stop them slipping. But, while they
fitted well off the bike, how well would they fare while I was riding? The answer was,
incredibly well!
I tested the glasses on a variety of types of rides and in a range of weather conditions.
They stood up to everything I threw at them! On a long 90 mile ride with plenty of hills
and descents in the Surrey Hills, these glasses stayed in place, the orange lenses didn’t
fog up on sweaty climbs and offered complete protection to my eyes. Likewise, when I
used the glasses on a fast training ride in bright sunshine on my TT bike, they didn’t slip
or fog up and I actually forgot I was wearing them! This brings me to the next positive
about Lomo’s glasses, they are pretty light at just 25 grams.
Given the fact that these glasses retail at just £15.00, the lens quality is great. The
lenses are clear with no perceivable distortion. All the lenses work as well as I would
expect in different light conditions and are really easy to swap in and out.
The only small complaint I have is in the lack of colour choice in the frames. The
glasses only come in one colour, black. I think a few other frame colour options would
make these an extremely appealing proposition to all riders, male and female.
So overall, I have found the Lomo Elite Cycling Glasses to be fantastic value for money.
With the exception of frame colour, all my tick boxes were easily ticked. In my opinion,
they work as well, if not better than many of the more expensive brands out there. I am
particularly impressed by their fit and the fact that after using them for over 250 miles of
riding, I have yet to push them up my nose! These will definitely be the glasses I’ll be wearing this season.
Review by @HelenSpeedyWebb