At a glance Bargain price, triple-lens cycling shades with great wind, sun and impact protection
Tested by
Jon Adams, tester for The Bike List
Performance
A friend from work told me they were going to buy a bike and
start cycling for the health benefits, and asked me for some advice
on any gear that's essential. Right after the usual "get a helmet"
came the recommendation for a pair of shades, and with good reason.
Getting some decent eye protection is vitally important for
cyclists, and anyone who has had their face raked by thorns or has
suffered the agony of mud in the eye will agree with me. These are
mainly off-road hazards of course, but even if you're a roadie,
your eyes are far from safe. On a descent last year, I was hit by a
wasp while travelling at about 60kmph. I saw the thing very large
right in front of my left eye, and heard it crack against the lens
of the glasses I was wearing. I blinked instinctively - but
probably too late - and the tear ducts automatically went into
overdrive. Had I not been wearing a pair of cycling shades, I'm not
sure what damage would have been caused. I felt the impact through
the frame of the glasses, so I reckon it would have hurt! Another
incident that springs to mind was a cut from a thorny hedge on a
tight piece of singletrack. When you're concentrating on your line,
it's 
hard to keep tabs on
everything else around you, and the thorn raked right through the
line of my eye from eyebrow to cheekbone. The scratch that was
caused stopped where the glasses had done their job. It wasn't
deep, but would have been nasty for an unprotected eye.
The Shark glasses from Endura are designed to protect you from these kinds of hazards, and in the rather lavish, foam-padded case you get a frame with a removable rubber nose piece, a bag that doubles as a cleaning cloth, and three lenses (smoke, yellow and clear) for different lighting conditions. Removing the fitted smoke lens needed a herculean effort first time around, but once it snapped out, it was almost as if a factory seal had been released, and swapping lens units became much easier. The knack behind lens changes involves holding the top of the frame with one hand and then grasping the lens unit as close to the middle as possible with the other hand. Pull down, and the centre section pops out of its slot, and you then take out the two side lugs to remove the lens unit. Fitting a lens is the reverse of this - place the two side lugs in position, and the front is left bowing out slightly under tension. Then all you have to do is gently push the front under the clip above the nose, and then nestle the lens in the frame's groove on either side. It's quick and easy once you get used to it, but you can't avoid getting fingermarks all over the lens in the process, so the cleaning cloth/bag is very much needed after every lens change.
The thing I noticed immediately was how good the Sharks are at
sealing out the wind. The shape is well sculpted and hugs the face,
and because the frame sits just below the brow, the shades are very
effective at wind protection. The downside of this is it leaves a
small gap above the frame which lets the sun in, but you'll only
notice this if you're in an aero tuck using a roadie lid with no
visor. Those with off-road helmets and a more upright head 
position won't see the gap and won't have contrast
washed out when riding into the sun.
Thanks to the length of the wrap at either side, these shades don't have a blind spot when you're doing a 'lifesaver' glance back over your shoulder. Regular sunglasses often have the edge of the lens or frame on this crucial peripheral vision spot, but the Sharks don't have any issues at all: you can glance very quickly, process what's behind you, and then stay where you are or pull out depending on what's happening.
The Sharks have an anti-fog coating applied, but to be honest, it's not really up to the job. If you're riding in the cold wearing a balaclava or with a Buff over your nose, then hot, exhaled breath will rise and steam up your shades. The coating makes the fog clear slightly quicker than with an uncoated lens, but not quick enough for someone on a bike! A good test of how quick it needs to be is if you huff your breath directly on the lens. If it takes more than half a second to go crystal clear, then it's no good for balaclava riding. If you really want to have an anti-fog coating, do this:
1. Clean your lenses thoroughly using soapy water, and then dry them with kitchen roll.
2. Place a pea-sized amount of Fairy Liquid on a dry bit of kitchen roll and rub it all over both sides of the lens so it smears the whole thing.
3. Leave it for an hour (or even overnight) and then buff it till it's clear using dry kitchen roll. Huff your breath on the lens now, and no condensation will form.
You'll need to repeat this regularly, but it makes a huge difference to winter riding.
Triple-lens cycling shades are nothing new, but at just £30, these are right at the budget end of the market, yet perform at a level much higher up the scale. Primarily because of the wind protection, they've become my first choice for both on- and off-road rides, and they're holding up well with a good level of comfort. The clear lens is great for night rides, the smoke is just right for bright, sunny days, and the yellow lens covers everything in between - and instantly makes any weather look better! For now, I've retired other cycling shades in favour of these, but it would be nice to see an online order option for spare parts like nose pieces, lenses and frames. These are available from Endura's returns and repairs department (call 01506 832491 or go via the main website) and prices are a very reasonable £2 for a nose piece and £5 for a frame or a lens.
All in all, the Endura Shark glasses offer a great fit, a great performance and a great price, and come in an excellent case that offers solid protection. Top buy.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
Endura says:
- Impact resistant (certified to EN 166), high definition, low distortion polycarbonate lenses with anti-fog finish
- UV Filtration standard EN 1836, dependant on colour of lens
- Ergonomic wrap-around style for improved wind protection
- Light-weight, flexible tips and soft-touch vented nose-bridge for maximum comfort, fit and grip
- Supplied complete with hard case and soft wipe microfibre carry pouch
- Lens colours: Clear, Yellow and Mirror Smoke
For more details, see www.endura.co.uk
