Final summer time at Crankworx Whistler, Leatt was exhibiting off a brand new line of biking eyewear, together with the RideViz Professional sun shades. I bought my arms on a pair for testing, which featured an non-obligatory photochromic lens. With a full-frame design and a large-coverage lens, these shades are made for mountain biking, however can simply work for any style of biking.
I rode with the Leatt RideViz Professional sun shades from mid-summer to early winter, then once more this spring. Between the improbable efficiency from the photochromic lens, their wonderful resistance to condensation, and their snug and safe match, I’ve discovered the RideViz Professional to be a top-notch pair of sun shades that carry out properly in any situations. I used to be notably blissful to seek out the lens lived as much as its claims, providing a large seen gentle transmission (VLT) vary with fairly quick transitions.
RideViz Professional Sun shades – Development Options
The RideViz Professional frames are constructed with a Biopolymer materials with gentle anti-slip rubber temple inserts and adjustable nostril items. The body of those light-weight sun shades is basically constructed round their lens. The higher body, decrease body, and arms are all separate items that clip onto the lens.
The RideViz Professional incorporates a cylindrical lens, which is designed to reduce visible distortion. Cylindrical lenses are flatter (vs. the dual-curved Toric lenses discovered on different Leatt sun shades), in order that they don’t sit fairly as near your face and permit for loads of airflow.
The RideViz Professional’s lenses are 60mm tall. They provide an expansive vertical subject of view, which is supposed to work properly for aggressive using positions, with a pronounced wraparound form that helps guarantee good peripheral visibility.
Two sizes of the RideViz Professional sun shades can be found. Small frames, supposed for small or medium faces, measure 135mm large with a 20mm bridge width and 130mm temple size. For medium and enormous faces, the big RideViz Professional frames and lenses are 145mm large, with the identical bridge width and temple size because the small dimension.
The 2 sizes even get distinctive lenses with completely different curvatures. The big dimension makes use of a Base 6 lens, whereas the small has a Base 7 curvature.
The small RideViz Professional sun shades weighed in at 34g on my scale. Apparently, Jeremy has a pair in dimension massive, they usually weigh 34 grams, too.
Lenses
All out there lenses for the RideViz Professional sun shades are interchangeable, polycarbonate lenses. Following Leatt’s ethos of maintaining riders as secure as potential, the lenses are impact-tested to ANSI Z87.1 requirements. There are 4 lens choices supplied with the RideViz Professionals:
Iriz lenses function a mirror coating to scale back glare and defend your eyes from shiny gentle.
Cryztal lenses improve distinction to sharpen particulars and separate colours.
Cryztal Iriz lenses supply each distinction enhancement and an anti-glare mirrored coating.
Photochromic lenses mechanically tint based on gentle situations. Leatt’s lens affords a formidable vary of 25% to 90% VLT (90% achieves practically clear standing — Leatt’s clear lens is listed at 91% VLT). These photochromic lenses additionally reply in a short time to altering gentle situations.
All RideViz Professional sun shades come together with your alternative of lens and a spare Cryztal Rose lens (besides the photochromic fashions). Leatt says their timeline for availability of spare lenses is TBD, so patrons should select from the inventory body/lens combos for now.
The RideViz Professional sun shades are available in seven body coloration choices: Clear, Black, Gray, White, Neon Yellow, White/Black, and Satin Black. Costs vary from $153 to $186, relying on lens alternative, and every pair comes with a gentle bag.
Trip Impressions – Match and Helmet Compatibility
I’ve a smaller head, so I’m carrying the small RideViz Professional sun shades. The width of the small is ideal for me; the arms are cosy however snug, and the frames aren’t excessively large, which could be a downside with lots of as we speak’s massive protection using shades.
The RideViz Professionals’ subject of view is excellent throughout. The tall lenses do supply wonderful prime and backside visibility, and the glasses’ wraparound form places the edges of the frames nearly utterly out of view. Even pushed proper up my nostril, the RideViz Professionals’ frames don’t sit too near my cheeks or brow, leaving room for airflow throughout.
The RideViz Professionals match with a few of my open-faced MTB helmets, however not all. I’ve a shallow head, and whereas the highest of the body is barely barely curved on these glasses, it sits excessive sufficient on my brow to intrude with my deeper-fitting helmets.
My Oakley DRT5, Abus MoDrop, and new POC Cularis Pure helmets all match positive with these sun shades. My POC Tectal and Kortal lids had been each too deep on the brow, and my Endura MT500 suits too slender on the sides for the sun shades’ arms. Helmet interference will fluctuate from individual to individual and helmet to helmet. Jeremy says he has worn these sun shades with all of his half-shell helmets (six completely different fashions) with out problem.
Photochromic Lens
The RideViz Professionals I have been testing got here with Leatt’s photochromic lens, which I might be my advice. The lens meets Leatt’s claims of providing an unlimited transmission vary and transitioning rapidly from clear to totally tinted and again once more.
When there’s no daylight, the photochromic lens stays completely clear. Using these sun shades in wet, dim situations, there’s no noticeable distinction between the photochromic lens and another clear lens. It doesn’t take a lot gentle to activate the tint, although. As situations get brighter, they mechanically get darker in response.
Even in full sunshine, I discovered the darkest tint of the photochromic lens to be ample. With the photochromic lens, I’d say the RideViz Professional sun shades might work for any journey, no matter gentle or climate situations. These glasses had been at all times the suitable tint, and whereas the lens does transition comparatively rapidly for photochromic, 20-30 seconds, it’s not noticeable or distracting.
I observed a touch of visible distortion when trying by means of the very prime and backside sections of the cylindrical lens. Fortunately, this was by no means an issue whereas using, because the pretty flat mid-section of the lens (the place you’re principally trying) doesn’t produce any apparent impact.
Condensation
Along with the lens’s photochromic efficiency, I used to be very proud of the RideViz Professionals’ potential to withstand condensation. Throughout many rides in damp fall situations, plus hotter rides within the spring, the RideViz Professionals have reliably saved their lenses clear.
I wore these glasses all through many climbs, and the one fogging I ever skilled was a bit on the prime of the lens — however solely once I stopped transferring. Even on a wet climb that left me soaked with sweat, the lenses stayed completely clear till I took a break. As quickly as I began transferring (even at climbing speeds), the lenses cleared up inside seconds, they usually at all times stayed clear throughout descents.
Consolation and Safety
From the primary journey, I by no means had any comfort-related points with the RideViz Professional sun shades. The rubber nostril piece and padded arms at all times remained completely snug all through my rides. Even higher, these sun shades keep put. I by no means managed to make them budge out of place on my face or slide down my nostril in any respect, regardless of a number of moist and sweaty rides and numerous tough descents.
Lastly, the tall, wraparound lenses do supply good eye safety. Whereas some wind may be noticeable from the edges, the lenses block the breeze from the entrance very successfully. I by no means as soon as discovered my eyes watering on descents, and in sloppy situations, the RideViz Professionals saved all of the water and dust splatter safely away from my eyes.
Evidently, I’m a giant fan of the match, stability, protection, and lens efficiency of those shades. Try Leatt’s web site for all the small print on the RideViz Professional sun shades.
leatt.com
