Ryders’ AntiFog hydrophilic coating was introduced last year and immediately disperses moisture so fast that you can’t even fog them up by breathing on them. Hydrophilic means “water loving”, which seems counterintuitive, but they say it works by absorbing and moving the vapor across the lens so fast you never see it. Prior to this, the solution was to punch holes in the lens and frame so drier air can flow in, but the problem is glasses tend to fog up when you’re going slowest, so the holes aren’t effective. And they’re possibly detrimental because they can swirl wind across your eyes. It’s a military grade permanent coating, so you don’t need to worry about it eventually rubbing off from cleaning your lenses, either.
On the outside of the lens is a hydrophobic coating, so rain and mist will quickly roll off to keep your visibility good no matter what the conditions. There’s video below showing just how well it works.
Now, they’ve taken that treatment and figured out what else they can do to make a better pair of cycling sunglasses…
Their parent company, Essilor, produces lens technologies for other major brands that most people consider some of the top products. Ryders asked them to combine all of the best technologies into a single lens, then add their AntiFog (which comes from a different company), to create the ultimate lens.
It’s called Fyre, and it combines NXT impact resistance, Varia fast acting wide range photochromic tech, Colour Boost color amplification (think ChromaPop or Prizm), and MLV Mirror. That last one lets them use a mirrored lens with a photochromic system, which usually can’t be done because a mirrored coating reflects the UV rays necessary to cause the lenses to darken in light. This does it by allowing enough UV light through the mirror to react with Varia, but still blocks glare and has the hide-your-eyes aesthetic. The NXT lens itself blocks 100% of that UV from hitting your eyeballs, though, so you’re still getting full protection.
In the video above, note the quick lens tint change in the sun, the immediate disappearance of lens fog on the inside compared to outside, and how easily the water rolls off the exterior.
The Roam, Incline and Flip all use a rimless top to provide a wider field of view when you’re in the head down cycling position. It also helps vapor and heat escape faster. The bottom has a frame to protect your cheeks should you crash and have your helmet mash your shades down onto your face. But, on the Roam, the lower frame is removable (it comes with a separate nose piece) for running or other sports. Roam’s weight is 32g with the lower frame shield, and around 27g without it.
Lens options include:
- Yellow to brown – dense forests, enhances contrast
- Gray to Gray – neutral, all around conditions
- Pink to Purple – good for brighter areas
Above is the Flyp, and below is the Aero, which have a more feminine shape in general, but the Aero is pretty slick. Kristi’s testing a pair of these, and I’m in the Roam.
Retail ranges $220 to $240. Incline and Roam are both available at REI and bike shops, and the Aero and Flyp are mostly in bike shops.
