Back in the spring, I first noticed Roka’s new San Remo and San Remo Air sunglasses on some of its sponsored athletes racing in the year’s earliest gravel events. They immediately stood out to me, not because they were super flashy, but rather because they were a pretty significant departure from the brand’s typical aesthetic. Instead of the more angular shapes and somewhat in-your-face styling of Roka’s existing sport models, the San Remo Air has curved lines and a more casual, but still performance-oriented look.
I’ve tried some of Roka’s performance sunglasses in the past, and while I felt the optics were great and the performance level was high, I didn’t particularly care for the style. Not that I’m a style icon or anything, but I prefer to be comfortable with the way I look if given the option. That’s why I was happy to see Roka introduce the San Remo and San Remo Air models earlier this year. And even if they look a little more laid-back, they don’t seem to be any slower, with Roka athlete Keegan Swenson still racking up podiums in them.
I’ve been testing the Roka San Remo Air for the past month and a half. From my daily rides to trail runs and even a 10K Turkey trot, I’ve been wearing these just about every time I get my heart rate up outside. From mid-day sun and challenging November sun angles to night rides testing bike lights, the Photochromic Carbon lens has shown impressive versatility and served me well across the board. There’s no shortage of great cycling sunglasses to choose from, and the San Remo Air adds to that growing list.
- MSRP: $190-220 (depending on the lens)
- Frame Style: Half frame
- Lens Dimensions (W x H): 142 x 55mm
- Lens Tested: Photochromic Carbon Lens (15%-88% VLT)
- Lenses Included: 1
- Weight: 23 grams
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Stable on the face
- Great optics
- Numerous frame and lens combinations to choose from
- Photochromic lens has a huge VLT range
- Coverage is large without being massive
Cons
- Moderately expensive
Roka San Remo Air Details
As mentioned already, the San Remo Air has an aesthetic that sets it apart from other models in the Roka lineup. In the brand’s own words, “The San Remo Air bridges the style gap between our existing sport shields and lifestyle frames. There is an unmistakable retro vibe that is packed with all of the award-winning performance features you’ve come to expect from us.” That’s not to say they don’t still look sporty, because they do, they just look different than the brand’s other glasses. Roka also makes the San Remo (non-Air), with a full frame and a slightly bolder look.
The San Remo Air has a half-frame design with a moderately large single-piece cylindrical lens. The injection-molded TR 90 nylon frame elements are minimal, consisting of two arms attached to the upper portion of the frame, along with a snap-in nosepiece. The tips of the arms are covered with textured rubber for enhanced grip and feature internal titanium wires that can be bent to adjust the fit for optimal stability and comfort. Roka also includes four interchangeable GEKO rubber nosepads with varying thicknesses and shapes to suit different nose bridge shapes. The brand refers to its frames as FloatFit, promising “durability, comfort, and retention all while being lightweight for all-day use.”
The single-piece cylindrical lens has a 5-base curve, making it a bit flatter than most of Roka’s other models. This is intended to enhance airflow, along with three small vents across the upper edge of the lens. The lens is large but not huge, with claimed dimensions of 142mm wide and 55mm tall. That width measurement includes the curve of the lens, and it measures 135mm from edge to edge straight across. The arms measure 127mm from the hinges to the tips, and the total width of the glasses is 146mm. Roka lists the San Remo Air’s weight at 25g, and my test pair weighed 23g on my scale.
Lens Options
Roka offers the San Remo Air in several frame colors, along with a variety of lenses featuring different base tints, reflective coatings, and photochromic options. Prices range from $190 to $220, depending on the lens you choose. The non-mirrored Dark Carbon and Bronze lenses are the least expensive at $190. For a flashier look, the Dark Glacier Mirror, Gold Mirror, and HC Fusion Mirror lenses all go for $200. All of these lenses are intended for bright to medium light conditions with VLTs ranging between 12% and 17%.
Roka also offers the Photochromic Carbon lens that adjusts its tint based on the light conditions for $220. With a claimed VLT range of 15% to 88%, these have a very wide light condition bandwidth. These lenses transition from nearly clear to very dark, making them impressively versatile for everything from night rides to full sun.
Should you damage your lens or want to change it up, Roka sells replacement lenses for the San Remo Air. The Clear, Bronze, and Dark Carbon lenses are $70. The Gold Mirror, Dark Glacier Mirror, and HC Fusion Mirror are priced at $80, while the Photochromic Carbon lens costs $110. All of the lenses feature a scratch-resistant coating, as well as a hydrophobic/oleophobic coating, designed to repel water and oils.
Glasses Storage
The San Remo Air comes with a semi-rigid zippered case to protect the glasses during travel or storage. A microfiber bag is also included to keep your lenses clean and protect them outside of the storage case.
Roka San Remo Air Performance
The San Remo Air is strikingly similar to my favorite cycling sunglasses of all time, the Julbo Density. For whatever reason, it seems I’m drawn to lightweight half-frame sunglasses. Like the Density, the Roka’s are very lightweight at just 23 grams, and they are barely noticeable on the face. Once they’re on, they essentially just disappear, yet they have a reassuringly sturdy feel for something so light.
That barely-there weight, coupled with the adjustable, grippy rubber arms and GEKO nosepad, makes these glasses impressively stable on my face. From rough singletrack trails to high-impact trail runs, the San Remo Air stays glued in place and hasn’t budged at all. The lowered arms also avoid contact with helmet shells and are good length that doesn’t conflict with any adjustment harnesses on my helmets.
The 5-base curve of the lens doesn’t wrap around or sit quite as close to the face as many sporty glasses intended for cycling. With my preferred nose pad installed, the glasses are not only super stable, but they are suspended perfectly, where the frame doesn’t touch my brow, and the lens doesn’t touch my cheeks. At the same time, I can’t really see the frame, nosepiece, or the edge of the lens unless I’m looking for them.
Roka’s logic for opting for the flatter 5-base lens is enhanced airflow, and that appears to be working, as I haven’t experienced any fogging to speak of. I have very sensitive eyes, however, and I’ll admit that I’ve noticed a tiny bit more air moving behind the lens than in my go-to Julbo glasses. The recent cool temperatures undoubtedly have something to do with it, but the Julbo lenses are also just a little taller and wider, providing a bit more coverage and wind protection. To be clear, I’m nitpicking here, as this hasn’t necessarily impacted my vision on the bike, but it is a subtle yet notable difference.
I was impressed by the clarity of Roka’s Glacier Mirror lens when I tested the CP-1X glasses a while back. The Photochromic Carbon lens is obviously completely different, but I found it to be no less impressive. While I don’t find them to enhance contrast much, their photochromic response is pretty quick. It varies depending on the light conditions, of course, but it’s on par with other quality photochromic lenses I’ve used at ~ 15 seconds. It transitions a bit more slowly from dark back to clear, but that’s typical of photochromic lenses, in my experience.
Not only that, but the super-wide VLT range (15% to 88%) has made it easy to transition from riding with the sun in my eyes before sunset to riding in the dark with lights, without skipping a beat. That versatility is why I’ve been a big fan of photochromic lenses for years, and these work as well as any I’ve tried. This one lens covers every light condition that I’ll ever encounter.
I’ve already drawn several comparisons to the Julbo Density glasses, and here’s another nitpicky one related to the lenses. Julbo offers photochromic lenses with different base tints, and I’ve grown very accustomed to the warmth of the rose/amber-tinted REACTIV 0-3 High Contrast lens that I’ve been wearing for the past couple of years. The grey base tint of Roka’s photochromic lens has a more cooling effect, and there are no other options. To be clear, the Roka lens is great, and this is just me being hyper-critical about a personal preference, so take that for what you will.
Roka San Remo Air: My Takeaway
If, like me, you’ve been put off by the bolder aesthetics of Roka’s performance sunglasses in the past, the San Remo Air might be the model that convinces you to give them a shot. They’ve got a somewhat unique style that’s part aviator, part cop, and part ‘I’m going to the shooting range’, yet they still manage to look the part on bike rides and runs. Style is subjective, of course, but these are the first Roka cycling sunglasses that have really appealed to me.
None of that really matters if they don’t perform well, and thankfully, they deliver in that department, too. These shades are super-light, adjustable, and very stable in use, essentially disappearing on the face. Roka’s lenses have great optics, and the Photochromic Carbon lens I’ve been testing is crystal clear, changes tint quickly, and is as versatile as they come. My only complaints are very minor and nothing that would keep me from wearing these glasses for every bike ride or run, day or night.
