One of the more pervasive elements of Sea Otter was Pit Viper. As the crew rolled up with volumes of shades to sell, Pit Viper sunglasses were seen on the faces of hundreds of attendees- making the brand hard to escape from anywhere at the show. With a variety of styles and flavors to choose from, there was something for every fan of outrageous eyewear. But pure, unadulterated facial style isn’t all this brand was hocking. Since their 2014 Kickstarter, the crew at Pit Viper has been hustling on bringing in better lenses as well as collaborating on rad bags and gear to really tie the proverbial room together…
If you’re not acquainted with the brand and are having nostalgic flashbacks for the 90’s, it’s for good reason. It all started when founder, Chuck (top left), started acquiring mid 90’s military surplus glasses to wear on the slopes. Soon, however, he found them to be popular bartering chips for rides up the slope or partying supplies.
Seeing an opportunity for style and expansion, Chuck took to purchasing the shades in bulk and personally styling them via rattle can in friend Chris’s (bottom right, background) garage and selling them. Thus Pit Viper was born. Following the procurement, styling, and selling of a batch of thousands of frames and a successful Kickstarter to enable them to redesign the frame, improving frame materials and product durability and functionality, Pit Viper is off and running. And with the brand making moves into parallel cycling capable product as well as successful collaborations with hip hop superstar Riff Raff (title image), the style can’t be stopped.
Upon hearing the story, I shared with Chris, “No offense, but that’s such a dirtbag story.”
Chris smiled. “Thank you.”
After a limited Bike Rumor test period (during and after the show) of the gold The Money Counters model (seen here) we’ve found there is plenty to appreciate about Pit Viper. With the ability to tilt the lens at any angle you can set the look or lift the lens off of cheekbones. The frame extends for a variety of head sizes. The nose piece is adjustable to the user to help lock the shades on your face and stay comfortable.
Plus, in our limited testing, the gradient lens (seen above right in another model) is great on cloudy days, dusk, or otherwise for seeing riding surfaces. It’s easy to see why they would run with this design base and dress it up rather than starting from scratch with something more “contemporary.” Also, available for $69 dollars (though polarized or mirror lens models run for more) they are an easy investment for something that works pretty gosh-darned well and makes a statement.
New to the Pit Viper collection is the Rumpshaker, functional and highly styled technical fanny pack. While it’s designed for Enduro, we could see it easily being a must have accessory for urban riders. The model is made by Buck Products in Montana and purportedly fits four “tall boys” (not confirmed by Bikerumor).
The Rumpshaker Nightman Edition seen here has an adjustable waist strap as well as a short handle for when you’re not snapped in. With a reflective stripe for better nighttime visibility, a massive (as far as fanny packs go) cargo space, and internal small pockets for small accessories, it is a great functional value at $49. Plus, the colorful webbing and detailing, as well as the external patterns make it distinctly Pit Viper.
