I’ve had Smith’s Spoiler sunglasses for about 10 months now and have rocked them for both road and mountain biking all over the place, from the mountains to the forests to bright, unshaded pavement.
Most of the time, I’ve had the rose tinted Ignitor lenses installed, which do a decent job of cutting glare without being polarized. The frames are part of Smith’s Interlock series, which allows quick easy changes of lenses simply by twisting the arms. The Spoiler models come in several frame colors and lens options, with all of the sport ones getting either a gray or brown polarized base lens or a mirrored “laser” lens, plus the rose and clear lenses.
On the bike, the shape and size do a good job of blocking wind and providing full light coverage. There weren’t any gaps that leaked light into my eyes. Your face may differ.
The Ignitor lenses worked equally well under the trees and on the road. They tend to lessen the green of trees, yet oddly make colors seem richer. It’s hard to describe, but the result is pretty good contrast whether your terrain is mostly desert orange and brown or rainforest green. On the road, they’re dark enough to prevent eye fatigue from the sun’s brightness on most days. On brighter days, there’s always the polarized lenses.
Lens changes are super easy, just rotate the arms 90° and the frame props open enough to slide them in and out. They come with a case with slots to hold the extra lenses and a cleaning cloth to remove fingerprints once you swap them.
What I really like about the Spoilers is that they work just as well off the bike. My personal style guidelines don’t include “sport” sunglasses for everyday wear. I don’t want to look like I’m fresh off a ride or run when I’m headed out with friends. For casual use, it’s really nice that the sunglasses come with polarized lenses, particularly for driving.
I’ve traveled extensively with these, carrying them to Spain, France and all over the U.S. I try to treat my shades well, but things happen, and even with getting stuffed into bags, jersey pockets, wiped off with jerseys, the lenses have remained free of scratches.
As high end sunglasses go, their retail price of $139 is pretty reasonable considering the extra lenses and base polarized ones. That they perform well on the bike and double as “fashion” shades makes them all the better…it means one less thing I need to pack.
