Catlike Shadow Sunglasses

A decent pair of lightweight glasses is a must for real riding comfort, but not only do they need to fit well, feel unobtrusive and provide protection both from the sun and debris, they’ve got to look good too.

Most frequently known for their distinctive helmets, Catlike also have a comprehensive range of sports eyewear, designed with the needs of the cyclist in mind. The Shadow is the company’s top of the range model, so you’d probably be justified in expecting a lot for your not insignificant amount of money. These are not cheap glasses. There are more expensive models and brands around, but not that many.

There’s not denying the Shadows are a very, very light pair of glasses. At just 28g for frame and lens they really are featherweight, and you can barely feel them when wearing them. They come with clear, dark and yellow low-light lens options, all wrapped up in a drawstring cloth bag and a sizeable protective hard case. The frames are designed to be slightly adjustable at the temples, in order to fine tune the tilt of the glasses, as well as having a bendy adjustable nose bridge to enhance comfort. The polycarbonate anti-fog lenses are light but designed to provide protection from wind, debris and UV (all Catlike lenses block 100% UV) and the optical quality is very good, with no blurring, distortion or lensing effects.

The fit and level of adjustment meant that the glasses were comfortable to wear and provided good protection from the wind, but I found all-round clarity of vision to be hampered by the hexagonal area where the lenses meet the legs, the bit designed to adjust. This is quite large and while riding I was constantly aware of it, finding it intrusive and distracting. So although the glasses, as intended, were virtually imperceptible to wear due to their feather-light weight, they were not quite so invisible. The hexagonal adjustment area also causes the glasses to catch in hair.

The light weight materials used coupled with the adjustment hexagon and the way the interchangeable lenses fit into this also leads me to question the longevity of the glasses. Changing lenses was quite tricky, and the stress this put on the tabs at the edge of the lenses was clearly visible. If I bought a pair of these, I would almost certainly end up leaving them with just the one lens option in place, in order to prevent damage to the glasses. This obviously defeats the object of having interchangeable lenses in the first place.

On the looks side, these are neither a super cool pair of shades, nor nerdy goggles. You’d probably not wear them off the bike, which means they’re a fairly expensive option unless you’re constantly in the saddle. They do come in five colour choices.

Verdict

Uninspiring looking and expensive lightweight glasses. One for the pros or wannabes.