Tifosi Vogel

For a tight-fisted time triallist, there are two good things about these Tifosi Vogel glasses. Thing one is the price, which - unlike the fashion-led brands in the eyewear industry - is entirely sensible for a piece of polycarbonate whose job is to keep wind, dust and insects out of your eyes.

Thing two is the frame: there isn't one as such, just a nosepiece and the folding arms. That means you haven't got a black bar in the top of your vision when you're on the tri bars, like the vertical hold is going inside your oxygen starved brain.

I thought the latter would be a big advantage in improving visibility. But actually I forgot about it after the first ride and soon went back to the Tifosi Ventus glasses I was using before, as the lens was contoured to fit my face better and didn't fog up as easily. Letterbox format vision I decided I could live with.

The Vogel glasses (it means 'bird') would, I think, be better as driving shades; the smoke lens cuts down a lot of light. They're offered with a Golf/Tennis lens, as well as this smoke lens, so perhaps it's my fault for taking these glasses out of their own arena.

They're comfortable enough, however, with a nosepiece that doesn't pinch, and doesn't slip when your face gets sweaty. The arms hold your head firmly without squeezing it. For casual cycling, they'll do fine, particularly if you've got a wider face. And if that black bar in your eyeline is doing your nut, or you genuinely can't see well enough with its restriction, these are worth checking out. I'll stick with closer fitting eyewear or a visor.

Verdict

Could be shaped better for cycling, but the frameless top is a bonus on tri bars