Koo Billy sunglasses mount

The Koo Billy sunglasses mount is a neat way to attach your glasses to your bike mid-ride, when they're not in use. It's very light, unobtrusive, and makes easy work of the task. It's the ideal alternative to stowing glasses in your helmet, though it is a bit pricey for what it is.

Disclaimer: I'm not a pop-your-sunglasses-in-your-helmet-as-you-ride kind of guy. I don't know what it is; maybe I'm clumsy, worried about breaking my glasses, or I just haven't tried hard enough, but it's definitely not for me. Luckily, Koo – whose cycling sunnies we've reviewed on road.cc – has come up with this neat little mount that fits to your handlebar and allows you to conveniently snap your frames into place as you ride.

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Unlike when you place your glasses in your helmet – because you can see the mount in front of you, you know it's actually locking into place. So, no fretting about dropping your £200 sunnies any more.

The mount itself is pretty basic – there's the plastic clasp which the glasses snap into, a rubber spacer that goes underneath, and a variety of rubber o-rings to attach it. I found the o-rings slightly on the small side, so even using the larger of the two included in the box meant it was a really tight fit, but that's probably a good thing as it keeps the mount nice and secure.

The whole thing weighs just 4g, so there's no reason not to keep it attached at all times. It might not be aero, but unless you're racing, who cares?

The Billy is designed to be fitted to your stem or your bar – you choose. I preferred mounting it to the stem as it seemed slightly safer than the handlebar, simply because I don't like the idea of exerting pressure on the bar while riding at speed. You can get it to work even if you have a computer or light mounted to your stem or bars.

Attaching your sunglasses to the mount while you're riding does take a bit of getting used to. The plastic tabs where the glasses attach are quite stiff, so you need to apply a bit of pressure to get your frame to snap into place – I found that you have to hold your glasses by the nose bridge rather than the sides, to be able to apply enough force. After a few attempts it does become easier.

Once attached, the glasses are held in place very securely and there's no rattling or any worrying movement over bumpy surfaces. The only thing I would suggest to Koo with the next iteration is adding a small strip of grippy rubber inside the clasp, as my sweat-drenched sunglasses tended to slip inside the mount just slightly off-centre when I was climbing out of the saddle. That's me being a bit OCD, though.

When you want to remove your sunglasses from the mount, you just pull up on them and they detach easily.

> Buyer’s Guide: 31 of the best cycling sunglasses

Koo says the Billy works with all types of framed sunglasses, and I had no trouble attaching non-Koo glasses; if you own sunglasses without a frame at the top, such as the Oakley Flight Jacket or Rapha's Pro Team Frameless Glasses, it won't work as there's not enough for the mount to bite into (and I guess you might scratch the lens trying).

I can see why some might see the Koo Billy as a bit niche – more so if you already have a good method of putting your glasses to one side while you ride – but to my mind it's a great addition. It's not cheap for what is essentially plastic and silicone, but I'd say it's a worthwhile investment, especially if you have a pricey pair of sunglasses.

Verdict

A useful, if expensive, accessory for mounting your sunglasses while you ride