There is much more to cycling eyewear than simply keeping the sun out of your eyes. Nowadays, the best cycling glasses offer a perfect meld of UV protection, comfort and aesthetics, while also offering high-strength protection against flying debris, as well as lens technology that improves clarity.
Ever since Greg LeMond sported the striking M Frames back in the ‘80s, Oakley has been the eyewear of choice for many of the biggest names in cycling. Oakley has been at the forefront of cycling eyewear innovation since the very beginning, so it's unsurprising to see the brand very well represented throughout the WorldTour, ridden by teams such as Team Ineos, Groupama-FDJ and more.
Oakley now offers a wide range of sunglasses with custom options that fit every riders’ needs. To help you find the sunglasses that best suit your needs, we have compiled a list of some of Oakley’s most popular models.
Moving away from the traditional sportier styled cycling glasses, the Oakley Sutro has a retro styling that is aimed to look good as well as perform on the bike. Primarily aimed at urban cyclists these glasses are not limited to riding in the city with the likes of Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) seen racing in the Oakley Sutro this season.
Large Prizm lenses are not just a styling cue but also give ample eye protection, a wide field of view and all the optical benefits of Oakley’s Prizm lens technology.
Build quality is as to be expected from Oakley and is constructed using Oakley’s O-Matter material, a nylon-infused plastic that is both lightweight and resilient to impacts and rough handling. The nose piece also features Unobtainium to help keep the Sutros secure.
Oakley Sutro sunglasses review
Building on the strong credentials of Oakley’s popular Jawbreaker model, the Oakley Flight Jackets pair exceptional lens performance and fit with increased peripheral visibility and a new approach to improving airflow and ventilation.
The Flight Jackets are available with Oakley’s proven Prizm lenses, which provide stunning optical clarity in a range of conditions. This combined with the large face coverage and removal of the upper frame edge gives a superb field of vision especially when riding in an aggressive position.
The ventilation is already very good but with Oakley’s Advancer feature, riders can pop the nose piece, pushing the lens further away from the face, to further regulate airflow when things start getting a bit hot and humid.
Working with Mark Cavendish, Oakley developed the Jawbreakers to offer superb performance by packing the brand’s best features into one package.
Oakley implemented a number of technologies to assure that the Jawbreakers stay comfortably locked on your face throughout your ride. The arms can be adjusted to accommodate different head shapes and Unobtainium is used for the ear and nose pieces to keep things snug.
Switchlock allows for quick changing of lenses with little fuss, simply open latch in the nose piece and the frames open like a jaw. Oakley offers a wide range of lens options so that the Jawbreakers can be quickly tailored to accommodate different conditions.
The EVZero Blades have a minimalist style that is inspired by the meeting of sports and fashion and pays tribute to the iconic Oakley RazorBlades.
The rimless design is super light which combined with the flexibility of the O-Matter arms create a pair of sunglasses with all-day comfort levels. The other benefit of a rimless design is a complete field of view with no frame obstructions.
Lens choices are limited for the EVZero Blades as photochromatic or polarised options are not available however EVZero Blades are specced with top end Prizm lenses.
The Radar EV Advancer brings Oakley’s Advancer anti-fogging nose piece to the popular Oakley Radar range. Although the standard Radars already offer superb ventilation with their lower rimless design, if fogging is an issue on rides, then these are a great option.
The lens on the Radar EV Advancer is also larger than on the standard Radar models to provide extended coverage from debris.
The Radar EV Advancer does appear to simply be filling a gap in Oakley’s range but will no doubt appeal to those who ride in hot or humid conditions and prefer the aesthetic of the Radar range over the Flight Jackets.
An evolution of the original Radar model, the Radar EV Path offers a stripped-back alternative to the Jawbreaker. Like the Jawbreaker these are designed to maximise top peripheral vision but by developing a half-frame construction and dropping the adjustable arms the Radar EV Path is lighter and maximises lower peripheral vision as well.
The Radar EV Path has a smaller design than the other Radar models which allows them to sit closer to your face. If you have smaller facial features, then these may fit better than the other larger Radar models.
Available with the full selection of Oakley’s top optics as well as being fully customisable when purchased through the Oakley website.
Oakley’s Wind Jacket 2.0’s may be a bit divisive. Originally designed for the snow sports and technically classed as a goggle by Oakley, they come in big and loud as a surprisingly strong contender on the bike.
The lenses are massive, dwarfing Jawbreakers and giving the wearer an impressive field of view as well as protection from all the grit, bugs and weather that is thrown in your face while riding. The large lenses are not without drawbacks though and some may find they do not play well with low slung helmets and can experience some fogging when riding is slow and hot.
Oakley has really struck a strong balance with the Flak 2.0, being less cycling-focused means they will happily adapt to any non-cycling related outdoor activities with ease.
They will also appeal to those who are not a fan of the supersize lens trend that features on many other models. Coverage is still good but the frames will be visible in your periphery. This will likely only be an issue for the most aggressive riders in attacking positions.
Their smaller size will also reduce protection from dirt and rain as they cover less of your face compared to models such as Jawbreakers or Radars.
Oakley M2 Frame XL
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The original Oakley M Frame became a cycling icon in the ‘90s and early 2000s as they adorned the face of Lance Armstrong during his infamous Tour De France career. Much has changed in the world of cycling since however but the Oakley M Frame styling still has a strong fanbase.
The Radar is the true cycling orientated successor of the old M Frame but the M2 Frame XL still offers good performance on the bike. Don’t think that you can use your old M Frame lenses, though, as they are not compatible with the new style frames.
How to choose the right Oakley cycling sunglasses for you
Why cycling sunglasses at all?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to choosing sunglasses for riding and cycling-specific eyewear offers many benefits to riders over a pair of everyday sunglasses.
Oakley has been designing sports eyewear for a long time. All of these years of development have resulted in sunglasses that not only provide protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays but improves visibility in difficult or changing light, gives protection from debris and offers a secure fit so your sunglasses won’t fall off mid-ride.
Lenses
Oakley has strived to be at the forefront in lens technology, which has established themselves as one of the market leaders in eyewear. It has a number of lens options that are offered throughout their ranges which allow you to tailor your sunglasses to specific riding environments.
The Prizm lens is designed to enhance colour and contrast which brings out details that would otherwise be difficult to distinguish with your eyes alone. This is achieved by managing individual colour wavelengths, by doing this, Oakley is able to offer Prizm lenses that excel in specific conditions such as road, trail or low light.
Prizm is also available in a Polarised option to combat glare that can hide potholes or cause distractions.
Another option is photochromatic lenses that will change their tint levels automatically depending on the levels of sunlight. Ideal for riding in changeable conditions, although photochromatic lenses do come at an extra cost.
Oakley Authentic Prescription lenses are available on select models, if you require a prescription, then these models will allow you to get the most from your cycling eyewear.
Coverage and field of view
Riding sunglasses don’t just protect against the sun but are also designed to shield your eyeballs from the wide range of debris that could potentially hit you while riding. Large lenses wrap around the face to give protection from all angles and ensure that dirt, weather or insects are not an issue while riding your bike.
Larger lenses are also becoming increasingly popular as they provide a wider field of view. Whether you are glancing over a shoulder to see what’s behind you, checking your GPS, or in a head-down sprint, a wider field of view means that you aren’t left with blind spots caused by the frames of your glasses.
Materials
Oakley constructs its sunglasses from a material that it calls 'O-Matter' which is a nylon infused plastic. O-Matter’s flexibility allows Oakley’s glasses to gently shape to the wearer’s head and provide comfort as well as improving resistance to impacts. The lenses are also highly impact-resistant, constructed from Oakley’s Plutonite polycarbonate and tested against high-mass and high-velocity impacts.
To keep its sunglasses in place when on the bike, Oakley uses Unobtanium material on most of its models. Unobtanium is a hydrophilic material that gets tackier when wet. This is used for the contact points on the nose and arms of the sunglasses.
