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review

Salice 016 RW Sunglasses

8
£89.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Secure cycle-specific specs that provide plenty of protection and a choice of three different lenses
Weight: 
36g

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The Salice 016 RW glasses offer good coverage to protect your eyes and plenty of vision, and three different lenses mean that you can easily modify them to suit the conditions.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy these online here

First, let me tell you what you get here.

* There are three different lenses: one clear, one orange, and one with a multi layer mirror coating designed to cut glare and increase contrast.

* As well as the main frame, you get two different rims that fit to the lower section of the lens. One of these is matt black, the other is gloss orange. Apart from that, they're exactly the same, you just fit the one you think looks best.

* There are two rubber nosepieces that clip into place.

All that lot, along with a little lens cloth, comes in a neat protective case that zips closed. The case is quite large, but it has to carry a lot of stuff.

Next up, switching the lenses. Salice has kindly stuck up a video on YouTube to show you how, which is useful because there's definitely a right way and a wrong way to go about it. I'm usually pretty nervous the first few times I swap lenses with new glasses, afraid that I'll break something by being a klutz, and there's certainly scope for that, but it's a straightforward process when you know how. Everything just snaps into place securely.

So, you have the glasses set up the way you want them. I found the fit to be good and there's enough inherent flex in the frames and arms that they'll suit a wide range of different head shapes.

The nosepiece and the arm tips are made from Megol rubber which does a good job of holding the specs securely in place, even when damp. I've been doing some super-sweaty rides lately and these glasses haven't budged a millimetre. They're excellent in that respect. I can't be doing with glasses that slide around as soon as you start working hard.

As mentioned, you get three different polycarbonate lenses and they provide very good coverage. Big glasses are very much in vogue these days and make a lot of sense for protecting your peepers.

The clear lens is exactly what you'd expect while the orange heightens contrast on overcast/low light rides. The highlight is what Salice calls the 'multilayer rainbow lens' (as shown in the photos) which is designed for sunny days.

Salice 016 RW Sunglasses.jpg

For a start, it looks badass! Viewed from outside, it reflects back mostly with a fiery yellow or red tinge. From the inside, it increases contrast in bright conditions. It also reduces glare from water, ice and snow, although that's probably of limited value for most of us when we're out on the bike.

I usually prefer glasses without a lower section of frame – in other words, ones where the lens simply hangs from the top of the frame – because there's nothing to interrupt your vision. You can wear these without the lower lens rim fitted if you prefer, but I must say that it's in no way intrusive anyway. I didn't even notice it in use.

The one negative aspect of using these glasses with the lower lens fitted is that sweat that gets onto the inside of the lens can sometimes find it difficult to roll off. I found that when I was on the drops, head down and really giving it the beans, sweat would sometimes drip onto the lens and pool there. Fair enough, when you sit upright gravity shifts most of it, but it's just a little off-putting at the time.

The 016 RW glasses don't fog up easily thanks to little vents at the top of the lenses. You can get them misty if you work really hard and then immediately stop, but these slots certainly help.

> Buyer's guide: 21 of the best cycling sunglasses

In terms of value, £90 is pretty good for the package; BBB's Summit glasses also come with three lenses and are a tenner cheaper, while you can pay another £100 for Oakley Radarlocks...

The 016 RW glasses are available in other frame finishes and lens options, including photochromic lenses (they darken on exposure to specific types of light).

Overall, I've got on well with these glasses over the past few weeks. They provide great coverage and swapping lenses is easy when you know how – and if you live in Britain or anywhere else where weather can vary hugely from day to day, you'll need to do this a lot. 

Verdict

Secure cycle-specific specs that provide plenty of protection and a choice of three different lenses

road.cc test report

Make and model: Salice 016 RW Sunglasses

Size tested: Adult Unisex

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

These glasses are designed especially for cycling. Salice lists these features:

* Integrated frontal air ventilation

* Interchangeable Megol rubber nose piece

* Co Injected Megol rubber tipped ear arms

* RW - Multi layer mirror coating cuts glare and increases contrast

* Scratch resistant lens IDRO will repel water and dust to optimize vision

* Spare rim in matching frame colour

* Innovative Switch system, includes 3 lenses and detachable frame enabling you to personalise your glass

* Supplied with spare clear and orange polycarbonate lenses, thermoformed protective case and cleaning cloth

* Buy from a UK dealer to endorse your 2 year Salice warranty

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Salice lists these technical features:

* This lens blocks the harmful UV radiation below 400nm wave length

* Multi layer rainbow lens. Outer lens coatings reduce glare from water, snow and ice. Also with enhanced scratch resistance

* Hydro repellent lens. Surface allows water and dust to slide off

* Inner lens anti-glare treatment

* Supplied with interchangeable low light lenses

* Prescription lens inserts

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10

These aren't the lightest glasses out there, but you do get a lot of coverage here. They certainly don't feel uncomfortably heavy.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

The nosepiece and arm tips are very comfortable while keeping the glasses secure.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

You can certainly buy cheaper but you get the frame, three lenses, two lower rims, two nosepieces and a very good protective case for your cash.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The amount of coverage you get, the extra contrast given by the dark, mirror coated lens and the degree of customisation.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I've mentioned that the lower rim can impede sweat running off the inside of the lens if you leave it in place, especially when you have your head down.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? They'd have to go some to tempt me away from my Oakleys.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

£90 isn't too expensive for the package you get here, and the dark mirrored lens is very good in bright conditions. Those factors earn these glasses an 8.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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3 comments

Avatar
Nick T | 7 years ago
0 likes

Are these basically the 006 with an optional bottom bit then?

Avatar
japes | 7 years ago
0 likes

"I usually prefer glasses without a lower section of frame"

 

the video you linked to showing how to swap the lenses seems to suggest you can wear them without the lower frame section

Avatar
Mat Brett replied to japes | 7 years ago
1 like

japes wrote:

"I usually prefer glasses without a lower section of frame"

 

the video you linked to showing how to swap the lenses seems to suggest you can wear them without the lower frame section

 

You can. Amended to make that clear.

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