Smith Trackstand Glasses

The Smith Trackstand Glasses are light, comfortable to wear and offer an uninterrupted field of vision thanks to their svelte frame. They are at the pricier end of the scale, though.

• Pros: Great coverage and visibility from the single lens
• Cons: Pricey against some of the opposition

With the Trackstand glasses Smith have developed a decent all-round package. First of all, I really like the minimalist frame. It's made from Grilamid TR90, a thermoplastic that the majority of sunglasses makers use as it'll stand up to a heap of abuse and is also flexible enough that, if you sit on it, is unlikely to break.

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The 120mm-long arms are slender enough to fit between the top of your ears and even the most bulkiest of helmets, and never get in your field of vision when looking around. They also have a decent amount of tension in them to hold them to your head for even the roughest of gravel rides, without placing any undue pressure on it.

The nose-piece is adjustable, and being made from a hydrophilic material it won't slip down your face when you've got a bit of a sweat on.

Fashion is dictating that lenses are getting bigger again, and these measure 135mm in width, with a depth of 50mm. It gives great coverage without making you look like a welder, and airflow around the eyes is kept to a minimum – ideal for hayfever sufferers – with ventilation taken care of by a small opening just below the frame.

With such a curved lens, Smith has done a good job of avoiding any distortion to the optics: visibility is very clear, even when you are looking back over your shoulder.

The ChromaPop Green Mirror lens we have here (others are available, depending on what colour frame you go for) is a good compromise for all but the brightest of sunshine. It's ideal for days when conditions are changeable between sun and cloud cover, plus they deal well with changes in light if you are in and out of the trees.

They are priced at £139, which isn't as extreme as some that we have seen on road.cc but is still quite an outlay, even taking into consideration the quality and performance.

The Tifosi Amok glasses didn't quite have optics as sharp as the Smiths, but are still pretty decent all-rounders. Plus for their £69.99 price tag they are also photochromic; if you want that from the Smiths the price increases to £200.

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If you want a prescriptive lens model, that'll set you back £170.

Saying that, they do have the edge over the Bolle Shifter glasses that I've been wearing alongside. They'll cost you an extra tenner. (Look out for online discounts, though: the Smiths are currently £100 over at Wiggle, which makes them almost a bargain.)

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Overall, if you are happy to pay this sort of money for a quality pair of sunglasses then the Trackstands offer plenty of performance and comfort.

Verdict

Pricier than some, but certainly deliver on an excellent fit and sharp optics