VeloChampion Missile Sunglasses

VeloChampion's Missile Glasses offer good coverage and a secure and stable fit. The bundle includes clear and yellow lenses alongside the highly customisable main lens, and you can add a spare lens and a prescription lens adaptor too. They're great and the value is high, but the frames are definitely best for those with small heads.

Thanks to the huge range of options for frames, lenses and nosepieces, it's possible to make the Missiles as subtle or as loud as you want. In fact, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choice.

I've been impressed by the performance and quality of the glasses, though, and would most definitely invest in a second frame for a more subtle, coordinated look.

> Buy these online here

Okay, green is pretty niche for combining with kit, but Missile frames are also available in Red, Neon Yellow, Black, Blue and White/Red. You can get frames separately for £14.95, plus extra lenses are £14.95 and even the nosepieces come in five colours (£9.95 each).

Back to the original glasses, which you spec before buying. There's a wide range of options for your main lens, including smoke mirror, red, blue or green, and each type has numerous tint options. The two other lenses in the bundle are fixed – clear and yellow.

Lastly, you have the option to add another main lens in for £14.95, and/or a prescription lens adapter for £19.95. Every bundle also comes with an EVA hard case and soft case/wiper.

The glasses have a unique system for lens removal; VeloChampion calls it Vision Lock. The instructions in the box aren't brilliant, but the video on their site is more useful. It's not the quickest of processes, and requires a firm hand, but it's very stable and secure once done.

Fit

These are not for anyone with a big head – in fact the original tester, George, found them too small. They fit my 54cm skull perfectly, though.

There's no pinching behind the ears despite the flex in the arms, and zero movement. They are as secure and stable as any glasses I have ever worn on the bike, both for road and gravel riding. Any tighter, though, and these will dig in.

The nosepiece is adjustable, finishing off a perfectly snug fit. It does sit the lenses further from your face than some, which I found took a little adjusting to; I frequently thought they had slipped down when they hadn't.

Protection

VeloChampion explicitly says all its lenses offer UV400 protection – the highest possible at 99-100% of UVA and UVB – which is excellent. The UV-blocking layer is not tinted, and can go on anything. However, it also explicitly says the clear and yellow lenses have no UV protection.

Confusingly, the site further claims that 'even the clear and yellow lenses have Category 3 protection,' but Category 3 lenses are described, in every source we can find, as a very dark tint that blocks over 80 percent of visible (not UV) light.

Whatever the truth, the green mirror lens is UV400 and great in full sun – we've had some clear evenings when the setting sun would have been blinding – and for reducing glare from wet roads. They leave you a good perception of true colours and excellent clarity of vision.

The yellow lenses are perfect for dull, overcast days. The tint helps to increase depth perception a little and again, clarity is good. Finally, the clear lens is there if you simply want protection from wind and flying things.

> 31 of the best cycling sunglasses — protect your eyes from sun, crud and flying bugs

The curvature gives reasonable side coverage, though they don't have the depth of some, for example Oakley's Sutro Lite Glasses. However, I found the coverage sufficient without being over the top.

There's no gap between the lens and the frame, but I never had huge issues with fogging – yes, it happened if I'd been making a decent effort and stopped for a comfort break, but it clears in seconds once you get going again. There is a decent gap for airflow between these and your face.

The glasses weigh in at 35g. That's about standard – both Koo's Spectro Sunglasses and the 100% S3 Maap Glasses hover around this mark. If saving a few grams matters, the Alba Optics Delta VZUM glasses will save you 5g over the Missiles.

Value

At £42.95 the Missiles are 2-3 times cheaper than most of the glasses we review – which mostly have only one lens – and consequently great value, especially given their customisability.

Madison's excellent Stealth glasses come in a three-pack for £54.99 (as do its also-excellent Code Breakers), for instance, and even those seem a bit of a bargain.

Overall

The only serious fly in the ointment is the width of the frames. For me, the fit and comfort can't be faulted, but I have a relatively small head. If they fit, you're getting a quality pair of glasses in a very customisable bundle for a great price.

The options to further customise parts later are also very appealing... does n + 1 apply to glasses as well as bikes?

Verdict

Small head? Look no further... stable, secure with decent coverage and three quality lenses