There was a time when I would have given my right arm for a pair of the coolest sunglasses on the market. As a child who got into cycling thanks to Greg Lemond’s 1989 Tour win, those cool glasses were Oakley. How could any teenager who fell in love with cycling through that year’s Tour de France not lust after a pair of sunglasses worn by their cycling hero?
Over 30 years later, and the thought of shelling out hundreds of pounds on a pair of the best cycling sunglasses makes me shudder. Instead of chasing the coolest kit worn by big-name riders, I’m far more focused on a bargain and happy to wear sunglasses that cost a fraction of the price.
In fact, I’d take pride in paying for, and wearing, a set of wrap-around shades that do everything I need them to do and cost me less than £50.
(Image credit: Future)
Technical details
The BBB Cycling Chester Flux glasses come in under £50 (prices vary online) and come in a protective zipped case with a cleaning bag. The frame is made of Rilsan, a bio-based nylon essentially made from castor oil. It’s meant to be fully recyclable, but you might need to check where you can do this, should you ever need to.
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When it comes to sunglasses, the lighter they are, the more comfortable they sit on your nose and ears. The Chester Flux weighs 37.7g, which is plenty light enough, albeit 8-9 grams more than a set of Rokas and Van Rysels. They sit comfortably on my head with almost no pressure behind my ears from the rubber-coated tips, which do a good job of keeping them secure. I even tested them while running, and there was almost no bouncing, whether jogging slowly or pushing a bit harder.
They are 143mm wide at the hinge, 93mm wide at the tips, and with a lens that measures 58mm top to bottom, either side of the nose cutaway, offering good coverage. Protection from light, wind and airborne debris is excellent. I didn’t have a problem with any of those things throughout the test.
The lenses also sat far enough away from my face so my eyelashes didn’t touch the back of the lens. There’s a bit of adjustment in the rubber nosepiece, meaning it can be squeezed in or opened up to help get them sitting in the right place.
The frame is made of Rilsan, a bio-based nylon essentially made from castor oil
(Image credit: Future)
Specifications
For a budget set of glasses, the lens technology is impressive. Our test pair came with the red lenses with 16.8% light transmittance (0% would let no light through, 100% would be a clear lens), which filters wavelengths that suit bright, sunny or partially clouded conditions. The contrast means they’re suited to picking out greys, ideal for road riding. The contrast also seems fine with greens, so they’re perfectly good on the trails too.
The profile of the lens is quite flat compared to a set of much more expensive Rokas or Oakleys, but this is where the main difference in lens technology is. The more shape there is in a lens, the more potential there is for distortion. Therefore, flatter lenses are easier to produce.
These have a gentle, consistent curve (many wraparound glasses curve more at the edges), so they look a little flat on the face, which is very much on trend, and have no distortion, even at the edges.
The lenses have an anti-scratch surface which I may or may not have tested. I’ve treated them carefully, and they remain scratch-free. Is that my careful nature, or the coating? From my experience with other riding glasses, these coatings only last so long and don’t withstand too many drops, but they’re proving resilient so far.
The lenses have an anti-scratch surface and are proving resilient so far
(Image credit: Future)
Performance
All the Flux lenses, including these ones, have an oleophobic coating which is meant to help with water gathering on the surface. When I splashed water on them, it did bead off quickly, but a few drops remained; good, but not foolproof.
I wore mine with a Van Rysel helmet, and despite their depth I didn’t feel the helmet pushing down on them. They slotted into the helmet’s side vents, just. But this is more of an issue with the helmet than the glasses. The Van Rysel Glasses weren’t a great fit with the same helmet.
They took some manipulation to fit into the Van Rysel vents
(Image credit: Future)
The glasses come in a zipped protective case with space for extra lenses and a cleaning bag. The lenses are easy to swap out by holding the hinge with one hand and the lens with the other, then pulling them apart. They snap back into place easily, too.
A case and a cleaning bag helps keep them protected when you’re not riding.
(Image credit: Future)
Value
Overall, this is a great pair of glasses. No one is going to be giving you envious glances or accuse you of trying to emulate your favourite rider, and they’ll probably be surprised when you tell them how much they cost.
BBB Cycling has come up with an on-trend design and put some good lenses in the frame. The result is a good pair of wraparound sunnies that you can use for cycling, running or any other sport for that matter. They’ll stay put on your head and keep bright light, wind, and most dust and debris out of your eyes.
Testing them through the summer meant the only thing I couldn’t test was the anti-fog properties. I’ll update this test when I do.
Tech spec
- Price: £42-61 (prices vary online)
- Frame: Full frame
- Lens: High contrast (category 3)
- Weight: 38g
- UV protection: Yes
- Material: Rilsan (bio-based nylon)
