An Oakley sunglasses special
Plus all the top news stories and features from this week.
We're kicking off Five Cool Things a little differently this week with the first themed edition of the franchise. With spring and summer fast approaching, riding outdoors again is something we all look forward to and one non-negotiable is high-quality eye protection. Of all the major cycling sunglasses companies, Oakley is considered a pioneer in the field, having created highly fashionable and well-designed eyecare systems for cyclists. Who remembers the original Oakley Eyeshade from 1984?
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Oakley has ventured into other aspects of cycling, too, including helmets and goggles and continues to move the goalposts in terms of innovation and design. The sunglasses pictured here are the brand's most premium offerings and can be used across myriad disciplines including gravel bike racing, mountain biking and road riding. We'll be reviewing each model in detail over spring before adding them to our best mountain bike sunglasses buyer's guide, so make sure you keep an eye out for them in the coming weeks.
As always, there's been a lot going on in the news, reviews and feature front. The Italian brand, Favero, unveiled its Assioma Pro MX SPD power meter pedal designed for off-road riding, while Crankbrothers lifted the lid on two new trail shoes; the Mallet and Stamp. Norco has been busy, too, and unveiled its updated Optic and Sight with idler pulleys. Sonder has updated its Evol mountain bike and Revel has refreshed the Rascal – the bike that put the company on the map. Rounding off things is the news of the updated Merida eOne-Sixty e-MTB and the freshly unpacked Panaracer GravelKing tyre.
Yes, summer is coming and we're as excited as you to hit some dry trails and gravel roads for a change, so make sure you seed our advice for getting your bike ready for summer. Lastly, if you enjoy our news, reviews and features, be sure to join our Whatsapp Channel.
Oakley Encoder Ellipse
£219
Oakley Encoder Ellipse, by Aaron Borrill
The Encoder range is the sportier version of the Kato frames utilising a similar polarising aesthetic. That said, Oakley has always been at the forefront of pushing the design norm and the Encoder Ellipse does just that.
Featuring the same nose-moulded lens and an integrated nosepiece as the Kato and standard Encoder, the party trick here is the neat vent carved into the upper section of the one-piece lens – a nod to the Oakley logo. Again, this might not be to everyone's taste and might even create some interesting tan lines on your forehead area. Design-wise, it's easily one of the most interesting and disruptive aesthetics we've seen in a long time.
The Oakley Encoder Ellipse is available in four frame colours (matte navy, gold, black and silver) and as many Prizm lenses, not to mention Unobtainium-lined nose pads and ear socks for improved grip over bumpy terrain.
Oakley Wind Jacket 2.0
£161
Oakley Wind Jacket 2.0, by Aaron Borrill
Inspired by the original Eyeshade, the Oakley Wind Jackey 2.0 is the XL option in the range with coverage levels second only to the best mountain bike goggles. The large cylindrical Prizm lens ensures excellent protection and an extended field of view and can be used across both gravel and road disciplines.
They are as bright as they are big with six colours to choose from including the Redline colourway you see here. The Wind Jacket 2.0 also comes with a removable triple-density foam strip, which plugs into the vents at the top of the lens to prevent debris, sweat and wind from hitting your eyes. Of course, the large nature of these shades means they're going to suit people with bigger heads and faces so it's worth trying before buying.
One thing is for sure, however, these are one of Oakley's most stylish sunglasses currently in the range.
Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep
£161
Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep, by Aaron Borrill
As the name suggests, the Oakley Sutro Lite Sweep is based on the Sutro urban range of sunglasses first released in 2019, melding cues seen on the Eyeshade with Sutro frame design. What we get is a half-frame design with excellent coverage and an extended field of view. Like the original Sutro, it gets the same little Eyeshade glyph just above the nose piece, which points to its roots.
With 10 colourways to choose from, the Sutro Lite Sweeps have a lot to offer cyclists in terms of style and protection, the latter coming in the form of a Prizm lens engineered to enhance contrast on the trail. Oakley also offers a customisation build option where riders can tailor the frame, temple and lens colour to their preference.
Oakley Incoder Strike Vented
£219
Oakley Encoder Strike Vented, by Aaron Borrill
Like the Encoder Ellipse, the Encoder Strike features the design traits of the Kato range but adds a series of vents, not to mention an overall shape not too dissimilar to the Oakley Razor Blades. The vents have been included to optimise airflow and reduce fogging. Eight colours and lens variations are available.
They're larger than the Encoder Ellipse – the lens is 138mm wide and 56.3mm deep, with long arms designed for larger heads. As mentioned, there's a variety of lenses available including Prizm Trail Torch, Prizm Black, Prizm Road, Prizm Black Road, Prizm Sapphire, Prizm Jade, Prizm 24kt and Prizm Field.
Oakley Sutro S
£152
Oakley Sutro S, by Aaron Borrill
Finally, we have the Oakley Sutro S – a scaled-down version of the original Sutro sunglasses designed to play nicely with smaller faces and head sizes. They are constructed from the brand's O-Matter nylon-infused plastic, which offers extra strength and flexibility. Other than that there's nothing that sets it apart from the regular Sutros. Ten colourways and nine Prizm lens options are available.
The best part about these sunglasses is that - unlike other options in the Oakley range - they can double up for casual use thanks to the urban design blueprint upon which the original Sutros were built.
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