Ryders eyewear

Ryders are a new glasses brand in the UK - at least in cycling, which is surprising since they hail from MTBing mecca Vancouver where they've been churning out specs since 1989; they're the biggest sports eyewear brand in Canada, apparently. The watchwrd for the brand seems to be value: you're getting plenty of good technical spec - variable thickness lenses for optical correction, photochromic and polarising coatings, hydrophilic non-slip rubber - in glasses that mostly range between £35 and £50. Top road seller is the Sprint (above), which is a fairly classic wraparound design that comes in about 12 different lens and colour variations. The basic specs are £35, and you can have a 3 lens interchangeable system for £45 and photochromic lenses for £50. Ryders are quite big on photochromics which is an area that hasn't been really picked up by the road cycling market even though it seems to make plenty of sense - an interchangeable lens is effectively a manual photochromic, after all... we'll get a pair in and see what we make of them. The range of styles is pretty big and a lot of it is aimed at MTBers, skiers and general fashionistas, but within the more road-friendly specs there's still a good few styles including the Treviso (above, £35) and the smaller Swan +2 three lens system (top, £45) which is popular among female riders. The Slipstream (below, £35) is an interesting design, featuring pliable arms that you can bend down so they don't get caught by your helmet causing uncomfortable pressure. www.ryderseyewear.com