BBB Successor Team Sunglasses

The Successors have been a mainstay of BBB's surprisingly large sunglasses range for some time now. Over the years, they've graced the faces of many notable pros including Tom Boonen, whose 2005 world road championships win spawned this rainbow striped edition.

The World Champion model comes with three different lens types which are standard across the whole BBB range; a dark blue tint, a yellow tint for low light situations and a clear lens for your standard British day. Each of the lenses work well for their targeted conditions and between them, they cover the whole range of possible light conditions that one is likely to encounter.

A big tick in the 'plus' column is the ease with which these lenses can be changed. Due to the two lens design, the frame flex required to get the lenses to snap in or out is minimal, which really helps piece of mind. Once in place, the lenses are firmly held with no danger of popping out under normal use. The 'Grilamid' frame is stout enough to take a good deal of abuse whilst still being light and flexible enough, as to be unobtrusive. When riding, the minimalist frame design also allows a decent amount of airflow across the lenses which helps prevent them from fogging up.

The nose bridge section is narrow which ensures that range of vision isn't impaired at all by not using one single wraparound lens. Peripheral vision is also good with no unwanted UV rays creeping in from the bottom or sides. Somewhat annoyingly though, BBB have included some logos in the lower corner of each lens which, whilst not impairing sight, do sometimes cause distraction.

In terms of fit, the Successors size up similarly to the rest of the BBB range which is to say, pretty middle of the road. The inclusion of an adjustable silicon nose piece allows the user adjust the fit to their personal preferences. BBB also makes the Successors with a special narrow fit should your head shape require it.

Compared to a tighter fitting pair of glasses such as the Catlike D'Luxs tested here previously, the Successors don't have that vice like grip when slotted into a helmet. Nevertheless, I found that their hold was more than adequate for road riding when flipped upside down. During my time with the Successors, I've also tested a number of helmets from a variety of manufacturers, and have yet to experience any issues with the arms getting in the way of retention systems.

For your money you also get a neat hard case with special slots to carry each of the lenses. In addition, a cloth is provided to wipe them down post use as well as a single BBB anti-fog wipe. Although, I've yet to use it on these Successors, previous experience with BBB sunglasses has shown that is usually takes quite a while for the anti-fog coating to wear off if you take care to clean them after each ride.

The Successors are also available in a variety of standard colours should you take issue to the use of the rainbow stripes by anyone other than the world champions themselves!

Verdict

The Successors' coup de grace is the 3 lenses that are included as standard, helping to ensure that all climactic conditions are catered for. Coupled with a light but strong frame, and a handy carrying case, the Successors are great value for the money and put many more expensive options to shame.