Sa Calobra Street (the Coll dels Reis) is a 9.5 kilometer lengthy mountain cross on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. As some of the regularly tried climbs of the favored coaching locale, it’s no shock to see that the street has been tried by over 140,000 Strava customers. And the KOM? Presently held by none aside from Tom Pidcock on the Ineos Grenadiers.
Clearly Rapha had some intent behind its selection of identify, then for the newly launched Reis sun shades. They’re designed for efficiency using and racing, with a light-weight, half-frame silhouette. The Reis is one among three new sunglass fashions launched by the corporate.
Design and building
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
The Reis glasses are supplied in 4 totally different body colours: Black, Black Mirror, Sedona Sage, and White. There are additionally 4 lens choices—Yellow, Rose, Inexperienced, and Silver Mirror—designed for variable gentle situations from winter nightfall (Yellow, at 18% gentle transmission) to mid-summer sunshine (Silver Mirror, at 10% gentle transmission).
The frames are manufactured in Italy and use 62% “bio-based” content material as a part of the Rilsan G820 Rnew polymer. Lenses have anti-fog and anti-scratch finishes and have a hydrophobic coating. Weight is a aggressive 27 grams, per my scale.
The retail value per pair of glasses is $205, and lenses alone are $80. Rapha gives half off a second pair of lenses if bought with a pair of glasses.
Rapha gives dimensions through its web site and in addition has a really useful eyewear information with a number of angles of every body on totally different fashions to see how every pair of glasses matches on totally different face shapes. At 51 mm tall, the Reis will not be as massive as most of the outsized glasses at present in vogue, however gives important wrap-around protection on the edges. The one-piece lenses have some outward flare on the edges the place they sit close to the temples.
Specs
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Colours: Black, Black Mirror, Sedona Sage, and White Weight: 27 grams Value: $205 Web site:rapha.cc
On the street
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
The pair of Reis glasses I obtained for testing got here within the Black/Rose configuration. The Rose lenses are supposed for “Uninteresting days to lighter spring skies,” which is sort of apropos for Spring situations right here within the Pacific Northwest. I additionally obtained a second pair of Yellow lenses designed for decrease gentle purposes.
I’m at all times slightly bit cautious of breaking one thing after I futz round with sun shades, however I discovered that altering the lenses was fairly easy. You first carry up the middle of the frames to launch them from the lenses, at which level the tabs at both finish slide out comfortably. The nostril piece slots into place simply and could be eliminated by pinching it collectively evenly. There doesn’t appear to be a lot adjustability to the nostril pads, so the place it sits in your face is the place it stays, however I had no points with this and located they stayed placed on my head.
Optics are excellent, with no obvious distortion. I didn’t discover the frames in my visual view by any means. Although the Rose-colored lenses are supposed for overcast situations, I used to be comfy with them even on brighter days.
I appreciated the shut proximity of the frames towards my face. It’s comparatively constant all the way in which from the bridge of the nostril across the sides of the pinnacle which makes for a clear look and excellent safety from wind, bugs, or different particles. The flex within the arms permits for the glasses to suit quite a lot of face shapes, however they appear finest suited to medium to broad faces.
Aesthetically, the Reis glasses gained’t be for everybody. They’ve a pointy look that’s exacerbated by the dip in the course of the frames and upswept lens form the place it’s aggressively concave above the cheekbones. Maybe the picturesque curves of the Reis climb influenced the traces of those glasses. And whereas they’re distinctive, in addition they remind me considerably of the unique Oakley M frames that had been widespread throughout the late 90s/early 2000s period {of professional} biking. The Reis frames are undoubtedly much less goggle-like than most of the different sun shades shapes which might be widespread at present, and it’s good to see one thing slightly bit uncommon.
Worth and Conclusion
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
Rapha’s new Reis glasses are gentle, provide excellent optics, and have all of the options one expects of up to date racing sun shades, with a little bit of Rapha aptitude. At $205, they’re considerably inexpensive than Oakley’s Kato glasses (MSRP $328), with which they share a number of attributes. The market has skewed decidedly in the direction of massive, full-frame fashions, so it’s good to see Rapha put out one thing slightly totally different.
