Are these the best mountain bike glasses?

Let’s get this out of the way: we don’t typically favor sunglasses with full reviews. I’m not about to write a thousand words about every little bit and bob of cycling-related paraphernalia that comes across my desk. It’s not worth my time, or your time. But sometimes I get my hands on something that’s actually really, really good. Shockingly good.

I feel compelled to share my experience with that product with the world. That’s the case here. I really like these sunglasses. I think they’re the best ones I’ve ever used. So it’s time to nerd out on Shimano’s Technium Riding Glasses.

Why review these sunglasses?

In my experience, there are two primary classes of riding glasses: First, the very affordable ones that are generally rebranded generic sunglasses. You can get these in bulk from Amazon or Alibaba, or spend a little more to get them branded by some slightly more legitimate brand, but they’re sort of the bare minimum. They have frames with rubberized arms, and lenses with some sort of UV protection. These are great for folks like me who tend to break or misplace their riding glasses often, because for $5-$30 you can slap a new pair on your face.

The second class is more tailor-made riding glasses, from real optics brands. They might say Smith, Sweet, or Scott on the temple, they probably have some sort of very scientific trademarked lens tint going on, and they cost a lot more. Maybe the lenses are easy to swap. Maybe they have some special antifog tech, maybe they make you look like a robot, they certainly make your wallet lighter.

Historically, I’m a big fan of the former class. Find a model that fits your face, and spend $10 to replace your glasses, vs $100. But this spring, Shimano’s new Technium riding glasses showed up on my doorstep. At first I took them for granted, fit them into the riding rotation, and thought no more about it. Slowly, I began to realize that I like these glasses a lot more than any of the cheap glasses I’ve used, and, more importantly, a lot more than any of the other expensive glasses I’ve ever used. So I resolved to write about them.

But, on the eve of my sitting down to crank out my thoughts about these shades, I took them off to pick berries on a ride, and neglected to put them back on. I went back up the next day, but no luck, my favorite sunnies were gone. I made it a few weeks without them, swapping other pairs in, but eventually realized that I prefer the Shimano Technium enough that I needed to suck it up and buy another pair. That’s true love. So here’s a review of the glasses I liked enough to pay MSRP for.

Fit, frame, and styling

The frame and fit on these are pretty “normal” - swappable nose pads to dial in the fit, little air vents around the lens, and rubberized arms to grip my sweaty head. The lens is swappable, and the glasses come with a spare clear lens, but it takes a fair bit of fumbling with my grubby little fingers, so I rarely bother doing it.

I am not a style icon. I wore these glasses to the grocery store where someone asked me if I worked for Shimano because he’d never seen anyone who wasn’t an employee wearing their glasses. I told him more people should try these and that might change.

Lens tech

Shimano has six separate Ridescape lens tints, for various riding conditions. That includes Light, Dark, Daylight, Road, and Gravel-specific tints. However, the sixth tint, Ridescape OR, is what really sets these shades apart for me. It’s by far the best lens tint for all-round mountain biking in the PNW that I’ve used. I have weak eyes, and that, combined with the rapid shifts from clear cuts with direct sun, to deep dank woods, leave me frustrated with most lenses.

I’ve tried photochromic lenses that shift to adapt to changing light conditions, and consistently come back disappointed. They just don’t shift fast enough, and those first few turns transitioning from the clear cut back into the woods always are too dark and spooky. And sure, I could stop and swap lenses, but where’s the fun in that? Most of my favorite routes home from Galbraith involve riding west-facing trails, in the evening, that transition from full sun to almost no sun, and back, several times. I’m not interested in swapping my lens every time that happens.

Luckily, with the Trailscape OR lens, that’s not an issue. They’re just dark enough to keep me from squinting in direct sun, and they offer great contrast and visibility in lower light situations. I’ve found myself wondering if there is some photochromic tech here, because I’ve never used another lens that adapted this well to the sort of variable light I experience on the bike. These lenses have been a revelation to me.

Overall performance

I am a bit of a big, wet meat monster, and it’s sweaty season, so I’ve been doing a great job of fogging all my glasses up. The Technium seems to resist fogging a little better than the Smith and Sweet Protection glasses I usually run. I think they sit a little further from my face than either, which gives more space for airflow. And when they do fog, they clear back up fast.

They’re also pretty durable. I’m really hard on glasses, but I rode in my first pair of Techniums for a solid six months without breaking or scratching them, which feels like a record to me. We’ll see how long I can make this current pair last. I have noticed that with some glasses, storing them in the built-in slots on half-shell helmets spreads the arms out, and makes them fit more loosely. I haven’t had that issue with the Technium, even though they’ve spent a lot of time jammed into helmets.

Value

Yes, $100 is a lot of money to pay for sunglasses. You don’t need to spend that much to have a great time on the bike. But these are right in line with other riding glasses from legitimate brands. I do wish that Shimano’s more affordable ($65) Twinspark glasses were available with the Trailscape OR lens, since I really don’t care about frame styling.

For now

I’ve long prided myself on not being the sort of sucker who pays full MSRP for expensive riding glasses. But Shimano’s Technium ended that streak. If (when?) I leave these on the side of the trail to grab a handful of thimbleberries, I’ll make damn sure they end up back on my face.

Related: Tested: Shimano GF600 Shoes