I wear contacts. That means it’s important that my eyeballss are protected from the dust and wind that’s all but unavoidable on long rides. If they aren’t protected, then by the time the ride is over, my vision is either so clouded and hazy I can’t see at all, or my contacts so dust-ridden that it feels like I’m sporting twin Rocks of Gibraltar in my eyeballs… or more likely, both.

There are several things I’ve been unable to completely conquer in my years of riding: Cold hands in weather below 10°F, cold feet in weather below 0&deg:F, and crusty contacts after long rides.

This is about the last item on that thankfully short list.

I’ve tried various protective eye gear, from basic sunglasses, to over-sized reading glasses, to cycling sunglasses and now, I’m trying a pair of 7Eye Capes with “AirShield” and “PhotoChromic NXT” technologies. They’re a little different than other things I’ve tried in that they’re actually motorcycle glasses, and being so, are just shy of being actual goggles.

The Glasses

The glasses come with a hard case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a neck strap (called a leash) that slides on the arms like a sock. I originally took a look at the Diablo line, but on trying several pair on at a local eyeglasses store, found the Cape to be more to my liking. I’m glad I opted to check them out IRL, rather than buying them outright online. Certain things should always be bought in person…

The glasses are plastic, and lightly constructed, but in spite of that they don’t feel cheap. Rather, they feel sturdy, if not as solid as a metal frame would. The fit is adjustable to a point. You can adjust the fit around the ear with two screws on each arm, but they don’t have any bridge adjustments, so your mileage may vary. They fit my face and ears right off the rack, so I count myself lucky on that point.

AirShield

The AirShield is a little snap-on addition made of plastic and foam that hugs your face when the glasses are properly fitted. The plastic fits next to the frame, and has vents to let some air flow through so your eyes don’t suffocate. The foam fits next to your face and helps form a “seal” against too much air flow which would dry out, freeze or cook your eyes, and let dust and rocks and sticks in.

I’ve seen some shielding inserts that attach to the frame via strong little magnets, rather than snaps. I think those are just freakishly cool, but the snaps used in the Cape model seem sufficient. They’re neither too hard to get out, nor too easy. The models I checked out with the magnets didn’t seem to have sufficient shielding for me, so I sadly put them away, and went with the 7Eye frames that weren’t necessarily as freakishly cool, but did the job better. That’s more important to me, after all.

So much for how they attach, how do they work? I’ve not had a chance to try them out on a multi-hour ride across country, but I have tried them out in 18°F temperatures with a decent headwind. Every other pair of cycling glasses I’ve ever tried at those temperatures resulted in my eyeballs streaming tears as they fight off the chill. These glasses solved that problem entirely. There’s enough ventilation that my eyeballs aren’t suffocating, but not enough so that they’re suffering from the wind. I’m looking forward to pushing them into the below 10°F range and taking them on longer rides (not at the same time), and I’m confident they’ll work.

Another concern with this type of eye gear is that they fog up. I can tell you I’ve tried to fog them up. I’ve taken them momentarily off and breathed on them. I’ve directed my breath up towards them while riding. I’ve done everything I know how to get them all opaque and blind, and though they fog up for a bit, they clear up almost immediately. So, I’m going to have to say they win on the issue of fog.

PhotoChromic NXT

I opted for the PhotoChromic NXT lenses so that I didn’t have to worry about switching out lenses when my rides cross that sunrise/sunset boundary (which they invariably do). For me, switching lenses while out on a ride is troublesome. There’s grease and dust and oil and grit and it always gets on the lenses, and it’s never easy to clean off. So I solved that problem with lenses that make that switch for me.

My verdict… Though they are effective in helping with glare and bright light, I don’t think they ever get as dark as a dedicated pair of sunglasses, or as clear as a dedicated set of clears. Then again, do these types of non-prescription lenses ever work as well as their prescription-based brothers and sisters? They do adjust, however, and if the fact that I’ve not been bothered by sunlight or the lack of it is any indication, I have to conclude that these lenses are doing their job sufficiently for my needs.

The Look

Well… with the AirShield, they look kinda silly, if my wife is any judge. She rolled her eyes and said I look like a big bug. Then again, they are effectively goggles. What do you expect? Look is so subjective though, so all I can say is that you’d have to make up your own mind. You may think they’re the most coolest and awesomest looking eye gear on the planet, or you may find yourself throwing up in your mouth a little bit. I suspect your opinion will fall somewhere in the middle, but it’s really up to you.

The Price

At $129.00, this is the most expensive pair of non-prescription glasses I’ve ever bought, so it was a bit of a stretch for me in the justification department. I went ahead with it, in the interest of protecting my eyes and keeping my contacts pristine. There’s nothing like gritty contacts, and dusty eyes to ruin an otherwise fantastic ride. It’s been enough of a bother for me that I thought the price was worth it. That price isn’t outlandish or unheard of in purpose built eye gear… you *can* spend a lot more for cycling glasses if you really want to.

The Conclusion

I’m definitely a fan so far.

Last autumn, I picked up a Lazer Helium helmet to replace my aging Giro Atmos. I’d had the Atmos for about 4 years, and many thousands of miles, and it was starting to show signs of age. Also, it’s recommended that bike helmets be replaced every few years anyway, so I decided to try something new.

I got a good deal on the Helium, too. After pricing it out and trying it on at my LBS, I found the same helmet online for about $100 less than retail. Yes. I contributed to globalization to the detriment of my LBS by buying online. Feel free to stop reading now if that’s a sensitive subject for you.

If you’re still here, then here it is: a fancy helmet for fancy people, the Lazer Helium.

Fit

I opted for the Medium/Large helmet, because I wanted a helmet with room for head coverings during the colder winter months, but with sufficiently effective internal tightening apparatus such that it would still fit snug during the warmer summer months. Because it’s a larger helmet, it has a bit bigger headprint than my Atmos. That is so say, it probably looks a little goofy on my head. That’s fine, because I’m pleased to say, having ridden with this helmet in both 90+° weather, and 20-° weather, it works well on either a bare head and one decorated with a thick wool cap.

The Lazer Rollsys® feature works very well towards making that fit happen. In fact, it works a little too well. While tightening it down so that the helmet fits snugly does, in fact, make the helmet fit snugly, it also results in a mild headache after about 30 minutes in the saddle. On my longer rides, I ended up having to loosen the helmet to get some relief and keep pedaling. It took some trial-and-error, but I eventually found a sweet spot that was tight enough that the helmet didn’t wobble about, but loose enough that I avoided throbbing pain. This issue could be unique to my noggin, but it’s something to consider. It might be argued that this helmet does not, in fact, fit, as evidenced by the headache. However, since I was able to overcome the issue, I’m not going to worry about it.

I should note that I never experienced anything like that with my Atmos, no matter how tightly I set it. I suspect it has to do with the specific placement of the head straps and blood flow.

The chin straps are, in my experience, pretty standard. They’re long enough to be adjustable to the longest faces, and the latches latch as one would expect.

Padding

The “Antimicrobial and temperature regulating padding system” is pretty solid. That is to say, I don’t notice any pointy bits on the inside, and the helmet, once the proper tightness using the Rollsys® feature is achieved, feels very comfortable. Once it’s on right, I don’t notice it at all, and just enjoy the ride.

Like any padding system, it’s going to show some wear after a while. The pads in my Atmos had to be replaced about once every few thousand miles. Time will tell how well these hold up.

Airflow
I can speak from experience that the airflow offered by this model is top notch. On a 40° day, I rode without head or ear covering, and I knew it. I wasn’t freezing, but I could tell that the air was flowing. Last autumn during the Octoginta, things got pretty hot, but not once did I worry about sweat in my eyes. It just wasn’t there. I credit the ventilation for that.

I’d say the airflow on the Helium is a definite step up from my previous helmet.

Options

Due to the fantastic ventilation, if you’re going to use this helmet in colder weather, it might pay off to use a head shield of some type beneath it. Lazer offers winter padding to help keep the helmet warm in colder weather, but I’ve not tried it. My wool cap was more than up to the task the last couple of days.

They also offer an insect net to keep the bugs out, and an “Aeroshell” to keep the rain and snow out, but I’ve not tried either.

In theory, all three options look nice, but they aren’t available through their web site, and I’ve not been able to find them online (I’ve tried Amazon, Nashbar, Performance Bike, Pricepoint and ProBikeKit), so it looks like they’d have to be ordered through an LBS. I’ve a few other winter items to pick up, so I might see about that winter padding while I’m at it.

QPR

At over $200, this helmet isn’t cheap, and I probably wouldn’t have gone for it had I not found a fantastic deal online for a new one. Aside from the high price, I can say it’s probably more than most people need out of a helmet. After all, a helmet is supposed to stay on your head, and protect that head from bumps. Truth be told, that’s it, and most helmets these days will do exactly that. Anything else, from fancy magnetic latches (not included on this model) to fancy bug screens and winter pads is just that… fancy designed to appeal to those with a little extra scratch to throw around on fancy.

Conclusion

All in all, I’m pleased with the helmet, though I’m a little disappointed in the headache issue. Once I found that sweet spot, however, I can honestly say that I can wear this helmet and not feel like I’m wearing this helmet. I put it on, tighten it just enough, and forget about it. That, to me, is a sign of a great helmet.

Still, I can’t say with a clear conscience that it has a high QPR. It just costs too much for that, given that you can get the same protection and most of the same benefits for much less out of cheaper helmets. If a prefab bug screen or winter padding is important to you, then maybe this is the way to go. On the other hand, maybe you can find your own solutions out of stuff you already have around the house. That’s your call. As for me, I had a little extra scratch at the time (well… no, I really didn’t), and went for it.

For now, I’m going to reserve final judgment for the performance of the winter padding. It could be that it pushes the QPR over the hump.

Four helmets out of five, a point taken off for the price and for having to overcome the headache issue.

Oh, and no, I didn’t receive this as a gift or anything like that. I bought it my own self.