When Will Jones wrote in regards to the finest biking sun shades, he began by speaking about how essential the style side is. It is a sentiment I could not agree with extra. The correct glasses tie your complete look collectively. Hold studying although and May also talked about how one of the best glasses must be extra; truthfully, that final half is one thing I’ve struggled with a bit.
Tech Specs: POC Propel Sun shades
Value: €249 / $250
Weight: 29g whole, 11g for body solely
Color choices: Body choices are Uranium Black w/Violet Silver Mirror CAT 3, Hydrogen White w/Violet Silver Mirror CAT 3, Purple Quartz Translucent w/Violet Silver Mirror CAT 3, Fluorescent Orange Translucent w/Violet Gold Mirror CAT 3, Fluorescent Pink Uranium Black Translucent w/Violet Gold Mirror CAT 3, Gray Translucent w/Violet Silver Mirror CAT 3
It is not that I disagree with the concept nice biking sun shades are greater than pure trend, it is that there are such a lot of unbelievable decisions. Oakley, Scicon, 100%, Bolle, POC, and even much less anticipated manufacturers like Rapha all have sun shades which might be unimaginable. The bottom stage of efficiency is so excessive that it is simple to neglect to even take into consideration high quality when testing. The flip facet of that’s that it is also onerous to distinguish one model of glasses from one other. Everybody makes claims about efficiency and they’re all true sufficient that it looks like noise.
This yr POC is seeking to minimize by way of all that noise. The POC Propel sun shades are utterly distinctive in the marketplace as the one sun shades bought in the present day that declare to make you quicker by way of aero optimisation. It is the form of declare I like and I’ve to confess I felt myself drawn like a moth to a flame. Nonetheless, regardless of my predilection for ridiculous aero claims, I’ve put the POC Propel sun shades to the take a look at. I’ve lined a whole bunch of miles and plenty of hours and now I am prepared to speak in regards to the particulars. If you’re on the lookout for a brand new pair of sun shades for the summer season driving season, maintain studying to see if the POC Propel goes to be the appropriate selection for you.
Design and aesthetics
It solely is sensible to dive proper into the aero claims across the POC Propel sun shades. These claims are the headline and the differentiator and the concept is one thing that makes theoretical sense. TT helmets use face shields and ear covers to clean the air because it travels across the higher portion of a rider’s head. Most individuals do not put on TT helmets on most rides although and increasingly more manufacturers appear to be on the lookout for methods to make the finest aero helmets and sun shades nearly as good as a TT helmet.
With that in thoughts, sun shades with large protect designs appear to do a greater and higher job sealing on the prime towards sure helmets. Candy Safety even goes as far as to say the Falconer 2Vi MIPS helmet integration with the model’s sun shades as a design consideration. Nonetheless, regardless of these tendencies, POC is the primary to particularly run a brand new sun shades design by way of CFD to attempt to make them quicker. The Propel is what got here of that CFD evaluation and for all the difficulty, POC says you’ll be able to count on low single digit watt financial savings at 40kph. Clearly this is not a giant saving however it’s measurable. It is also fascinating to see the impact on the visible language.
Merely mentioned, the Propel glasses look totally different than you might need guessed. CFD appears to have dictated a relatively modest vertical top. Not solely are they narrower vertically than latest design tendencies however the improve by way of the centre is fairly modest as effectively. There is a bulge however it’s not massive and the higher edge is, as anticipated, fairly straight throughout in order that it seals fairly successfully with most helmets.
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As an alternative of a giant vertical floor, the Propel glasses use a dramatic curve and lengthy edges. The curve is so dramatic that in the event you measure inside edge to inside edge the place the arms begin to head again it is round a centimetre narrower in comparison with each different pair of glasses I measured. These are slim glasses however in addition they prolong farther again with a 1cm fairing on both facet of your face.
As soon as the entrance going through protect does lastly finish, you will discover a chunky temple design with a emblem on it. That chunky temple is not simply visible, or perhaps aero, consideration although. It is like that to make room for a friction primarily based adjustment mechanism for the arm size. The ends of the arms aren’t straight so you will wish to match the size of your face to the size of the arms for one of the best retention. The arms aren’t the one piece that is adjustable both. Within the field you will discover three totally different nostril pads to additional customise the match to your face.
Efficiency
I did not get into the color and lens choices within the design part as a result of it turns on the market’s a much bigger implication to your decisions than normal. I am not one to concentrate to racing an excessive amount of however I am a fan of Training First. I like the outrageous pink kits and the Giro switchouts they create every year, I used to be a fan of Taylor Phinney and I am a fan of Lachlan Morton. On condition that, I after all wished to check the black and pink mannequin of the POC Propel glasses. I wish to dissuade you from making that very same mistake even if you’re additionally a fan.
The slim top of the Propel design means you’ll be able to simply see the underside rim of the body whereas driving. The pink is tremendous noticeable. Orange, purple, and white all look like they’d be noticeable as effectively however I think the pink is worse. All the opposite brighter colors use a single color that I think will fade to the again of your imaginative and prescient extra. If I used to be selecting a second time, I’d go together with black.
The opposite factor you’ll want to bear in mind when selecting your body color is the lens it comes with. Every body possibility comes packaged with a transparent secondary lens and a Class 3 summer season lens, however you’ll be able to’t select any lens with any body. The pink and black frames, in addition to the orange, include a gold mirrored lens that’s 3% lighter than the silver mirrored lens the opposite body colors get.
Whatever the exterior color of the lens although, each choices are the identical to look by way of apart from the small VLT distinction. The POC Readability know-how would not use a heat, or cool, lens temperature and is as an alternative barely purple. This is among the finest options of the Propel sun shades as POC readability lenses are excellent in the case of visible acuity. The purple appears to spice up distinction and even when the sunshine begins to fade, these are glorious assist seeing particulars.
The lenses are additionally wonderful at defending your eyes, and customarily staying clear. Full UVA/UVB safety is a given, however even on the quickest descents there isn’t any want to fret in regards to the slim top of the lenses, one thing that was an actual disadvantage with the Oakley Kato. An area between the lens and the body helps air transfer throughout the precise lens, retaining fog down, however air is rarely channelled into your eye. When it is time to climb, that very same slit permits any sweat you drop onto the lens to run off with out pooling and the “Ri-Pel” coating is among the finest at retaining streaks from forming and blocking your imaginative and prescient.
I do marvel if including an analogous design, utilising slits between the body and the lens, can be a useful addition up prime. Proper now there isn’t any higher body and, whereas it isn’t drastic, it is often potential to catch some inner reflection as mild hits the again of the body. It is significantly noticeable given I might been testing the Scicon Aerowatt earlier than these and people glasses lean so closely on their capability to cease inner reflections.
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When it’s time to vary the lens, it’s a largely unremarkable affair. There’s a sequence of indents across the edges of the body with corresponding attachment factors within the body. The higher nook of every facet are the one spots that require some pressure to get out of the lens. As soon as these two spots are free the remainder of the body will come out with solely light steerage.
Lenses apart, I am additionally a giant fan of the customizable arm size. I’ve by no means had that possibility earlier than on a pair of glasses and I like it. It permits you to not solely have further safe match however the curved arms imply that there is by no means any concern about interplay with a helmet. Maintaining that curve near the ear implies that even the Shokz headphones I at all times trip with are capable of play good with the glasses. There’s actually no draw back to this design selection.
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Verdict
I particularly wished to check the POC Propel sun shades alongside all the opposite aero items I used to be testing whereas driving by way of California on the FSA Ok-Power WE 12s groupset. I anticipated that trip to be a slog by way of heavy headwinds and I wasn’t dissatisfied on that entrance. POC is not claiming large aero positive factors however it’s claiming aero positive factors nonetheless, and each little bit provides up. I can not really inform you that they made me quicker on that trip however I will take each watt I can get.
What’s extra essential is that I like the type and the remainder of the efficiency. Model sensible, these are as loud and brash as a full aero equipment, any aero helmet in the marketplace, and no matter new pair of neon pink socks I find yourself utilizing. The type would not have any disadvantage both as, apart from an occasional inner reflection, you get wonderful lenses and adjustable frames.
My suggestion is to choose black frames, however in any other case my greatest bone to choose with the POC Propel glasses are the case that comes with it. There’s room for the second lens, and the opposite nostril items, however you will want someplace else to really retailer these items. The nostril items continually fall out and placement of the additional lens looks like an invite to continually take a look at simply scratch resistant the principle lens is. This would possibly strike you as an odd factor to complain about however it’s noticeable given how effectively thought out the opposite particulars are.
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| Design and aesthetics | I’m a fan of aero knowledgeable design aesthetics. | 10/10 |
| Optical readability | Among the finest in the marketplace however the decrease little bit of the body can typically be distracting and there’s an occasional reflection from the again. | 9/10 |
| Consolation and match | In case you have a bigger face these won’t work however they match completely and I like that you could alter the size of the arms. | 10/10 |
| Lens altering process | Nobody appears to have created the right answer right here however I’d name this about par for the course. | 8/10 |
| Worth | In no way a finances possibility however prime shelf fashions from each model value about the identical. The lenses are fairly costly although and Scicon has the free alternative system for harm that POC doesn’t. | 7/10 |
| General | Row 5 – Cell 1 | 88% |
