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review

Tifosi Radius FC Sunglasses

8
£69.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Well designed glasses with crystal clear optics and a comfortable fit
Weight: 
24g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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With looks that don't shout 'cyclist', the Radius FC sunglasses from Tifosi make for great all-rounders, but that doesn't mean a sacrifice on the bike. With their crystal clear optics and a comfortable fit, you can wear them for hours.

Based around a Grilamid TR-90 nylon frame, the FCs weigh a mere 24g with the lenses in place, and thanks to the qualities of the material they are hugely flexible and hard wearing. Ideal if you tend to forget they're in your pocket when you sit down...

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This flexibility also means they fit plenty of head sizes without applying heaps of pressure. In fact comfort is one of the biggest selling points of the Radius. The flexible rubber nose and arm grippers are hydrophilic, which means they grip more the wetter they get – so they won't slip down your nose when the going gets sweaty.

The lenses themselves are made from polycarbonate, which is tough and used in the majority of eyewear thanks to its ability to shrug off scratches and not shatter should it break, firing hundreds of shards into your eyeballs.

In the zipped case you get a choice of three lenses for varying light conditions. The Clarion Blue are for sunny days, allowing 14.7% of light transmission, the AC Red 41.4% for increasing contrast on dull days, and the Clear, which allow nearly all the light through. All offer 100% UV protection.

All three lenses offer a large viewing range thanks to the lack of frame, with no distortion. Small vents on the outer edge of each lens stop them from fogging up and allow some cool air through. It's directed away from the eye, so pollen and the like shouldn't affect you.

Swapping the lenses is a 30-second job: pull the lens away from the nose section to allow the deeper profiled arm end to drop out. Refitting is the opposite.

These are really good glasses that perform well in terms of optics and, just as importantly, comfort. The arms provide plenty of grip without any pressure points, plus their narrow profile means they fit with every helmet I've tried.

Some may baulk at the £69.99 price but I think they represent decent value for money. The fit, weight and optics make them ideal for a multitude of sports too, not just cycling.

Verdict

Well designed glasses with crystal clear optics and a comfortable fit

road.cc test report

Make and model: Tifosi Radius FC Sunglasses

Size tested: Gunmetal

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The Radius FC glasses are designed for cycling and thanks to their shape and fit they can be used across all disciplines. I used them for other sports like running and tennis too.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Grilamid TR-90 Frame

Hydrophilic rubber nose and ear grips

100% UVA/UVB protection

Polycarbonate lenses

Vented lenses

Glare Guard for reducing glare

Case & microfiber cloth

Blue, Red & Clear lenses

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well built and hard wearing.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Clear optics and no fogging.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Grilamid frame is very flexible and strong.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

24g!!

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Really comfortable glasses everywhere they touch.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

The price/quality ratio is decent.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They are great glasses thanks to the fit and clear optics, a joy to wear.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There is stiff competition from a price point of view.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Overall a really great pair of glasses. Plenty of lens options and they're hardwearing so should last for ages. A good quality/price/comfort balance.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Kinesis T2  My best bike is: Mason Definition

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

 

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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2 comments

Avatar
RobD | 9 years ago
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Is the nosepiece adjustable on these? I always have trouble getting glasses to sit high enough up on my face.

Avatar
stuke replied to RobD | 9 years ago
0 likes
RobD wrote:

Is the nosepiece adjustable on these? I always have trouble getting glasses to sit high enough up on my face.

No the nosepiece isn't adjustable, it's part of the frame.

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