I first got here throughout Scicon Sports activities after I was wanting on the Italian model’s bike luggage. The 1980 based producer has lengthy impressed with its properly designed and prime quality merchandise in that sphere: CW’s evaluation of the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Highway Bike Journey Bag is a latest instance of a product that has scored properly with us.
However luggage aren’t the one biking product that Scicon produces. Again in 2019 Scicon entered the sports activities eyewear market and 14 fashions at the moment sit below its webpage on biking sun shades.
I’ve been testing the Scicon Aeroscope mannequin to see if Scicon can match its fame for high quality merchandise within the sun shades area – and measure up towards the stiff competitors from the finest sun shades for biking.
Scicon Aeroscope: building
Scicon’s biking sun shades vary begins at £125 for the Aerowing and goes as much as £220 for its excessive efficiency Aeroscope fashions with a photochromic lens (for various mild situations). The Aeroscope I’ve been testing is specced with the Multimirror Bronze lens, which is available in at a barely cheaper price of £195. For this value, you additionally obtain a multi-use mushy bag (with an RRP of £30), a transparent spare lens and a recycled microfibre eyewear pouch.
“Tailoring your total eyewear match is important to efficiency with out limits”, Scicon says, and, with this in thoughts, the Italian model has specced its top-end providing filled with options that permit customisation. The size of the temple arms and the peak of the nosepiece can each be adjusted to fine-tune the general match, and, in flip, assist consolation and efficiency.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
The body itself is produced from Grilamid TR90 which is a bio-based plastic polymer. Scicon isn’t the one sun shades producer within the biking sphere to go for this eco-friendly materials. Actually the final sun shades I reviewed, Tifosi’s Rail Clarion Fototec, used it too. Throughout the web, eyewear producers boast about its sturdiness. It’s designed to flex, which helps the resistance to emphasize and fatigue. Such properties are actually fascinating for normal use and the calls for of biking.
With a lens top of 67mm, these are on the bigger aspect of the spectrum. Scicon says the lens dimension is XXL and I agree with them! To place this into perspective, I measured Oakley’s Sutro Lites and these are solely 55mm.
Subsequent, let’s discuss lens specs. The Multimirror Bronze lens has a Seen Mild Transmission (VLT) of 17%. The decrease the % the darker the lens, and the higher suited it’s to essentially vibrant days. On the opposite aspect of issues, if the VLT is low then the sun shades gained’t be as appropriate at evening, and even on very overcast days. With its 17% VLT, the Aeroscopes are your good friend on sunny daytime rides, however you’ll be wanting to fit them into your helmet holes or jersey pocket should you get caught out on an extended experience into nightfall and evening.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
Scicon has utilized an Oleophobic coating. That is designed to fend off greasy finger marks and smudges, and so very helpful for making certain the lens stays clear and clear. Alongside this, Scicon has used a Hydrophobic coating to repel water droplets, and it helps to remove the fogging impact on glasses.
These lenses even have a mirrored coating which is designed to assist mirror mild to scale back glare. This characteristic is especially helpful for sporting actions that happen close to snow or water, however much less related for biking. Nonetheless, I suppose it might are available helpful should you additionally take pleasure in a greater variety of sports activities, equivalent to mountaineering or crusing, as an illustration.
Scicon is (not-so)-quietly assured concerning the high quality of this lens – therefore why it shouts about its Lifetime Assure on scratched lenses with its free alternative program.
The experience
Unboxing Scicon’s Aeroscope and holding these in my arms for the primary time, it was apparent that top high quality supplies have been used. The body itself feels extremely stable, and the lens appears to be like very slick in Bronze.
As an alternative of cutouts below the highest of the body – which you sometimes discover on efficiency sun shades – Scicon has opted for a single small vent above the nose-piece. The Aeroscopes additionally sit fairly distant from the face, noticeably greater than different sunnies I’ve examined. The mixed advantage of each of those options is that sufficient air is ready to flow into, and, due to this, I discovered that my sweat didn’t simply steam up the glasses when placing in efforts on the climbs. However though these glasses are so well-ventilated, I discovered that the wide-wrapping and tall design nonetheless did a wonderful job at defending my eyes from grit, highway spray and bugs.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
The nostril piece is adjustable: you merely squidge it or push it into the place that feels best for you. I discovered that it holds this place when driving, however I might say that I did discover the nosepiece to be a lot firmer than the one on the Oakley Sutro Lites, for instance. Scicon’s nosepiece is under no circumstances mushy to the contact, and when driving, it grew to become uncomfortable by the top of an hour driving. I attempted widening the match to see if that will assist, however I wasn’t capable of finding a greater steadiness between consolation and safety, sadly.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
The arms may also be adjusted from 120mm to 130mm, too, by sliding the top of the arm in or pushing it out – relying on whether or not you want a smaller or bigger hole between your face and ears. I can’t say that I wanted to utilize this custom-fit characteristic, however should you battle with the match on different sunnies, it’s possible you’ll discover that that is the adjustment you’ve been on the lookout for.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
Worth and conclusion
The value tag of £195 is among the steepest I’ve come throughout. Though it’s price (re)highlighting that Scicon has thrown in a multi-use mushy bag, a transparent spare lens and a recycled microfibre eyewear pouch. Plus a Lifetime Assure. You do get much more than simply the sunnies alone.
I’ve been impressed by the lens and high quality of the Scicon Aeroscopes, however you will discover comparable efficiency for much less. For instance, Oakley’s Prizm lens can also be of very prime quality and its Sutro Lite Sweep sun shades price a lot much less at £161. You’ll be able to even get frameless sunnies for as little as $79.95 / £109.99 with Tifosi’s Rail Clarion Fototec sun shades.
(Picture credit score: Anna Marie Abram)
General, these are prime quality efficiency sun shades with a fantastically sharp lens and really feel constructed to final. For those who’re somebody who finds the dimensions of different sunnies doesn’t fairly give you the results you want, then the power to fine-tune the match, particularly the arm size, could possibly be significantly helpful. Nonetheless, should you discover that the bridge of your nostril is definitely irritated, then it’s possible you’ll discover the nosepad of those is simply too agency for you (because it was for me).
