Briko's "Lucifer" are my favorites. I've had mine for a year, paid full price for them ($115.00) but I see excelsports.com has them on sale for $79.00. The lenses are great, the frames are bomb-proof and they look good, or so my wife says.

Rudy has awsome lens replacement and frame replacement warrenties, so that is a plus right there. The optical quality is very good, although Oakley is still the standard by which all other measure. I own two pairs of kerosenes, and have been very happy with them. Also, a pair of Tayos and Ekynoxes, and love them as well. The nice thing about the kerosenes is the ease with which you can replace the lense. Plus, with Rudy's, you can get polarized lenses.

Oakley m-frames are big and goofy looking, but for riding they are tough to beat. They fit well in a helmet vent, which is a huge plus in my book. They fully cover the sides of the eye to prevent any particles from getting in. Minutes are nice if you go for a more traditional shade, but can't replace the lenses in those. Plus as I said before, optical quality above all others. Just don't scratch them, cause they're so expensive, and they won't replace the lenses.

tommy

Thanks for the response. I will probably go with Rudy Project, just not sure what kind yet! Thanks for the information

You left this wide open, but I'll try and be specific.
First and foremost, what are you going to be doing with these? Are they dedicated Cycling, or triathlon shades or will you want to wear them elsewhere also?
Dedicated to the bike I think the Briko Switcher is the ultimate shade. Very techie, changeable lenses, but way to weird to wear anywhere else. For doing tri's I still love my Oakley Racing Jacket. It shields junk on the bike while it keeps air circualting around the eye to prevent too much sweat build up. Then it holds fine during the run. I like it for everyday use, but it may freak somepeople out.
Rudys are okay, but I didn't buy any because they were all huge. (They have since taken care of that problem with the sx version.) I personally don't care for Rudy as well just because I see so many people wearing them. They probably work great, but I like to be different.
On a final note make sure the shade fits. I only got the racing jacket because I tried it on and knew it fit. I almost went with the M-frame, but I tried it and it flopped around on my face. I find Sunglasses to be a highly personal issue. I don't think you can go wrong with Oakley or Rudy.

The only gopher you'll ever see with sick shades

I will check those oakleys out too. Fit and looks are very important to me, too!

I'll second Gopha's suggestion to make sure of the fit. I bought a pair of Oakley Half-Jackets, but after wearing them for a day, I realized that the bridge was just a wee bit too narrow which caused the glasses to ride too high on my nose. Fortunately, my LBS let me swap them for a pair of Rudy Kerosenes, which I love.

I own RP Ekynox, with both the Smoke Black and Racing Red lenses. I *always* use Racing Red, even under very sunny conditions. Despite my smallish face, I bought the "regular" Ekynox, not the narrower SX, as I felt that coverage was better. The frame is more "curved" than most and fits well (make sure you try before buying, of course). I decided that protection (both from light and debris) was number one concern and the Ekynox fills the bill perfectly.

The *major* disadvantage is weight. There's no way I'd ever run with them. So unless you're ready to switch sunglasses at T2, when you trade the helmet for a running cap, I wouldn't recommend the Ekynox for both running and biking. But then, when one sweats heavily (or in a solid downpour, '03 WF style), nothing beats crystal clean lenses, so there could be a reason to own two pairs ...

I like my Ekynox *a lot*, but I'm in the market for something I can run with, which makes them, in a sense, a very expensive alternative.

Dre'

I owe two pairs of M-frames and was given a pair of pro-edition Rudy Eknox (sp?) (pro-edtion are the all white ones you see all the pros weargin in races)(no I'm not a pro nor do I pretent to be, when Rudy and TNT partnered up coaches all got a pair)

Rudy's - PRO: glasses come with everything! two lenses, lense cloth, and a hard case; have a great lense replacement policy. very ajustable fit, additional equipment avail for use a winter sports goggles (minus DH) CON: I've noticed they don't vent as well as my M-frames, sweat that runs down bridge of my nose ends up pooling at bottom of lense in the frame. I can scrape enough salt off them for a super-size fries after a long run or bike on a hot day.

OAKLEY - PRO: Superior vision, don't feel boxed in by frames; Any issues I have with Rudy's venting or sweat pooling are non-problems with M-frames. If you call Oakley you can usuallly get $$ towards upgrades or replacement. If they fit your melon, they don't come off... CON: $$$ or glasses and new lenses and hard case.

Both companies get huge props for their customer service. More props to Oakley if you read LA's book. When he was practically on his death bed in the middle of chemo and his Team dropped him (bye bye health insurance). the only two companies who told him they would stick by him no matter what were Oakley and Nike...

Jim

p.s. why 2 pairs of M-frames? One pair I purchased and other was provided via US Army after the fact.

One feature that is important to me in my choice of sunglass is whether it has an adjustable nosepiece. I've had my nose broken a few times which left me with a small bump on one side of my nose where the nosepiece sits. I love Oakley's style but, unfortunately, the nosepieces in their athletic models cannot compensate for my disfigurement and sit crooked on my face. Although they are a little less stylish (hey, it matters), a lot of the Rudy Project glasses have adjustable nosepieces. I just recently bought their new Rydon glasses.

Just my .02

Rusty

I have one of each (1999 Oakley wrap around and a Rudy skeey) Both companies have great service and warranty. We are on our 5th pair of Oakleys between me and wife, and second Rudy. The warranty on the Rudy includes lens. The Oakley frames keep cracking and the Rudy's went back b/c I broke the nose piece while adjusting them. I prefer the Rudy's simply because they fit my face and the adjustabel nose piece works good for me as I have a small nose, stops the constant downwards creep while out on a long ride. But I prefer the lenses of the Os. If they fit cant go wrong with either brand, note there are lots of models to try out. I have friends with M frames and they swear blind by them.

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

I would definitely see what fits your face best. I think one of the major considerations is ventalation. Some of Oakley's Jackets look and fit great but fog up bad during a race. I have tried Rudy's and like them ok but they just don't have the ventalation of the M Frames. M Frames have much better vision and during a race you almost forget that you have shades on. As for being big...Oakley has some smaller lenses for them now: Hybrid and Hybrid S. Lance wears the Hybrid S lense and they do not look big. I have 2 pair because I like them that much.

Hi,

I have RP Rydon glasses in copper velvet which are great. For cloudy days I have a pair of Ekynox in titanium with tek red(photochromatic) glasses. I absolutely happy with this glasses and would really recommend them.

regards,

Frank

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I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.

I guess I'm suffering from sticker shock reading the above posts. I've never spent over $15 on a pair of sunglasses and have a shoe box full of them and don't worry too much about them. I buy them at Target or the discount store when they are on sale at the end of the summer.

Are the Rudy's etc. really worth it?

One thing I really like about Rudy (besides their glasses) is how they support the sport at a grass-roots level. Rudy Project kicks in a lot of prizes for triathlons and events around the country, and supports a huge number of local teams and clubs with 'pro deals' on glasses, etc. Oakley makes great glasses, But I'd rather support a company that gives back to me and my sport.

just my opinion...

J

Ok everyone has given some great input. But what about functionality? Which shades provide the best coverage while down on our aerobars? I need one pair of glasses to bike and run. I presently are using my Revo Pro Wraps. They do not give enough coverage while in the aero position. I end up looking over the tops of the frames. It seems to me that the Oakley M frames seem to ride higher on my face. I haven't tried the Rudy's. More input please.



Thanks

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ShaRRky

I know where you are coming from and use to get the cheap ones all the time but there is definitely an improvement in the lenses and I have a small nose. The constant slipping was driving me crazy to the point where I did not bother wearing any shades at all. Also consider the warranty, we paid 220 (2 pairs) CND almost 4 yrs ago and have had 5 new pairs in that time from Oakley, that works out at $44 a pair, and since the warranty is for life (my life and I guess Oakleys) we are not done yet.

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Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

Oakley also has a big fat military contract, so you can imagine where they stand as a company politically. They are the polar opposite of Ben and Jerry's, not than Ben and Jerry's makes sunglasses, but if they did...

try this:

www.winningmag.com/marketplace/reviews/glasses.shtml

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I don't work here, I just live here

Don't be fooled -- the Oakley guarantee is NOT "for life" in the way you think it is. It's more like the model life.

Here's my saga -- I raced for a team that was sponsored (in part) by Oakley. Prior to then, I had bought a set of the Factory Pilots, and later the Blades. In a race-crash, I broke the Blades. They would not replace them since the Blades were no longer made. I bought a pair of the M-frames with the Heater lens, and through a few years broke the frames on several pair -- always nearly the same place, on the brow bar. Each time, I got a warrantee replacement. After going through this several times, I upgraded to the Pro-M frame, and have had no problems since.

My mother has an eye condition which requires her to wear full-wrap shades when outdoors. I bought a pair of the M-frames for her, which she wore often. After some time, the frame broke (this one at the hinge. Well, the best they would do is a $40 credit on a new M-frames, since the design had changed over the course of the ensuing time.

Oakley DOES NOT do any replacing of lenses for any reason (other than provable manufacturing defects).

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

I know of what you speak. If I go with any of the lower profile lenses, the bar across the top of the Oakleys sits right in my field of vision. I go with the full-height Heater, and have clear vision even when on the aero bars.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

I think both Oakley and Rudy make great glasses but I'll take my M-frames and Half Jacets any day over Rudys. I owned a pair of Rundy Projects before and although the metal composite frame is cool it's just too heavy. The Oakleys have better optics (some other companies are just now licensing Oakley's older lens technology to put in their NEW glasses) and just fit me better. But no matter what you end up buying, I'd suggest going with a design that doesn't have the frame wrapping around the bottom of the lens (ie: Oakley M-Frames & Half Jackets, Rudy Kerosenes) as it makes it so much easier to look over your shoulder on the bike and just improves the view in general. Some frames with really large lenses such as the Oakley Racing Jackets and some Briko models also have pretty unobstructed downward vision, they just look weird though.

On the Oakley warranty it's frame replacement free for a year and then there's a $19 fee for the life of the glasses after that. Obviously if they break 5 years after you bought them and the style been out of production for years you might not get a replacement on the same terms (although I did with my 7 year old M-frames). Gotta love them, Oakley Rules.

Functionality in the aerobars? I just got a pair of RP Ekynox and they are GREAT in the aero position. I don't have to bend my neck as much as I did when wearing oakley M-Frames or RP Rydons due to the top of the frame getting in the way. While looking up is no problem, looking down can result in obstructed vision - making running not ideal. There's also something for the evil looking visage they give the wearer...but function is most important right?

My experience in customer support with Oakley has been outstanding. Granted, I did not send my many pair of dinged up, or missing part glasses in. I walked into their World Headquarters in Lake Forrest(5 -405 split), walked up to the repair counter with 4 pairs of glasses. They fixed all on the spot. I also brought an discontinued pair in, and they gave me credit on those.

my 2 cents.

I love my Kerosenes, but for one pair only with a view to functionality, I would go with Ekynox SX. Great coverage for the bike, light enough for the run. Plus, the lenses switch out on the Ekynox SX easier than any other model of Rudy I have owned. The one problem with the Ekynox SX is that the new and improved polarized lenses are the only ones you can get for that model - and reatil at about $109, if I remember correctly. The polarized lenses I have for my Graals and Kerosenes were around $60, which is obviously far more reasonable. More and more, I too am using the Racing Red lenses in virtually all conditions on the bike and the run, as they provide terrific resolution and contrast. Finally, Rudy offer outstanding replacement policies for both scratched lenses and cracked frames. The customer service people are always helpful and responsive. There are compelling reasons why so many people are wearing Rudys!