Three new sunglasses for summer

Good eyewear is arguably one of the more overlooked pieces of equipment for mountain biking. Good sunglasses have to offer protection from the sun, but also overhanging branches. They have to cut glare on open sections of trail and let in enough light to actually see the trail in the woods. The best are able to handle constant chages between bright light and dark, or dappled light in the woods.

Here are three newer options that will have you covered for mountain biking, gravel, or the road (well, two out of three) this summer.

Koo Alibi Galaxy

Italian brand Koo refreshed its Alibi line with a special-release Galaxy capsule this summer. That includes three new metallic colours including pink, grey and the light blue tested here. All three use cyclindrical polycarbonate lenses from Zeiss and all are crafted in Italy. That comes with some premium but, starting at just over $200 in Canada, they’re not the most expensive out there either. The frame is Grilamid, a lightweight material that puts the whole package at just 25 grams, with the ability to switch lenses

Instead, it’s the performance of the Alibi Galaxy lens that stands out. The “Super Blue Mirror” is a Cat.3 lense with 18 per cent VLT. It’s also one of the best lenses I’ve ridden in, on par with POC (while leagues ahead in style). The Alibi are exceptional in low and spotted light, making them great for summer riding in and out of the woods, and that dappled light that darker lenses struggle so much with. But, somehow, also good in unobstructed, bright sunlight. Quickly made it onto our favorite list and have rarely left my face all summer. Koo offers multiple lenses, which should help carry these into the darker months. Until then, the Super Blue makes these a pair of sunglasses I can grab on the way out the door that I know will work, no matter what the conditions are outside.

Koo Alibi range from $217.00-255.00 depending on lens and frame combination.

Fox PureVue half-shell goggles

In the “now for something completely different” category, Fox rolled out its new half-shell specific goggles this summer. What makes these half-shell specific, compared to the usual full-face goggles? They’re lighter, with a more minimalist frame. There’s plenty of venting so you don’t have to worry about fogging up on flat sections and quick climbs. And the PureVue lens is shaped for maximum range of unobstructed view.

While the look is certainly distinctive, all Fox’s performance claims…