The 2015 version of Oakley’s popular Radar range has had a bit of a transformation.
One of the benefits of sponsoring some of the greatest athletes in the sport is you can use their feedback and experience to improve your overall product, which is exactly what has happened with the 2015 range.
Oakley have worked closely with Mark Cavendish, one of the greatest sprinters of our generation, to identify which areas of the sunglasses lens he looks through the most. It has emerged that Cav looks through the top third of the lens the majority of the time. When you break this down it makes sense, as he is on the drops for sprinting and almost parallel to the ground to try and minimize his frontal profile. So as a result Oakley have increased the viewing window at the top of the lens creating a more functional product.
Returning from 2014 is the three-point fit system. The touch points are only found on the sides of the head and the bridge of the nose, creating a comfortable position on the face and minimizing disruption or annoyances to the rider. This was certainly noticeable during many hours in the saddle riding up Falls and Mt. Buffalo. The fit in collaboration with the light and flexible frame make the Radars extremely comfortable. The best indicator of this is whether you can notice them during the ride, and I for one did not give them a second thought during our four days of riding.
There are lots of color options in the new range, so you’ll be able to pair them with your kit, socks or anything else your heart desires.
The Radar lens has also been given an upgrade. The PRIZM lens is designed to enhance your vision on the road and also make the transition between contrasts better. So when you are going from dark to light or vice versa the transition is smoother, enabling you to focus on the road.
Check out the Oakley Radar EV here
There are small vents in the lens, which for the most part eliminates any fogging. While riding I had no issues, although when stopped, they did fog up straight away. I’m used to riding with the Jawbones which have very large vents, so this was quite a noticeable difference for me.
The Radar EV tick all the boxes for me, and are much more subtle then the new Jawbreakers, so if you want all the performance without the attention, these are for you.
