Koo Supermoto
Koo is a new brand started by Kask Helmets. They sent us a couple of pairs this spring. We awarded one pair to one of our listeners on the Danger Gnome Podcast and I’ve been field testing a pair of Supernova frames.
I think the name that they chose for the brand. Koo sunglasses make them sound cool. Everybody wants to be cool and a great pair of sunglasses can potentially help with that endeavor. In my role as editor and field tester here at fat–bike.com I get to wear dozens of pairs of ride glasses. I’ve grown to appreciate the finer points of what makes a pair of ride glasses work for me. On top of how they look… They have to be versatile and comfortable.
The current trend in ride glasses seems to be based on the saying, go big, or go home. Throwbacks to the classic factory test pilot frames from decades ago are commonplace these days. This brings into focus the available space between the bridge of the nose and the lower rim of whatever brand of helmet is worn. If the glasses are too large, they hit the helmet’s lower edge, putting pressure on the nose pads. These glasses were too large to fit in that space with a Bontrager helmet that I wear but work fine with the POC helmet that I also wear.
Since Koo was started by the same folks who make Kaske helmets, I would assume that they were designed to fit into the way those helmets fit.
What’s our pro tip?
Take your helmet with you when you go Sunglass shopping!
The nose pads of the Gran Fondo’s were not as comfortable as I would have liked. I think that they were hampered by the pressure from the rim of the helmet. I mention versatility and one way that ride glasses can bring that to the table is with interchangeable lenses. The Koos didn’t come with a clear or amber lens. Another way that ride glasses can add versatility is to offer a photo-chromatic tint that reacts to the amount of available light. The green mirrored polarized lenses that came with the Koo’s work well in a variety of daylight conditions. They are light enough to wear in the deep forest shade and dark enough for full sun shredding. I like these things! They get high scores for fashion, and they’re the perfect shade of green for a Saint Fatties day ride. For more information visit – https://kooworld.cc/us/en/shop/sunglasses/
Tifosi Rail Race
We have tested a slew of ride glasses from Tifosi. Their newest model is called the race rail… Oops! I correct myself it is Rail Race. After I spied these clear frames with the flame lenses in the latest press release, I signed up for a pair. The Rail Race features straight bows and comes with three sets of lenses. The Tifosi are just a few millimeters smaller than the Supermotos, so they fit between my Roman nose and my Bontrager helmet. The nose pieces are comfortable and they stay put when things get sweaty. I wanted a pink set of shades to go with my pink helmet and my pink or black or raw or purple bikes and these shades fill that role rather nicely. Don’t let the relatively low price of these glasses scare you off. Tifosi glasses are just a good value. They’re comparable to big-name brand ride glasses that are triple the price. For more information about these glasses visit – https://tifosioptics.com/products/rail-race/
Tifosi just released a Breast Cancer Awareness Collection, with a portion of each sale benefitting the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation.
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