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Cycling has an odd relationship with mainstream sports. While the big, high-street brands will cater to what feels like every sport under the sun, cycling clothing is left to specialist outfits.
There are exceptions. Nike has flirted frequently with life on two wheels and began providing FDJ-Suez with clothing before adding Visma–Lease a Bike to its roster. But one company that has had a steadier relationship with cycling is Adidas. Just think back to Eddy Merckx with his Adidas cycling shoes and the early Team Sky epoch.
Adidas continues to be involved in cycling. It has owned Five Ten since 2011 and still makes bib shorts, jerseys and other kit. It frames its sport sunglasses as suitable for cycling, too. That includes its latest Anemos Light sunglasses, which could prove an appealing choice, especially if you’re unwilling to fork out the cash for a pair of Oakleys.
Designed to be used across multiple sports, including running, the Anemos Light sunglasses have a low weight thanks to their injected construction, ventilation holes and half-rim design.
Those latter features could provide benefits while out on the bike. Adidas says holes on the top of the frame, plus the opening at the nose bridge, reduce fogging. Meanwhile, the half-rim design and the ventilation holes on the temples are said to improve aerodynamics – but we’ll have to take Adidas on its word with that one.
The frame of the glasses I received has a bold two-tone finish, which shifts between green and purple depending on the light.
The wraparound glasses also have an adjustable nose pad and adjustable rubber tips on the temples to “guarantee a customised fit and a secure feel”.
Adidas adds that the Anemos lenses are made from a "resilient" polycarbonate that “offer high visual definition in a range of conditions and terrains”. The lenses are also said to preserve “true colour perception“.
Elsewhere, Adidas has put its three-stripe logo on the lens and the arms, “underscoring the distinctive brand identity”.
Whether that’s desirable or you want to stick to a more specialist cycling brand is down to you. But, either way, the Anemos Light glasses feel sleek and like a high-quality pair of sunglasses, which makes the £140 price tag feel attractive compared to other premium models.
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