Rudy Project Fotonyk Sunglasses Review

* Disclaimer: I received the Rudy Project Fotonyk sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (Ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews

I recently reviewed the Rudy Project Sterling helmet (click here for my review), which was facilitated through being a BibRave Pro.  The Sterling is an extremely safe helmet that is so comfortable you don’t even know it’s there.  I was completely impressed with my first Rudy Project product that I reviewed.  I just received the Fotonyk Sunglasses and a trucker hat to test.  Just like the Sterling helmet, the Fotonyk is loaded with premium features.  Let’s look at what makes up these sunglasses.

Safety

Rudy Project wants to make products that will not only be functional, but will keep you safe.  Their helmets and sunglasses are made to protect you when you take a spill.  What good are sunglasses that look good, but the temple piece will break off in a crash and cause serious injury?  Rudy Project integrates its hinges and uses soft, thermoplastic elastomers to protect you, even in the worst crashes.

Ventilation/Anti-fog

It is never good when you are running or cycling and your glasses fog up.  Fogging up could result in hitting a pothole or tripping over a crack in the road.  Rudy Project uses their trademarked Vent Controller that allows air flow through strategic points in the lens.  This reduces thermal shock, which in-turn reduces fogging.  I had absolutely no issues with fogging.

Customizable

The Fotonyk shades have bumpers that are made from colorful rubber inserts that not only protect you from the edge of the lens, but looks great too.  There are four different colored bumpers (black, white, orange flou, and lime) that you can choose from and they are easy to switch.  You can also swap out the interchangeable lenses, which is also really easy to do.  You can get a smoke black, multilaser blue, or multilaser orange lens to swap out.  These are in addition to the lenses that come with your purchase. 

Photocromatic lens

I got the Fotonyk Black Matte ImpactX with Photocromatic 2 Black lenses.  They are clear in low light situations, but adjust to black in direct sunlight.  The cool thing is that even when the lenses are at their darkest, visibility is crystal clear.  I love these for my early morning runs that start in the dark as well as mid-day, sunny runs and rides.  The light transmittal ranges from 9% to 74%, which is the biggest range I have seen in a photocromatic lens.

Adjustable Design

Everybody has differently shaped faces.  Rudy Project does a great job of making shades that will fit different face shapes by utilizing adjustable nose pieces.  You can adjust the glasses’ height as well as their distance from your face which will help provide a completely personalized fit.  I love the way these feel, like they were designed for me.

Frame Build

The frame uses Rudy’s Grilamid material, which is a shock-resistant, hypoallergenic thermoplastic, which has several great characteristics.  They are light, stable, flexible and extremely durable.  That makes for a very safe and comfortable set of shades.

Sunglass Case

This is one of my favorite features.  Usually you get a bag or hard case for your sunglasses, but Rudy Project has something I like better.  Their “Sport Protector” is a cover that goes over the lenses and has a Velcro enclosure.  It is very simple, but extremely effective in protecting your sunglasses.  I love it!

Analysis and Conclusion

I have tested these on my bike rides, early morning runs, and even in the middle of the day.  I never had issues with the sun being too bright in the middle of the day.  I could wear them in the dark without having visibility issues and never had any fogging issues.  The Fotonyk is great because it is customizable and is super light.  I have a hard time finding sunglasses that look good on me, but I love the way these look and feel.  I would highly recommend them.

Right now, you can subscribe to get special promotions from Rudy Project and get 25% off your first purchase.  Click here to sign up and get the discount.  That will drop the price from $199.99 (regular price) to around $150.  When you buy at the Rudy Project website you get free 2-way shipping, a low price guarantee, and a 90-day return policy.  You have a full 90 days to return your unused sunglasses for a full refund. 

Pros:

Looks awesome with the bright customizable bumpers and lenses.

Light weight (under 1 ounce)

Anti-Fog Vents

Made to protect you during spills

Awesome fit

Rudy Project’s Social Media Links:

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In the world of running and cycling, there are tons of products to choose from.  There are several companies who claim to have the best products.  I have been extremely impressed with Rudy Project and can’t wait to see what else they have to offer.  From the fit to the style, you really can’t go wrong with their helmets or sunglasses.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Osymetric Chainring Review

I have been cycling for over 15 years.  I am not a novice, but am far from a professional rider.  I am always looking for ways to improve my performance outside of my normal training to get stronger and faster.  I came across an advertisement for Osymetric chainrings and was very intrigued.  They are not round like the chainrings on most bikes.  Why would you want an chainring that isn’t round though?

Let’s first start with what I used before and what I am testing.  I have a 2012 Giant Defy 2 Comp.  It came with a compact setup with 50-34 chainrings up front and an 11-32 cassette in the back.  I mostly ride in the flat Central Valley of California now, so I changed my rear cassette to a 12-26 for cleaner shifting and less of a gap between my gears (I was having a hard time keeping up during sprints with my friends because of the gaps between my gears).  Osymetric sent me the 52 tooth large, 38 tooth inner ring, as well as an assembly kit.

What are Osymetric rings though?  They are chain rings that are not round like traditional chainrings.  They are not oval or elliptical either, but have a twin cam shaped design.  The patented design from Osymetric USA reduces the gear and effort needed to get through what they call the “dead spot” in your pedal stroke.  It is designed to take advantage of the strongest part of your pedal stroke, between 1 and 5 o’clock where you are pushing your pedal down.  

Some of the claims from Osymetric USA are that their chainrings can reduce your lactic acid buildup by 10% and increase your power by 10% regardless of how experienced you are with riding.  One unique aspect of the rings as that the closer you are to your anabolic threshold, the more beneficial the Osymetric rings are. 

If you are curious about detailed data analysis of round versus Osymetric rings, here are a few links.

Aerobic Metabolism: Round vs Osymetric

Hill Climb: Round vs Osymetric

Power: Round vs Osymetric

Comparitive: Round vs Osymetric

Jean-Louis Talo is a mechanical engineer from Menton, France who produced the prototype Osymetric ring and has spent over 20 years trying to convince the cycling world that it works.

* picture courtesy of Bike24

“You can alter the design so that you give the leg muscles work to do where they are at their strongest and less work to do where they are weak. A round chainring gives you work to do where you are weak and takes power away from you where your legs are strongest,” says Talo. “A bicycle chainring is round because at one time that’s all factories knew how to produce.” (1)

There are people who also think that the gains aren’t that great. Tim Kerrison, the performance director at Team Sky who oversees the training of the team said, “I’d say that, performance-wise, there is very little in it either way… A few riders have a preference for the Osymetric rings, but many of our riders have tried them. Only a few continue to use them.”  He also said, “…both Wiggins and Froome used them in the 2012 Tour, so they are unlikely to be significantly detrimental to performance.” (1)

You will need the large (starting at $129.99) and small (starting at $129.99) Osymetric chainrings as well as an assembly kit (which costs $24.99).  The assembly kit is a bolt on chain deflector.  The purpose is to make sure that the chain does not overjump the small ring when downshifting.  There are a variety of small and large chainrings designed for standard, compact, and off road bikes and various group brands (i.e. SRAM, Shimano, etc). 

I have tested the Osymetric chainrings for over a month and a half now.  What I can say is that you won’t notice a night and day difference, or at least I didn’t.  What I did notice though was I did have more power and was able to maintain a faster speed on a regular basis.  I was also able to ride longer than with my traditional compact chainrings before my legs started to fatigue.  I not only felt the benefit in the flats where I do a majority of my training, but I found the most benefit on some fairly steep hills.  I was riding up some 10-12% grade hills that I wouldn’t have been able to make it up with my other chainrings.  I even was able to save a few gears in back in case my legs started to fatigue, but they held out.  I was utterly surprised.  I have asked a few friends about their experiences with Osymetric rings and they said that it made a difference in their races.  They are true believers just like I am. 

The only negative thing that I have found is that it can be easier to drop your chain than with a standard oval ring.  While I found that to be true, I only dropped my chain twice and it was due to bad shift timing on both occasions.  For me it is not a big deal and wouldn’t deter me from highly recommending the Osymetric chainrings. 

Pros:

Multiple options for different crank arms

Standard, compact, and off-road versions

Increases power by 7-10%

Reduce fatigue by 10%

Is used by top pro’s during races (it must be good)

Great Price (my kit would cost under $300 total)

Cons:

Small increased risk of dropping chain

Osymetric’s Social Media Link:

Twitter  

Conclusion

If you are looking on making improvements to your bike that will yield more power and faster riding, Osymetric chainrings are a great option to look into.  They are used by some of the top cyclist in the world and they wouldn’t risk their career on technology that wasn’t scientifically backed.  Not only are they using Osymetric rings, but they are winning with them.  I was a little skeptical at first, but once I tested them for a few rides, I was a believer.  The increased power and reduced fatigue is well worth the price in my opinion.  The small and large rings start at $129.99 each but Osymetric USA is currently having a great sale where you can get each ring for under $100.  Get them before the sale is over.  You can buy yours at the Osymetric USA website. 

Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

References:

(1)   http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/product-news/osymetric-chainrings-do-they-work-28044