Rapha Pro Team full frame glasses
2020 text: Roel Koolen photos: Stan Koolen
Rapha has been selling glasses for some time now, but I hadn’t tried one of them yet. I was hesitant, because being a great clothing brand doesn’t mean you can make great glasses as well. Spoiler alert, I was wrong. The Pro Team Full Frame glasses are great, a definite recommendation if you’re looking for a new pair of cycling glasses.
Something that you notice right away is that the glasses are really light. They hardly weigh anything. At some point during my first ride I even forgot I was wearing them. The fit is perfect. The nose piece prevents any movement (you can even adjust it if necessary), the lens curvature creates a tight radius around your face and the arms grip nicely without being too tight. What I really loved are the vents. They create plenty of ventilation, which is really important for a cyclist. I’ve had plenty of glasses that fog up, or seam like to attract my sweat. The Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses do not. The ventilation is superb, in my opinion, although I have to mention that I’ve only been wearing them on warm summer days. What they do on colder days is something I cannot tell yet.
2020 text: Roel Koolen photos: Stan Koolen
Rapha has been selling glasses for some time now, but I hadn’t tried one of them yet. I was hesitant, because being a great clothing brand doesn’t mean you can make great glasses as well. Spoiler alert, I was wrong. The Pro Team Full Frame glasses are great, a definite recommendation if you’re looking for a new pair of cycling glasses.
As always, the Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses come in a nice casing. The microfibre bag is able to carry the glasses and a spare clear lens. The bag consists of two pockets, so you won’t scratch anything. By the way, awesome job by Rapha to provide a spare clear lens. This way I don’t have to think about whether I want to buy a lens for when the weather is cloudy and dark. With Rapha I already have one.
Something that you notice right away is that the glasses are really light. They hardly weigh anything. At some point during my first ride I even forgot I was wearing them. The fit is perfect. The nose piece prevents any movement (you can even adjust it if necessary), the lens curvature creates a tight radius around your face and the arms grip nicely without being too tight. What I really loved are the vents. They create plenty of ventilation, which is really important for a cyclist. I’ve had plenty of glasses that fog up, or seam like to attract my sweat. The Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses do not. The ventilation is superb, in my opinion, although I have to mention that I’ve only been wearing them on warm summer days. What they do on colder days is something I cannot tell yet.
My Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses came in white, with a pink blue lens. Preference for a lens colour in combination with the type of weather is very subjective. Some people like a dark lens in sunny summer days, others (like me) prefer to have more transmission. I can only say that the pink blue lens works fine on a bright sunny ride. I had no issue with the sunlight. The lens is also pretty wide, so you have clear vision anywhere you look. I had no issues with looking at the frame, or a nose piece blocking my vision.
Are the glasses too big for my face? Good question. As with everything in fashion, what looks great today might look silly tomorrow. Yes, the Rapha Pro Team Full Frame glasses are big, but that’s fashionable nowadays and the tight radius makes sure that the shape runs smoothly along your face. Just so you know, I definitely don’t have a perfect face for big sports glasses and Rapha made sure they fit fine for me. I don’t look like Greg Lemond in 1989. Lastly, changing lenses is quite easy, but always be carefull when doing so.
Overall, a big thumbs up for Rapha in creating cycling glasses that look great, fit perfectly and have a good price.
The retail price is €145,- and available through local Rapha dealers or on the Rapha website here. The Rapha Pro Team full frame glasses come in three different colors, black, dark navy and white, each frame has its own lens colour and come with an extra clear lens for wet and windy rides.
