Lens anorak gets new sports frame

Norville recently sent me the results of a project it has been working on to provide Rx lenses for the nannini Swing sports frame. The project may not result in a product for sale but the results are interesting from an optical lens manufacturing proint of view. Having been given the opportunity to try the results I thought I would share my good fortune and give my view.

The manufacture of sports lenses for the swing frame requires notching at both sides and reccessing around the top edge of the lens to allow it to sit inside the frame with what looks like an intentional ventillation gap.
The result of Norville's work is a pleasing, if somewhat 'engineered' look which provides a kind of Caterham 7 rather than Audi TT appeal to lovers of sports eyewear. Swapping the lenses was surprisingly simple despite the technical look.
I've been itching to get out on the bike to try the frame and when the sun finally shone on Sunday I found the frame and the original (brown) sun lenses to be effective. The gap above the frame helps air flow through helping to keep the lenses mist free on cold days.
Further intrigue followed at the weekedn when some yellow lenses arrived in the post ready to pop into the frame. The accompanying letter explained that the lenses were Transitions Gold and the first to be prescription sports glazed in Europe. Unactivated they have a yellow/gold tint and the compensated Rx glazed in makes them very easy to wear, they are very light enhancing,. Not too sure what they will transition into though.


Physically they form a snugger fit to the frame than the sun lenses while still leaving a small airgap so they should perform the same on the anti-fog front.
These look like the kind of lenses you would want to wear on a dull misty day. I don't think I will have to wait so long for one of those as I did for a sunny day. When I have tested them in anger on the bike I will report back.

Happy New Year

I have a confession to make. I wanted to show you a picture of me out on the road bike with the snow in the background. Sad to say I had a long rest over Christmas while the worst of the snow was still around (probably not a bad thing - my knee can recover). When I finally did get to go out it was so cold that I had to give my new lobster gloves to my son to stop his hands freezing. Taking photos didn't seem appropriate.
So you will have to make do with a pic of my garden covered in the white stuff. Sadly it's nearly all gone...... but there's more on the way.
I'll have to get the turbo trainer out of the garage.

Happy New year.

A cycle on reality

It's been snowing again. Over the weekend my village was once again marooned by the white stuff.
After my fantastic day out at the adidas Evil Eye half rim launching mountain biking in Cannock Chase I decided this mountain biking lark deserved another look.
So off I went to the bike shed, it's a lean-to actually, to fish out the bike I bought for Mrs Optician Editor to ride after the last bike was nicked from the railway station. She's never ridden it.
This is a weird beast of a bike. It's a Specialised Expedition Elite and has a great big seat on springs. A kind of cycling equivalent to an armchair, if you stood up in an arm chair, its stay out in the cold hadn't gone down too well. The front forks were frozen solid and the seat, handlebars and brakes were covered in snow.
Cycling on the fresh snow was great but the roads were a bit hairy but all in all great fun. The real problem came tring to cycle where a few 4x4s have compacted the snow or where it had formed ridges and re-frozen.
Needless to say the cycle down to my allotment to hack out a couple of leeks and a celeriac from the frozen ground was not as smooth as the Cannock hack on the Orange Five MTB supplied by the hire shop.
I picked up my Specialised bad boy at my local bike shop. I was in there one day having a chat and one of the guys said it had been in for repair but no one had come back to collect it. They sold it to me for the cost of the repair, £150, and it was in pretty good nick.
I looked up the Orange Five out of interest and it was £2,800. I think I'll have to get used to the bumpy ride.

adidas Evil Eye half rim on test

I sight never seen before, Chris Bennett on a mountain bike. The event was the launch of the adidas Evil Eye half rim and the venue Cannock Chase. If there was ever a day designed to test out active prescription eyewear this day was it.
the morning started with the rain pouring down. While the party huddled inside out of the rain the product was presented and a talk given on vision in mountain biking.
Both were interesting and whetted the apetite for what was to follow.
As we headed out on the bikes the weather monetarily cleared up to be followed by colder air and bright sun.
After lunch an elite group of riders headed back out to the Follow the Dog trail and driving snow. Along with the variable light conditions the lenses had to cope with mud, steam and snow. They performed very well and the products tested, only prototypes, did very well. I was wearing a prescription insert behind the lenses that did trap a little moisture but all in all the ventillation system seemed to work quite well. During the heaviest of the snow I had to wipe the lens of flakes and mud but the proof of the pudding was that the product stayed on all the way round.
The mountain biking itself was pretty much a new experience for me. The hired bike was a natty looking Orange five, in bright green, and the suspension seemed to soak up everything the terrain could throw at it.
There were a couple of points along the trail I thought: surely you can't cycle down that, but you could and mostly, I did.
The day remained largely injury free. I had a bit of a tangle with a branch lying along the side of the path that grabbed my shin and I also whacked into a tree hard enough to slightly wind myself but all in all an enjoyable day was had by all.
All good for the road fitness. If only it would stop snowing.

Molloy puts Conte in yellow

Just as Cervelo and Garmin have coalesced behind Tyler Farrar so the forces of the Optician and Transitions cycling teams have come together to support Luca Conte at the 2011 Vatternrundan.
Fiona Molloy has joined the SBR team for an undisclosed transfer fee believed to contain several figures. Molloy, a former national standard hockey player, is a veteran of many Ironman 70.3 events, European world championship duathlons, The Ironman UK and numerous smaller triathlons and bike races.
The Optician Team manager said. 'SBR have poached a prodigious talent. She's the woman to get Conte into a striking position but taking a podium place will be down to his lightning acceleration.'

Ice rider

Had a fun ride into work this morning. Opted for the mountain bike and did as much cross country as possible. The roads were very quiet so no too bad.Off road was a different matter. The snow clung to the wheels and with the depth anything upto a foot it was hard going. Really looking forward to the night ride home. Sorry about the lack of photos but every time I get my Blackberry out the screen is steamed up and photos unusable.
Biggest excitement was getting attacked by a dog in Epsom. Those crazy poodles.

Be careful what you wish for

After last Friday's light-hearted post about snow the south east finally got some. Well I say some, I mean lots. The fact that it is mixed with cold weather also means the whole place has ground top a halt. Luckily Optician went to press just as the worse of the weather hit. the only problem was getting home.
Meedless to say the Sunday North Downs ride looks in doubt.