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7 sunglasses for the height of summer

Shade your eyes and look cool

With the sun high in the sky during your rides, protect your eyes, and look good, with a set of these sunglasses.

Shimano S Phyre Aurora
Shimano S Phyre Aurora

The Shimano S-Phyre Aurora ($200, bike.shimano.com) are rare indeed. Only a few hundred of these glasses, with their northern lights-inspired frames, are in North America. The temples are curved nicely and clear helmet straps easily.

Smith Wildcat
Smith Wildcat

The Smith Wildcat ($210, smithoptics.com) glasses look a bit like goggles missing parts of their frame. Around the temple hinges, the frame is just on the inside. Swap out the ChromaPop Red Mirror lens – which filters out certain wavelengths of light to give you a sharper view – for the clear lens if clouds roll in.

Bolle Shifter
Bolle Shifter

The Bollé Shifter ($300, bolle.com) are new glasses from the 131-year-old company. They take design cues from the Chrono Shield, worn by riders in the ’90s. The contemporary lenses feature Phantom, which adjusts the tint for different light conditions and adds contrast.

Oakley Frogskins Mix
Oakley Frogskins Mix

Updated earlier this year, the Oakley Frogskins Mix ($221, oakley.ca) are lifestyle glasses with performance features. The Prizm Jade lenses cut out bright light and maximize contrast when you’re out on the road. The O Matter frame, which is plastic with nylon, is comfortable and durable.

100 percent S2
100% S2

The frame colour of these 100% S2 ($215, orangesportsupply.com) glasses is “soft tact banana,” giving these chunky specs a fun, Tonka-truck vibe. The temples tips are nicely grippy and keep the Cat. 3 grey/green lens (visible light transmission: 13 per cent) in place.

POC Crave Clarity
POC Crave Clarity

The POC Crave Clarity ($290, pocsports.com) have lenses by premium lens maker Zeiss. Put them on for rides on cloudy days. Thirty-two per cent of visible light will pass through. The frame is made of the durable Grilamid polymer.

Koo California
Koo California

Look good off the bike, and on, with the Koo California ($299, kooworld.cc) lifestyle glasses. The specs are designed in Italy through the same company that brings you Kask helmets. The California, as the name suggests, are perfect for bright, sunny days. The Zeiss polarized lenses cut glare and have a visible light transmission rating of 17 per cent.