The Rudy Project Spinshield Airs might be my favourite cycling glasses in about 25 years. Around the millennium I was a massive fan of the Rudy Project Tayo – the ones with the bug-eyed alien look that were worn by Jan Ullrich. It’s a shame it wasn’t Jan delivering ‘The Look’ to Lance Armstrong that day on Alpe d’Huez in 2001 instead of the other way round because the Tayos would have been perfect for that – a kind of Close Encounters on wheels. At least they hid the panic and despair in his eyes.
There was also the iconic Mapei team edition – pale blue frames with tiny tumbling multicoloured cubes protecting the eyes of Museeuw, Bettini, Tafi et al as they tore up the Classics.
Since then a lot of eyewear brands have popped up to disrupt what was really a two-horse – or more accurately four-eyed – race between Oakley and Rudy Project, but for me with its latest range the Italian brand is back at the top of its game. The Spinshield Air subtly channels the classic ski aviator of the 1970s, and that makes it much more stylish than some of the bigger, brasher and brighter current offerings. However, it has a totally modern performance: bikes are getting lighter again, and so are sunglasses. The Spinshield Air model is so called because it weighs almost nothing – 25g to be precise – and that’s despite its one-piece lens having around twice the surface area of the Tayo’s lenses from back in the day. If anyone is interested, I just dug out my vintage Tayos and weighed them: they’re 34g – that’s over a third heavier. I also put them on and did a Jan Ullrich grimace in the mirror. I’m sure I still have some pink-and-white Telekom arm-warmers somewhere to complete the look (bad choice of words).
Design and performance
Anyway, I’m not here to compare glasses a quarter of a century apart. The Spinshield Air – which is made in Italy – is the half-frame edition of the Spinshield, which weighs a handful of grams more. If we're really weight weenying, for comparison the Oakley Sutro Lites are around 32g. I've only ever worn one pair of glasses that beat the Spinshield Airs for weight and that's the Van Rysel RoadR 900, which is 24g on my scales.
There are nine frame/lens combinations to choose from. I have here the White Matte frame with a one-piece ImpactX 2Laser Purple lens, which is photochromic and increases the cost as you’d expect. These are priced at £209, while the same frame with the standard non-photochromic RP Optics lens costs £155. I’d say the extra cost is worth it, because it means you get to wear and enjoy these glasses all year round. I started using them in February when sunlight is pretty weak and it gets very dark in the trees. In low light the lens lightens to a pale tint that still brings out highlights, like a polarising filter. Now that the sun is properly out, they darken to cut out much more glare. The range of light transmission is quoted as 48% when inactive down to 8% when active, ie from darkness to bright sunlight, and obviously with UV400 protection.
Rudy Project says these lenses stand out for their HDR treatment, which “enhances chromatic differences, especially in green and white hues”. They also have “a lower refractive index, less internal stress, and reduced chromatic dispersion, offering exceptional visual clarity and reduced ‘rainbow’ effect”. It’s true that the clarity is great right to the edges with no obvious distortion or flare.
ImpactX also means it’s impact resistant and obviously shatterproof. There’s a degree of flex – Rudy calls the lens “semi-rigid”. And since ImpactX lenses are claimed to be 16% lighter than CR-39 equivalents and 10% lighter than polycarbonate, they’re clearly helping get the weight down to that impressive 25g. It’s worth noting that the lens in the Spinshield Air is not interchangeable – but at least with photochromic you don’t need to do that anyway. The flagship Rudy Project Kelion does have interchangeable lenses and is priced at £269 with the equivalent photochromic lens or £219 with standard RP Optics.
The Spinshield Air frame is made from a springy nylon that grips the head securely but lightly without being too tight or too loose. Unlike other Rudy Projects glasses including the Kelion, it doesn’t have bendable/mouldable arms for a customisable fit but, honestly, the Spinshield Airs don’t need that. There are rubberised inserts at the ends behind the ears called No Slip Grip, but they’re not necessary either thanks to the springiness of the arms. There are no issues with helmet compatibility while wearing them but because of the tight kink at the ends of the arms, if you want to stick them into the front of a helmet mid-ride they don't slot into the sunglasses port quite as easily as straight-armed glasses. It can take a bit of practice in front of the mirror in advance. The two helmets that I wear most frequently, the Kask Protone Icon and the Abus Gamechanger, will accommodate them fine, but the ports of the Specialized Propero 4 and the Van Rysel FCR won't take them.
The nosepiece isn’t customisable either – again, the Kelion has a bendable one – but you do get an extra pair of 'Asian Fit' No Slip Grip nosepads in the box. I preferred the Asian-fit option that completely cushions the plastic frame from the nose whereas the standard pads don’t (they are more of an insert that doesn’t quite make contact – as seen in the photos here).
I found the Spinshields in their default position on my nose were perfectly positioned so that even in a low-head position, no part of the frame obscures vision, and more generally it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them thanks to the ‘deep horizon’ (in Rudy Project’s words) dimensions of the lens – and because they're so light of course.
And finally, venting. The Spinshield Air doesn’t have any dedicated vents either in the frame or the lens, but so far I haven’t found that to be an issue. For me there’s generally plenty of air rushing in over the tops of the glasses – as long as I’m riding in a fairly aggressive position – so that tiny gaps between the frame and lens don’t make much difference. And I’d say the lack of vents in the Spinshield Airs gives them a cleaner aesthetic, adding to that ski aviator look. They do fog slightly when you stop dead, but no more or no less than any other cycling glasses and vents don't solve that.
Verdict
The Rudy Project Spinshield Air ticks all the boxes for the perfect pair of cycling sunglasses. Classic style, super lightweight, a high-quality photochromic lens that works in all light conditions, comfortable fit, unobstructed vision and made in Italy. I hope I’m not being too picky here, but perhaps glasses that break the £200 barrier should come with a hard case rather than a soft drawstring bag. That said, these will be spending most of their time on my nose. Next time, Rudy Project, let’s not leave it 25 years.
