Bolle Aeromax sunglasses

Some eyewear brands are loud and gaudy, but Bolle’s approach feels more subdued. That belies a wealth of excellent technology packed into the futuristic Aeromax sunglasses, one of the French company’s latest offerings.

Cycling fans with keen eyes have probably seen the Aeromax before. Riders on Katusha-Alpecin and Ag2r-La Mondiale have been wearing the shades all season.

On our own, far slower rides, the Aeromax sunglasses were particularly versatile.

Much of that versatility is credited to the Modulator Rose Gun lens. This is a photochromic lens that is nearly clear in dark conditions. Once the clouds part, it transitions to a tint dark enough for almost any sunny ride. Plus, the lens has a silver mirror that helps cut glare. Bolle says the rose tint improves contrast, and we tend to agree.

If you ride on forested roads — perhaps in Northern California or New England — you’ll like these lenses. We usually found ourselves grabbing the Aeromax shades for mountain biking as well.

The Modulator Rose Gun lens also has an anti-fog and oleophobic/hydrophobic treatment. On those mountain bike rides we didn’t experience any fogging. On one particularly rainy road ride, the hydrophobic treatment seemed to help minimize spray on the lens.

That lens, a large shield that provides ample coverage, is mounted to a minimalist frame with adjustable temples and nose pieces. If your head is a bit odd-shaped, the near-infinite adjustability will help get the fit just so. That said, the nose pieces don’t feel quite as comfortable as the simple, soft rubber contact points found on some other shades.

We have one other gripe with that frame: The interchangeable lens system made us a little nervous. The lens just snaps into small pegs on the frame. Being a bit ham-fisted, we fretted that frequent lens swaps might risk damaging the small pegs. The system works, but it isn’t as clever as some other sunglasses on the market.

The good news is that the Modulator lens was so good and so versatile that we never really wanted to swap it around. If you dig a slightly different look and want an exceptional lens, Bolle’s Aeromax sunglasses are a nice choice.

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