Bollé may not rattle off your tongue like Oakley, Ray-Ban or Smith, but they should. Steeped in French history, Bollé began in 1888 and started making glasses and goggles in 1950. Things have changed a lot since then and the B-Rock NXT Modulator Sunglasses are the pinnacle of what Bollé has to offer.
Bollé B-Rock NXT Modulator Features:
- NXT Modulator lens with photochromic technology
- Lighter-than-polycarbonate allows for large lenses
- Full-frame design
- Thermogrip adjustable nose and temple tips
- Modulator adjusts from 27% to 9% VLT
- MSRP: $189
A lens with a view
That one lens to rule them all? Well, it’s definitely photochromic. Even on the brightest days, clouds come or you ride into thick forests and everything becomes even better if the lenses react to those changes. Of course, your pupils dilate in darkness, but adjustable lenses enhance the body’s natural ability to see.
Bollé’s latest creation is the B-Clear NXT Modulator lens and it’s matched to the cycling-friendly B-Rock frame. These NXT lenses use a lighter material than typical polycarbonate to allow these gargantuan lenses to remain lightweight and stay put on your face — even on rough terrain.
While the Modulator lens does change VLT based on ambient light from 27% to 9% VLT, these don’t ever get perfectly clear. So, I used them in low-light to bright conditions, not darkness. Primarily, my usage was during early-morning rides as the sun was rising and the brown/emerald lenses made for crisp vision throughout my rides.
For both road and mountain biking, the B-Rock’s offer a wide field-of-vision and a comfortable fit. With adjustable nose pieces and grippy Thermogrip temple tips, the B-Rock’s stay put and work well with a variety of helmets.
The full-frame design is different than typical full frames in that the lower lens frame is quite thin. But since the lens itself is large enough, the frames go largely unnoticed. That is, until you look over your shoulder for oncoming traffic. It’s easy to look past and it only interferes for casual over-the-shoulder looks but it is present unless you make a concerted effort to look a little more closely.
Like all quality sunglasses the B-Rock’s feature an anti-fog treatment on the inside of the lens. This worked well overall, but couldn’t keep up with hard efforts on cold, humid mornings.
The Good
- Lenses are crisp, clear and lightweight
- Modulator NXT adjusts tint based on needs
- Stay put throughout every ride
- Wide field-of-vision
The Bad
- Still do notice lower rim on quick over-the-shoulder glances
- They fog up under poor conditions (no worse than other glasses though)
The Bottom Line: Bollé B-Rock NXT Modulator
On my constant search for the perfect pair of cycling glasses, the Bollé B-Rock’s might just be it. With a huge field-of-vision, clear optics and photochromic lenses, the B-Rock’s stay put and allow me to ride without thinking about my glasses at all — because they just plain work.
Buy Now: Bollé B-Rock Sunglasses (now $94.50)
