ROKA San Remo Air Sunglasses Review

If you’re looking for a large lens for great field-of-vision, but want something a little more classic, the ROKA San Remo Air Sunglasses have just that. With a wide shield and a classic shape that reminds me of the 1960’s, these offer a different take on cycling sunnies.

ROKA San Remo Air Sunglasses Features:

• Ultralight cylindrical (5-base) semi-rimless shield
• C3™ Optics and interchangeable lenses
• FloatFit™ design offers a lightweight fit and feel
• Customizable with 4 Nose Pads & adjustable titanium temples
• Grippy, ribbed temple tips
• Air vents to reduce fogging
• Tested: Crystal grey frame – dark glacier mirror lens (14% VLT)
• MSRP: $190-$220 (depending on lens configuration)

Classic style meets cycling-friendly design

In 1970’s and 1980’s, Carrera sunglasses were king. Paul Newman famously raced cars and wore them at the race track and beyond. That classic style lives on today and ROKA is embracing it with the new San Remo Air shield sunglasses. But, these retro-inspired shades are packed with modern materials and functionality that were not possible back in those days.

ROKA is based in Austin, TX and has a pair of glasses for every sport, profession or lifestyle. They even make stylish prescription eyeglasses (read our ROKA Lockhart review) and sunglasses using their renowned lenses. In a previous life, I was extensively involved in the vision and eyeglass industry and ROKA’s craftsmanship and quality is evident. The San Remo Air are my first pair of ROKA’s and they have made a solid impression.

Slipping them on, I immediately felt racy and fast with a sprinkling of retro. Most importantly, I tried them on with a variety of helmets and there are no compatibility issues with the fit systems. Even the notoriously-bulky fit system on the Kask Wasabi doesn’t interfere. The temples are straight, but short, so that’s their secret sauce.

The temple tips have ribbed GEKO rubber that confidently grips on the side of my head. If you have a larger or smaller head, the tips feature a titanium core that can be bent slightly for improved fit. The temples fit nice and snug right out of the box, so I didn’t change anything. I did change between a couple of the interchangeable nose pieces until I found my fit. They aren’t labeled, but I went with the deepest ones and the do the trick while also staying put under the most demanding conditions.

Trail running, road cycling and mountain biking have all been on the menu and the San Remo Air’s have confidently stayed in place throughout any activity. The lens vents do a great job of circulating air just enough to prevent fogging. Even on cool, humid days, I didn’t experience any fogging. But, the lenses did prevent me from testing them on colder mornings (more on that below).

When I select sunglasses, I typically try to match the lens color with the terrain. If I want glasses for water use, I choose blue or green lenses. If I want them for desert or mountain use, my go-to is a rose or amber-colored lens and for multi-purpose use, a grey color is usually on the menu. With the test pair, I liked the crystal frames and didn’t think too hard but have now realized that the dark glacier mirror lenses would be too dark for my typical morning use. Yes, they do offer 14% VLT, but they are simply too dark until the sun is completely up over the Wasatch Mountains.

As the light went from shaded to bright sunlight, vision improved. Clarity remained consistent throughout, but I did appreciate the actual sunlight as little details became much more discernible. For mountain biking in shaded, high alpine trails, I would not choose to wear this particular lens. If I had my choice again, I would have opted for the HC Fusion Mirror or Photochromic (even better) lenses for better light transmission on early morning assaults.

The retro shape offers a large field-of-vision for all activities. I typically prefer a semi-rimless design and the lack of lower frames is excellent here. Quick glances over my shoulder or peripheral views are never blocked by a bulky frame. I have several pairs of sunglasses that are even bigger, but the San Remo Air is plenty large for cycling and running. And, as you can see, they are a great match for the Kask Elemento helmet with the matching brow notch (top photo).

I did find that the fixed nature of the nose bridge does cause them to sit just about a half-degree crooked on my face. My body isn’t symmetrical and it is nice to be able to adjust the nose pads for that purpose. But, as far as a rock-solid fit, these are superb. Unfortunately, a week ago, I forgot they were atop my hat and when I pulled my hat off, the San Remo Air lenses were heavily scratched. ROKA doesn’t offer warranty support for scratched lenses, but additional lenses are always available via their support team.

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