POVEC C1 REVIEW: Photochromic cycling glasses change tint automatically, but they can take time to react. The $249 POVEC C1 takes a different approach, letting the rider switch between lighter and darker tint in about one second with a swipe of a finger. After group rides, a 117-mile day and Bend singletrack, we found the technology is more than just a party trick.
There’s a moment on every long, fading-light ride when you have to make a call: keep the dark lenses on and squint into the shadows; swap to a lighter pair and risk getting blinded when the road opens back up; or if you’re like me and don’t like to jam gear into your jersey pockets, just go glasses-less, risking dried-out eyes (and bugs-to-the-eye).
Check out this video of the tint change in real time:
The POVEC C1 Performance Sunglasses ($249) solve that problem by putting two lenses in one frame.
The novelty here is POVEC’s solid-state electrochromic technology, which lets you swipe forward across the logo area on the right temple to toggle between Clear Mode (CAT 2, for lower-light conditions) and Dark Mode (CAT 3, for bright sun). The switch happens in about a second — no fumbling with a case, no swapping lenses, just a flick of the finger.
Take away the tech, and the C1s wear like any other solid pair of riding shades: wraparound TR90 frame, a wide, distortion-free field of vision, and a secure, locked-in fit, especially with the three interchangeable nose pads that POVEC includes.
I put them through a real range of conditions. On a fast evening group ride that ran through sunset (photo below), I toggled from Dark to Clear Mode as the light dropped, and picked up an easy extra 45 minutes of riding before I’d have otherwise pulled the glasses off entirely. Somewhat to my surprise, I found myself preferring Clear Mode in most conditions short of direct, bright sun; it actually sharpened my vision rather than just dimming less. (Note that Clear Mode still carries some tint, so it’s not like going truly clear-lensed; I wouldn’t wear them on a true night ride, for example).
The most useful test came mountain biking outside Bend, weaving in and out of tree cover. I couldn’t toggle with every flicker of light while my hands were on the bars — maybe some trail riders are that skilled and confident; I’m not — but I could swipe to Clear Mode diving into the forest, and back to Dark when I popped out onto a fire road. That’s a real advantage over a single fixed tint.
On weight: at around 39 grams, they’re slightly heavier than a typical pair of shades, but I never noticed it on the bike, including on a total slog of a 117-mile day.
The catch, if you want to call it that, is charging. Yes, now I have sunglasses that need a USB-C top-off, as if remembering to charge my Di2 and my power pedals wasn’t enough. In practice it’s a minor annoyance: POVEC rates the battery at 28 days on a 4-hour-per-day riding schedule; I’ve used them nearly a month, and have only charged them once. So it’s an occasional, very minor chore, not a daily one.
At $249, the C1s otherwise perform like plenty of other riding shades I’ve owned; the electrochromic swap is the entire reason to buy them. But consider that a pair of Oakleys or Rokas can run you close to what these cost, and they don’t give you two lens tints in one frame. Whether that convenience is worth the premium is a personal call, but for anyone who rides into changing light regularly, I’d say these POVECs are worth a look (or two).
The POVEC C1 Performance Sunglasses can be found at www.povecoptics.com at a price of $249.
The post Seeing the Light — Twice: POVEC C1 Sunglasses Review appeared first on PezCycling News.
