MAGAZINE

The cold season brings new challenges for those who love outdoor sports: here's how to choose the ideal NRC sunglasses for this period

Top quality lenses require a series of attentions to maintain their optical performance intact: here are some easy tips for sunglasses that are always at the top

Fogging lenses can be a huge problem during sports, but we have the solution

Our new WX4 sunglasses feature special ZEISS nylon lenses based on the impact of colors on mood, performance and psychophysical well-being.

Depending on the activity you prefer, you will need sunglasses with different characteristics: here is our quick guide to choosing the right model

With a frame made entirely from plant-based materials, many of our new glasses are now 100% sustainable.

Our HOCO multisport glasses have officially debuted in the MLB with the New York Yankees second baseman

Our ambassador Nadezhda Pavlova loves to exceed expectations, just like us at NRC: here's what she told us during an exclusive interview

Thanks to the patented Almatt technology used to make the HOCO lenses special and the high-end technical features, our best-selling sunglasses manage to be unique.

You're ready to head out on your bike and rack up the miles, but suddenly you notice that the weather is changing: are you sure you have the right sports sunglasses? Each situation or weather condition may require a different type of lens, and you certainly don't want to find yourself out there with very dark lenses, only to suddenly find yourself in low light conditions. Understanding which lens you need in each situation is not so easy. Below you can find a quick guide to choose the sunglasses you really need, depending on your needs . Multisport Sunglasses: The Right Lens for Every Situation The best lenses for a changing climate A changeable day can be a real problem when you’re out on your bike. You might suddenly go from dim light to bright sunshine, risking being dazzled. Or, vice versa, you might find that your sunglasses are too dark to adapt to the dim light caused by a passing cloud. In these types of situations, what you really need are lenses that adapt quickly to changing light. Something like our X SERIES sportchromic sunglasses, with hyper-reactive photochromic lenses . With their nylon lenses, the X1.EVEREST, capable of adapting in an instant to even drastic changes in light, could be the right choice for you. The best lenses to win a race We love to win. If you think the same way, you know how important it is to get the right gear before a race. Here’s some good news: we’ve created the first sunglasses specifically designed to win any race. That’s not just a slogan, as you’ll discover when you take a look at our X1RR (Ready to Race) sunglasses, which feature a special gold lens that we designed in collaboration with ZEISS . Research has shown that the deep brown base color, thanks to the presence of a longer wavelength of red, can improve both the wearer’s blood flow and muscle strength, improving their physical performance (you could call it “legal doping”, in a way). This makes our Ready to Race sunglasses the perfect tool for winning races where speed is key. The best lenses to protect you from dust and mud If you love mountain biking or cyclocross, or if you like to go trekking or running in extreme conditions, dust, mud and sand can easily damage your eyes . This can put you in immediate danger, especially if you are tackling a particularly challenging track. Sunglasses that guarantee complete eye protection can come to your rescue, such as our P-RIDE-HOCO with their extremely wraparound design, designed to get noticed and at the same time provide you with optimal visual performance. It is no coincidence that our athlete Gioele Bertolini, BMX and cyclocross champion, has indicated them as his favorite sunglasses ( here you can find the full interview ). “I love the P-RIDE. I love the aesthetics, but I also appreciate the fact that they have a large lens to protect your eyes during racing and that they allow you to have a very wide vision.” — GIOELE BERTOLINI The best lenses for low light conditions Despite their name, sunglasses aren’t just for extreme sun. If you live in a country where the sun doesn’t often shine, or if you need to protect your eyes at dawn or dusk, it’s essential to choose lenses that work well in low light . The key here is to increase contrast and brightness, something that the cinnamon lenses of our P-RIDE.C-TRAIL are perfectly capable of doing. The best lenses to rest your eyes Wearing sunglasses for long periods of time can put a strain on your eyes. This can be a big problem during long training sessions and competitions. If you need sunglasses that are comfortable to wear over long periods of time, the best solution is a lens with a specific color gradient that naturally attenuates the blue frequencies of external light and increases contrast and brightness. Thanks to the green color gradient of their ZEISS nylon lenses, our sustainable sunglasses from the EARTH line, the first in the world with a frame made of plant material, are able to prevent eye strain. For this reason, our athlete Nico Valsesia ( here you can find the full interview ), holder of numerous “from 0 to” records on bikes and in runs, starting from sea level to reach the peaks of mountains such as Mont Blanc, Aconcagua and Elbrus , takes them with him during his most challenging endeavors. “I really like the X1 from the EARTH line, because they are very light and I can use them for a long time, even at night. This is important, because I can’t carry a lot of different sunglasses when I go up.” — NICO VALSESIA The best lenses if you need resistance Extreme conditions call for extreme solutions. In cases like these, you will need a pair of “ Commando ” sunglasses, capable of withstanding any adversity. We do not have a specific model to suggest, but rather an entire category of lenses. If you are looking for resistance and flexibility, nylon lenses are the ideal choice. This super lightweight material provides 70% better visual performance than polycarbonate lenses, and on top of that, it gives you unique flexibility, as you will notice when you bend your nylon lenses and see them return to their original shape in a matter of seconds. And that's not all: the oleophobic and hydrophobic RI-PEL coating by ZEISS makes our scratch- and impact-resistant lenses practically invincible! If you want to know more about nylon lenses , you can find some useful information in this article from our Magazine . Find the perfect sunglasses As you can see, we have a solution for every problem you might face while competing or training. And if you happen to wear glasses, we have something to tell you about prescription lenses too . Now that we have provided you with all the answers you needed, all you have to do is explore our online shop to find the sunglasses you have always wanted. BUY NOW !

Gioele Bertolini , a professional mountain biker and cyclocross rider born in 1995, is one of the most promising Italian athletes in his disciplines, as well as one of our leading cyclists, with whom we are collaborating on a new project, which is still top secret for now (don't worry, you'll know more soon!). Gioele recently suffered a racing injury , but despite this he was not discouraged: used, like us at NRC, to facing challenges with our heads held high, after just a few weeks he was completely recovered and started training at full speed again. He spoke to us about this and much more in an exclusive interview . Hi Gioele, how did it go with the injury? It happened during an international race in Belgium. Before the start it started raining and there was a lot of mud. I found myself in this short section of very steep descent where I stuck to the brakes, but there was nothing I could do: I gained speed and ended up outside a curve, against some boards. The fall itself wasn't terrible, but I broke quite a few bones: collarbone, shoulder blade, three ribs, plus some microfractures in one hand. But you recovered quickly… Yes, I'm fine. The most traumatic moment was the first month, not so much because of the pain - I almost didn't have any - but because I had to stay still a lot to let my shoulder blade heal well. Gioele Bertolini (photo: @jonnymoledesign) How long did you stop training? I'm a stubborn type, so I got back on the roller after a while. In total I was off for ten to fifteen days, but I wasn't in a hurry to get back to full speed. Under normal conditions, how do you train on a daily basis? I train day by day, evaluating how my body has absorbed the load of the previous day. I usually train six days out of seven, on average two and a half hours a day. Half the week I do mountain biking and cyclocross, the other half road cycling to loosen up the load a bit. There aren't many days just of mountain biking, because they are very demanding on a physical level. How do you prepare before a race? If they are competitions far from home, the preparation changes a lot, because you only bring your mountain bike. And the load also changes: tiring yourself too much before the race itself makes no sense. At that point, you do shorter, but specific training sessions. How did cycling become your profession? It all started as a game. My mother never liked soccer, so when I was a child she made me try other sports. With cycling it was love at first sight. At six and a half years old I took part in my town's race and from there I never stopped. Then, at twelve years old, I made my debut in cyclocross. Gioele's Favorites I really like the P-RIDE. I love the look, but I also appreciate that they have a large lens to protect your eyes during racing and that they allow you to have a very wide vision. What is your favorite or most fond of competition? In cyclocross I would say Valkenburg, in Holland, because I won the first World Cup race twice in a row and achieved my best placing in an international competition, which was sixth place in a World Championship. What is your favorite moment of a race? During the race, when you can think and understand how you can make a difference compared to your opponent. What other sports do you practice besides cycling? I like horse riding, I have a horse at home. And then the trial bike. Do you think these alternative sports help you in cycling? I am convinced that all sports can give you something extra that can help you. What that is, must be evaluated and understood case by case. But the more sports you practice, the more complete you are in your preparation. What do you expect from your sunglasses during a race? Sunglasses are very important, I never go without them. They protect you from the sun, but also from rocks, branches or flies: in mountain biking and cyclocross you face rough terrain and you can find everything. In races with a lot of mud I prefer glasses with larger lenses, because they protect you better. Do you have a trick or tip on how to handle your goggles in competition, given that in your disciplines they have to deal with various stresses, such as mud, dust and impacts? In muddy races, one thing I do is carry two pairs of goggles, so when I get to the pits I throw one pair and put the other pair on to clean them. If the conditions are extreme, you can do this every lap. Gioele Bertolini (photo: @jonnymoledesign)

Nylon lenses are lightweight, flexible, and durable. They also provide 70% better optical quality than polycarbonate lenses. Maybe it's time to change your perspective... You’ve probably heard of nylon lenses . What you may not know is why some of the most renowned sunglass manufacturers are choosing nylon lenses for their top models. Below, we’ll give you a quick guide to nylon lenses and their benefits , but before we get started, let’s dive in. ZEISS© is, without a doubt, the best lens manufacturer in the world , the only one to guarantee the same optical standards for sports lenses as for ophthalmic lenses. This is why we have chosen this brand for our X-SERIES sunglasses, tested by and made for professional cyclists. Even within the ZEISS© catalog, however, there are different quality levels (ranging from very, very high quality, all the way up to “Wow, I’ll never find better than this”). Since we at NRC always want to exceed expectations, we have chosen the best ZEISS© lenses available . The SUPER NYLENS lenses from ZEISS© used in NRC sunglasses represent the best that technology can offer at this time. You can search all you want, but you will not find anything better. Trust me, you will not. That said, if you really love cycling or other sports that require perfect optical performance , there are numerous reasons why you should choose sunglasses with nylon lenses . Let's try to see clearly... 6 good reasons to choose nylon lenses Nylon lenses are lighter On average, nylon lenses are 20% lighter than polycarbonate or glass lenses. This can have a big impact on your comfort while wearing your multisport or cycling sunglasses. Nylon lenses are more flexible Nylon lenses have a good “memory” because this material is extremely flexible. This means that even if you deform them for a considerable period of time, they will return to their original shape. Nylon lenses are durable Precisely because of their flexibility, nylon lenses guarantee you good impact resistance. Thanks to Ri-PEL© technology, the scratch-resistant, oleophobic and hydrophobic lenses from ZEISS guarantee you total safety in all conditions. Nylon lenses are BPA-free Unlike other materials, nylon does not contain BPA, keeping you safe from the risks of exposure to this chemical . Nylon lenses have superior optical quality Nylon lenses guarantee you a 70% higher ABBE value (read below if you want to know more about it) compared to polycarbonate and glass lenses: this translates into a decidedly superior optical performance, which can make the difference during training or a race. Nylon lenses are more “green” Producing nylon lenses has a significantly lower impact than polycarbonate lenses: by choosing them you help safeguard the environment. A few words about ABBE value The ABBE value describes the amount of chromatic aberration of the material a lens is made of: the higher the value, the less aberration, meaning that the higher the ABBE value, the higher the optical quality . The ABBE value is inversely proportional to the refractive index. A higher refractive index indicates a denser material and thinner lenses. A thin lens may be more aesthetically pleasing, but it offers you a lower optical quality. Polycarbonate lenses have a high refractive index; therefore, they have a low ABBE. Nylon lenses , on the contrary, have a high ABBE value and guarantee you exceptional optical quality . Our X-SERIES sunglasses At this point, the advantages of choosing nylon lenses should be clear. If you want to discover our X-SERIES sunglasses, designed and produced in Italy with the highest quality materials , feel free to take a look at our shop !