Rudy Project Tralyx SX Glasses - Review

This is a translation (with some changes) of my Rudy Project Tralyx SX glasses review for BikePanel that was published on January 18, 2015 (here). Photos are the same photos that were used in the article and were taken by Tsur Halamish, Guy Halamish, Michelle Handren and myself. Thank you Tsur and Guy for the photo shoot.

Rudy Project, as a company, does not need a special introduction, most cyclists and triathletes know it very well. In any event, in case you don’t, it's an Italian company that is best known for its high quality products and it's great customer service. Despite all this, throughout the years I was dismissive of this brand as I was unable to find a model that would properly fit my narrow and small face (and yes I owned 2 different pairs ages ago that ended up going to my Dad). So when Guy, our editor, told me that he got a new pair of sunglasses by Rudy Project that was designed to fit women (and narrow/small faces in general) for me to test I wasn’t enthusiastic about it and was more like skeptical. It all changed when I opened the box.

The Tralyx SX
(Photo: Rudy Project Website)

Whoa, this Italian company finally offers Italian style to us women too and it’s called the Tralyx SX. It should be noted that the big brother of the Tralyx SX, the Tralyx, fits wider or bigger faces (the difference is the size of the lenses).

Rudy Project claims on its website that the Tralyx SX powerful and dynamic design takes the company a step into the future. The company claims that in these glasses they combined all of their new technologies and features with a classic look that is an absolute show stopper. The result is lightweight glasses, fully adjustable and functional and the most important thing, they look good. 

Is that so? These bold statements made me raise an eyebrow (or two). I felt the urge to test this statement in some real riding (and running)

What's in the Box

Inside the fancy hard case I find bright yellow glasses with fluorescent orange lenses, both colors are very fashionable these days, a soft bag that doubles as cleaning cloth and a carrying bag.

What's in the box?

Since the company’s website lists a long list of special features that makes these glasses the absolute show stopper as they claim, I must start with that:

Weight - it is true the glasses are super lightweight, I checked, only 27 gr. This makes them good for running (where light and unnoticeable glasses are a plus)

Adjustable Temple Tips - the temple tips are made out of anti-slip soft material that is 360 degree adjustable  and can easily be adjusted with gentle pressure for maximum fit and eliminating any pinching.

Adjustable Nosepads - the nosepiece is also made out of similar anti-slip material that keeps the glasses secure on the face and prevents them from sliding on your nose. It can be adjusted to fit the the nose’s shape and width.

Interchangeable Lenses -  like with other models by Rudy Project the lenses can be easily changed based on the relevant light condition, or to one of the 2 photochromic (i.e., changes from clear to black based on light conditions). Since the glasses came with only one lens (which was disappointing to me), you would need to purchase the other lenses separately. I do note that you could buy the Tralyx SX with photochromic lenses (comes in black or pink frames) for a slightly higher price.

Improved Ventilation System - includes airflow vents between the top of the frame and the lense and the shape of the top frame that moves the glasses further from the face and allows the air to flow better and combat fogging (called PowerFlow).

Safety Hinges - fold-in-hinge without any sharp edges in order to minimize injury in case of impact or falls.

The Riding         

My first ride with the glasses was the longest one so far: over 100 km (62 miles) mountain bike ride in the Israeli desert on the Samarathon second day course (which is the first full stage of the race, read about this ride here). To be honest I was a little worried to go on such a long ride with glasses I have never tried before, but my curiosity won. I put the glasses on, got on my bike and a few min later I forgot I even had them on, which is exactly what you want when it comes to glasses.

They are lightweight indeed, fit my face perfectly, did not pinch my nose bridge or my temples. While riding, the glasses just stayed in place and didn’t move. For us triathletes and runners, I even tested them running and the glasses just stayed put, didn’t move on impact and did not slide from sweating.

The frame does not block the view in both road and mountain biking positions. In the aerobars on my tri bike, sadly I only had a chance to spend a few minutes with the glasses, but during this short time I can say that the top part of the frame did get into my peripheral vision and I needed to push the glasses up the on my nose. Once I had done that I had no issues and the glasses were comfortable, but since I only spend a short time in this position I cannot comment on whether the glasses will stay up this way or if its going to comfortable like this for longer rides.

The Lens

The lens that came with the glasses are the orange contrast lenses and they transmits light pretty well (at 22%). They are perfect for riding in the shade or in sections that you move quickly from shade to light (like mountain biking between trees). I liked them also on cloudy days, and since it already snowed (more than once in Chicago) I can attest to that the contrast is great for snow conditions on a dark and foggy days. No doubt they would be accompanying me on my next ski vacation.

On the other hand, on sunny days or when the light outside is strong, like when riding in the desert, I felt that a darker lens would be better. Also early in the morning or at dusk, the lens felt too dark and I would have preferred a different lens that transmits more light. Rudy has other lenses to offer to cover all light conditions but you would have to buy them separately. My personal preference are the photochromic lenses that come with some of the frames. I have since this test purchased such lens (not part of the test) and I am very happy with the range it gives.

Cons

Despite the fact that one of the the glasses’ features is the new PowerFlow technology, when riding slow (like on a steep climb), hike-a-bike sections or when stopping after a hard effort, the lenses do fog up very quickly. Similarly to what I do with other brand glasses when they fog up, moving the glasses a few millimeters from the face would help the fogs clear quickly. In addition, there are other brands that provide more than one lens with the glasses, while here you only get one.

I would also note (and this is true to all glasses that are shaped this way) that the famous Rudy Project RX Adapter cannot be added to them. BikePanel have been told that Rudy Project is working on a solution for those of you who ride with RX glasses.

Summary

I was positively surprised by the Tralyx SX! the glasses delivered what the company’s website promised: lightweight, comfortable and versatile glasses that looks good on small and narrow faces (due to the smaller lens), which makes them perfect for us women. Just wear it and go. It’s that simple. They soon became my favorite glasses for riding. The lenses that came with the glasses are versatile but have limits in more extreme light conditions. I would have liked to see in the box more than just one lens. I later solved this issue by buying the photochromic lens.

Thanks for reading