Bliz P003S Cycling Glasses

The Bliz P003S cycling glasses are designed for bright sunlight. Its light transmission of 11% is exactly what you want on a summer ride on open country roads or in the mountains, where you’d otherwise be squinting the whole ride.

The glasses have a half-frame design: the lens extends round the top and has no rim at the bottom. This gives you an unobstructed view downwards, towards your cycle computer, your front wheel or the wheel of the rider in front of you. The frame and arms are injection-moulded as a single piece, meaning there are no seams or hard edges pressing against your temples on a 4-hour ride.

The lens itself is a Base 6 off-centre polycarbonate lens. Base 6 refers to the curvature: enough to shield your eyes from the wind and side light, without making the glasses look like diving goggles. "Off-centre" means the lens is ground in such a way that your vision remains clear right to the edges; otherwise, a curved lens would distort what you see out of the corner of your eyes.

Who are these glasses designed for? For cyclists who mainly ride in good weather and want a single pair of glasses that performs well in those conditions. If you also cycle at dusk, in cloudy conditions or through the woods, these aren’t the glasses for you; rather, you will need photochromic lenses that adapt to the light. If you are looking for glasses with slightly higher light transmission, have a look at the Bliz P004S model. It has a light transmission of 13% and the same hinge-to-hinge distance of 133 mm.

What does 11% light transmission mean?

That percentage indicates how much light passes through the lens – in this case, about a tenth. This means these glasses fall into the category designed for bright sunlight. By way of comparison: A photochromic lens often ranges from 17% to 85% – it adapts the light transmission automatically. The lens of the Bliz P003S is not photochromic, and that is a great advantage on days when the sun is low and the asphalt is glistening. It is also why it is better to take the glasses off in the woods or in cloudy weather: The lens is too dark to spot any potholes in the road surface in time.

Base 6 off-centre lens

The curvature of a cycling lens is expressed in "base", base 6 being the one found in most sports glasses. This curvature keeps wind and side light out of your peripheral vision, but is not so pronounced that it makes the glasses wrap around your face like a shield. The term "off-centre" is the key feature: The lens is thicker on one side than the other so that you can still look straight ahead despite the curvature. Without this correction, you’d see a slight distortion at the edges, which might cause headaches on long rides.

Injection-moulded single-piece frame

The P003S' frame and arms are injection-moulded as a single piece rather than being joined together. Thus, there are no seams, no glue lines and no harsh transitions where the arms run along your temples. Since the glasses are also lightweight, you will no longer feel them after an hour.

Suitable for:

• Helmets in sizes M or L – the hinge-to-hinge distance is 133 mm, which corresponds roughly to an average to slightly wider face.
• Sunny and very sunny conditions – open coast and country roads, the mountains, and any type of ride in summer.
• Most face shapes – Bliz gave the P003S a universal fit rather than a narrow or wide version.

Not suitable for:

• Rides in the woods or on a mountain bike under the trees – with 11% light transmission, it will be too dark there.
• Rides at dusk, in cloudy conditions or in winter.
• Changing lenses to suit the conditions of a ride – the lens is fixed, so you cannot swap it for a lighter one.

Not sure about the size? Here’s how to check:

The hinge-to-hinge distance of 133 mm refers to the width of the frame at its widest point. Take your current glasses and measure that width with a ruler. If you get a measurement of around 133 mm, the Bliz P0003S glasses will fit. If your current glasses are closer to 125 mm, this model is likely to be too wide. If your measurement is closer to 140 mm, they may feel too narrow.

The M or L helmet size guide is a rough guide, not a hard and fast rule: Your head circumference and the width of your face do not always correspond. The measurements in millimetres from your current glasses are more reliable.

Included as standard:

• Bliz P003S cycling glasses, 1 pair, in your chosen frame-lens colour combination

Not included:

• A second lens for different weather conditions – the lens of the P003S sports glasses cannot be swapped.

• Only use these glasses if you are really expecting a sunny ride. If the weather changes en route, you will not be able to see properly through the P003S lens and it’s safer to ride without it.
• Put the glasses on before you set off, not halfway through the ride. A cold lens on a warm face will mist up, and it will not clear until after several minutes, which is neither safe nor comfortable.
• If you are wearing a cycling cap under your helmet, check that the visor doesn’t touch the top edge of the lens. If it does, the visor will push the glasses down while cycling.
• Don’t keep the glasses in the car in summer – heat damages the coating on polycarbonate.