Ryders Shore Goggles: Reviewed

With so many different goggle options on the market, picking a pair can be a difficult task. The Ryders Shore goggles are designed specifically for mountain biking, which gives them a bit of a leg up over their motocross-oriented brethren when put to the test.

Designed with pedal power in mind…

The biggest issue I run into when wearing goggles is fogging. I’m a sweaty dude, and I find most eyewear tends to go cloudy after a short period of use. Ryders has attempted to address this problem with several solutions. The lens itself is made of two separate pieces, held apart by a foam rim. This prevents fogging by counteracting the temperature difference between your face and the lens itself. The inner lens is also coated in an anti-fog solution to keep the mists at bay.

A closer look at the dual-lens design.

I spent much of the winter with the Shores close at hand, and would break them out when the weather turned nasty. For the most part they stayed fog-free, though I could generate some moisture on the inner lens if I wore them while climbing. With the warmer weather I have yet to have them fog up on me, which is an excellent sign.

The other big thing that I look for in a pair of goggles is how comfortably they sit on my face with my helmet on. In the past, I’ve found some goggles don’t work nicely with a mountain bike full-face (as they were created with moto-specifc helmets in mind), or that there’s a ton of pressure on my nose.

To combat the helmet-compatibility issue, the Shore features a large hinge where the strap connects to the body of the goggle. What’s rather impressive is that the hinge can pivot nearly 120 degrees, which means you’d be hard-pressed to find a helmet that it couldn’t work with.

More hinge than a snake’s jaw.

As for the on-face comfort, I was really impressed with just how nicely the Shores moulded to my noggin. The foam is extremely comfortable, and I didn’t experience any sort of pressure points, even during extended use. The flip side to a near-universal fit is that the Shores have a smaller viewing window than many other goggles out there, so you’ll definitely want to try them on beforehand to see if they work for you.

The foam on the Shore is as comfortable as your favourite pair of jeans.

I don’t really have any major complaints about the goggles. Over time the lens has developed a few small scratches, but they don’t interfere with my vision, so no issues there. The white band has become dirty, though trying to keep any white biking gear pristine for a long period of time is nigh on impossible.

All in all, I’ve been rather pleased with the way the Shore goggles have performed. They’ve resisted all but my hardest attempts to fog them up, and are extremely comfortable to wear in any condition. With an MSRP of $55, they’re also not a huge hit to the pocketbook should you want to pick up a pair yourself. When mine finally wear out I’d be more than happy to shell out for another, which is high praise indeed.

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A fog-free solution that doesn’t break the bank? Sounds like a win.