what exactly is innovative about the Specialized glasses? besides the fact they're making them?

The Specialized glasses are second generation photochromatic which means they change faster and get darker, and they have separate formulations for trail riding and road riding. The road ones are all Ti frame, these new MTB ones are a mix.

K

They look super ugly but I gues they're light and ridged (at least the Ti ones). Doesnt Oakley have the latest transition tech in their lenses. From what I hear, they change much faster than most (albeit not fast or dark enough for my tastes).

Bill, the Oakley Transitions use the best of what Transitions has to offer, which isn't that great if you ask me. So unless Specialized has developed its own tech (doubtful), they're not really cutting edge. The lenses they use are NXT, which is what Rudy Project uses, so no innovation there.

I sent Brian a separate response, but lets leave at this.. The transitions lenses aren't the fastest or darkest, and Oakley was two years behind the peloton in giving a photochromatic option.

K

Honestly though, and we're gettin into another topic, but transition lenses are pretty useless for the mass majority. It's definately endurance sport specific to say the least and as of now, the technology kinda sucks *read all of them regardless of brand*. It's slow, not dark enough, and ineffective while driving. This is probably the reason Oakley chose to stay out of it for a while to see what developes. I think people have a preconcieved notion of what its going to do and like me, were pretty disappointed when they were actually put to use.

Kevin, I appreciate the class. There are a lot of members who'd drag this out over five more pages. Thanks for setting a good example.

Somebody really needs to bring the tech that Ferrari uses for its driver's helmets: instant change super dark lens, kinda like a welding shield.

Do those shields respond to the intensity of the light itself or are they UV sensitive as well?

Dido what American Image said.

I am told you will still see stretch line styling, but it will not be exclusive like the stretch line currently is.

Tick, they're just light sensitive. I hear they react near-instantaneously... an F-1 car can drive from bright sunlight, into a tunnel, and back out, without ever having vision compromised.

I hope Oakley reconsiders the blending of Stretch and regular models, though that'd be hard to see since The Stretchline stuff probably doesn't sell all that well due to its limited distribution. A shame really. Stretchline is where fashionwear can exist without being seen as such due to its branding perception. Ah well, the Stretchline branding was good while it lasted.

Try to keep in mind that a F1 visor is hardly affordable if you aren't running a racing team with a hundred-million dollar budget...

I do agree that Transitions lenses are pretty pointless unless the change occurs in less than a minute, though.