It is a difficult genre to test something personal like eyewear. No matter how hard you try to stay objective, it cannot be tested by a measuring instrument, so ultimately the review will be subjective. This is especially true for sport eyewear. Not only is the head and face forms completely individual, but the eye is one of the most complicated senses in the world, it is certainly different for each individual.
Rudy Project engineers developed the Sintryx for extreme MTB riding. Just like the Protera helmet it is specially designed for MTB riding. Anyone who has read our previous reviews of this Italian manufacturer’s products knows that the design, the durability and the manufacturing quality are at the highest standard possible, Rudy Project is one of the leaders in modern sports eyewear development. Their new model does not deviate from this renown, it clearly – no pun intended – in a class of its own.
The closed design frame is made of Grilamid material, which is expected from modern sports glasses. It has the advantage of being flexible, impact resistant, hypoallergenic and very lightweight. You can shape the ends of the temples to fit your head, and of course the nose pads can also be adjusted. For a closed frame MTB model it is even crucial to solve the ventilation behind the lens, since the riding speed is more moderate than for road riding. The Powerflow system utilised by the Sintryx guides the air through the lenses, and not only at the top but at the bottom to avoid draught and eye irritation. The temples are also ventilated as the head can sweat under them in active use.
Its lens can be replaced quite quickly with a new ingenious method. The closed full-frame design does not lends itself to easy lens change – especially for the inexperienced users – which is usually the weak point of this type of sorts eyewear. One often has the feeling that the frame or the lens is going to break, which of course does not happen, but he still feels awkward. In the case of the Sintryx, the lower and upper sections can be sliced, so the replacement is a piece of cake.
Concerning lens choice, this model – just like the other Rudy Project models – is quite well equipped. The basic set includes either the “smoke black” or the “transparent” lens, which both possess top optical quality. Then comes the “multilaser orange” that gives brutally good contrast, but even this can be enhanced with the “Polar 3FX HDR” and the “Polar 3FX Gray” versions. The icing on the cake is the light-dying and guaranteed unbreakable “ImpactX Photochromic 2 Black” and “ImpactX Photochromic Red” lenses. It is interesting to note that the Sintryx with the “dimming” photochromic lens only costs 59900 HUF. This can be considered a good price in the top quality sports eyewear market. Good news for those requiring a dioptric lens that the Sintryx can be equipped with the RX Insert, which makes it easy and cost-effective to have a proper lens made by the optician. You can also avoid all compromises by taking the RX Direct solution: this way the entire lens can be prism-compensated!
Needless to say, that not only lenses, but the frames are also be varied for the Sintryx. There is black, yellow, white, grey, red and blue frames, but even these can be customised with replaceable inserts. The rubber coating of the temple, the nose ring, the middle logo and the logo in the stems can also be exchanged for other colors.
The Sintryx is a perfect match for the Protera helmet, in both color and design. Many helmet and spectacle set unfortunately do not make a good pairing. For example the helmet is trying to move the eyewear, or maybe the end of the stem collides with the shield. Nothing like that happens here, it’s a match made in heaven. The optical quality of the lens clearly lives up to the usual Rudy Project standard, even with the most basic smoke-tinted lens. Only at sunset or in the woods was the strong darkness somewhat disturbing, but I’m seldom ride in these conditions. However in full sunlight it gave more than enough screening, even for my very sensitive eyes. The ventilation was also very good, I only experienced slight humidity when I stopped for a long time in cooler weather, and I was on the brink of shivering. Still it did not become foggy, but I tend to sweat a lot.
The “azure blue / smoke black” model I tested retails at 39900 HUF, which I consider a pretty good deal. Obviously there are cheaper sport glasses in the stores, but when we look at the quality and value, it’s hard to find a better one. It looks the best with the Protera helmet, but if a more discreet frame colour is chosen, the Sintryx can be used as everyday eyewear.
Distributor: Eyeland Kft
Recommended retail price from 39990 HUF to 69990 HUF.
Contact: www.rudyproject.hu
