Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Sunglasses, Ritchey Gravel Grips, Bookman Lights

Gravel Grinder News: Shimano Sunglasses, Ritchey Gravel Grips, Bookman Lights – by Guitar Ted

The Gravel Grinder News is back with items from Shimano, Ritchey, and a set of lights from Sweden. Let’s get started.

Shimano Aerolite with Ridescape HC lenses

Shimano Introduces Second Generation Eyewear: Shimano unveiled its redesign of its S-Phyre and Aerolite eyewear range to the public this week. The range features RIDESCAPE lens technology that emphasizes colors and highlights surfaces across different types of terrain. The terrain types are designed to conquer Road, off-road/MTB, gravel, and dim-light situations. Six different lens types are employed here and are all under the umbrella of Shimano’s “Ridescape” design idea which is said to enhance differentiation between color hues and contrast between light and shadow is managed for a rider to best navigate in difficult lighting situations.

Shimano eyewear

The gravel rider is considered here by the Ridescape GR, a version of the lens that is said to contrast the differences between gravel, dirt, and asphalt best for the rider. This sounds like a great “all-around’ choice and we hope to get a pair to test soon.

The S-Phyre range sits at the top and has the most options. here is a bullet point list for your consideration:

Frames: Matte Black, Matte Extra White, Metallic Red, Metallic Orange, and Metallic Blue
Weight: 29.3g
Lenses: RIDESCAPE ES, RD, OR, and GR
Spare Lens: RIDESCAPE CL
Magnetic Lens System
MSRP: $220 USD

Shimano S-Phyre RIDESCAPE OR

The Aerolite range was developed to also accommodate prescription lens inserts called “RX-CLIP” in Shimano’s parlance. The Aerolite range is also Shimano’s offering at the lowest price/best value to the rider. Here is a bullet point feature list for this range:

Frames: Black, White, Metallic Red, Matte Metallic Blue,
Moss Green
Weight: 26g
Lens Options: RIDESCAPE HC, Photochromic Gray
RIDESCAPE HC MSRP: $70 USD $99.95 AUD
Photochromic Gray MSRP: $110 USD $149.95 AUD

New Drop Bar Grip From Ritchey: Ritchey Design announces a new grip for drop bars called the “WCS Gravel Grip”. Looking something akin to a track bike grip, the WCS Gravel Grip slips on over the ends of your drop bars and gives the rider 4mm of vibration damping, good grip.

Ritchey Design WCS Gravel Grip
The Ritchey Design WCS ravel Grip

The WCS Gravel Grip is available now from Ritchey directly or from local bike shops at $14.95 for a pair.

Bookman Lights: Riding Gravel has a set of these Swedish made lights from Bookman. The company specializes in lighting for safety in urban conditions. However; their range of Curve models could certainly be employed in any gravel/back road cyclist’s kit and when paired with Bookman’s Monocle strap-on head lamp, the intrepid night cyclist can be assured of having of plenty of accessory lighting for visibility and auxiliary uses.

the Bookman Curve light
The Bookman Curve Light.

The lights are USB rechargeable and strap on via a cam-lock strap. The Monocle has its own head strap which is adjustable up to a pretty large head size, but it probably won’t go around a helmet, unless you swap out straps.

Prices range from $45.00-a little over 50 bucks and the Curve comes in a rear specific model with its own flash patterns. As stated, Riding Gravel has a set of these and there will be a Quick Review forthcoming.

Riding Gravel will also be reviewing the Shimano S-Phyre glasses with the GR lenses soon as well.

Note: Riding Gravel used images and information provided to us by the individual companies represented in this post. Information provided here is subject to change without warning and Riding Gravel is not responsible for any inconveniences caused by such actions on the parts of the companies represented in this post.

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Author: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted hails from Iowa. Home of over 70,000 miles of gravel and back roads. An inaugural member of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame and Co-creator of Trans Iowa in late 2004- Guitar Ted has been at the forefront of the growth of gravel events and riding since then. Creator of Gravel Grinder News in 2008, he produced the premier calendar of gravel and back road events. GT joined forces with Riding Gravel in late 2014.

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