POC has used recycled medical grade titanium in its new, limited edition Elicit Ti cycling sunglasses, which it says reduces the weight to 22g, making the new sunnies its lightest ever. Paired with its Ventral Lite helmet, POC says the combination can weigh as little as 200 grams. The Elicit Ti glasses are priced at £350, $400, €400 or AU$575.
The Elicit is a frameless sunglass design, but while the standard Elicit glasses have Grilamid plastic sidearms, in the Elicit Ti these are substituted by a trussed titanium design, which POC reckons shaves one gram (yes, one!) off the glasses’ weight, as well as making them stronger.
POC
POC’s titanium comes from waste generated in making surgical tools, which is salvaged, refined and reformed in Sweden. The manufacturing process uses a laser to 3D print the sidearms, with the unused titanium powder recycled for use in subsequent batches.
According to Tilda Håll, Product Manager, Eyewear at POC: ‘We approached the development of the Elicit Ti with a basic principle at its core; that sustainable materials and performance can, and should, be able to live side by side.’
The Elicit Ti’s design allows quick lens changes using slide-in joints and also allows the sidearms to break away in a crash to help prevent injury.
POC
Other features of the Elicit Ti include POC’s single-piece, curved Clarity lens, which is treated with POC’s Ri-Pel coating to protect the lens from dirt, water, sweat and other contaminants and is anti-scratch treated. The glasses are supplied with two sizes of nosepiece, a spare clear lens and a hard case.
The Elicit Ti sunglasses are currently seeing action at the Giro d’Italia with the EF Education-EasyPost team.
The standard Elicit glasses don’t come cheap at £220, but adding the titanium sidearms increases that to £350, $400, €400 or AU$575. Full details at POC.
Check out our guide to the best cycling sunglasses.
