In order to test the multi-function Adidas Eyewear Terrex Fast we abseiled, climbed and raced bike events in the every weather condition we could find.
When it comes to sports sunglasses, Adidas Eyewear are a premium, zero-compromise brand. Of the broad range available, the Terrex Fast are the most versatile.
Designed for mountaineering, they’re also one to grab off the shelf for snowboarding, cross-country skiing, climbing, abseiling or mountain biking. Given their multi-purpose appeal, it was a nice to see that they make a good looking piece of street wear as well.
At $315 they’re not a product to be bought on a whim. They are one to recommend if you’re someone who wants the high-performance and versatility of multiple pairs of shades in one.
Key to their versatility is customisable, and swap-out-able, parts. A piece of foam clips inside the main frame to block wind, sweat and the elements. The arms clip off at the hinges and can be replaced with a goggle strap. Depending on which combination of parts you run, they weigh between 27-43gms.
They also share several features with the popular Evil Eye Halfrim Pros which many elite Australian mountain bikers are racing in at the moment: two sets of easy to change lenses, adjustable nose piece, three angles of adjustment at the temples, materials that are strong, flexible, durable and light.
Individual parts are replaceable and the hinges allow the arms to detach rather than break. Good if you’re the sort to ruin nice things by sitting on them.
Our test frames came with the Light Stabalizing Technology (LST) Bluelightfilter lens and the LST Bright orange antifog lens. We also tested a clear set of lenses (sold separately for $90).
The Bluelightfilter lens was great on really bright days and provided comfortable contrast and clear definition. It was sometimes a little too dark and is best suited to snowy conditions.
If you’re looking at the Terrex Fast primarily for mountain biking it’s worth ordering the grey coloured frame that comes with the pinker LST Active Silver lens, or ordering it as an add on. This lens colour also reduces glare and enhances contrast on the widest variety of mountain bike trails.
We opted for the orange lens most of the time. It made the terrain ‘pop’ and kept glare to a minimum even when in direct sun. The depth and width of the frames make for uninterrupted vision, which we really appreciated out on the trails.
The clear lens made our vision sharper than riding without, which is testament to the technology that goes into the windows alone. They also meant we could take advantage of the protection provided by these shades for night riding, early road rides and commutes. This increased their versatility further still.
When running these shades as goggles, we found they still tended to fog in predicable scenarios, like waiting or slowing at the top of a hill climb in warm or humid weather. Once we got moving again the fog shifted quicker than we’ve experienced with other eyewear. The only exception to this was the cold, drizzly weather at the CamelBak Highland Fling, but we haven’t heard of a product that performed better in those conditions.
One other area where the Terrex Fast excels is for eyes that are sensitive to wind. We used them during an extended recovery period from laser eye surgery, during which time the wind that funnelled through other shades made our eyes dry out and blur.
The Terrex enabled clear stable vision and was the difference between being able to see the trails in high-definition and not being able to ride at all. As our eyes healed we were able to drop back to using the standard arms rather than the goggle strap.
If you’re after a high-quality product that can handle just about any activity you can do outdoors, the Terrex Fast are hard to beat. The ease of swapping between the goggle strap and the regular arms also makes them well suited to gravity enduro racing.
If you’re the type to leave your glasses on the roof of the car and drive off, then these are probably not for you (and, given how nice they are, you don’t deserve them anyway).