SunGod has announced a new addition to its Pace series with Geraint Thomas’ new signature model, the GTs.
Worn by the Welshman since the first stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia, the new sunnies mark the return to a design similar to those we've been used to seeing Thomas wearing over the years.
The 36-year-old had, until the start of the season, stuck rigidly to his distinctive white Oakley Racing Jacket glasses, long after the rest of the peloton had moved towards more modern, larger, single-lens designs.
In fact, the Racing Jackets had become synonymous with Thomas – and helped commentators and fans pick him out from the bunch, too.
However, Thomas’ hand was forced when Ineos Grenadiers signed an eyewear partnership with SunGod for the 2023 season onwards, with, on the face of it, a disproportionate number of column inches dedicated to what Thomas would be seen sporting.
SunGod’s Airas, Vulcan and Velans (which Thomas had been wearing through the first part of the season) models are solid cycling sunglasses in their own right, but lack the full-frame, two-lens design we’ve become accustomed to seeing the 2018 Tour de France winner wearing.
The new SunGod GT glasses are the answer. Currently only a prototype but set to be available for pre-order this summer (date TBC), we took a trip to SunGod’s HQ in Verbier, Switzerland, to get a closer look.
Thomas-inspired Easter eggs
According to SunGod, Thomas had a list of must-haves for his first pair of signature sunglasses – they had to be white, full-frame, have two lenses and incorporate a touch of Wales.
While the first three are easy to spot with a quick glance at the glasses, the Welsh references are slightly more subtle.
The first can be found on the glasses’ ear socks, where a chisel-type design not only aids grip, according to the brand, but is also intended to represent dragon scales – referencing the dragon found on the Welsh flag.
This theme is continued on the nose bridge, where you can find a small imprint of the mythical creature.
The name also appears to have a couple of meanings. While officially the GT stands for ‘Grand Tourers’, we can’t help but think it’s remarkably suggestive of a certain Welshman’s initials…
Divisive look
It’s fair to say the new model is a bit divisive in its design. Two-lens, full-frame specs have gradually disappeared from the pro peloton and even club rides.
That said, Thomas’ new eyewear manages to tread the retro line well. Rather than looking as though they’re from the 1990s, like Oakley’s Racing Jackets, the GTs’ sharp angles put a modern spin on the design format.
Throw in the fact that SunGod didn’t have something similar in its performance-focused Pace range, and it’s easy to see why it was happy to accept Thomas’ requests for his signature set.
3D printing
A pair of sunglasses usually takes nine months to develop, according to SunGod, and is then further refined during testing and sampling before going on general sale.
SunGod’s head of product, Ed Watkiss, started his first drawings of the GTs in the second week of January and was given a hard deadline for the Giro d’Italia team presentation on 4 May.
Enter 3D printing. A growing trend within the production of cycling products, the process enabled Watkiss to create physical iterations quickly at all stages of the GTs’ development, with a printing bureau able to turn around each new phase within three days.
It wasn’t just for development, either. The first pair Thomas was seen sporting at this year’s Giro was, in fact, a 3D-printed prototype.
The glasses’ development has continued during the Giro itself, and Thomas is now on his third different model as the race has progressed.
The initial 3D-printed prototype frames were switched for a fully moulded production sample with polycarbonate lenses during the first rest day, while a pair featuring 8KO nylon lenses now take pride of place on the Welsh rider’s face.
Eventually, the actual release’s frame will be produced using a recycled TR90 plastic polymer. Lightweight and durable, according to Watkiss, he expects the GTs to weigh in at roughly 32g.
Super-sharp lenses
A pair of the best cycling sunglasses is only as good as its lenses, and this is another area where SunGod hopes to make a distinctive break from Thomas’ old staples.
Rather than the industry-standard polycarbonate lenses used by Oakley, the Verbier-based brand has chosen 8KO nylon instead.
The reason? Clarity, according to SunGod. The claim is 8KO nylon lenses have a significantly better (up to 70 per cent) Abbe value (how much light is distorted when it passes through a material) than traditional polycarbonate lenses. Ultimately, the idea is that it should improve vision on the road.
In practice, it was certainly something we noticed when out testing another pair of SunGods that features the technology during our time in Verbier.
Visibility remained crystal-clear, whether we were in sunny or overcast conditions, and even handled the dark settings of mountain tunnels well, too.
The GTs’ lenses will be interchangeable, enabling you to switch to your preferred setup depending on that day’s conditions.
Pricing and availability
The new SunGod GTs will be available for pre-order soon and initially only in the Geraint Thomas signature colourway – with a white frame, red arms and blue lenses.
The brand plans to launch more colour options in summer 2024.
