Briko Sprinter 3

Price Paid:  $100.00

Bike Setup:
Litespeed Palmeres
Ultegra group
Campagnolo Chorus brakes
TTT bars
Shimano SPD pedals
Selle Italia Flite saddle

Summary:
Look good, function well but the quality sucks.

I have bought 3 pairs of Sprinter glases/lenes - 2 over E-Bay -one by mail order. Two years ago I was advised by Briko's distributor that the product had an inherent design flaw. The lenses will crack and fail at the nose bridge. I returned cracked and broked lenses twice and the distributor replaced the lenses without charge. I tried to return a replacement lense that failed in the same area this year and found out that there is no longer a Briko distributor in either the US or Canada(You can find a number on the Briko website but the party on the other end advised that they no longer carry Briko and Briko will not remove their contact info).
This means that there is no longer any warranty support in the US & Canada.
If you buy them, enjoy them while thsy last.

Strengths:
look good
good visibility
interchangable lenses

Weaknesses:
Defective design.
The more you change the lenses, the quicker the lens will crack and then break.

Similar Products Used:
Oakley, Rudy Project.

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
Cherohala Challenge

Bike Setup:
Look KG261 with Campy Centaur and Nimble Spider wheels

Summary:
Great glasses. They seem rather durable. I have had them for a year and they show no sign of wear. The lenses are great. I like the fact that the grey lenses are not really dark. They are plenty dark enough for the brightest day, but still allow you to see with a heavy overcast.

Strengths:
Lightweight, flexible to fit any size, block wind great(eyes dont water at 50+mph)

Weaknesses:
case it comes in is constructed poorly

Similar Products Used:
Smith Mainline

Price Paid:  $140.00 at Palo Alto Bicycles

Favorite Ride:
Old La Honda

Bike Setup:
Trek 5900, Dura-Ace.

Summary:
Decent optics, good fit for my head (wide at the temples). Bought them because they were comfortable and came with three lenses.

Unfortunately, there is a fundamental flaw in the design. No matter how gently I handled the lenses when swapping them, every single lens I had developed fatigue cracks at the nose bridge (where the lens clips into the frame). One lens eventually just broke in half; the rest I replaced (by Briko, as a free warranty swap) before that happened.

I checked with the eyewear guy at the LBS where I bought them, and he confirmed that I was doing the swap correctly and without undue force. Also, Briko is aware of this (design) problem. Not sure if newer versions are made from less brittle glass/plastic, but I would never buy this same model again.

Strengths:
Comfortable, light, decent optics.

Weaknesses:
Lenses develop visible fatigue cracks on nose bridge after 5-10 swaps.

Sweat pooling performance is mediocre at best.

Price Paid:  $89.00

Bike Setup:
Litespeed Classic

Summary:
Great glasses for folks with smaller faces! Also accepts prescription lense insert (but they don't tell you that).
If you get the clip in insert (from the Briko Klip), it will also clip into the Sprinter 3 frame.

Strengths:
Small, for smaller faces.
Light weight.
Accepts Prescription Inserts.
Greate optics on the lenses!

Weaknesses:
I think my sweat is starting to eat away at the
rubber bits on the nose bridge.

There wasn't a clear lense available when I got these (for night commuting).

Similar Products Used:
Bolle Edge II

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Palo Alto Biokes

Favorite Ride:
El Corte De Madera

Bike Setup:
K2 5000 for MTB, Klein Q. Pro for road.

Summary:
I have owned and tried various types of shields over the years and this one seems to fit the bill better than most. Compared to the big "O", this one's optics and frame design is just as good and fits my face better (I have wide temple area so Smith and Oakley are not optimal for me). The lense change is very easy, although I wish the lightest lense has a little more contrast. I woudl caution anyone trying to buy a pair over the internet. If your search for better prices points you to "A Sight For Sports Eyes" in Oregon, be careful. These crooks will charge your credit card and not issue a refund for weeks, even if you cancel the order before they ship.

Strengths:
Good fit, nice set of lenses offer a good range for long rides with various light conditions.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
Oakley Zero, Dragon Rake, some Nikes and Smiths.