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Smith Pivlock V2 Review   Bookmark and Share
images by Nick Salazar   •   Sep 24, 2012   •   hits 13,467

Changing lenses is incredibly easy: just rotate the temples up like so ...

 
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Smith has expanded their rimless Pivlock line of sunglasses with the V2. The sharp, angular design is a revamp of the smoother V90, and also offers an adjustable-width nosepiece and a slightly firmer grip on the head. They are my favorite triathlon shades on the market today - have a look at the full review to find out why.


The stunningly-good, feature-packed, value-priced, Smith Pivlock V2.

Smith has absolutely nailed it: the V2 is my favorite pair of shades for tri, especially for the cycling portion.

The Smith Pivlock V2 features a simple, angular design. I love the looks, and the outstanding versatility of these shades.

But don't let the simplicity fool you: there's a lot of very smart design going on here, and it's all perfect for triathletes.

Every Pivlock comes with THREE lenses to choose based on your lighting conditions. Clear, Ignitor (the rose lens), and Platinum (the black lens) are included with every pair of shades sold. That is a solid value, considering these sunglasses are just $159 complete.

The shades also come with a large hard case to store all the lenses and soft microfiber bag. The hard case is a little big and hard to pack, but it does hold a lot of stuff in it. For travel, I just stash the shades in the soft case and make sure to put it somewhere it isn't likely to get crushed. But if you need the extra protection, the hard case is there.

The hard case is pretty big, designed to store all three lenses, and the glasses with their arms open.

sharp, angular styling set the V2 apart from its predecessor, the V90. I love the shape, and found it a lot better in person than I had originally thought from seeing it in pictures.

Textured temple grips and a snug fit keep the shades in place while running.

The Pivlock mechanism is very simple, reliable, and easy to use.

Changing lenses is incredibly easy: just rotate the temples up like so ...

... and pull them off. Done!

The sharp lines of the V2 (right) against the curvier V90 (left).

The V90 has been around longer, and has some wild lens color options like the striking Red Mirror shown. The V2 doesn't have the same variety yet, but Smith is working on it.





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