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Clear vision, comfort, and sustainable production. Athletes are convinced of PPEEQQ cycling glasses for various reasons.

Text: Edward Swier. Photography: FuturumShop, Specialized-Fiona Swartz

How convenient is it to have just one pair of glasses for all situations and weather conditions? With top-quality and sustainability as the foundation, PPEEQQ has developed glasses that not only maintain but even enhance vision. Whether it's a clear blue or cloudy sky, daytime or evening, through the forest or in the polder, summer or winter, these glasses handle it all. We spoke with three prominent users.

Laurens ten Dam

Glasses that never fog up
Former professional cyclist Laurens ten Dam continues to perform at the highest level. Shortly after retiring from professional road cycling, he discovered gravel riding. Year after year, he competes in numerous international races. One of these is Unbound, the unofficial Gravel World Championship. This year, ten Dam finished fourth after 200 miles (330 kilometers) through the vast, inhospitable terrain of Kansas. He greatly benefitted from his glasses.

“I remember the first time I put on the PPEEQQ glasses. My first thought was: oh, they're nice and light. And immediately after: wow, these glasses are amazing. Especially the photochromic lenses are really top-notch. I never have to think about whether to wear the glasses or not; I can just leave them on my nose. Sometimes at the start, it's still dark, while later in the race, the UV rays are intense. Yet, I can manage with just this one pair of glasses. That’s a real blessing, especially when dealing with a lot of dust and mud.”

Ten Dam is pleased with the lenses. “They don’t distort vision. That’s important, of course; you need to maintain depth perception.” However, the PPEEQQ glasses have an even bigger advantage for him. “I’ve always had sponsor contracts for glasses. Some were pretty good or okay, others less so. But what I experienced most: almost all of them fogged up. And this PPEEQQ glass doesn’t do that. That’s a huge plus. In the past, during the first climb in a race, when my heart rate would rise and my breathing would quicken, my glasses would immediately fog up. Very annoying, of course. You’d have to continue without glasses. Now, that’s no longer an issue.”

Sandra Dekker

Super natural vision
She saw every crack in the ice on Weissensee. “And there are many,” laughs Sandra Dekker. The 24-year-old cyclist and speed skater has been using PPEEQQ glasses for the second year and is very enthusiastic about them. “On the ice, it’s especially important to see the depth well so you can notice cracks in time. I could see even the smallest color differences in the ice surface thanks to these glasses. The photochromic lenses ensure you see everything, both in the dark and in bright light. So also at dusk or when it’s very cloudy. The vision is, how should I put it, super natural.”

Dekker is also very pleased with the fit. “Most glasses fit under a cycling helmet, but skate helmets are often a bit different. But the PPEEQQ glasses also fit under those. They don’t pinch anywhere, don’t irritate.” For Dekker, it’s also an important aspect that the glasses are sustainably produced and last a long time. “The use of natural materials, such as for the frame in this case, is becoming increasingly important today. And I personally find it very pleasant that you can keep such a pair of glasses for a long time; you don’t have to replace them after half a season.”

Last summer, Dekker switched to road cycling, so she’s no longer focusing solely on skating. “I didn’t like artificial ice, but natural ice was my thing. But training all year for those two weeks, I can’t bring myself to do that.” And so she now rides road cycling races. And even then, she wears her PPEEQQ glasses. “I’m not yet an experienced cyclist; I’ve actually just jumped in at the deep end, but my glasses have been a big help. I may have doubts about some things, but not about my PPEEQQ glasses.”

Rob Harmeling

You stay focused
Rob Harmeling (58) has been an enthusiastic user of PPEEQQ glasses since their introduction. He wishes he had such comfortable glasses earlier. “Then I might have seen the race better and perhaps won more,” laughs the former cycling pro and winner of a Tour de France stage in 1992.

As a racer, Rob Harmeling had little choice. The team had a glasses sponsor, and you had to wear that brand. “Did you know that sports glasses have only existed since the mid-'80s? Before that, no one ever rode with sunglasses. Well, maybe Knetemann and Raas because otherwise, they couldn't see anything.” Oakley was the trendsetter about forty years ago. “After that, everyone quickly got used to them; we can’t do without them now. Still, there are differences in quality. Comfort is, of course, important. The glasses must be lightweight, shouldn’t pinch, shouldn’t slip off your nose, and should stay in place even with a lot of vibrations.” All logical, but not a given, as Harmeling has experienced. “What’s especially important, and you can only really test this well in something like a long road race or a grueling gravel ride, is that the glasses must ensure your eyes don’t get tired. Many brands have this problem.”

The PPEEQQ glasses meet all of Harmeling’s wishes. The photochromic lenses of PPEEQQ adapt depending on the amount of UV radiation. They are transparent in low light and dark in the sun. “And that’s so important. Some lenses from other brands are often too dark, causing your eyes to get tired. With others, you suffer from glare, which is also very tiring. Especially when mountain biking or gravel riding, concentration is important. Riding trails requires a lot of attention. You need to see depth well. I often see cyclists who put their glasses on their helmet because they can’t actually see that well.”

With his PPEEQQ glasses, Harmeling, who has also been a team manager for the Tour de Tietema/Unibet cycling team since this year, never has problems with concentration. “I rode a 250-kilometer gravel race with them this year. No discomfort, at least not from the glasses. I don’t need to provide any better proof.” That the frames are recyclable because they are made from castor beans—meaning fossil fuels aren’t needed during the manufacturing process—is an extra plus for Harmeling. “From a sustainability perspective, I always take good care of my belongings. For example, I find it pleasant that the glasses are scratch-resistant.”