Alba Optics cycles through uncertainty to make a rather awesome pair or sunglasses

By mid-summer, during an albeit brief post pandemic period when global infection rates cooled and cycling participation soared, Alba Optics was under a massive inventory crunch. Local retailers were meeting domestic demand, but a surge in rider desire to sport new kit emptied out most of their DELTA and STRATOS models online. “Like the rest of the world, Covid-19 caught us off-guard,” explains Alba co-founder Piergiorgio Catalano over interview.

In Alba Optics, retailers and stockists had taken a bit of a flyer. A three-year-old company headquartered outside Milan wanted a piece of the cycling apparel industry yet it now had no inventory to sell. A good problem, in most circumstances, but less so when future production hinged on a supply chain buckling under the weight of restrictions. While their frames, lenses and packaging were made 20km from their studio, it was unclear when stock levels would normalize.

As September rolled around, several weeks after we first connected with Alba, we had a pair of DELTAs with photochromic lenses in hand (thanks, Erin.). Their site was back to normal too, showing availability for most of the frames that have made the young brand popular.

After weeks of riding in the DELTAs, we can confirm two things: the frame shortage and growing brand following for these retromodern specs are entirely well deserved.

At a press camp with Q36.5. Pictured left, the DELTA clear with photochromic lens. Perfect in fast changing light conditions as we ascend out of the valley to forested Dolomite gravel. On the right, retired pro Mario Kummer.

Small brands like Alba Optics offer something more than just sunglasses — a fact their co-founders Luca Gentile and Piergiorgio Catalano are acutely aware of. They’re a signal seen by others that success is valued in many ways, not just in podium finishes. In Alba, riders see a bit of the everyday. Solitary moments — however ironic, since they are shared relentlessly on IG — on trail, climbing passes, basking in sunny summer miles or shivering through early winter efforts; in the inglorious moments we all share, Alba is one small unifier joining a global community rallied around riding.

The company takes pride in being located in cycling’s manufacturing heartland, dedicating itself to exploring the tiny details and nuances of Italian craftsmanship to which the brand proudly ties its name (Alba is also the name of a town in Italy’s Piedmont region). Gentile and Catalano explain that Alba — at least to them — means exploring new life and writing your own rules — an ethos that helped them leave their jobs two years ago to dedicate themselves fully to the company.

“When Luca and I quit our full-time jobs,” Catalano adds, “we wanted Alba to build a collection with a few signature styles, keeping it simple but doing it well.”

The DELTA’s on the left. Outstanding for changing light conditions.

After five weeks of riding with the DELTA — on dark morning trails, high UV roads in northern Italy and in the rain — we can confirm these specs are up to just about any task. The photochromic lenses are the perfect compliment to riding in changing conditions, adapting to dark tunnels in seconds and immediately darkening in bright conditions. A true all-rounder.

While they are undeniably handsome and unique, the only knit with the frame is the arm length — a bit short if you suffer from having a rather large head or face (guilty). Perhaps the STRATOS model with adaptable arm length is better suited to these riders, myself included. (Both the SRATOS and SOLO frames solve for this with adjustable arm lengths.)

The DELTA however is a true stand out in a sea of large frame shapes — a very distinct and performance-driven design that knows few boundaries save, perhaps, for your ability to find a pair. The DELTA SNW VZUM™ FLENS is available from Alba Optics for 199 Euros.