One Hundred Percent strikes a perfect balance between style and substance with the 2020 Hypercraft

The Hypercraft - with metallic fade, crystal-clear laser-cut blue face shield, standard secondary clear lens and weighing a puny 23 grams - is another example of 100%’s ambition to push limitations, weaving carbon into nylon to create the “lightest and most durable frames possible.” So is it hyperbole or are they - like the Speedcraft and others - glasses that punch above their weight?

There are three criteria by which sunglasses are judged: venting, vision clarity and style. As for venting, the rimless design creates ample breeze; riding up two hour climbs in an unusually hot Swiss sun, not a wisp of perspiration hits the lens. Rimless cuts are outstanding for this reason. As for vision clarity, like much of what the company makes, the Hypercraft are hard to find fault with. Roads are illuminated in HD in variable conditions.

As for style - much like buying a bike - the call is subjective as to whether or not these end up on your face. 100% frames favour larger, rounder face shapes. If you wear larger helmets, you're blessed to be riding a bike in a particularly glorious period where manufacturers keep making frame shapes larger and larger - a category into which the Hypercraft falls. They are a larger frame - yes - but that is why they are also a glorious one.

The metallic fade is so on point with influences currently seen in cycling, I reached for them repeatedly as I wrote this. The finish is resplendent to individuals who appreciate subtlety - to others (we got the Blue Topaz Multilayer Mirror Lens for review), they are simply another pair of glasses until you get a closer look.

There are several pairs of glasses in high demand right now for their weightlessness, performance and style. Both the Delta frames from ALBA and Oakley’s Sutro come to mind. But the Hypercrafts - as we get set to welcome back racing - conjure up images of speed, summer and style. A balance between what’s possible in cycling tech balanced against the needs of cyclists.

For these reason, they will become a signature frame shape for years to come, hopefully in iterations that continue to challenge notions of what a stylish, performance-led pair of shades are supposed to look like.