My favourite cycling glasses get healthy discount in Black Friday Oakley deal
The best shades on the market for just over £170 at Wiggle
I've tested well over 40 pairs of cycling glasses in the last few years. Many of them have been excellent at a particular price point and rightfully ended up in my guide to the best cycling glasses. Plenty didn't make the cut. One pair though consistently stands out to me as the best of the bunch, and that's the Oakley Encoder, specifically with the Prizm Road lens if you want to get picky.
They're not the lightest or the largest, but they are extremely comfortable, stay on your face better than any other frameless pair on the market, and have the best lenses out there. If I'm not actively testing another pair out these are what I reach for.
They're also already showing as 'low stock' on Wiggle, so this isn't one to wait around on to see if the price drops more on the Black Friday weekend, I reckon they'll be gone by then; three other Encoder models are already out of stock. And sadly this seems to be a UK-only discount for now.
Oakley Encoder w/ Prizm Road lens
UK: £219.00 £174.99 at Wiggle
USA: Sorry, not yet!
My favourite cycling glasses, sadly only discounted in the UK for now. They hit the perfect sweet spot of coverage, security, contrast, and sun transmission. The Prizm Road lenses are the best on the market, and these are what I reach for when I'm not actively testing other pairs. Bigger discounts are available on other lens options, but this is the one you really want to go for!
Key to their security is the ridge on the upper brow of the lens. It helps it resist splaying out and keeps the grippy arms firmly on your temples even in the wet. They also play well with most helmets in my experience, thanks to some tactically positioned rubber near the hinges on the arms.
The real party piece is the Prizm Road lens though. It's miraculous in how it balances enhanced contrast and light transmission; you genuinely can use them in the brightest sun to twilight. I've worn them through the city at night too, and while it's not ideal, I didn't plough into the back of anything.
If the Prizm Road lens isn't for you - for aesthetic reasons, you may want a lens to match your kit, or for financial reasons, you may want to go for a more discounted option - there are a few other options also discounted at the moment. I'd urge you to go Prizm Road if you can though; the other lens options have their merits (I've tested the lot of them), but there's a clear winner in my book. In any case, I've outlined the variations below that are also knocked down.
Other Encoder Deals
For ease, here's the whole Encoder range that's on offer at the moment.
🕶 50% off with Prizm Black lens
The least versatile lens in my book, but the highest discount. If you're into all-black everything though then these are the pair for you. The contrast is still decent, but a little more muted.
😎45% off with 24k Strike lens
A highly mirrored gold lens that transmits the least light, in this case, vented to make it the 'strike' lens. Perfect for extremely bright sun in hot conditions, but less good in low light.
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👀35% off with Prizm Road Strike lens
Personally, I prefer the non-vented lens, but if you're a sweaty rider, or you're riding in humid conditions a lot then the extra holes will come in handy. Plus it's an even bigger discount.
35% off with Prizm Sapphire lens
White arms, blue lenses. It's a vibe. Again, not as brilliant in low light in my experience, but still an excellent set of shades.
Other Black Friday deals
USA Deals
- Competitive Cyclist: 25% off Santa Cruz, Juliana and Cervelo
- Wiggle: Black Friday sale is live with up to 60% off cycling kit
- Amazon: 25% off Garmin Instinct 2 Solar $399.99 $299.99
- Jenson USA: Anniversary sale gives up to 81% off
- REI: No Black Friday sale, but up to 50% off in the latest deals
- Mike's Bikes: Up to 80% off Specialized accessories
UK Deals
- Amazon: 26% off Garmin Fenix 6S £599.99 £389.99
- Wiggle: Black Friday is live! Save up to 60% off kit and accessories
- Chain Reaction Cycles: Black Friday is live! 60% off helmets, deal of the day & more
- Sigma Sports: No Black Friday sale just yet, but 30% off bikes
- Rutland Cycling: No Black Friday yet, but up to 40% off Specialized bikes
- Evans: No Black Friday yet, but half-price lights and winter kit
- Tredz: No Black Friday yet, but get an extra 10% off with AUTUMN10
- Rapha: No Black Friday yet, but 60% off in the Archive sale
Deal roundups
- Black Friday bike deals: Save on all things cycling
- Black Friday bike helmets: Safety on a budget for road and off-road use
- Black Friday cycling clothing: Kit out your cycling wardrobe without paying a fortune
- Black Friday cycling shoes: Save on summer and winter kicks
- Black Friday electric bikes: Power your way to savings
- Black Friday gravel bikes: Gravel grinding doesn't have to cost a fortune
- Black Friday kids bikes: They grow so fast, so don't pay full price
- Black Friday turbo trainers: Everything you need to get Zwifting on a budget
- Black Friday Castelli: Save on winter kit just as winter takes hold
- Black Friday Garmin: Smartwatches, cycling computers and more
- Black Friday GoPro: Shoot for the moon with top-quality action camera deals
- Black Friday Rapha: Big deals on the British clothing brand
- Black Friday Wiggle: One of the world's biggest cycling sales
- Black Friday Wahoo: The best prices on Wahoo's range of cycling tech
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.