I don't mind how they look. To 99% of the drivers passing us on the road, we look like [insert inappropriate epithets] anyway. May as well wear what you like.
I like a big lens and an unobstructed view, so the Zegho has that going on.
Where I think these fail is
a) The absurd, cynical, and unwarranted price relative to top-shelf competitors
Now, I don't know what Assos, Oakley, Smith, Rudy Project and the rest incur with respect to production costs, but I do know that you can get polarized, photochromic, multiple lenses, even custom US-made stuff from among that group for far less than many places are charging for the Assos. This isn't a small disparity in price, it's huge.
b) Rejecting photochromic lenses
Sure, they don't react as fast as light conditions *can* change, but light conditions usually don't change that fast on the road. Clouds come and go, the sun rises and sets. It never happens instantly. I can see why you might not choose photochromics for MTB, where the canopy of the forest can cause on/off light effects, but that's less common on the road. Being able to use the full field of vision on a single lens that you wear for day-into-night or variable weather rides is very practical.
On the road, if the light changes so fast that photochromics can't cope, chances are that your own eyes need a moment to adjust. The kind of transition that would overwhelm photochromics would be something like a headlong rush into an unlit tunnel so long that ambient light doesn't penetrate. In that case, I'd play it safe, slow down, remove my non-Zegho glasses, and give my eyes a few seconds to adjust to that severe change. That's plenty of time to stick my glasses in my helmet for the tunnel.
And why does the Zegho yellow lens have that clear portion at the bottom? Riders of all levels, pros included, use yellow and clear lenses interchangeably (according to preference) during dark rides and inclement weather rides. Nobody wears *either* of those lens colors in bright light, so you're looking at a tint combo that is totally redundant. And you're paying handsomely for the privilege, since Assos reminds us that these lenses have an august Zei$$ pedigree.
c) Most of the positive testimonials to the Zegho seem to share the common impression that they offer an unprecedented field of vision. Other, cheaper, glasses on the market can achieve that huge coverage, but few people have direct experience with them.
The two that come to mind are the Oakley Radar XL Blade and the M-Frame with the Heater lens option. These are uncommon variants of common Oakleys. Both will make you look like Robocop and choke all airflow. Most people avoid these lenses because huge lenses are an idiosyncratic personal and functional preference. For this reason, many who try the Zegho won't have had experience with these alternatives or don't even realize they exist. But they do exist, and they give the same "interstate bus driver" bubble view of the road that you get with the Zegho.
I do think that the Zegho looks kind of cool, but I think the yellow/clear combo is redundant, rejecting photochromics was a mistake, the frame and lens colors are pitifully limited, and the price equation doesn't work if you don't totally dig everything about them.
Ultimately, ride what you like and be happy. I can write anything and it won't matter if you like your Zegho. I like my M-Frame heaters, ESPECIALLY because they make me look like Robocop
-Tim
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