fusionvic
Oakley Beginner
I've been using M Frames for years, mainly for running and cycling as they provide a lot of peripheral vision. I have a Radar EV Path which is great, but I was looking for something with even more venting and possibly something without earsocks because they get absolutely disgusting and soft with years of sweat/oil buildup. My current pair of Flak Jackets were purchased in 2008 and these original earsocks started to actually smell about a few years ago (even after boiling, disinfecting, etc...) and ended up buying a replacement kit. But as I have found out with my XX Twenty, the earsocks eventually are harder to find if not impossible.
I will say that the best M Frame lens IMHO is the Hybrid S. The smaller cut is perfect for ventilation and doesn't get in the way. I found M Frame 1.0 to 3.0 had a very aggressive angle of the lens, meaning the Hybrid and more so the Agro digs into my cheeks. This wouldn't be a problem for those with high nose bridges, but the Hybrid S was the best for me (Hybrid isn't too bad but still slides down enough to collect sweat on my cheeks). But there's only 1 choice with the Alpha and isn't the Hybrid S.
The M Frame Alpha pushes the lens out further, so there is a lot of clearance between the bottom of the lens and my cheeks. Coupled with the huge venting design on top of the lens, there is quite a bit of airflow. But photos don't do this justice. I did a run with the Alpha and could feel much more air flow than the Radar EV Path and even the vented Hybrid lens for the M Frame 3.0 but the cool part about the Alpha is that it has much better visibility than even the Radar EV Path but better venting than the vented Hybrid lens without having the vents in your view. In the attack position on my bike, nothing was blocking my view. That extra taller part of the lens above the nose bridge on the Alpha makes for a very clear view.
The nose pad/bomb is very stiff like Rustpot had mentioned. It's much harder than the M Frame 3.0 pads which weren't too bad. It felt like the Alpha was sliding down my nose a bit when there was more sweat but then again my nose bridge is different from others, I just found it was great the Alpha works with a bunch of different faces, much more so than their other M Frames. They could have put more texturing on the nosepad and maybe angled the surface down a bit more.
Here are the things I didn't really like:
I don't like how they designed the lens changing system. The left ear stem is connected to the hinge with a very thin single-beam arm. The fixed ear stem has a much beefier setup. I also didn't like how they used a metal pin for the hinges. This isn't a Wiley X or a Home Despot pair of safety glasses.
The Alpha is also the heaviest M Frame. Here are the measurements I've collected over the years for my M Frames:
M Frame (1.0) Hybrid S: 24 grams
M Frame 3.0 Hybrid: 27 grams
M Frame 3.0 Agro: 30 grams
M Frame 2.0 Hybrid: 31 grams
M Frame Alpha: 33 grams
Radar EV Path: 28 grams (just as a comparison)
From my experience, anything at or under 25 grams is ideal for long durations. But I've been wearing my Det Cords (37 grams) and I've been getting used to the extra weight. I've run numerous races with both the M Frame 1.0 and Radar EV Path and never noticed either causing significant discomfort.
Because the lens is much larger, the Alpha isn't exactly very stylish but I needed something with ballistic protection (MIL-PRF-32432 and Z87+), adequate ventilation, and no earsocks/thin earstems.
I will say that the best M Frame lens IMHO is the Hybrid S. The smaller cut is perfect for ventilation and doesn't get in the way. I found M Frame 1.0 to 3.0 had a very aggressive angle of the lens, meaning the Hybrid and more so the Agro digs into my cheeks. This wouldn't be a problem for those with high nose bridges, but the Hybrid S was the best for me (Hybrid isn't too bad but still slides down enough to collect sweat on my cheeks). But there's only 1 choice with the Alpha and isn't the Hybrid S.
The M Frame Alpha pushes the lens out further, so there is a lot of clearance between the bottom of the lens and my cheeks. Coupled with the huge venting design on top of the lens, there is quite a bit of airflow. But photos don't do this justice. I did a run with the Alpha and could feel much more air flow than the Radar EV Path and even the vented Hybrid lens for the M Frame 3.0 but the cool part about the Alpha is that it has much better visibility than even the Radar EV Path but better venting than the vented Hybrid lens without having the vents in your view. In the attack position on my bike, nothing was blocking my view. That extra taller part of the lens above the nose bridge on the Alpha makes for a very clear view.
The nose pad/bomb is very stiff like Rustpot had mentioned. It's much harder than the M Frame 3.0 pads which weren't too bad. It felt like the Alpha was sliding down my nose a bit when there was more sweat but then again my nose bridge is different from others, I just found it was great the Alpha works with a bunch of different faces, much more so than their other M Frames. They could have put more texturing on the nosepad and maybe angled the surface down a bit more.
Here are the things I didn't really like:
I don't like how they designed the lens changing system. The left ear stem is connected to the hinge with a very thin single-beam arm. The fixed ear stem has a much beefier setup. I also didn't like how they used a metal pin for the hinges. This isn't a Wiley X or a Home Despot pair of safety glasses.
The Alpha is also the heaviest M Frame. Here are the measurements I've collected over the years for my M Frames:
M Frame (1.0) Hybrid S: 24 grams
M Frame 3.0 Hybrid: 27 grams
M Frame 3.0 Agro: 30 grams
M Frame 2.0 Hybrid: 31 grams
M Frame Alpha: 33 grams
Radar EV Path: 28 grams (just as a comparison)
From my experience, anything at or under 25 grams is ideal for long durations. But I've been wearing my Det Cords (37 grams) and I've been getting used to the extra weight. I've run numerous races with both the M Frame 1.0 and Radar EV Path and never noticed either causing significant discomfort.
Because the lens is much larger, the Alpha isn't exactly very stylish but I needed something with ballistic protection (MIL-PRF-32432 and Z87+), adequate ventilation, and no earsocks/thin earstems.