First the housekeeping. I got up at the crack of dawn Sunday to watch Spartacus ride away from a snacking (read inattentive) Tom Boonen at Paris Roubaix. The reaction of Dutch commentators summed up the winning move better than the images..."Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom" (2:25) one exclaimed in recognition that Cancellara was gone and Tom was hung out to dry. That makes two incredible race moves in as many weeks for the Swiss dynamo. And kudos to Specialized for notching a classic win on the Project Black Roubaix. I spent a whole day three weeks ago photographing prototypes of that frame ;-)

I can't mention Spartacus without saying how much I'm enjoying the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. I don't know how the series will fare when it tries to capture major battle scenes, but while the focus rests in the intimate confines of the gladitorial school rife with plotting, murder and mayhem (did I mention sex) it's fantastic. Great performances by a stellar cast of veterans and newcomers. Might be a cameo role for the real Spartacus in season two if he slays a couple more opponents like he did in Flanders and PR.

After a brief intermission, I returned to the Spring traditions of the Masters where a sullen Tiger Woods was doing a bad Ray Charles impression with those ridiculous sun glasses, and hitting several un-Tiger-like shots that I imagine Ray Charles might hit had he played golf. Always a fan, he has diminished significantly in my eyes and unless he starts getting some good advice I fear he may go off the deep end like a certain Michael Jackson. He's already wearing one glove afterall.

Let's dispense with the strange glasses and look at some cool ones from Giro.

Giro Filter Sunglasses

First the basics. The Filter is Giro's newest model with a beautifully sculpted compact frame. I like the fit at the temples on this big head; secure but not too tight. The rubber nose bridge is firmer than its spongy counterpart on my Oakley Radars. I've had to purchase a replacement nose piece for the Oakleys in just under two years of use. I can't see that happening with the Filters.

Lenses are superb optics by Zeiss, known for legendary glass and by the way some beautiful manual primes that will eventually find their way into my camera bag. The Filters come with two sets of lenses. The Silver/Titanium frames pictured are outfitted with Rose Silver and Orange Selector lenses. Interesting story behind the development of the tints. Giro tasked Zeiss to come up with formulations that were relaxing to the eye while increasing contrast and depth perception. Performance, not cosmetics determined the eventual choices. All lenses filter the full spectrum of UVA, UVB and UVC light.

What really distinguishes the Filters from every other sun-glass system with replaceable lenses is what Giro calls their Pop-Top retention technology. I struggle to squeeze the nose piece on my Oakley Radars to release the single lens, worry about breaking the frame and end up with fingerprints all over them. As you can see from the four-picture sequence below, the Filters employ a unique cam to lock and release the lenses. It couldn't be easier and there's zero chance of damaging the glasses in the process. Really a clever piece of engineering that increases the likelihood you'll actually change lens tints under different conditions.

Since wearing the Filters those Oakley Radars have been riding in the team car.

Giro Havik II Sunglasses

Giro's Havik II sunglasses come in full and compact models to fit different faces and rider preferences. Personally I prefer the compact style, there's more than adequate coverage and a little more airflow behind the glasses (on my face) which is always good to avoid fogging. The Havik II feels a little more open and a shade lighter than the Filter. Having just said that I quickly weighed them confirming the Filter is 28g and the Havik II 26g. The sensitivity borne of years of club feeling. "That face is 2 degrees open" lives on. Wish some other sensitivities still worked as well.

Having experienced the sheer brilliance of the Filters when it comes to changing lenses I have to say it's hard to go back to the system employed by the Havik. You compress the nose bridge between thumb and forefinger on one hand and push it out of the frame with the thumb on your other hand. From there I still find it a struggle to apply the right force to disengage the single wrapping lens from the frame. I can't do it without plenty of fingerprints. Advantage Filters.

So there you have it. The Filters are available in 6 frame colorways (matte black, gloss black, silver/ti, gloss red, white/blue, striped tort*) and 5 lens tints. The Havik II Full: 3 frame colors (red, matte black and matte silver) and 5 lens tints. The Havik II Compact: 5 frame colors (matte black, gloss black, matte silver, pearl white, pearl red) and 5 lens tints. *not sure on availability

The Filters retail for $200 (2 tone frames are $220) while the Havik IIs range from $140 to $200 (most colorway/lens combinations are $170). If a compact frame size suits your face, I think the Pop Top feature on the Filters is well worth the extra cost.

If you've not tuned into Spartacus: Blood and Sand yet you might try watching the show wearing a pair of Giros with Orange Selector lenses. You get enhanced slave girl contrast and protection from all the blood splatter. I'm off to Sea Otter for four days, expect lots of imagery next week.

If you're still after more shots of the Prolight, look through the Copperopolis Race Gallery. Quite a few riders were wearing it.

Refer back to my earlier Point of Contact post for some context on my continuing search for the perfect long fingered glove. Well, I'm here to report I think I've found it. Of course some caveats apply: I've not worn the gloves for a thousand miles yet and they're probably best suited for moderate temperatures in the 50-70F range, but I'm prepared to go on record and declare the Giro LX LF glove is the best, long fingered cycling glove, period.

The LX is a premium leather glove (Pittards WR100X leather palm and uppers) with sleek styling that convinces me that someone in the Giro design department has an Italian mistress or two. Bellissima. The glove retails for $70 making it considerably more expensive than my go-to favorites like the Oakley Pilot ($20) and Specialized Gel ($40). Back when I was doing the glove summary someone asked me if I'd tried them, and I admitted I hadn't... I reached out to Giro and one thing led to another... culminating in a review series that began with the Prolight helmet last week.

All the Right Features

The LX is close enough to a second skin for me to type this sentence wearing them. And before you start worrying about me, I'm not wearing them around the house... much. Giro's trademark 3-panel palm reduces bunching as advertised. Finger seams and stitching are nearly undetectable, and overall finish, inside and out, is what you'd expect of a premium glove at this price point. I wear Medium in most cycling gloves, but a Small in the LX fits me perfectly (the LX is available in S, M, L, XL and XXL)

There's an integrated pull tab at the wrist to help get these beauties on; two strategically placed pads of 3mm Technogel in the heel and outer edge of the palm to cushion those sensitive areas without diminishing the fantastic feel when glove meets handlebar; the back of the glove features wool-blend stretch panels and a velcro closure along with a super-soft microfiber nose wipe on the thumb.

I can't find fault with them. They feel as good as they look and there's nothing above or below them on the price scale that's better. And if that wasn't enough, the little red "Giro tabs even match my Rapha red lighweight softshell jacket. If solid black isn't your style, the glove is also available in a Black (palm)/White(back) version. When things warm up a bit more I'll have a review of the equally impressive fingerless LX.

Giro may be best known for helmets, but they've got some spectacular stuff to complement the lids. Sunglasses are up next.

I'll admit I like the classic look of the cycling cap and have produced quite a few images for VeloDramatic wearing my favorites from Rapha and Outlier. In truth I never ride anywhere without a helmet (often over a cap). My brain may be the only thing that distinguishes me from the asphalt we ride upon, so I have a vested interest in keeping it protected.

Assuming you're not repurposing an old garden bucket, it's certain that your helmet meets one of the mandated safety standards (CPSC in the US), and most of you probably own one or two. Like everything else VeloDramatic my helmet collection is a little over the top. There are now five helmets hanging neatly in the garage: a Specialized S-Works; a Catlike Whisper and three helmets from Giro; the Atmos, the Ionos and new for 2010, the Prolight.

Head on, the iconic, vented appearance of the Atmos and Ionos have always been easy to spot in the pro peloton and it hasn't hurt the fortunes of Giro that Mr. Armstrong has been wearing one, well... forever. I'm not sure if it's that gaunt pro visage or perhaps they all wear size small, but helmets generally look better on the pros. Hawkish, sharp and well proportioned. Mere mortals, like me, tend to have bigger skulls (I wear a Large) and some helmets make you look like you're wearing a Yakima SkyBox on your head. Finding a good fitting, good looking helmet isn't always easy.

Enter the Prolight. Giro claims to have gone back to the drawing board with this new model and it looks and feels the part. True to its name, its very light. My Large weighed in at 227g, compared to my Ionos at 361g and Atmos at 327g. It has a softer, less angular appearance. Like its predecessors (which are still actively produced and sold) the Prolight is manufactured with Giro's In-Mold technology, a process which bonds the outer polycarbonate shell to the inner EBS liner in one operation. More interesting is the new Roc-Loc SL self-adjusting harness. Instead of a ratchet mechanism to fine tune fit, the minimal SL system relies on a broad band of mildly compressive elastic at the back of your head to provide a stable fit. Giro uses a lighter webbing for chin straps, and provides an additional measure of adjustability with three snap-in connection points on the helmet body.

I'm really surprised how well this minimalist system works. I'm used to loosening my helmet, particularly when wearing it over a cap, then snugging it tight. There's no need for any of this with the Prolight. Grasp the rear band, slide it over the back of your head and snap the chin strap closed. The helmet stays put. The band is comfortable. Feels like a winner to me.

The vents on the Prolight look smaller than either the Atmos or Ionos, but there's no lack of airflow.

The Prolight is available in four colorways: Blue/Black; Red/Black; Black/Carbon and White/Silver. I love the subtle textural graphics of the latter and it's sure to be cooler on hot summer days. If you need a new helmet or just want to add to your own collection; maybe coordinate with that new white bar tape this Spring, you can't go wrong with this lid.

Switching topics. I've recently added an Elinchrom Quadra lighting kit to the photo arsenal. It pains me to say I can't always shoot with available light, so the trick is getting proficient and creative with strobes. I spent last Saturday experimenting with the Quadras, shooting the Giro helmet and sunglasses against a variety of backgrounds using a Rotalux Softbox on one head and a Varistar umbrella on the other. You'll see some of this photography over the next couple of posts as I look at more products I like from Giro.

Finally, thanks to a couple of regulars for pointing out that Garmin plans on releasing a new Black/White/Silver version of the Garmin 500 in conjunction with the Tour of California. I don't think for a moment they were listening to me when I made the point that the standard blue trim on the 500 doesn't coordinate with many bikes. I'm looking forward to the new version, I think I'll Ebay the blue one that Garmin just replaced after my recent mounting problem. Thanks, Garmin on both counts.