Thor Alley Goggles
Goggles may not be the first item considered in modern day track-side fashion, but Thor hasn’t let that fact hold them back any. The Ally’s big claim to fame may be the fact that each pair sold comes standard with a four piece colored vent kit that allows each and every rider the ability to customize the appearance of his goggles (making them unique even against other riders sporting the Ally).
Goggles may not be the first item considered in modern day track-side fashion, but Thor hasn’t let that fact hold them back any. The Ally’s big claim to fame may be the fact that each pair sold comes standard with a four piece colored vent kit that allows each and every rider the ability to customize the appearance of his goggles (making them unique even against other riders sporting the Ally).
While the attention to detail is certainly not lost on us, we set out to discover if the Thor Ally was a one-trick pony (that trick being customization) or a worthy piece of protective equipment that just so happens to fall in the upper echelon of goggle pricing (.95- .95).
When you slip the Ally around your helmet, the first thing you notice is that the frame feels a bit smaller than most of the competition’s offerings. Not restrictive, mind you, but rather that the entire structure fits in the port of most helmets with room to spare. Additionally its surface is contoured which means that not only does it do an admirable job hugging the curvature of the face but it also allows for adequate peripheral vision as well.
Perhaps the greatest feature of the Ally is its incredible ventilation options. Thor thought outside the box with removable vents at each of the four corners of the goggle. When removed, these, coupled with exit vents, get the air flowing! Even the sweatiest riders among us would be hard pressed to fog up the Ally. However, the air holes are free-flowing enough to warrant punching the vents back in on muddy or particularly dusty tracks. As stated above, each Ally goggle comes with an extra set of vents purposely mismatched in color to offer up near limitless custom options. We should mention that the goggle’s abundant foam (triple layered) not only feels very comfortable but also works in unison with the ventilation design to wick away sweat and moisture.
The next item worthy of praise is the removable nose guard. It isn’t like all helmets offer up the same amount of distance between the top of the mouthpiece and the lower-edge of the goggle frame and Thor takes this reality into careful consideration with the Ally. The Ally offers the added protection of a nose guard for those helmets that leave a few precious inches of face exposed. For those who feel the helmet’s mouthpiece is adequate (or lack the room for both), the plastic guard can be unsnapped from the Ally.
Finally Thor’s lenses certainly managed to impress as well. The Ally’s lenses are anti-fog, anti-scratch, tear-off ready, and UV protected. Better still is that Thor includes both a mirrored and clear lens (and a cloth bag) with each and every pair of goggles.
All in all, the Thor Ally is a well designed, flawlessly performing piece of equipment. Our only complaint comes in the form of a rather steep MSRP, but as the old expression goes; you get what you pay for. And when it comes to such critical protection, we’ll chalk it up as money well spent.
For more info, please visit:
www.thormx.com
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