Ventruck
I am Jim Jannard...
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All pros and cons stacked, it would have to be the M-Frame. Functionality and versatility are there, but what puts it over the top is legacy. Even though a new sports pair gets marketed every few years at the TdF, Lance had the exceptional following. Fanboys wanted the Livestrong bands, the Trek he was riding, Nike gear, and those Oakley's he wore to the podium...
The cons I'd put out are:
-There's no Asian Fit nosepad. Smaller lenses don't solve the problem for people who need the pad. And this is annoying because it's such a small component that can make a big difference.
-Compared to newer pairs stress cracks are a notable issue through normal use, albeit that partly has to due with production processes at the given time.
-I personally believe the array of cuts is only so much of an advantage as the selection could've been simplified. I feel like Oakley actually made a great attempt at that with M2's cut, but they should've added a 3rd (larger) size, especially since they went ahead with a slimmer cut for AF.
Otherwise....while M-Frame wasn't created in the stone age, there were no 3D printers and I'm pretty sure modeling programs weren't on the same level of today to experiment with mechanisms and degrees of freedom with so many intricate details.. Yet it's been what? 25 years? with some tweaks here and there, but essentially the same frame. So legacy is what I consider the biggest attribute.
My favorite pair in the Jawbreaker has arguably been just as versatile, more carefully created, and has more technical ingenuity. But will it last for 25 years? Of course with current times designs get replaced more frequently, but I can imagine a future pair that outright does everything better in due time. The lens swap can be quicker, the stem adjustment can feel more solid imo, strap and gasket compatibility would make it ever so more versatile.
Within the M-Frame's lifespan, I'm not quite sure what the argument for the Radar and Radarlock were apart from AF and aesthetic — which were my two particular reasons for getting the 'Lock. If Oakley made the damn nosepiece it'd be game over imo. And then of course the M2 was a failure of trying to be an actual successor. I can't say the Jawbreaker has finally been the pair to render the M as obsolete, but it's been a legitimate step forward. There's enough differences to say it's more than a makeover.
The cons I'd put out are:
-There's no Asian Fit nosepad. Smaller lenses don't solve the problem for people who need the pad. And this is annoying because it's such a small component that can make a big difference.
-Compared to newer pairs stress cracks are a notable issue through normal use, albeit that partly has to due with production processes at the given time.
-I personally believe the array of cuts is only so much of an advantage as the selection could've been simplified. I feel like Oakley actually made a great attempt at that with M2's cut, but they should've added a 3rd (larger) size, especially since they went ahead with a slimmer cut for AF.
Otherwise....while M-Frame wasn't created in the stone age, there were no 3D printers and I'm pretty sure modeling programs weren't on the same level of today to experiment with mechanisms and degrees of freedom with so many intricate details.. Yet it's been what? 25 years? with some tweaks here and there, but essentially the same frame. So legacy is what I consider the biggest attribute.
My favorite pair in the Jawbreaker has arguably been just as versatile, more carefully created, and has more technical ingenuity. But will it last for 25 years? Of course with current times designs get replaced more frequently, but I can imagine a future pair that outright does everything better in due time. The lens swap can be quicker, the stem adjustment can feel more solid imo, strap and gasket compatibility would make it ever so more versatile.
Within the M-Frame's lifespan, I'm not quite sure what the argument for the Radar and Radarlock were apart from AF and aesthetic — which were my two particular reasons for getting the 'Lock. If Oakley made the damn nosepiece it'd be game over imo. And then of course the M2 was a failure of trying to be an actual successor. I can't say the Jawbreaker has finally been the pair to render the M as obsolete, but it's been a legitimate step forward. There's enough differences to say it's more than a makeover.
