Redraven Speedview Goggle Review

Redraven's Speedview goggle system is designed to allow you to clear your vison without having the remove a hand from your handlebar to reach for a tear-off. The system works by using a remote button and transmitter attached to your bike, along with a receiver, battery pack, and a small motor attached to the goggle that pulls a clean strip of film across the lens - think of it as a remotely operated Roll-off system. Included in each Speedview kit is the goggle itself, the receiver and its SVRX01 6V battery, receiver pouch, remote button and transmitter, two rolls of film, and a blank spindle. You'll need to install two of your own AAA batteries. The kit retails for £129.99/approx $200 USD (US pricing TBD).

Tear-off and Roll-Off systems have been around for many years, with either one being considered near mandatory when racing in treacherously muddy conditions. Both of those designs have remained basically the same despite the technological leaps forward that other gear has made over the years, requiring the rider to reach up to either pull off a mud splattered tear-off or give the Roll-Off cord a pull. Taking your hand off the bar to clear your vision may not be a big deal during a casual ride where you can slow down to do it safely, but it can lead to disaster if not timed right during a race run. Ask Hill about his crash at the Maribor World Cup in 2010, a big off that could be blamed on going for a tear-off at the wrong moment, likely costing him the win, and you can see where we're going with this.



The details

Speedview Goggle: Redraven's Speedview system is based around a goggle frame with the Speedview unit held in place over top with four small phillips screws. A compact electric motor is tucked away inside the Speedview frame on the rider's left, and the opposite side is home to the roll of fresh, clean film, with the motor rotating a blank spindle that pulls the film across the lens to clear your field of view. The frame is shaped so that the film follows a track formed by its upper and lower edges, as well creating a lips on the top and bottom to help keep grime from getting trapped underneath. The goggle strap is home to the receiver unit, with it tucked into a zippered pouch that is located at the very back of your helmet when the goggle is being worn. The wire between the motor and receiver is routed discreetly within the strap and into the frame. While that all may sound a bit complicated, Redraven has executed the design quite nicely. Yes, the Speedview appears bit peculiar when sat next to a standard goggle, but the system looks relatively clean and uncomplicated given how much is going on.


Remote: The system employs a bar-mounted remote button that looks to be the very same as used as start or kill switches on many dirt bikes, mounting to the bar via a small phillips screw and a metal band. The red transmitter box is responsible for sending signals to the receiver on the goggle strap, with it being fixed to the bike with two large zip-ties. At 2.5'' x 2" x 1" the transmitter box is big enough that you won't be able to mount it out of sight on your bike, but it isn't large enough to pose a problem with getting in the way. A rubber gasket is used around the battery compartment opening to help keep moisture out, and the system requires two AAA batteries that are not included from Redraven. A burly 23" long cord runs between the remote button and transmitter box that is long enough to easily allow the transmitter to be attached to the forward section of your bike's front triangle. The receiver's power button, located on the rear of the goggle strap, can also be pressed to clear your vision in case you end up separated from your bike and still need to clean the goggle.


Wireless Tech: The wireless setup works on the common 2.4GHz frequency, although each and every Speedview goggle employs a unique ID to keep different systems from interfering with each other - Redraven claims that there can be up to 15 million different ID's. The signal is said to take just 15ms to reach the receiver, and it has a functioning range of over 10m, although how you'd press the button at that distance is a mystery to us. Battery life will vary depending on temperature, conditions, and usage, but Redraven is claiming between three and five years for the transmitter and over 5000 ''clears'' for the receiver battery (they do recommend replacing the battery every six to eight months, though). That sounds like plenty of time to us, but it better be because there is no charger currently available for the lithium ion battery at this point in time.


The Numbers: There is a lot going on with the Speedview system and, as you'd expect, it weighs quite a bit more than what a standard goggle comes in at. The goggle itself weighs 343 grams (including the receiver unit), with the remote button and transmitter box adding another 106 grams. That adds up to a total system weight of 449 grams. Compare that to a Smith Roll-Off equipped setup at 191 grams, or a bare bones, single lens POC goggle at just 94 grams, and it sounds downright heavy. The additional weight shouldn't be of any concern, though, given that the conditions the Speedview goggle is intended to be used in will likely result in a few pounds of mud plastered on your bike anyways. More important than the added weight is the system's field of view. We measured the vertical lens height to be 48mm, while a standard Roll-Off comes in at just 32mm.


Performance

Setup: The Speedview google ships unloaded, meaning that you'll have to install a roll of the clear film before hitting the trails. The task isn't difficult, but you'll want to give the included instructions a proper read through before jumping into it. Popping off the goggle frame's out cover exposes both the roll mounting location - it simply slips into position - and the motor side that receives the empty spindle. The end of the clear film must be attached to the empty spindle via the supplied tape, and both sides should see the film wind and unwind from underneath. Snap the cover back into place and you're done. The transmitter requires two AAA batteries that are installed by removing the box's four small screws, being careful not to damage the unit's rubber sealing gasket when putting it back together.

The remote button mounts to the handlebar with a steel band and a small phillips screw, and the transmitter pack must be attached to the bike with zip-ties in an appropriate location. The 23'' cord between the two is long enough to allow you to find a good position somewhere on either the top or down tube of your bike, and we mounted the button on the left side of the bar up against the grip. The transmitter body has two channels for the zip-ties to follow that keep it from slipping out, and the bottom surface is shaped to fit nicely around dirt bike fork tubes, a design that also facilitates most frame tubes. All said and done, installation takes about ten minutes, although you may have to slide one of your fork's stanchions down in its crowns to pass the transmitter wire through (the button is too large to fit between the frame and stanchion tube). The final step before hitting the trail is to 'pair' the transmitter and receiver units. This is done by simply pressing the remote button immediately after plugging in the receiver battery, and you'll know that it's good to go when you hear the motor spin for over a second.


On The Trail: Our exceptionally wet Winter season will always be the most dreaded time of the year, but with seemingly nonstop rain and mud it is also the ideal period to put the Speedview system to the test. Pressing the remote button results in a gentle buzz from the motor as it pulls a clean section of film over the goggle lens, with the soiled section being rolled up on the spindle on the riders left. The result is clear vision, just as advertised. The entire process takes about a second to complete, only requiring you to quickly press and release the button - not hold it down - to set the system into action. Each press of the button results in a clean strip of film over the entire length of the goggle's lens, and if you feel that you need another go at it you'll have to press the button another time instead of holding it down. We only ever needed to press the button once, though, even in the muddiest of conditions, and this includes us using our hands to manually cover the film with more mud than it would likely ever see during use. A small pileup of sludge could build up on the left side when we plastered the goggle with mud, but not enough to hinder out vision.


Once you've done a 'clear' you should have mud-free vision until you need to hit the button next, although the optics when looking through both the lens and the film are obviously not quite as transparent as just the lens on its own (but still on par with what a Roll-Off or tear-off system offers). While we fully expected the Speedview system to be able to clear copious amounts of mud (it was designed for moto use, after all), we were worried about debris getting stuck under the film. Thankfully this turned out to be a non-issue, with the goggle frame's construction preventing mud from getting behind it. The dual lens setup also resisted fogging much better than what a single lens can offer, preventing moisture buildup during slow speeds.

There is no denying that the Speedview setup is much heavier than both a tear-off or Roll-Off system, but the added heft is completely unnoticeable once it's on your helmet. Ergonomics are decent, at least when speaking about the remote button. Mounting it up against the grip and rotated slightly back seemed to offer the best results, not requiring an awkward reach with your thumb to hit. We'd say that the button is actually much more user friendly than what the majority of dropper posts utilize, although it could be argued that the button's task is far simpler than having to pull a steel cable. And while Redraven does not claim that the system is waterproof, it proved to be resilient against any moisture that you would encounter on the trail. No, you shouldn't hose them off after use, but they are sealed well enough to be considered very water resistant.


Issues
The Speedview goggles will, without a doubt in our minds, give an advantage to riders using it in the worst of possible track positions, but there are one or two points that will keep some riders from using the system. The first, and most notable, is the field of vision, or rather the lack thereof. Redraven states that their system offers 729 cm² of viewing area compared to a Roll-Off equipped goggle's 351cm², and while that may be true, they still restrict your view by a very noticeable amount when compared back to back with a standard goggle. This is, unfortunately, most apparent with the Speedview's confined vertical field of view when looking down the trail. The culprit is the goggles' upper rail that guides the transparent strip, and while we honestly wouldn't say that it blocks your sight, we'd liken it to a helmet visor that is set to a far too low position - there is just enough frame material there to be noticeable in your peripheral vision and we found it annoying enough that we wouldn't use the Redraven system unless the conditions absolutely demanded it.

Potential Speedview users should also be aware that the goggles don't play nice with Troy Lee's D2 helmet, with the frame not mating well with the helmet's shell. This wasn't the case with the newer Troy Lee D3 full face or Giro's Remedy, though, but we'd recommend researching the fit with your helmet before placing an order.


Pinkbike's take: