I own a lot of Oakleys because I was once in the bike business and owned a store and was a dealer for this brand.. They do a lot of marketing, making sure their glasses show up on the top athletes in a multitude of sports. This creates a lot of demand for the product. Generally speaking, the athletes don't pay for these glasses

I have several reservations about the brand. I've seen too many cracked frames. This generally occurs along the top edge of M-frames and several other models. It most often occurs if you have to flex the frame (bend ear pieces outward) to get it to fit on your head. After some time, this constant flexing will eventually crack the frame. Part of the reason the frame cracks is the composite used in the frame is too brittle. I had a discussion with Oakley customer service the last time I had one of my own M-frames replaced. I suggested that they make the frame available in several widths and/or use a composite material that was amenable to flexing without eventually breaking. The customer service rep admitted that frame breakage was a problem. As I mentioned, I own multiple pairs. I have a half dozen pairs, take very good care of my equipment and despite this, I've had 3 cracked frames which is unacceptable given I rotate what I wear meaning no one pair is being used constantly.

If you have a relatively narrow face, the chance for frame breakage will be reduced. To get an idea of the ideal "Oakley Head" look at the models wearing their glasses in the ads. They have heads that are taller then they are wider.

Apart from the breakage issue, I think on the whole these glasses are overpriced. You are subsidizing to some extent the marketing they do with free glasses and national advertising. When Oakley brought their first offering to market, the Factory Pilot, there was in fact nothing else suitable for cycling. But now, you can find a number of brands that will work well without sacrificing lens quality, styling and durability. Many of these brands, Rudy Project and Smith included are priced below Oakley. The post mentioning the new Specialized glasses is worth looking into as this company has a long history of providing well designed products at competitive prices (disclosure: I worked for 8 1/2 years for this company until 1992).

The last issue is the most important, what fits you and what you feel good about wearing when you ride your bike..

Happy pedaling....