I am always on the look out for domestically-produced products, including everything from kitchenware to cycling eyewear. In my opinion, buying local when you can and buying products made in the USA, or Germany, or Italy will help sustain our country’s and other’s industry from within. Naturally, when friends launch new products and make them in the USA, I’m immediately drawn to them.

AARN may be known for his chainrings, but as an industrial designer, he’s always on the hunt for the next design problem and subsequent solution. That’s where AARN Plastics come into play. He wanted to design a made in the USA eyewear system…

These frames are handmade in New York from the highest quality NOS Italian cellulose acetate, built around precision German hardware, and come stock fitted with Zeiss CR-39 lenses of your choice. Materials are processed using a combination of traditional and contemporary manufacturing processes and mechanical finishing techniques. Each set of eyewear is then hand made, hand inspected and packaged by AARN.

And contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to wear performance sunglasses on the bike!