Cycling glasses advice needed

[[email protected]]

I've decided to invest in some proper cycling glasses - been meaning
to for a while and, as a contact lens wearer, this recent windy weather
is causing me some grief with grit, pollen etc in the eyes. I've always
worn standard sunglasses but they only partially help with the grit
problem and are don't cope with the variable light conditions. I do a
range of cycling e.g. city commuting, touring.

Been doing a bit of research and there's clearly masses of options
these days on the market. The swappable lens products (i.e. one for
bright sun, one for twilight etc) look good but seem a bit of a faff.
I think I'd prefer an all-purpose pair with photochromatic lenses. I
guess the main problem with them though is they never truly turn clear
for night riding.

Any advice you can give me would be most welcome.

Thanks, Andy

 

[Peter Clinch]

[email protected] wrote:
> I've decided to invest in some proper cycling glasses - been meaning
> to for a while and, as a contact lens wearer, this recent windy weather
> is causing me some grief with grit, pollen etc in the eyes. I've always
> worn standard sunglasses but they only partially help with the grit
> problem and are don't cope with the variable light conditions. I do a
> range of cycling e.g. city commuting, touring.
>
> Been doing a bit of research and there's clearly masses of options
> these days on the market. The swappable lens products (i.e. one for
> bright sun, one for twilight etc) look good but seem a bit of a faff.
> I think I'd prefer an all-purpose pair with photochromatic lenses.

I think the problem here is that photochrom lenses are relatively
fragile and heavy glass while swappable lenses tend to be either pretty
tough plastic or *incredibly* tough polycarbonate. Lighter glasses are
more comfortable in use, so you choose, you lose...

You can now get pretty stylish safety glasses from the likes of Bolle
for a few pounds which don't have swappable lenses, but they're cheap
and light enough just to pop another pair in

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[John Hearns]

On Fri, 13 May 2005 07:39:54 -0700, andrew.lewis wrote:

> I've decided to invest in some proper cycling glasses - been meaning
> to for a while and, as a contact lens wearer, this recent windy weather
> is causing me some grief with grit, pollen etc in the eyes. I've always
> worn standard sunglasses but they only partially help with the grit
> problem and are don't cope with the variable light conditions. I do a
> range of cycling e.g. city commuting, touring.

Decathlon sell some perfectly acceptable cycling glasses for about £8.
These are the type, as you say, which have changeable lenses.
Yellow for low light, and a tinted set.

 

[Michael MacClancy]

On 13 May 2005 07:39:54 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

> I've decided to invest in some proper cycling glasses - been meaning
> to for a while and, as a contact lens wearer, this recent windy weather
> is causing me some grief with grit, pollen etc in the eyes. I've always
> worn standard sunglasses but they only partially help with the grit
> problem and are don't cope with the variable light conditions. I do a
> range of cycling e.g. city commuting, touring.
>
> Been doing a bit of research and there's clearly masses of options
> these days on the market. The swappable lens products (i.e. one for
> bright sun, one for twilight etc) look good but seem a bit of a faff.
> I think I'd prefer an all-purpose pair with photochromatic lenses. I
> guess the main problem with them though is they never truly turn clear
> for night riding.
>
> Any advice you can give me would be most welcome.
>
> Thanks, Andy

I was going to recommend the dhb triple lens glasses from wiggle for
£19.99. I have them and they're fine. However, they're no longer available
and appear to have been replaced by the dhb ultralite. These are fixed
lenses but at £9.99 you can have a pair of each lens colour for just under
£30.
--
Michael MacClancy

 

[[email protected]]

I have a pair of Optilabs Sprint glasses with photochromic lenses which
are completely clear in low light and darken in sunlight. Cost was
about £115 and the turnaround was pretty quick.

http://www.optilabs.com/sportsmainpage/sportsframset.html

 

[Danny Colyer]

andrew.lewis wrote:
> Been doing a bit of research and there's clearly masses of options
> these days on the market. The swappable lens products (i.e. one for
> bright sun, one for twilight etc) look good but seem a bit of a faff.

If you find a pair with a single lens stretching all the way across then
they're less of a faff. I've been very happy with the Madison D'Flex
that I bought 10 years ago. The design has changed somewhat since then,
but they're probably still good:
<URL:http://www.cyclesense.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b37s151p1439>

Whatever, I would insist on one set of mirrored lenses (gold mirrors are
my favourite, and what my D'Flex have), one set of yellow lenses and one
set of clear lenses. That works well for me, YMMV.

> I think I'd prefer an all-purpose pair with photochromatic lenses. I
> guess the main problem with them though is they never truly turn clear
> for night riding.

I've used quality photochromic lenses in my regular glasses (which I
seldom wear for cycling) for the last 16 years or more. I've never had
a problem with them not turning clear enough at night, even when I had
been using the same pair for nearly 10 years. However, I have
invariably found that they don't quite go dark enough for me in very
bright sunlight. They really can't compete with a decent pair of gold
mirrors.

Personally I prefer cycling glasses with interchangeable lenses to
anything else. But if you think that's too much of a faff, there's one
thing you might like to consider which may make it seem even more of a
faff. Lighting conditions can change dramatically, several times, even
during a short ride. I've had evenings where I've left the office in
bright sunshine, wearing mirrors, then had to stop half a mile down the
road to change the lenses because I can hardly see where I'm going.
Then a mile further on I regret having changed. That sort of thing
doesn't happen often, though.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks for all your responses.

I think I'll go for swappable lenses.

 

[wafflycat]

Apparently if you are 16, an avid CSC fan and *know* you look seriously cool
in Lycra, Oakley Zeros are the only shades to have, after pointing out to
your parents that they are significantly cheaper to purchase at the Channel
Tunnel passenger terminal than elsewhere. If you are the parent of said
teenager, one is reduced to a pair from Woolworths for £5.99 ;-)

Cheers, helen s

 

[Pete Franklin]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Any advice you can give me would be most welcome.
>
It isn't clear to me whether you are after a prescription set to wear
without your lenses or an ordinary set to wear over the lenses. If it is the
former, I have been very happy with my Bollé Vigilantes
http://www.bolle.com/performance_eyewear/action_sport_vigilante.shtml with
the SOS prescription inserts. About £100 with three sets of lenses and the
prescription inserts glazed to my prescription.
--
Pete
===
850 Le Mans II, Marin Mount Vision, Onza Muni
Remove your spleen to reply by email.