Glasses while riding?

a.s.

a.s.

Mr. Chainring
My eyesight has taken a serious nose dive in the past 12 months. Picked up my first prescription this year, mainly for driving at night. Now I’m noticing just how bad my distance vision has become, especially when riding.

What are my options? Do I get sport glasses? Contacts? How do you guys with glasses deal with this issue?

Thanks.
 
Personally, I just wear my regular glasses when riding. When trail or road riding during hot weather, I wear a head band to keep sweat from dripping onto the lenses. If I'm wearing a full-face helmet (or when skiing) I wear Scott OTG (Over The Glasses) goggles with dual-pane lenses (which are slightly better at not fogging). I would love to get contacts, but I get such a bad bluffer's spasm that getting the contacts in would be damn near impossible. I've considered lasik, but I also need reading glasses, so I'm not sure how much annoyance it would save me.

When I saw him recently, @jdog was wearing some pretty slick prescription Oakley sunglasses designed for sport use. I think they are the Field Jacket model. Definitely considering them, although they are not available as progressives (bifocals), so they would be strictly for riding..
 
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I don’t do well with contacts, so I sprung for some prescription Oakley’s. $$$ but awesome. Just don’t lose them like I did and have to buy another pair. Even so, right around $350-400 or so with insurance at LensCrafters.
 
There has been a couple of other threads about this subject which go into some detail. But in a nutshell, contacts are the best option. If you are not planning on getting contacts and you have a light prescription, you can get prescription sport glasses like Oakleys. There are challenges with wearing glasses especially when they start fogging. There are sprays and drops that help.
 
I wear Smith Optics prescription glasses. I have the Chamber tactical and prospect tactical (different frame/lens sizes). They are ANSI Z87.1 rated and I use them as safety glasses for my work AND for riding. I like riding with any kind of glasses because they protect from that stick / branch or whatever swipe to they eye. I've been whapped in the eye area more times than I can count and am glad to have the protection. Its like gloves....necessary....not exactly....until you NEED them. I also like a clear lens in 95% of the situations (except full sun exposed) so I can see every detail. I don't care if I look like an idiot....and I don't tend to crash because I see everything. They aren't that expensive for prescription and I ordered direct. Also they are open enough that they don't fog unless you stop and sit still. You just need a prescription and pupil distance measurement. I beat the crap out of them and minimal noticeable scratches. well worth it as long as you aren't fashion conscious......black / clear isn't gonna get you a lot of chicks.
 
I wear my old/ backup pair while riding.

I have one day contacts for riding and used to use them but my eyes don’t love contacts find the glasses just easier.

I also have some KurtRambus-like goggles but they just so damn stupid looking :) I don’t wear them.
 
I get this (I'm 2.5 ft lower to the ground) feeling when wearing glasses. I should wear them, but I don't because of this.
 
olegbabich said:
I get this (I'm 2.5 ft lower to the ground) feeling when wearing glasses. I should wear them, but I don't because of this.
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Are you using wrap around sports frames with a strong prescription or have an astigmatism? Mine initially gave me fish eye vision, which is similar to what you're explaining being close to the ground. Spoke to the doc and found out I can't wear wrap arounds, mostly bc of the heavy prescription. Ended up bending the frame to make the lenses flat and most of the distortion went away but not perfect.

Even with the improvement, I usually stick with the non progressive Oakley Chamfers. I put cheap lenses on them since I tend to scratch them quite often. I used to wear contacts. But have developed a dry eye condition which makes my vision blurry when bouncing around a lot.
 
a.s. said:
My eyesight has taken a serious nose dive in the past 12 months. Picked up my first prescription this year, mainly for driving at night. Now I’m noticing just how bad my distance vision has become, especially when riding.

What are my options? Do I get sport glasses? Contacts? How do you guys with glasses deal with this issue?

Thanks.
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Have worn glasses since 2nd grade - I wear Oakleys w tint & I have presciption sunglasses I wear as well.

I have contacts too but you’ll need a good set of air lock goggles so they don’t dry out ( at least I did ).
 
I’m using a Liberty frame with transition and progressive lenses. The frame is kind of sporty looking but not too exaggerated, looks mostly like a pair of mildly wraparound sunglasses, it also came with anti-fogging magnetic shields that you can put behind the lenses and will also protect your eye from debris but then they kind of look like a crappy pair of goggles.
 
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I can't stand the fogging and sweat drips when I wear glasses, contacts were one of the best things I've done(I'm very OCD about clean glasses). I have pretty bad eyesight and astigmatism so if it'll work for me it should be doable for most folks.
 
olegbabich said:
I get this (I'm 2.5 ft lower to the ground) feeling when wearing glasses. I should wear them, but I don't because of this.
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I had that when the doctor told me I have astigmatism. I went back and told him hell no I don’t and the next glasses were great.
 
I sweat so much that I can barely wear regular sunglasses. Between my sweat and them constantly fogging up, I could never enjoy a ride with them. I may try contacts.
 
i wear contacts all the time, so just adding a pair of 'athletic' styled (wrap around) sunglasses was a no-brainer from my position. I wear a pair of flak jackets when i ride and swap the lenses to the conditions . . . . (iv had them for 6 years and still going strong)

i have a pair of flak draft that i wear off the bike since my jackets got so gross from sweat
 
I used to run prescription Oakleys but would always end up screwing them up. Now I just get like 6 pairs of normal glasses from Costco and use those. When it's really raining I have to take them off and essentially ride blind because they fog up bad.
 
jimvreeland said:
I used to run prescription Oakleys but would always end up screwing them up. Now I just get like 6 pairs of normal glasses from Costco and use those. When it's really raining I have to take them off and essentially ride blind because they fog up bad.
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If they are cheap and you’re willing to gamble on a pair, rain-x one set. Works great if you rub it off to clear.
 
clarkenstein said:
If they are cheap and you’re willing to gamble on a pair, rain-x one set. Works great if you rub it off to clear.
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I used to use those triathlete wipes for swimming goggles, they would work for a while, but my rides can be pretty long.
 
I got a pair of roka aviators with transition lenses recently and have worn them for everything, as an everyday, bike, run, work set of glasses and I really like them. They stick to my face like no other pair of glasses I've ever had. And they have that try at home program so you can try on the frames before ordering.
This is the set I have:
https://www.roka.com/products/phant...GagROTP5fgEplr27KfhGDqDCOAV9UOzUaAkjgEALw_wcB
MVIMG_20190814_102613.jpg
 
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