prendrefeu

Hello -

I saw another rider on a commute recently who was donning (sp?) a pair of safety glasses while riding. Really, if I didn't have woodshop experience and know what styles safety glasses could come in, I wouldn't have known... they look like sunglasses, nearly.
From what I figure, the benefits are pretty good:
•ANSI safe (shouldn't your glasses protect you from crap flying into your eye anyway?)
•the "UV protection" coating is actually monitored by safety councils, so it's guaranteed as opposed to just an un-reliable sticker incentive
•comes in dark shades, yellows or oranges (two colours which increase contrast and can help bring out road conditions.... in addition to brightening your day ;-) )

disadvantages:
•they're still safety glasses, NOT designed by a cycling company

Just wondering if anyone else here has used safety glasses for riding or can offer some insight...?

Here's the pair the person was wearing...
https://www.petesdepot.com/335878.html (yeah, it's the only link I could find that wasn't horrendous in length)

the company x-factor makes other pairs of safety glasses that look "sporty"... froogle "safety glasses x factor"

thoughts?

Cycliste

I have a pair of safety glasses that are pretty nice and I occasionally wear as sunglasses (when on my nose and my regular sunglasses are out of reach). I remember using them to ride my hybrid to the local store a few times and driving too.

They are OK, I wouldn't say they are as comfortable and ergonomic as my cycling glasses. Price? The safety glasses weren't cheap and close to the bike ones. Cheap safety glasses can be nasty, but you don't get flies in your eyes.

sbhikes

When I first got my motorscooter I bought a pair of cheap safety glasses for riding. They work great. I still keep them as a backup now that I have a face shield.

I think the clear ones would be great for riding a bike, especially at night. In my opinion, if they meet safety standards that's way more of a plus than if they meet the marketing requirements of some cycling company.

-=(8)=-

^^^^ I saw a 4 pack of nice, big ones with a nice shape, clear and
tinted, at Home Depot tonite for 9.99. I started using safety glasses
on my motorcycle too because I found a lot of motorcycle ones looked
ko0Ler than they worked. Safety glasses worked better and I am a little
less worried when I get a stone of bug at 60mph.

seeker333

i've used these during the buggy spring/summer months for the past 3 years. get em at home depot/lowes/safety supply, ~ 8 bucks.

https://www.aosafety.com/diy/eye_deta..._platform_id=6

i remove all the parts from the lens. then attach piece of 1/2" elastic from walmart sewing dept. tie a knot at each end to retain. adjust length until tension tight enough to keep from moving around much, but not too tight.

i attach a piece of suede backed moleskin to the center of lens where it contacts bridge of nose.

this works pretty good. better than several fancy cycling glasses i've tried. replace the moleskin when it gets dirty.

double up the moleskin to get more clearance for air flow. these things will fog up at times (but i think they all will occasionaally).

dedhed

That's all I ever wear for everything, can't see a da*n thing without them. Prescription safety glasses with photogray glass lenses. Work pays for most of it. The last time I think I paid $15 for photogray and $20 for nicer frames than allowed free. I found I've been spoiled when I had to buy glasses for 2 of my children - almost $500. Of course they didn't like any of the cheap frames.

SoonerBent

Been wearing safety glasses on the bike for years. There are quite a few brands and dozens of styles. Many of which are very close styles of the high dollar glasses. Check out labsafety.com

SB

buzzman

I pick up cheap pairs of safety sunglasses- but not bad looking- at Home Depot or other hardware stores.

I love them 'cause I lose them all the time so I hate spending a lot on them. I've even had people mistake them for much higher priced glasses. I buy clear pairs for mountain biking in thick woods.

KrisPistofferson

I get them free at work, so I think you can guess what I wear when I ride.

oilfreeandhappy

I don't wear anything on my eyes. But I have a good bike lane all the way to work, so there's no problem with flying debris.

ivan_yulaev

I particularly like Zteks, they are abouit $4 a piece...https://www.abcsafetyglasses.com/pyra...k-glasses.html

They work fine. Any glasses I have tend to get scratched eventually anyway...

mechBgon

I've used American AllSafe "Cudas" for years. They're US$6-8 a pair and work fine. The dark lenses are very dark, good for driving or riding in very bright sunlight in the summer. But I use clear lenses most of the time.

ItsJustMe

I wear eyeglasses, but I have some safety glasses I wear over sometimes. I need to start wearing them more; in the winter I get road salt in my face sometimes, and in the summer I get bugs.
Buying designer sunglasses, especially designed/sold by cycling companies, has honestly never occurred to me any more than buying logo'd jerseys has. I'm not their tool.

Daily Commute

I broke down and bought an Oakley M-Frame with three lenses. I use the clear at night, amber in low-light conditions, and dark grey when it's sunny. I tried some safety glasses, but they fogged too easily. The M-Frames fight tightly around my eyes and are nicely vented. If they fog at all, it's gone within seconds of when I start moving. Plus, the higher quality lenses do make things clearer than he safety glasses I tried.

But safety glasses are so cheap you should try them first.

closetbiker

Gee, $7.29


vs. starts at $125



Let me think...

bbwolfy

I wear a pair of uvex with interchangable lenses. They are somewhat stylin, cheap and work. I cannot see paying big money for a pair that does pretty much the same thing,and can lose just,as easy. I still have the same pair and only out about $13.00. I love it when something cheap works for me.

catatonic

I just wear my regular old eyeglasses.

Once I get my eyes fixed, I might get a non-RX with UV-tint lenses. Not much tint either, just enough to make it less than utterly painful when a freshly waxed bright white car is near me.

buzzman

You get extra points to admitting to this purchase in this thread.

I do find the safety glasses fog up, particularly on mountain ascents of some duration when I can least afford to take a hand from the bars to wipe or remove them. I've ended up drilling vent holes in some pairs, which helped a bit.

seeker333

i think i'll try that. i had that thought many times but never got around too it. around here we freq. have humidity of 95%+ at night, so its just about impossible to keep any optic from fogging.

one reason i attach my safety glasses goggle-style with sewing elastic is so if/when they fog, i can pull them up and over my helmet visor, where they'll stay until i want them back on

today was nearly 90f high. bugs are now out. got one in each eye. time to don the safety glasses.

KrisPistofferson

Exactly.

Daily Commute

Thanks. Now I'll go for a couple more extra points. I found that safety glasses weren't quite as clear as the Oakleys. In normal conditions, that's no problem, but add a little moisture (rain or mist) and the expensive kind make a difference, at least for me.

Also, the Oakleys fit a lot better than the safety glasses I tried--they perfectly wrap around my face, so I don't get wind in my eyes. That's important when it gets cold. I can use them down to about 7-10F, when I switch to ski goggles.

As I said above, try safety glasses. They're so cheap that you should see if they work for you before buying anything more expensive. Buying quality sunglasses have improved my commute more than, say, an Ultegra drive train upgrade would have.

Edit: I should add that I sold my car before I bought my current bicycle. I ride to work. My fancy glasses probably cost far less than one of the rest of y'all's car payment, or a month's parking, gas and insurance.

HoosierBiker

Uvex Bandit is my choice. Cheap, very comfortable and look ok. I have one in clear and one with amber lenses.
https://www.grainger.com/Grainger/sea...atindx2=&xi=xi

here and there

I wear prescription glasses/sunglasses, but for most outdoors occasions I prefer my safety sunglasses as they are cheaper to replace than presciption sunglasses. The lenses are not very clear and this normally doesn't bother me too much, but for cycling it was very noticeable and the glasses didn't offer enough wind protection. This lead to eye fatigue and headaches (keep in mind my eyes are rather sensitive to light and wind). I ended up getting a pair of cycling glasses w/interchangeable lenses @ Performance and found them to be much more comfortable. Even for my eyes they are clear enough where I don't have to worry about prescription glasses and the wind in my eyes is no longer an issue.

dynaryder

Wait 'till you get a bug in your eye.

I wear a set of these:
https://www.essgoggles.com/ICE-Series..._6_detail.html

They work really well,fit good,and stopped a chunk of something that got flung up by a saltspreader this winter. Considering how hard it hit the lens,if I wouldn't have had the glasses I'd have been in a world of hurt. They also come with an anti-fog wipe that works better than anything else I've tried.

ken cummings

Best non-prescription eye protection I have found were some stylish plastic safety glases from Snap-On. Found on the road side, FREE. Most safety supply stores will let you try several pairs until one is comfortable and looks good. Then buy several. I was hit in the tounge once by a bee. Tounge swelled up. A hit in the eye would have been ghastly.