Road Cycling - Sunglass with Rx lens or contacts?

For those of use that wear glasses for distance, any comments on the sunglasses or eyewear with prescription inserts vs trying to use contact lens with sunglasses?

Sorry, I've never used prescription shades. I hate wearing my regular glasses for anything more than hanging around the house. My peripheral vision and depth perception aren't nearly as good as with contacts--so I just wear my contacts with regular sunglasses. Works well for me.

I use contacts and large sunglasses. They are blade style glasses. If I dont keep all the wind out of my eyes, my contacts dry out too badly.

I've got Bolle's with the Rx insert, and they work quite well for me. It's another layer of glass to clean, though, and occassionally an insect will get in between the inserts and the other lens.

I've never tried contacts because of the expense, but I guess if you consider changing the inserts with each Rx change it evens out. I haven't changed the insert prescription yet, as the old one is still good enough for riding.

Is it a major faux pas to ride with regular glasses on a bike? Whenever i do it i feel really dorky.

THe thing is it's impossible for me to wear contacts, i've tried before, i cna't get over touchign my eyeball. But i don't really want to get a pair of prescription sunglasses either cause i would ONLY wear them during cycling. I usually have no need to wear them.

Originally posted by phat bahsturd
Is it a major faux pas to ride with regular glasses on a bike? Whenever i do it i feel really dorky.



Who cares! Wear what you need to. It is super dorky to run into a tree because your so worried about your image you won't wear glasses. No one else cares about your glasses, if you're a cool (neat - whatever word you like) they will think it's just fine if not oh well.

Joe

:beer: :beer:

i wear contacts and am searching for a better pair of sunglasses because the ones i have the wind comes up from the bottm and drys out my eyes. Other than that contacts seem to be very nice for cycling.


-Ross

What I would do (if I had glasses/contacts...) would be to get a pair of Rx sunglasses. You need eye protection when riding. Sunglasses are great for that kinda thing and they serve for more than one purpose.

- eye protection
- shades
- now you can see

-Dan the Man-

Cycling was the reason I got contacts. Before I had them, I really didn't like the idea of them and sticking my finger into my eye. They offer the ability to wear whatever sunglasses you want and take them off for short periods of time if you wish. I find contacts offer the most versitile solution.

Yes...wearing glasses while cycling is dorky :)

I wear contacts and a have a pair of non prescription sunglasses...works perfectly although my eyes do dry up a bit on those windy days

If I could abide contacts, I'd welcome the relative simplicity of being able to buy any cycling glasses I liked.

But I can't, so I have to manage a relatively complex juggling act consisting of:

1. My regular glasses (metal-framed progressives, which I only wear on days when I don't ride);
2. My "riding day" glasses, which are progressives with plastic frames and croakies that I can ride in if it's dark out.
3. My cycling glasses, Performance Radials with an RX insert (distance only).
4. My prescription sunglasses, which I need with me if I plan to go out on the street in bright sunlight.

If contacts work for you, consider using them to avoid a mess like mine.

RichC

I wear glasses usually but, for most activities I wear contacts. Dealing with glasses outside and while biking or any other type of excersize, contacts are WAY BETTER. When I ride I wear wrap around style sunglasses. The Arnett's I have come with interchangeable lenses so I can change depending on conditions. The regular sungless "dark" lenses are polarized too! I think that is important.
http://www.sunglasshut.com/sghus.cfm?dir=templates&page=productpage&sitecategory=sunglasses&nproductid=151576

Unlike sports sunglasses, which are designed to be worn when you are sweating like a pig, most Rx glasses frames will corrode rather quickly (mostly the hinge bolts and pins). You're probably better off with contact lenses and decent, though not exhorbitantly-priced sunglasses. And if your eyes get dry... get eye drops...

Originally posted by peloton
Unlike sports sunglasses, which are designed to be worn when you are sweating like a pig, most Rx glasses frames will corrode rather quickly (mostly the hinge bolts and pins). You're probably better off with contact lenses and decent, though not exhorbitantly-priced sunglasses. And if your eyes get dry... get eye drops...

I sweat all the time. Put a drop of Kroil in the hinge pin of the glasses.

Ross

Jess gave me a pair of S&W sunglasses for fathers day. They do a good job of stopping the wind. How about your shooting glasses with dark lenses?

Joe

shooting glasses, never thought of that... thats a good idea. My current shooting glasses are the "shooting" glasses with one lense for my right and a light blockers for the left. I owuld need new ones for cycling. but thats a great idea, the shooting/metal shop "safety" glasses are cheap and some come with diffrent lenses.

-Ross

I have some prescription Revo sunglasses that I wear. They are sweeet.

zealoptics.com

I don't like to wear my normal glasses when riding because they don't provide enough sidewind protection so my eyes tear up. This isn't as big an issue if I'm on a very technical MTB trail as I'm moving slow enough but if I'm on my roadbike and moving at 20MPH or hammering along fast rolling or smoother singletrack, it does occur. I wear sunglasses that can take inserts... Rudy Project Kerosenes. I wear them with contacts when road biking because I'm able to. I wear them with the Rx inserts for MTB'ing because I'm unable to. Dirt/dust and contacts don't mix well. And like Spire, cycling was my primary reason for getting contacts. One thing about Rx inserts is that they do cause a slight bit of distortion because you're looking through two pieces of material seperated by a space. Of course some cycling sunglass designs actually imbed the Rx lens in.

When wearing contacts, I also carry the following things:

[1] contact case filled with solution

[2] small bottle of rewetting drops

[3] Rx inserts in a microfibre bag that was supplied with the sunglasses

[4] set of clear lenses

If I need to switch from contacts to inserts, I can do so easily and if I do and need to be able to see in low light conditions, I can switch out the darker lenses of my sunglasses for the clear ones and use them as normal glasses allowing me to leave my normal glasses at home.