Road Cycling - Prescription cycling sunglasses?

Does anybody here use prescription cycling sunglasses? If so, what brand/make/model are you using? I'm thinking about getting a pair, since my prescription hasn't changed much over the last two years.

I have Bolle Vigilante wraps with a prescription insert behind the interchngeable lenses. That way, when my prescription does change, I can keep the same glasses and just change the Rx part.

I'm using Rudy Project Kerosene with prescription inserts. If you do a forum search for "prescription sunglasses" you should find a few threads about them.

A timely topic for me, as well, since I'm considering a pair. I'm very nearsighted (read "thick lenses"). Any suggestions or advice based on your experience? Buyer suggestions... things you looked for, or should have looked for?

How heavy are they? Do they fog up easily? Is rain and mist a problem, like getting in between lenses and adapters?

Thanks in advance...

I got a pair of Radial II Rx glasses/inserts from Performance this spring and am satisfied with them. Good vision and 3 lense options for about $100 seemed pretty cheap. They are a slightly heavier but I did not opt for a lighter insert version they offer. I haven't been exposed to rain or a real hot day yet but they don't fog in cold weather. The insert does ride close to the eye though and eye lashes come pretty close and may occasionally touch the lense.

I got a pair of Oakley ''Ophthalmic 02 Frame'' and got presciption lens with an orange tint fitted. May not be as cool as some weird looking sprinter glasss but sure does the job .. I just can't stand inserts ..

I just ponied up for a pair of Rudy Project Rydons (fit my face the best), I looked at
all of the major players mentioned above and found the following:
Bolles have some QA issues (at least rogue) with nose pads having problems
(I think Cyclezealot mentions this in another thread). I like Bolles, have 2 pair of
regular sunglasses that I use while on boats etc. (good polarized lenses).
I like the style of the Oakley's but didn't like the custom lense option. I wanted
glass that I could change lenses and not have to have custom ground lenses
for each. I've also read that Oakley can have a problem with sweat/water not
rinsing off lens easily. I think the Rudy Hydrophobic lense helps when you
rinse sweat etc. off the lense.
The Rudy site states that for most of their inserts there is a +-4 diopter limit.
If you need more they do have a few pair that can handle +-12 diopter, but the
models are limited.

Marty

A timely topic for me, as well, since I'm considering a pair. I'm very nearsighted (read "thick lenses"). Any suggestions or advice based on your experience? Buyer suggestions... things you looked for, or should have looked for?

How heavy are they? Do they fog up easily? Is rain and mist a problem, like getting in between lenses and adapters?

Things I looked for:


Fit - An adjustable nosepiece turned out to be a must. This was the main reason I struck Oakleys off my list despite them being fine sunglasses. They just did not sit right on my face and without an adjustable nosepiece there was no way to get them to fit properly. Adjustable temples are also a must.

Wraparound/Sidewind Protection - I really needed to be able to shield my eyes from the sidewinds because when moving at speeds in excess of 15MPH, normal sunglasses with the open sides would bleed too much wind in and cause my eyes to water. Also, I was planning on wearing my contacts while road riding so the wind would cause them to dry out. However, some amount of bleed air needs to come through... hopefully not directed at the eyes. I looked for wraps with some amount of venting. It's even better to get ones that allow you to adjust/control the venting.

Rx Capability - I wanted multiuse sunglasses that I could use with or without prescription. For this I needed ones that would accept an insert and/or accept interchangable lenses. Oakley has a process whereby they can embed the prescription lens right into the wrap... very slick but very costly too. I think the wraps are interchangable so you could swap them out for normal wraps without the prescription. I decided not to go that route for financial reasons. Since I also wanted to have a multitude of lens colours to accomodate different lighting conditions (clear or yellow for night/dark and grey for daylight), and wanted to mix and match when I wore prescription lenses vs. contacts, I would have to end up buying at least two prescription lenses which was just cost prohibitive. I instead opted for Rx inserts. These are little miniature glasses without a nosepiece of temples. They hold clear prescription lens and clip into the frame behind the main wraps/lens... usually at the nosepiece. When I am roadbiking, I will wear my contacts and also carry my prescription inserts along with my spare lenses (clear if I'm wearing the greys or vice versa) and a contact case with a small bottle of rewetting drops. When I'm mountain biking, I will use the prescription inserts fulltime and just carry spare lenses for different lighting conditions.

The biggest problems I've had with them are fogging (vents help quite a bit and are essential if you go this route) and stuff getting in between the insert and the wrap (sweat, bugs, etc...). Something that does help against fogging is anti-fog treatment from RainX (look for the interior window treatment). You can also use the old diver's trick and wipe saliva on them. If the day is wet and rainy then you probably won't have much luck.

Another problem you will find is a little bit of distortion. This is caused by having so many optical surfaces behind one another in an untuned fashion. If you wear them for a couple of hours before riding, your eyes will get used to it and compensate. Depending on the strength and design of the the inserts, you may get a little or a lot of distortion. My inserts are in wire frame and I was able to adjust out the distortion for the most part by bending the frame so that my angles of incidence were fairly well matched. You'll have to play with that.

Durability - This is cycling... your glasses will need to take a deal of punishment including protecting your eyes against rocks, bugs and branches as well as being able to withstand sweat. Choose ones that have been tested under a variety of harsh conditions and can survive a bit of impact.

Crash Replacement - It sucks to snap a pair of expensive sunglasses so look for ones where the frames are relatively cheap or a have generous crash replacement policy. Some manufacturers also offer a seperate lens replacement policy to cover just scratches.

I've been saving for a pair of these Rudy Project RB3's.
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/images/products/full/rdyrb3_insert_cp.jpg Thanks Colorado Cyclist for the image.

I am blind enough that if I took my glasses off while riding a bike, I wouldn't be able to tell the road from the shoulder, yet alone follow single track. When I'm riding in and out of dark areas, I need to be able to take the sunglasses off quickly. With these, you can just flip up the shaded lens and you've still got your prescription available.

What I use now is dark safety glasses over my regular prescription glasses. Looks nerdy, but it works.

My s/o just got a pair almost like those ones that you posted a pic of (or they may infact be those exactly) He was torn between those and Oakleys, but ultimatly the deciding factor was those, b/c the Oakleys were unable to make a pair of prescription glasses with his high Rx. (+4.00 to -4.00 diaopter only)

My s/o just got a pair almost like those ones that you posted a pic of (or they may infact be those exactly) He was torn between those and Oakleys, but ultimatly the deciding factor was those, b/c the Oakleys were unable to make a pair of prescription glasses with his high Rx. (+4.00 to -4.00 diaopter only)

Jeeze, I think my Rx is a 9-something. . .I am extremely nearsighted.

And Oakley couldn't handle a 4 range? I guess by their measure, people with higher corrections aren't supposed to ride bikes! Sheesh!

I've been saving for a pair of these Rudy Project RB3's.
Thanks Colorado Cyclist for the image.

I am blind enough that if I took my glasses off while riding a bike, I wouldn't be able to tell the road from the shoulder, yet alone follow single track. When I'm riding in and out of dark areas, I need to be able to take the sunglasses off quickly. With these, you can just flip up the shaded lens and you've still got your prescription available.

What I use now is dark safety glasses over my regular prescription glasses. Looks nerdy, but it works.


i have these, awesome glasses!
btw my Rx is -6.25/-5.00

I also use the Bolle Vigilantes. I don't ride in the rain very often so can't answer that question. You get 3 sweat covered surfaces instead of 1, but they snap aparteasily to clean. No quality problems so far with mine.

Larry

I got spoiled a few years ago with a present of Maui Jim's in the Big Kahuna. They now have a smaller version called the Duke. Never had any troubles. I don't have a strong prescription. But be warned it's hard to go back to "just any" sunglasses. I did try a few pairs of Smith's recently (6mos) can't remember the models, but the seemed to made with active sports in mind. And they had a great selection of lens colors.

Does anybody here use prescription cycling sunglasses? If so, what brand/make/model are you using? I'm thinking about getting a pair, since my prescription hasn't changed much over the last two years.
Oakley's w/prescription inserts work real well.

Got my RP Ryndon's a couple days ago..The optics they are awesome..Do not regret my purchase...Clarity is incredible..
ONe thing about going on line and ordering them..Study the different lense descriptions carefully.. The details could be somewhat more descriptive of your choices.I bought the blue frames with the 'blue velvet ' lenses with a yellow replacement lense.Pretty sure I am happy with my choice..I like its effect upon the landscape..
Should you want the mirrored effect you need to purchase the 'laser' hued lenses.

Does anybody here use prescription cycling sunglasses? If so, what brand/make/model are you using? I'm thinking about getting a pair, since my prescription hasn't changed much over the last two years.

Thanks for all the responses. Following the recommendations of a few of the posts, I went with the Rudy Project Precision Golf sunglasses. They are just like the RB3s but come with dark gray and racing red lenses, and the prescription lens insert was included. I'm waiting for my insert to come back from the lab, should be here early next week :rolleyes:

Thanks for all the responses.
Ditto. Especially Khuon for the detailed reponse!

My question is, what about and old guy like me that wears bifocals? There doesn't seem to be much that can be done for me. I currently wear Sunlites, which are my regular glasses with the magnetic clip ons. They do not provide any type of side coverage.

The Rx insert for the Bolle glasses should take any lens your optical shop can make. It looks like a pair of full frame plastic glasses without temples or a nosepieces.

My question is, what about and old guy like me that wears bifocals? There doesn't seem to be much that can be done for me. I currently wear Sunlites, which are my regular glasses with the magnetic clip ons. They do not provide any type of side coverage.
Jim at In-spex.com fit me with a progression lens bifocal in a Rudy Ekynox SX, prescription direct in frame. Its working out nicely. So long as your prescription is within the tolerance to be direct in frame, they can make it work.

qc3, thank you for the tip. I will check that out.

My question is, what about and old guy like me that wears bifocals? There doesn't seem to be much that can be done for me. I currently wear Sunlites, which are my regular glasses with the magnetic clip ons. They do not provide any type of side coverage.

I wear Bolle Vigilantes with a prescription insert, too, and I decided to control costs by having the insert made with a single-vision prescription. I don't generally do too much reading when I'm riding. If you're using in-frame lenses, a single-vision prescription might work ok.

I'm doing same as Prosody, I can read my puter without the bifocals
so I went with single Rx inserts.

Marty