General Cycling Discussion - $160 too expensive for sunglasses?

I had a look at some sunglasses in a bike shop the other day. I believe they were Specialized brand, some with the words Adaptalite on them. They're probably ripping me off, cause they had about 8 different Specialized sunglasses and they were all $160.

$160 is probably expensive for anything but what do you guys think?

Is that brand even good? If not what do you recommend? I'm looking for lenses that adjusts the light coming through.

a quick sanity check, I found these (http://www.rei.com/product/784138) at REI, photochromatic, $60.

but expensive sunglasses cost over $150, look at oakleys

without knowing the exact model you were looking at, its hard to determine if its over priced.

I personally don't pay over $100 for a pair of sunglasses except for prescription transitions.

Though I'm not familiar with that particular model, Specialized is absolutely a good brand. And from my research on shades (I'm on the market for some too) $160 is about right for them. They're obviously not selling them at cost, but with a reasonable profit margin, yeah, I'd say $160 is pretty normal for what you were looking at. I'd encourage you to look into pairs with interchangeable lenses so you can use them in different riding conditions. Though the price point you're at happens to be about mine as well, other folks will tell you to get some cheapos from the gas station. Different strokes for different folks. Buy what's going to make you happy. Your posting here suggests you're already doing this, but be sure and research a little so you know exactly what you're getting and why.

Happy Trails

$160 is WAY too much for a pair of shades unless they are prescription. Seriously, you can get polarized shatter proof glasses at any athletic store for about $20. and when you lose or break them you can go buy another pair. Seriously $160? I never understood people who pay those kind of prices for a pair of shades, rediculous.

$160 is WAY too much for a pair of shades unless they are prescription. Seriously, you can get polarized shatter proof glasses at any athletic store for about $20. and when you lose or break them you can go buy another pair. Seriously $160? I never understood people who pay those kind of prices for a pair of shades, rediculous.

I spend $1200 on a tripod for my camera...

$160 is WAY too much for a pair of shades unless they are prescription. Seriously, you can get polarized shatter proof glasses at any athletic store for about $20. and when you lose or break them you can go buy another pair. Seriously $160? I never understood people who pay those kind of prices for a pair of shades, rediculous.

If you drove over 100000 a year for a living you would change your mind on that. Or were a prof. pilot for that matter.
However not sure id want to spend that for a bike where one is getting grit and bugs etc. on them.

I personally wouldn't pay that for sunglasses, unless they were prescription lenses. However, I did pay about $135 for a kickstand.

I spend $1200 on a tripod for my camera...

Oooooooooooooooo must have three really awesome legs

Oooooooooooooooo must have three really awesome legs

They came pre-shaved.

I have a pair of Ray-Bans (non prescription) that cost me somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. Well worth it, they have served me well over the 7 years that I've had them. The finish on the lenses and frame is as new, they havent bent or distorted, etc. I have dropped them on hard surfaces and it didnt scratch my lenses. If they got lost/stolen tomorrow, I'd replace them with the same pair.

Now, that said, I'm cautious about using them while riding. If a rock hits them, the lenses arent shatter resistant, only scratch resistant. If they somehow fell off in the middle of a ride, who knows. I do wear them from time to time but prefer not to.

I have a pair of Ray-Bans (non prescription) that cost me somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. Well worth it, they have served me well over the 7 years that I've had them. The finish on the lenses and frame is as new, they havent bent or distorted, etc. I have dropped them on hard surfaces and it didnt scratch my lenses. If they got lost/stolen tomorrow, I'd replace them with the same pair.

Now, that said, I'm cautious about using them while riding. If a rock hits them, the lenses arent shatter resistant, only scratch resistant. If they somehow fell off in the middle of a ride, who knows. I do wear them from time to time but prefer not to.
OTOH, I have a pair of prescription glasses that I've had for 6 years that also still look new with no scratches despite being dropped many times. I wear them every day (basically whenever I want to be able to see things more than a couple feet away) and certainly on every bike ride. Cost was $8. I would also opt to replace them with the same make if they were lost.

I used to wear sunglasses when I wore contacts. What I found was that I never wore out a pair of sunglasses. I'd break them or lose them or something like that. Also, having tried on lots of sunglasses, I couldn't find that the better ones seemed any better than the cheap ones. So I wound up buying them at Kmart (in the olden days) then Walmart, and the last few pairs at Academy, all in the $5-$15 range.

As a rule of thumb, I found that the coolest designs were the worst fit. I must have an uncool face or something.

Anyway, I'd go buy cheap ones and use the extra $150 for something neater than sunglasses. But that's just me.

$160 isn't THAT bad, but if I was going to spend that much i'd get Oakley's.

^^^ Wow, prathmann- 8 bucks for prescription shades! Must have an awesome vision plan. I bought some prescription M-frames for over 300 bucks in Y2K. That's about 30 bucks per year so far, and I still use them. I broke the frame in 2002, Oakley had me send them in and gave me a replacement, no questions asked.

I spend $1200 on a tripod for my camera...

a sweet CF one?

I have a hard enough time justifying $16 for shades, much less $160. But then, I would need prescription inserts, or clip-ons (run between $10-$15), and I've found exactly NONE that I like... so i do without.

Yeah I'm clumsy and lose things often. A pair of $160 sunglasses, I just cannot justify. $15 now, that's more like it

I'm glad most everyone thinks that 160 bucks is too much for a pair of sunglasses. It was just a thought in my head than a serious consideration. Though the glasses I did see looked pretty swanky.

@cyclist2000: thanks for that rec, I'm strongly considering getting a pair of those.

I use Ray Bans, flying, driving, boating or cycling.

$160 is WAY too much for a pair of shades unless they are prescription. Seriously, you can get polarized shatter proof glasses at any athletic store for about $20. and when you lose or break them you can go buy another pair. Seriously $160? I never understood people who pay those kind of prices for a pair of shades, rediculous.

I've always heard the cheap sunglasses can damage eyesight either by allowing UV through, fading, lens imperfections, blurring, etc. I purchased Oakley's for around $140 i think, good quality.

If you'll notice the tags on the sunglasses, most (but not all) cheap sunglasses do block UV. Actually, that's not that hard to do; making products that transmit UV is harder than making products that block it. Fading, I never noticed, and unless you use the same pair for 5 years, I can't see that it would be an issue. Imperfections, blurring, couldn't really see any problems with those, either.

Non-prescription sunglasses use less than $2 of materials and coatings, no matter who makes them.
It's a scam involving fools and their money. The same factories that churn out the high-dollar ones also make $1 generics, often with the same materials and right out of the same molds.

Start shopping on the cheap end, buy whatever is comfortable and forget about the price tag.
If you find one you really like--buy a few at a time, use one until it gets scratched, and then toss it in the trash and grab a new pair.
~

OP if you really want to sort it out and find out if some are better, the optometrist is the one to ask. Ive done my research and have my answer. You ask what we each use, Serengetti's are what i wear for driving for a living for over 40 years, through hundreds of thousands of miles of blizzards, fog, rain and sun. My optometrist says if you have "cheap eyes wear cheap glasses". However some sunglasses are expensive only cause they have a designer name on them, so buyer beware. Do some research on the net. Its not hard to get the answers from those that know what they are talking about(Doctors).

I like the Tifosi's. I don't have, nor have I tried the polychomatic ones, (or whatever they are called). They are okay priced at around $50/pair. But the kind I get come with 4 lenses (clear, yellow, amber and dark) and a nice hardshell case. I get about a year or two on a pair, and I usually have several pairs on hand with different lenses so I don't have to change them out.

I don't think I would ever pay more than a $100 on a single pair for cycling.

just my 2¢
zac

^^^ Wow, prathmann- 8 bucks for prescription shades! Must have an awesome vision plan.
No vision plan, just a supplier with reasonable prices.

Try this (I do) Next time you are in a restaurant tell them you think you left a pair of sunglasses there a week or so ago. Usually they hand you a box of recovered glasses...pick one that fits!

a sweet CF one?

Yep :)

Go to your local CVS or Walgreen Pharmacy where they carry the "As Seen on TV" Products(sometimes they have these located in the Optical Dept. These Sunglasses are a wrap-a-round style and the come with a built in factory prescription ranging from 1.75 to 2.50(approx) They run around $10. I have two pair and they work fine for rides or other outdoor activities and have great peripheal protection.

I hope your Ray-Bans are not Wayfarers (blues brothers style)because they quit making that model.

What makes sunglasses bike specific, is there anything? Reason I asked is I thought about getting some but if I can use for more than just biking then thats easier on the budget. For example I see safety sunglasses at lowes and home depot so I could use them when maiing sawdust in the backyard and while biking instead of having a pair for each. Or buy a pair for shooting glasses and use for three things.

I lose glasses or break them so $160 is way too freaking much. I buy $50 Tifosi photochromatic transition shades - they work great, kind of like the ones that cyclist2000 linked to in the 2nd post. I owned Specialized sunglasses once (lost them...) and they'd structurally stronger than Tifosi but otherwise they work the same IMHO.

What makes sunglasses bike specific, is there anything? Reason I asked is I thought about getting some but if I can use for more than just biking then thats easier on the budget. For example I see safety sunglasses at lowes and home depot so I could use them when maiing sawdust in the backyard and while biking instead of having a pair for each. Or buy a pair for shooting glasses and use for three things.

As for bike specific:
1) I would say most important is the ability to not obstruct your forward view when you are in the drops. Having a good clear unobstructed field of view out of the top of the glasses.
2) The ability to stay up on the bridge of your nose without creeping down while you are sweating and/or riding. (see number 1)
3) Hydrophobic lenses or whatever they are called. Getting sweat or rain across the lens while going 20+ mph is no fun.
4) Having ear pieces that are comfortable, grip well and stay put. Whether you wear your glasses over your straps or under, some glasses dig in and they hurt after a while. Having to constantly readjust them is a pain in the ass too.
5) Lenses that don't distort your vision. I love the fact my Tifosi's are optically distortion free and very clear. I am sure that many other good sunglasses do the same thing too.

I'm sure there are other things that are relevant too, but those are the big ones for me.

Bleh! My budget doesn't support such spending when I can't manage to keep sunglasses around long enough to justify the cost.

If my one pair of $15 gas station polarized glasses makes it through the summer, I'm pretty happy. I use hardware store safety glasses for dark riding, which are equally replaceable if lost/broken.

My Tifosi Tyrant Photochromic Sunglasses arrived yesterday, and I got a chance to use them today. Was cloudy though and the sun didn't break through completely so I could test the glasses out effectively. I can say that visibility is great even in the shade. Got use to them real quick. When I first wore them the middle nose area was annoying me because I could see the black of the frame. After a few minutes of riding I couldn't notice it.
Thanks to cyclist2000 for the tip and the feedback on them by others, plus the tips on looking for a good cycling specific glasses.

Non-prescription sunglasses use less than $2 of materials and coatings, no matter who makes them.
It's a scam involving fools and their money. The same factories that churn out the high-dollar ones also make $1 generics, often with the same materials and right out of the same molds.

Start shopping on the cheap end, buy whatever is comfortable and forget about the price tag.
If you find one you really like--buy a few at a time, use one until it gets scratched, and then toss it in the trash and grab a new pair.
~

This isn't true at all. Quality sunglasses have both UV and UVB protection, while many cheap ones don't. Quality sunglasses have tapered lenses so they don't distort your vision, cheap ones don't. The optical quality and clarity on good sunglasses is light years better than cheap ones. Sunglasses are as important to eye health as sunscreen is to skin health, they are not a place to go cheap.

$160 is not enough. $200 is the minimum I'll pay for sunglasses. Any less and I don't feel rich and elite.

If you have any buddies in law enforcement, they can get you Oakleys for $60-$80.

Haha $160 for glasses? Why? I got a pair with 4 lenses for ~$40. What more do you get for the extra $120? Laser cannons? Don't those mp3 player glasses cost less than this? Get a reasonably priced pair and a new pair of shorts or something.