General Cycling Discussion - Other Brands Besides Oakleys's

In my search for a good pair of sunglasses, I figured out that I would rather not spend between $105-$200 for a pair of Oakley M-frame sunglasses. What other brands should I be looking at for a pair of good quality, good looking sunglasses with a lower price than $105 but have the same look/design as the Oakley M-frames?

www.campmor.com has some great deals on Bolle,Smith and a few others

I have been happy with my Rudy Project glasses(Graal), and I know they have some lower-priced models. I am not familiar with the price of the glasses resmbling the M-frames if you really want that style, though, but I think its worth a look.

www.rudyproject.com

Hey....I have a pair of rudy project kerosene glasses that I will sell. They have white frames and smoke black lenses. $70. I have worn these a few times playing tennis, but I won them at a bike race last year and havent worn tham hardly at all. They are in pretty new condition....and they come in a hard plastic case.

Retail for $110.

For "Phreds" with very strong corrective prescriptions (I take -7.5 for both eyes), I recommend the Easy-Clip system of magnetic clip-on shades.

I will check out campmor and rudyproject. Thanks for the advice;)

You might also want to look at Ryders Eyewear (http://www.ryderseyewear.com/). I have a pair of Ryders with three sets of interchangeable lenses [dark, orange and clear] that cost me $55 Canadian [that's US$35.98]. They're not as sturdy as Oakleys, to be sure, but the optics are quite good, with very little distortion, and the fit is excellent. The lenses are polycarbonate and do get scratches, but so do Oakleys... and at this price I can just keep buying replacement lenses.

I have owned nothing but Smith sunglasses for like 10 years. I like them.

Cheap sun glasses, that's what we all need. They need to give us good UV protection, protect us from small flying objects and be very stylish, and most of all be cheap enough so that we don't feel too bad about ridin off without them after a flat fix on the side of the road. I purchase Smith and Wesson safety sport shades for $5.00 a pair, they come in grey, brown, yellow and clear and can be purchased at any industrial supply house. They look exactly like smith glasses, are light weight and allow good ventilation. Check them out, they are a bang for your pennies not your bucks.

Roadrager, I wear a pair of glasses made by Killer Loop, the website is [url]www.killerloop.com

Swank! I will check all of these glasses out! Thanks

Just bought a pair of Native Dash SS glasses. The grey lense is polarized and comes with a yellow and brown lense as well. Changing the lenses is simple and the frames are very light. I liked the SS (Square Shape) lense over the round lense (just "Dash"). Oh yeah, Lifetime Warranty!!!

L8R

Can anyone reccomend an RX friendly pair of sunglasses? I'm thinking about the Rudy Project Kerosene, but i have been told the RX insert is not a good fit.

Contact lenses. Two layers of lenses [RX and sunglasses] is just asking for trouble.

I wear prescription bi focals (yes its an age thing) and just bought a pair of sunglasses at lenscrafters that work well. They are polarized and work in all light levels. I tried the magnetic clip ons and did not like them falling off on rough roads. There are many different models of sunglasses that will work and I am told you can get oakleys in prescription without the inserts but ouch the price! I am afraid I go with function over style at this stage in my life.:rolleyes:

What is the advantage of spending $100+ on sunglasses? What is it about these glasses that justify the cost?

I vote for Campmore as well.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/CategoryDisplay?cgrfnbr=48189&cgmenbr=226

Four things I look for in sunglasses...
a) Clarity of the lenses
b) UV all rating
c) polarized
d) as little as possible on the sides of the sunglasses to block your view. When racing or riding in traffic, you really count on your peripheral vision.

Originally posted by velocipedio
Contact lenses. Two layers of lenses [RX and sunglasses] is just asking for trouble.

I didnt even think of that.

Anyone who has worn a pair of Oakleys with the Gold Iridium lens knows what the difference is between $100 pair of sunglasses and all the others. The M Frames are my favorite for biking and I will never wear any other.

I like the M-frames too. Their look and the quality of their lenses is really good. But $100+ is just too damn expensive.

I would like to find sunglasses which look like the M-frames and have the same optical quality, but with a cheaper price tag. Know of any?

If you get a chance to go to an actual Oakley store, they show you the reason these cost more than $100. They have a laser machine that you mount your sunglasses on. They point the beam thru the lenses and onto a wall. This shows the distortion and refraction (?right word?) of the image coming thru the lens. This is to show how much stress is put onto your eyes to correct for this distortion. The cheaper the sunglasses, the more the refraction. Ideally, both laser beams should be directed onto each other at 25 yards. Yet, the cheapies are all over the wall, as much as 6 feet! This is where the stresses and headaches come from. The Oakleys are all tested before they leave the factory and are all dead-on.

Another rumor that I heard which contributes to the Oakley price tag is that 50 cents of every dollar of retail sales goes to the Oakley attorneys which are there to prevent others from coming in to the market as well as preventing others to copy Oakleys patented processes. This would mean that theoretically, without lawsuits in this country, the M-frames would only cost $75 vs $150. Also, don;t they sponsor a Funny Car and other Pro Athletes. Heck, without these, this might drive the cost down another 50% to $40 for a pair of Pro Mframes. There is your quality pair of sunglasses under $100 !!!

Also, you might want to check ebay - for your convenience, I have copied the link for you - http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&ebaytag1code=0&query=oakley

The M-frames are my favorites as well, I like the Black Iridium frame. None of the polarized are that dark, nor that large of a lens. I do like the theory of polarized though.

Oaklies are WAAAY to damn expensive for me. Yes, maybe they do have high quality or specialized polar lens or whatever, but I cannot bring myself to pay $250 CDN for just a pair of shades. Maybe I'm just not bought by brand names so easily.

I mean it's just shades for a the love of God! If it had some space age technology that somehow enchances my riding vision then maybe, but they are just shades to keep harmful rays and wind out so that I can ride safely.

I wear the brand Velo reommended, Ryders http://www.ryderseyewear.com.au/index2.cfm

they have a reasonable price and they do the job well.

Amir,
Please check out EBAY, you can usually get Oakleys in great condition for 50% off retail. I went to your ryderseyewear website but couldn't find any pricing or ordering info. Its hard to compare prices if there are none.
SB

I too thought that $100 for pair of sunglasses was rediculous until I was out riding one day and stopped in a sunglass shop where the salesperson let me where the Oakleys outside on a test ride. That was it for me. The difference in clarity was enough for me. I had seen and worn lens that had similar characteristics, but those were by Revo and Serenghti, both made of glass and much, much heavier.

Sure the materials may not be that of a $100. Maybe $100 is too much, but demand shows what is best, check out Ebay you will see many of the bids get very close to the retail prices. That alone shows their value and what people think of them.

Ebay is a good place to get them for less. Just be careful on EBAY, there are many fakes. I see them sold on every corner in NYC where I work for $5.00. Most real ones come with the clens cleaning bag. Check the sellers feedback too.

I am not arguing with those who will not spend $100 for sunglasses, but for the time being until I see a cheaper pair of sunglasses with the same definition I will spend less on my shoes, shorts and other cycling accessories to be sure I have my Oakley's to where.

Do me a favor, on a bright sunny day go to a shop compare the a pair of Oakley's with gold irdium lenses. While looking into the bright sky and groupings of trees, then compare that to all the cheaper sunglasses recommend hear. If I see a majority favoring one of the cheaper pairs, I will buy them.

I haven't worn Oaklies, but...

I used to wear Rayban's. I dunno about Rayban Vs. Oaklie, but Rayban is classic and has been around for a long time.

I can tell you the diff was not so much to recommend paying the price for a Rayban, which is I think not that much cheaper than Oaklies.

I wear a pair of oakley twenties witht the gold iridium lens and I have worn Ryders and i own a pair of raybans aswell that i wear sometimes when sailing but i am yet to find a pair of sunglasses withthe quality and clarity and UV protection of oakleys and i figure i want to use my eyes for a long time so ill treat them just this once to a nice pair of covers.

AMEN... I love the fact that I don't have to obsess about scratching my lenses, bending the frame, losing them, etc etc. I dunno, I for one don't mind the .000001 mph slower I go with my cheapo classes ;)


Originally posted by mrfix
Cheap sun glasses, that's what we all need. They need to give us good UV protection, protect us from small flying objects and be very stylish, and most of all be cheap enough so that we don't feel too bad about ridin off without them after a flat fix on the side of the road. I purchase Smith and Wesson safety sport shades for $5.00 a pair, they come in grey, brown, yellow and clear and can be purchased at any industrial supply house. They look exactly like smith glasses, are light weight and allow good ventilation. Check them out, they are a bang for your pennies not your bucks.

I have been using American Optical for a very very long time now, and it not that sporty looking but its good and very functional....

Hi all...first time back online in a month after frying both my motherboard AND my hard drive ---BUT MY BIKE IS OK SO I AM STILL SANE. :D

I have worn Rudy Project RPJ's for close to five years and the same thing has happened three times...good glasses overall, but the frames give out in the exact spot where they flex when you change lenses. Performance Cycle has been great as usual in replacements until now...they are discontinuing the style. (Sick of replacing them?) So here's my deal for anyone interested: if you have the RPJ and want replacement lenses I can set you up with four sets including clear, black and yellow. OR if you have the RPJ frames lying around and want to get rid of them I would be interested. I think I saw them in Nashbar, but I just got a pair of Bolles and am trying them out.

I'm with velocipdeo and the ryders with the interchangeable lenses. Dark for out in the glare, amber for in the woods where its not so bright and clear for when its not bright at all. they rock.

i have always like the m frames but i bought rudy project Tayo...
the fit and lenses are perfect for my head(small) and i currently have 3 lenses to change. The vents are especially handy when you have long eyelashes ;)

I just got a pair of Bolles and am trying them out
I have 2 pair of Bolles, one I wear almost exclusively for riding
(najas) and a polarized pair I bought for diving related activities.
I really like em, and they don't fail (and lenses are interchangeable, albeit a little difficult). I've seen the najas on sale at campmor for something like $20.
oh yeah, welcome back.
Marty