Digital Displays and no Bifocals
 

I am a bifocal wearer that currently does not have prescription sun glasses and was wondering if youall have any advice on reading the digital displays on bicycle computers. :backpedal:

Without glasses, I can barely tell time on my watch. Far vision is good enough to not require glasses to drive. I've recently been wearing cheap bifocal safety glasses (tinted for day and clear for night) from http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/safreadglas.html. (My prescription progressive addition glasses are lousy for bicycling.)

Several years ago I cheaped out and got a pair of non-bifocal sunglasses. You never realize how often you check your bike computer or try to refer to a map while you're driving until you can't focus on the things. I wear bifocals all the time now - even my cycling sun glasses.

I use Optx 20/20 reading lenses (www.neoptx.com). They stick to the inside of your existing lenses, and work like a charm. 10 bucks a pair at Wallgreens.

SP

Thanks for the tip. I can read most of the info on my Cateye Astral 8 (if I am riding in the sunlight), but, have a bad time with the ride maps!

Ride with a mate and ask him how many miles you have done.

I find that polarized sunglasses are also a hindrance to reading LCD displays - so having bi/multifocals may not help.

Thanks bobbycorno will try the stick on ones. If they do not work it is only $10.

1. I have to wonder how many bifocal wearers could get along fine without them. Since losing her (expensive) bifocals on an outing recently, Mrs. CW has been getting along just fine by using, as I do, a pair of cheap 'magnifying' reading glasses purchased at a budget chainstore. I hadn't been aware that her 'far vision' is perfectly fine, just as mine is. Damned if I can see the sense, actually, in spending a lot of money on prescription glasses if all they're gonna be is clear glass at the top and a magnifier at the bottom. I sorta think it's a bit deceitful and dishonest for the Optometrist to be prescribing those without clarifying that that's all they do - reinforce your 'laziness' about grabbing a pair of reading glasses from your pocket when you want to read something!

2. I use a quite simple and inexpensive cycle 'pooter. It's a 'wired' one which provides odometer, trip meter, trip time, average speed etc. Actual speeds and distances are large character display, and when riding I can't read the small text underneath. (Don't need to though.) Like all LCD displays it's unreadable when the sun is reflecting off it, so I shade the thing with my hand when I'm affected that way. Most of the time, though, it's fine.

I wear progressive lenses off the bike but my cycling sunglasses are single vision set at my distance prescription. I have no problem reading the display on my Cateye computer. Unlike Catweazle, I can't see for s#^& without my glasses. I can read without them.

You and your wife are so fortunate!

Several choices as mentioned.
Clip-ons another idea.
Puter with larger numbers.
Ride a tandem and stoker gets computer.

I also wear bifocals but have the progressive lenses - I work with computers so the top is for distance, the middle for computer/desk work, the bottom for reading. They are a little more expensive than regular glasses, but they fit my lifestyle better so they're worth a few extra bucks. We just started biking, but I have had no trouble reading the bike computer with these. I also have contacts just for distance (and vanity:) ) and I just use reading glasses from the dollar store when I wear those. I haven't used my contacts while biking as they tend to really dry my eyes if it's even a little windy.

I am the exact opposite.
My progressive glasses are fine off the bike - but I find I am usually looking OVER the top when riding my road bike.

I ONLY wear my contacts while biking- my eyes get too dry if I wear them indoors. I can read the bike computer okay with contacts but I can't read maps (or menus- if I stop for lunch.)

I got some $7 Wal-Mart stick-on bifocal lenses for my $5 sunglasses and they are marvelous! Now I can read everything on the bike computer! I even think I can now change a flat without bringing along another pair of glasses.

+1

Lots of choices, great service.

As far as prescription glasses go, I wear them all the time, mostly for the multiple levels of bifocals (trifocals). Also have a very slight astigmatism that doesn't really affect distance vision, but the 'scrip glasses definitely sharpen things up.

Mr Catweazle sir, you are entitled to your opinion, but drug store reading glasses just don't cut it if you do lots of close work.

Hi MrPhil. I wasn't trying or seeking to force an opinion on anyone with that comment above. I was only reflecting upon the scenario in relation to those people for whom 'drugstore reading glasses' DO cut it.

People like me, who has now handled several years of professional writing as well as all the other fine, fiddly and tiny tasks that daily life throws up, using only cheapie reading glasses. People like Mrs. CW too, who can get by just as well as I can. As Dnvr said above, we're lucky!

I've used the stick-ons this year, and they've worked out great. Now I can actually read the cue sheets they hand out on organized century rides :)

Curious. I have avoided bifocals in favor of separate reading glasses because both are just magnification and the reading glasses give a bigger field of view. So how are bifocals better than reading glasses?

The reference was to drug store reading glasses, not reading glasses made to a prescription from an optometrist. Bifocals let you do things like read the TV Guide and watch the TV without fumbling around switching glasses...

I wear bifocals for most purposes, including reading...the small field of view is no problem, except when I'm using my computer. Then, the near vision portion of the bifocal is in the wrong place, and I have to crane my neck to read the monitor. The problem is not magnification but rather focus...both my eyes have had their lenses removed and replaced with plastic implants, and no longer are capable of changing focus. So, for computer use, I had special computer glasses made, with the full lens set to focus at the distance of the monitor. They prevent a literal pain in the neck.