trekmogul 

Been riding the last 5 summers thinking you dont need sunglasses, but thought i would give it a whirl and wow I fell in love with them. I notice even the bugs dont get in your eyes. Bought me a pair of Oakly Radarlock Path Glasses and just love them. Robot Check

metalheart44

NIce looking glasses!

OldsCOOL

Nice shades! This is my first year with sunglasses, as well. Last year I took a pebble underneath my left eye. That's when it became obvious of other function....goggles.

JohnDThompson 

I just use polarized clip-ons on my bifocals.

h2oxtc

I can't imagine riding without glasses, sun or not. I recently bought a pair of glasses that are clear when it's overcast and get darker in the sun. They're great for most days.

Oceanblue

Ray Bans Sport here. Wear them every time I ride. Sweat getting my eyes has been an issue.

trekmogul 

Well after i already bought the red and black ones, i just also fell in love with these and got me a pair of these also.. Amazon.com: Oakley Mens Racing Jacket OO9171-12 Polarized Oval Sunglasses,Polished Black Frame/Black Iridium Polarized Lens,one size: Clothing

RonH

I thought everyone knew about the benefits of wearing sunglasses, on and off the bike. On the bike they keep bugs, dust, wind, etc out of the eyes. On and off the bike they help save the eyes from cataracts. Ask your eye doctor.

FrenchFit 

Bunk with respect to cataracts. I'll bet it's the other way around, and it seems the science is coming to that conclusion. My personal observation is your eyes work better if you regularly expose yourself to bright sun, without dark lenses. I agree about the goggle protection, and it certainly is more relaxing to wear a high quality, polarized pair.

Rootman

I am all for protecting your eyes, either by sunglasses or clear ones. Sunglasses also protect from blinding glare, nothing like heading into the sunset and being blinded. I've had too many bugs and other stuff hit my glasses to take a chance without them. Once I had something hit my glasses that even cracked a lens, it hit so hard it sounded like a gunshot going off. I nearly lost control after that and had to finish with my clear safety glasses for the rest of the ride.

To the OP, I usually buy my sunglasses at gas stations, last pair I got was $6 at a hardware store. Good for you if you can afford them but geez, $300 for sunglasses? I know, I know, I'm cheap

Terex

That's interesting. Would you please post some references?

jon c. 

I'm finding as I age that I need sunglasses less and less. I have trouble finding lenses that don't seem to block too much light. When I do wear them, I wear cheapo blueblockers as they don't seem as dark as most.

John_V 

Love my Tifosi's with photo chromatic lens. Same glasses for day or night without changing the lens.

Dellphinus

Only thing I could find that even remotely suggested it's undecided. Found nothing that said it hurts to wear sunglasses.

Does Wearing Sunglasses Reduce the Risk of Cataracts? Here's What Research Tells Us: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts

ol geezer

I have this and love it. No more sweat running into my eyes and stinging:

Halo II Headband: Athletic Sweatbands for Men & Women

A little pricey but worth every penny.

Cychologist

A good pair of cycling specific sunglasses not only protects you from sun, wind, and bugs, but also you won't be bothered any more by sweat than without. I have a stigmatism and therefore wear prescription Oakleys, a bit pricy but my eyes are worth it.

FrenchFit 

There are other opinions beside institutionalized US channels, which are very pro sunglasses industry; the world health organization papers suggest smoking, hereditary, mal-nutrition, diabetes, obesity, geo location are the likely causes of cataracts. Good sunglasses use might result in delayed onset, I guess I could agree with that - but others say darkened lenses open up the pupil, "dilate", and unless the sunglasses are highly UVA/B protective. like 99%, you get a bigger UV dose than you would without them. Common sense. Polarized, for example, does little protective but reduce glare.

For fun, look up your favorite sunglasses on the manufactures site and look if they are promising 100% UV blocking, or absorption up to 400nm. What they promise is 100% "glare protection" and some degree of UV blocking, but hide the soap on the actual UV protection. Oakley Plutonite lens being an exception, retailing about $240 depending on the frame.

Newt Reno

Spent 4 summers and 3 winters on Ice and Started using these: Wiley X XL-1 Advanced Light Adjusting Motorcycle Sunglasses sourced through my home eye doc........been using them since back in the states for everything else; they keep the wind and everything else out of my eyes.

Prescription of course, otherwise I'd use a diving mask with tint.

BlazingPedals

Oakley makes nice sunglasses. I had a pair stolen from out of my helmet a couple years ago on BRAT. But $300? I'll pass. I got my latest pair at MC Sporting Goods for $20. The optics are great, the tint is just right, and I got to choose my frame color. The temples are not as stiff, and they probably won't last as long; but I can buy 15 pairs for what the Oakleys cost.

reverborama

While I did it as a kid, as an adult I can't bring myself to ride without eye protection. I wear sunglasses during the day and clear safety glasses at night. There are too many bugs out there.

roadandmountain

Stop talking out of your behind.

roadandmountain

The prices people are willing to pay for plastic frames and lenses is insane.

I have maybe 10 pairs of sunglasses and probably paid around $250 for all of them combined. Several of those pair are multi-lens: clear, grey, brown and rose.

They fit well, work perfectly, and are very stylish. I get compliments all the time.

leob1

This happened to one of my friends, down hill at 40 mph, big juicy bug, SPLAT!
Always ride with eye protection.

Shimagnolo

That has happened to me;
Hauling down my favorite long 9% grade ~45mph, when suddenly "CRACK!" and everything went blurry in the left eye.
Arrived at the bottom of the hill to find bug guts spread all over the lens.

Bikey Mikey

I have to wear glasses, progressives, so I just use clip-on sunglasses. But, even if I didn't have to wear glasses, I'd wear sunglasses since I have light-colored eyes, blue, and I can be sensitive to bright light.