itsonlysmellz

Ive had my share of dust flying in to my eye while riding on the road, so I am planning on purchasing some cycling glasses tomorrow. I am going to go to a local department store such as Wal-Mart (I dont plan on spending much money, $20 max). Any specific styles of glasses I should keep an eye out for (and styles I should not?).

Thanks

swifty3565

I have been wearing these RIVBOS 805 POLARIZED Sports Sunglasses with 5 Set Interchangeable Lenses for Cycling for about 2 months. Come with multiple lens, carry case etc. Fit great and so far a great deal for $19.95.

Canker

Just bought pair from the gun section of Walmart last month for $9. Just make sure that they are safety glasses of some kind.

Norrick

3M makes some really basic tinted goggles for shop work. They are anti-fog, very lightweight, comfortable, and block the wind nicely. They scratch a bit easily but I just buy them a couple at a time every 6 months.

San Pedro

I have some like this, I think they're all made at the same factory, and I like them well enough, especially for the money.

floridamtb

Personal question.. how old are you? If you're like me and at "that age" when you need reading glasses to see your Garmin clearly, Tifosi has a great pair of cycling glasses with a small "reader" strip in the bottom. They're about $50 at LBS. If you're not at "that age" then good for you, remember this post when you get to "that age"

gsa103

Shooting or basic (clear or tinted) safety glasses work fine for general use.

kc0bbq

If you can find something cycling specific that's a bit better of a choice since they're designed to sit closer to your face. If I get over 35mph with something that isn't cycling specific the wind getting around them causes my eyes to tear up and I can't see well, which is pretty scary on a descent.

Pretty much any lens will be UV-resistant enough for that kind of protection.

For an all-purpose lens, clear, yellow-brown, or orange-brown tints are good - clear especially if you ride at night at all. I prefer an orange-brown tint such as persimmon for myself, it's good from dawn to dusk and really does a good job of sharpening up details.

If speed/weather is not an issue for you, anything impact resistant is enough until it rains heavily, you're riding through clouds of blackflies, or the cottonwoods are filling the air with their fluff. Too much space and that kind of stuff tends to get pulled in behind the lenses. You're also potentially going to have more issues with the lenses fogging in some cases where better coatings keep it at bay a bit better. At the extreme edges nothing will prevent this, and if you don't expose yourself to these situations it's a moot point.

A lot of it hinges on the type of riding you're doing.

Cycling-specific sunglasses just don't work well for when you're not cycling. Without the air movement having them that close to your face isn't particularly comfortable, even with expensive frames and lenses.

Marcus_Ti

Holmes has some good safety rates sunglasses for only like $10USD at Home Depot. Even if you have a largish face they keep stuff out and don't tend to fog that badly.

MikeyBoyAz

Another safety glasses vote here. I use the free pair of safety glasses [came with the brad gun] for night riding. Day riding I use a pair I found at the local sporting goods store.

What to avoid: flat surface comes to mind, the wind whips around it and still dries out your eyes. Depending upon the angle, polarized can be a problem for reading liquid crystal displays (go black at an off angle). Lastly, unless you want a raccoon tan, you might want to avoid options with very thick arms.

What I look for: Top curves closely to my forehead shape. Bottom drops down, but is clear of my cheeks. Good peripheral vision (never been a problem with safety type).

xcmaniac

Maybe Uvex?

shoemakerpom

You will waste more money buying multiple glasses for day and night then if you buy 1 pair of Tifosi's with red lenses that lighten of darken depending on the situation. Also they are made for cycling and will last a long time with the lens interchangeability....

hueyhoolihan

i think i bought something similar on Amazon in a three pack for about 10. ebay... they do scratch, but they're cheap. i use them on my motorcycle too.

i ride my bike about 7000 miles and my motorcycle about 20,000 per year. i'm only just on the last of the three pairs i bought about a year or two ago.

cave12man

Holy hell. 5 sets of lenses for $20? That's a steal right there. Too bad only the black is polarized though.

indyfabz

Thanks so much for that information. I reached "that age" a while back and have been contemplating buying a relatively expensive pair of readers so I can have yet another relatively expensive item to break or lose. I will check them out.

sced

I have a drawer full of cheap sports sunglasses. They all do the job. The main thing is to keep stuff from hitting your eyes. I got hit right in the eye (with glasses on) by a falling acorn while speeding down a grade. It would have injured me for sure without the glasses, maybe permanently. A few months ago I got hit in the cheek by something smaller, but it stung enough to make me wince. There's always bug strikes as well. Glasses are a major safety item.

rbk_3

I bought something very similar from Amazon.ca yesterday for $31

https://www.amazon.ca/ROCKBROS-Polari.../dp/B00M6JHJIO

black_box 

Be careful selecting "safety glasses." I got some clear ones from home depot and the distortion around the edges makes them unusable for cycling (looking through the edges when in the drops). Photochromatic is better than polarized if you go in and out of the shadows/sun. Also, I'd rather have two sets of glasses than one set with a crappy interchange system. I got some at performance bike for $25 and have probably 5-6 years on them.

itsonlysmellz

Ended up buying these from Walmart:

IRONMAN Tenacity Sunglasses - SportsAuthority.com

Am a bit worried after reading about how some cheaper glasses only trick your eyes in to believing its not as bright as it really is so your eyes dont quinch allowing more hurtful sun rays in damaging your eyes.

Wingsprint

Check out the hardware department at Lowes. They have probably 25 different types of inexpensive safety glasses that look like normal sunglasses. Many of the glasses are made by 3M. Some are even polorized.

CNC2204

Ive bought cheap sunglasses most my life.

I bought my first pair [new of Oakley Flak Jacket XLJ's 2.5 years ago.

Most glasses break at the nose or arm few weeks to few months later for me.

Oakley composite frame material has alot of flex & bend, plus interchangable nose pieces & arms [some models].

I had 2 pair of Flak Jackets but just gave one pair with 4 lenses to a friend as a gift that lives in Florida as her Maui Jim's had broken.

I also have an Oakley Radar Path that i love.

Also i find the Oakley lens Optics superior to any ive tried.

I will stick with the Oakleys but im picky about which models.

I use clear safety glasses at night.

Fly2High

So how should a pair of sunglasses fit foe road cycling?

Should there be a gap? If yes then how much?

Do you find it better to have a very little space or lots of space around the glasses?

If worn tight fitting so that they are nearly swim goggles like, will they fog up and if they fog will they clear when riding?

Should they be vented? If venting is good then why wear them tight fitting to the face?

mprelaw

I've never found that to be true, myself. All of my various Tifosi models, and my Oakley Radar Paths, are comfortable enough for every day wear. I use my Oakleys for driving, too.

Johnny Rad

Consider a frameless pair of sunglasses.

When riding and you turn to look behind, you'll have a clear view. In my experience, cars and riders "way back there" can "hide" behind the frame. Furthermore, if you just do a quick turn and look, there will be less second guessing as to what you may or may not have seen.

JohnieB

I have a pair of these Iron Man (by Foster Grant) that I picked up at Meijers for $16....they have been awesome! Super clear, no distorion, covers my eyes entirely and no edges to define the viewing space. They are so clear and "wide open" that I forget I have them on. Awesome glasses...even at $30.

Now, for multi lens applications, Remington make a shooting glasses system (T-85) for $19 with clear, smoke, red, orange and yellow. Great for hunting or cycling....https://www.amazon.com/Radians-Reming.../dp/B0039BJ92W