First Pair of Glasses at 80--Not Happy.
 

Recently the MVD told me I could only drive during the day unless I got glasses.
Yesterday we went and ordered some. What a lot of bother! I had no idea glasses
were so complicated. Dr. suggested bi focals so I could glance down at the dashboard
when needed. Ordered some kind of divided lenses that allow for distance, mid range and closeup.
Also to prevent glare. Dr. said only wear them when driving. Which is what I intend.
As to cycling I have gotten along fine this past season with just sunglasses so we will see.
(I should not complain; my dear grandson has had to wear them since a young boy).

This.
Next you'll be telling us you noticed your first gray hair the other day.

Tri Focals.....yay..

Yep. I'm there at (almost) 56 - Trifocals. I've had 'em for a couple of years in fact (had glasses since my mid/late 30s). I keep thinking progressives would be better, but after two pointless attempts a couple of years apart, I'm doubtful: Waaaaay too much that's generally out of focus and blurry, with only a tiny little (moving) spot that's sharp. :notamused:

wow . first pair of glasses. I guess it would be tough to get use to all that at once. I wore glasses since i was a kid, then the blended lenses a few years ago with the transition for sun. The worst time wearing glasses was when my son started wrestling around the age of 9 through high school, by glasses were aways messed up.:lol:

Yeah, I got my first pair at 68. What a bummer, eh? I got the progressive lenses with the photochromic option and of course the anti-glare coating. $700 with the frames. I put those bifocal stick-ons (Hydrotac/Optx) in my non-prescription sunglasses so I can read my cycling instruments and auto dash. .

Family curse -- my father and my brother had severe myopia, needed corrective lenses in by age 6 or 7, and ended up with about a -13 diopter correction.

I was a little better off, getting glasses at age 9 and ending up with a -7 correction.

I wore single-vision glasses until two years ago, when I got a pair of "office" progressives, with the bottom 35% of the vision field for close work, the next 40% for midrange, and only the top 25% for distance. For driving and bicycling I still prefer my old single vision lenses.

Glasses make you look smarter and more distinguished, at least that's what I keep telling myself. Sort of like gray hair.

I have recently found that to be so true. I am forcing myself to adapt, it is a slow go.

Yeah you're lucky. I had to start in my 50s and I had 20-20 at one time. I assumed that I'd never be a "four-eyes". I'm up to +2s for general use and +3s for reading. I'm far sighted though and still can hunt w/o glasses. I use my +2s for driving but don't ride with them......yet. Sometimes I forget I have my glasses on when riding from the house so I stop and stash them by the road somewhere and pick them up on the way back home.

I also forget that I'm wearing my reading glasses sometimes when I start to drive away from the house and used to turn around, go back home, and change out. Now I just keep both extra glasses in the truck. I should probably get some upgraded bifocals (My work glasses needed upgrading before I retired) but I'd probably break them so I haven't yet. Been getting the cheapies at the drugstores or book shops.

What a hassle, lol. But I've had to wear safety glasses at work for decades so it's not that foreign to me.

[h=2]First Pair of Glasses at 80--Not Happy.[/h]My first glasses at 13. Happy! I could see. Better than I ever had. Now it's trifocals, bifocal sunglasses and computer glasses that are restful for my eyes but that I only see the computer screen well.

Ben

those 'tri foculs' also called 'progressives' can be challenging to get used to. Give yourself some time. The more you wear them the more your eyes will 'learn' to find that sweet spot where they automatically go to the point on the lens that's correct for the distance you are viewing. Good luck

Tri focals are NOT PROGRESSIVES. Progressives have an ever changing focal point. Tri focals have 3.

If night driving is the problem, get the anti-glare coating.

I've been wearing glasses for 42 years now. I even have fancy Rudy Project prescription lenses bifocal sunglasses for riding. My eyesight is so bad that I have to use the inserts. I found out that lined bifocals are much better for my riding glasses than progressive lenses. For the most part I'm looking at the map/bike computer or down the road so it's an either/or situation.

Never knew there was such a thing.
I just ordered two sets for my two pair of Serengetis, driving and running/biking. I occasionally run with a music player but not in recent times as i can't read the screen to change playlists or albums and I dont carry my readers with me. Like you, I will also be able to read the screen on my bike comp.
Thanks for the post.

Agreed. I tried the progressive lenses for six months and went back and got regular trifocals (a free swap). Nowadays, at 71 years, I don't need glasses for cycling or driving, but do for reading (cataract surgery).

Trifocals for me at 50. I tried progressives when I needed help reading at 41. They were okay, but biking and driving they didn't yield as much peripheral distance vision as lenses with bi- and tri-focal insets. It is that top-to-bottom distance vision that really helps when approaching cross-streets. On my first pair of bi-focals (back in college in the early '80s before progressives were available) the reading portion was too high and I had a lot of mis-steps on stairs, etc. After college I found I didn't need them any longer and went 20 years before revisiting them. What I did was buy those stick on reading lenses and positioned them down low where I wanted them. Took it in to the optician and said, "here is where I want the cutoff". He said that is not where they usually put them. I said that's irrelevant. They did it my way and I was happy. When I needed separate help for midrange and reading I went to trifocals using my bifocals as to where to put the splits (down low).

Glasses since 5th grade, contacts from jr. in high school till 'several' years ago... ...now use progressive with good results. Just take your time and as they say 'get used to it' :)

Maybe I need to shop around some more but I spent more time trying to "find focus" than actually using my progressives, both times. When reading a phone book, if the name was sharp the number was blurry. That's how small the area of clear focus was. I ended up with headaches: Not from the poor vision, but from unconscious tightness in my neck muscles as a result of constantly "pointing my nose" at what I was attempting to see.

Plus, in the versions I tried, the focal length varied not only vertically across the lenses, but horizontally as well. If it had been vertical only with horizontal bands of consistent focus that would have worked (essentially like "continuous bi/trifocals"), but not both ways. I have no idea if those are available.

Oh well - What are a few more lines at this point? :D

The more I read about the complexities of glasses the more concerned I become that they will help at all. Have pretty good peripheral vision but they said that would be blurry unless I turned my head. I think I am going to feel like Jerry Seinfeld in that episode where he was using the thick glasses for what reason I can't remember. Also the contradiction between the Doctor's advice to only wear them when I am driving and what has been said here about "getting used to them" is a little scary. I can still just read the newspaper without glasses but prefer my trusty $2.00 pair of 1.50s. At night I think I am mostly concerned about glare from oncoming cars so the anti-glare feature sounds good. From what I can see the whole thing about who can drive and who can't seems a little crazy. I underrstand that people with one eye can drive (where's the depth perception?). Another crazy thing about the law here in Maine is that I can legally drive without glasses during the day now but the way I understand it when I get the glasses I will have to wear them all the time!

I suspect the biggest adjustment, S7, will be keeping track of them. Being a practiced four-eye, I can generally find mine hanging from my nose but as a newb, you'll probably have a harder time of it.

Yes, don't complain. I've had glasses since 2nd grade. My diopter is about -5 (nearsighted.) I have progressives, but for bike riding I use contacts so that I can use any old wraparound sunglasses I want, and I take a pair of reading glasses along for food stops.

My swim goggles have optical inserts, too; otherwise I can't read the lap timer on the wall - and it's big.

Good for you. The last few pairs of transitions I got I told the doctor where I wanted the reading area to go to. He doesn't get to decide unless you let him. Your money, your decision.

Rich

Heck, the fact you are riding, and for that fact, all of us, is fantastic. Getting glasses is probably the easiest thing I do for my health issues. They will become an everyday thing to you, Sculptor, if this is the worst you have to add, you will get off quite well. Keep on pedaling, everyone, keep on.

Bill

First pair of glasses???
Beats a seeing eye dog (got to feed him!) or a white cane!