timobkg

Would those that have Rudy sunglasses and use them for XC mountain biking give me some recommendations on what lens colors you find useful?

I need to get prescription sunglasses, and so I'm looking at the Rudy Project Rydon with an Rx insert. I'm completely inexperienced with their lenses, and don't know what would work for actual mountain biking, primarily east coast single track between 12pm and 8pm. I don't ride mornings or at nights.

The lens choices available to me can be seen here: https://www.e-rudy.com/rudy-project-gear-kit-rydon.php. (More options appear under Click to Upgrade).

I'm concerned that multilaser orange (18% pass through) may be too dark inside the trees, but yellow (87%) may be too bright outside them, etc. I can't really afford more than 2-3 colors, of which I'd want 1 to be some sort of grey or black for off-bike / in car / on beach use. Can those of you that mountain bike with Rudy glasses tell me what lens tints work well for you?

Thanks.

Siu Blue Wind

I might be wrong but I understand that yellow is supposed to help with shadows over uneven surfaces. Helps with depth perception. (potholes, roots, etc)

dminor 

The rose-colored ones make it to where I can sing like Elton John . . . .

sstorkel

I have a pair of Smith sunglasses with replaceable lenses. I've been using them for motorcycling and mountain biking for the past 8 or 10 years. At night or late evening, I use clear lenses. On rainy days, I use yellow. On overcast days or partly sunny days, I use rose-colored lenses; they cut down the brightness level just a tad and increase contrast. Most of the time, however, I just use the standard medium gray polarized lenses.

sirtigersalot

i have the rudy ekynox with the photochromatic red for road biking, a pair of smiths with a few diff lense colors, and i had a pair of natives with all 5 lenses until i face planted into them, IMO orange is ok for mtnbikin, but i like an amber/redish lense the best, personally I can't stand yellow lenses at all. alot of it is personal preferance for what color u like. I found that amber/red actually had the smallest effect on perceived colors but still enhanced contrasts the nicest, I also only ski with amber lenses. Anything with a grey base is to flat. and a brown amber or red base will give you the best contrasts, just find somthin with the light transmission u want

mx_599

could i make a suggestion?

i have these:

Rx: Rudy Project - Ekynox SX - Tactical Flat Blk frame - Polarized Brown lens

i love them. i am near sighted with some astigmatism. i have been happy with my lens in nearly all conditions. they are my only pair. either these or my normal glasses if if gets near dark or for night time events. i would love to have clear for night....but i spent all my money on the bikes! you can see how this heavyglare place grinds their lens differently for less distortion or something....you can read about it on their website.

whatever you decide, i highly recommend polarized. it makes the colors so vivid - if that is the correct way to describe it.

https://www.heavyglare.com/prescriptionsunglasses.php
https://www.heavyglare.com/catalog/mo...967&model=8599

mx

jroth

I have the RB3, flip-up model with the rx insert, which I've used for the past 3-4 years. I have several sets of lenses, clear, polarized grey, light orange, and dark grey. Clear is good when the lighting is bad, ie, early morning, late evening.

Rudy has an iron-clad replacement policy for lenses. $19, no questions asked.

joel

timobkg

Out of those tints, the polarized grey, orange, dark grey, which do you find yourself using the most?

timobkg

Do you have the Polarized Brown Rudy lens, or is this a standard polycarbonate lens that HeavyGlare.com cut and tinted polarized brown for you?

So you'd recommend polarized lenses for mountain biking? I've heard mixed reviews on polarized lenses, saying that they can make it too hard to see the terrain or obstacles, being too dark, etc. I take it you haven't had those problems?

GamecockTaco

I've also got RB3s and have the standard lens that came with and the racing red. I end up using the red most of the time, unless it's pretty much a cloudless day.

sirtigersalot

ok I think there are some misconceptions here on what polarizing does. Polarized sunglasses reduce glare, what that means is for example when you look at water and you just see bright light, or the glare off a cars windshield, that kinda stuff. Somthin about horizontal light versus direct light or reflected light ect. I've seen polorized glasses with visable light transmision as high as 70someodd%, thats the number that counts on how dark its gonna be, you coudl prolly polorize clear lenses but i've never seen em.

Polorization won't make much of a differance mtnbiking, not too much glare, its really usefull out on the water. The only times it bad is when reading lcds and traveling on glaciers (can't see certain kinds of ice)

often people buy $200 sunglasses and go "wow polarzied glasses are really clear" its not the polarization, its the high optical quality of the lenses

go to the store try on the same pair of glasses in polarzied and nonpolarized (most stores will have oakleys in both with the same lenses) you prolly won't be able to tell the differance unless you are in a situation with glare (prolly not indoors)

Only reason not to get polarized is price (and thats a big reason)

timobkg

Thanks, sirtiger, that's a very clear explanation of polarized lenses.

It sounds like red is the way to go with Rudy lenses, which leaves me with Racing Red (28% light transmission, or the ImpactX Photocromic Red (21-50%). It seems to me like the Impactx Red may be a better choice, figuring that the light transmission window afforded by the transition properties may make it suitable for a wider set of lighting conditions. Any opinions for the ImpactX Red vs the Racing Red?

sirtigersalot

don't own the racing red, but i have the photochormatic red, very nice lenses, i never activly notice them getting darker but i guess they do so thats prolly a good thing. One thing i'd point out is that they are polycarb on the outside and acrylic or acetate or somthin on the inside, so the inside of the lense is alot easier to scratch, so be careful when you clean the inside of the lenses and actually use a soft cloth.

oh also b/c they are double lenses and gas filled they never fog up like never ever, its awesome

mx_599

i guess it is heavyglare lens...but it is def high quality.

i like the polarizing...but i guess it is a matter of taste. if it got to the point where it was too dark i would wear my reg glasses i guess. i have enjoyed mine. no problems

mx

timobkg

Thanks for the heads up on the lens being scratchable. It's funny that they don't mention that in their advertising, only that it has "superior anti-scratch properties".

Have you had any issue with them not darkening, when obscured by a helmet visor for example, or being slow to react?


From what all of you have said, I should be covered if I get these lenses:
Racing Red or ImpactX Photocromic Red for all around mountain biking;
Transparent or ImpactX Photochromic Clear for late evening;
ImpactX Polarized Photochromic Grey for bright sun / off-bike use.
Does that sound about right? Any other advice from owners of the above lenses on which ones you prefer, would recommend?

DirtPedalerB

polarized lenses are great for fishing, but on the bike I don't like them.. can't see the speedometer.. also if your on the road I get weird mirage type things off the blacktop tar.

also as a side note some pontiac minivans will have purple windshields.. and I think i seen a BMW that way too.. either polarized windshields or some metallic tint.

sirtigersalot

Well the outer lense is a hard polycarb so is very scratch resistant which is good cause your more likely to get crap on the outer part

as for not darkening, i can never notice them darkening, If it was too bright i'd just assume its really bright not that it didnt' darken, and i only use a visor on my full face (and not with these glasses lol) so idk bout shading or w/e

Personally I don't even like to use grey base lenses for around town, i use brown, but thats all pref, i used to use a grey base set on my first "high end" set of sunglasses, but have since found that the grey tends too dull things out, not that you need hightened contrasts around town, but I enjoy my brown/amber lenses. Oddly enough i find my eyes (and my ski buddies eyes) adjust to the color change and that brown.amber gives the least color altering effect, actually when i'm skiing and i take off my goggles the snow looks purple for a minute untill my eyes adjust, when i'm wearing glasses/goggles i completely forget i've got em on

timobkg

Alright, I think I'm sold on the ImpactX Photochromic Red for my mountain biking purposes. Something a little lighter than Racing Red sounds ideal for mostly shaded, in-the-woods riding. Thanks, everyone, for your help navigating the lens swamp.


SirTiger, since you mention skiing, do you wear the rudy glasses, with the goggles over them, or just the goggles? Would the goggles be able to fit over a pair of rudy glasses? I guess I'll find out once I get my pair, but I wouldn't mind some beforehand knowledge.

sirtigersalot

some goggles are "OTG" and designed to fit over rx glasses, but i think most biking glasses would be to big to fit under goggles, I use a set of smith phenom goggles with rc 36 (or somthin, they are amber) lenses that work for basically everything,i wouldn't want to use suglasses with goggles, i'd rather just have the right lenses for my goggles

jjbod1

I like the rose and yellow lenses. Yellow for winter,spring and fall. Rose in the summer. Just the way I roll.

Siu Blue Wind

Am I right about the yellow helping with depth perception?

timobkg

I just wanted to say Thank You again to all of you again. You've been of great help to me.

Sigh, which means that my current Rudy and Smith goggles won't fit over my glasses, and I'll probably have to get new goggles with an rx insert too. Man..., having bad vision is expensive. Would you recommend the Smith Phenom goggles? Are those the ones with the fan in them?

sirtigersalot

I really really like my phenom goggles, i don't have the fan model cause i didn't want the noise/ didn't think i'd need it (and i don't) but they won't fit glasses well (guess ur goin rx anyway so...) I won't go into it but they are good at not fogging up (as long as you don't put them on top of you head and hike up a hill)

victim

I wear mirrored shades, but I live in the ghetto and have to be bad ass...

CCrew

I like the racing reds.

-R