Marauder9

I have bought a pair of sunglasses with 5 different sets of lenses but I am not sure what lenses to use for what type of weather.

The colours are clear, amber, smokey, clear/smokey and dark.

I guess the clear will be for windy days and the dark for very sunny days. What about the others?

Brian Ratliff

In the order you have them listed, it goes from lowest light conditions to brightest. In the dark, you go for clear. Overcast or twilight calls for amber; yellow/amber/orange/pink lenses tend to increase contrast without blocking too much light - they filter the blue side of the light spectrum (making shadows darker) and leave the yellow/red side alone. I don't know what smokey or clear/smokey are, but I assume they are lighter than the "dark" lenses. Dark is obviously for full sunshine in the brightest conditions.

So, in short, it has everything to do with light conditions. I suggest playing around with various lenses in various light conditions and see what works best for you.

BotByte

It matters if you're staring directly into the sun.

It really doesn't matter. I ride with yellow lenses because it helps your eye reaction speed and it keeps road tar from embedding into my retinas.

seejohnbike

peer reviewed evidence, or gtfo...

otherwise, what brian said.

Menel

Too complex. I have my darkest lense for clear/partly cloudy days.

and a light lense, for overcast to complete dark night riding.

himespau 

I like yellow/amber better than clear on overcast/foggy days. Just something about how it sharpens the contrasts better. The darkest and the yellow are pretty much all I use, but I could see getting the clear out if I'm accidentally still out when it becomes full on night.

mpath

I use dark to ogle female roadies......

Brian Ratliff

I think what he is saying is just another way of saying yellow lenses increase contrast. Increasing the contrast between light and dark would allow the eye to react faster. The flip side to this is I can't stand yellow in anything but overcast/rainy weather. When it's sunny, yellow lenses just wash everything out. It's worse than bare eyes.

I have two pair of glasses (Native and Rudy Project), both with various color lenses. Between the two, I have clear, yellow, rose (red/pink), and dark blue lenses. Those four are pretty much all I need for anything. One of the pair (Native) has a dark rose colored lens which is polarized, which is kind of cool.

pbd

The brightest one you can wear without having to squint.

Your eyes will adjust to most light conditions with pupil dilation, but the best vision comes with whatever lens results in you being comfortable (ie not squinting) AND with your pupils small. In other words, the brightest lens you can use without squinting will give you the best vision, generally speaking.

How to achieve constricted pupils while not squinting comes with experience and practice, so try different lenses and see what works.

My clear only comes out at night. My darkest lens only comes out when I know I'm going to be spending significant time looking directly into the sun. Everything else is personal preference and depends on how sensitive your eyes are.

All that said, it's unlikely you'll notice much difference either way, so wear whatever you think is the most comfortable, helps you see the best, and looks the best.

renegaderider

go to oakley.com and choose any pair of glasses. Then go through their available lens shades. Their lens descriptions/uses are excellent, they cover most lens shades, and will show you the difference between normal light, and how the lens will effect light. better than a science lesson...

renton

Something like this:



Lens Tints Light Transmission Intended Use
Smoke 10% Bright sunny conditions. Ideal for winter days.
Orange 37% Changing light and shadow; variable weather. Perfect for forest environment.
Blue 66% Partly cloudy, overcast.
Yellow 85% Low light conditions and indoor.
Transparent 92% Designed for protection of the eyes from dust; excellent for very cold climates.

Are your glasses the Prorace Chopper?

Marauder9

Glasses are Oakley.
I tried having a look on their website but couldn't find what I was looking for.
Think I will have another look later.

Cheers all.