Sunglasses:What to spend
 

O.K. So for the last year I have been using a $20 pair of generic sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection. The lenses are plastic and showing some scratches.

Is there really a good reason to spend $250 + on a pair of say, Oakleys?

What do they offer?

I'm thinking even if I replace my off brand once a year I'm ahead of the game.

The question is how much is bragging rights vs a true optical improvement.

I am also looking at a mid price brand, Tifosi.

If I am going to see a huge improvement in clarity maybe the increased cost is worth it.

I remember back in the late 1970's when I was a skier I spent over $100 on a pair of Vaurnet glass lens sunglasses . Lost them a week later! Since than i have been more frugal with sunglasses but still lose them and beat them up.

So any thoughts on this?

BTW: just went to the Vuarnet site. No glasses for less than $350 !!!

Discussed often.

Tifosis are good. Rudy Project are available with good discount codes, making them pretty reasonable. For me it was a no brainer. RPs with prescription inserts was the best thing that happened to me for eyewear in years.

My wife bought me a pair of Oakley's a few years ago for over $100 and they fell apart in less than a year. Based on that experience, I see no reason to pay huge sums, but I don't just get the cheapest either. Right now I am using the Scattante Matrix glasses from Performance. They stay rock solid on my face with no slippage, comfortable, and have interchangeable lenses. They can often be found on sale for $30-$35. Some of the new ones omit the clear lenses, so if you are in the store, open the boxes and check to see if it has 3 sets of lenses or just 2.

I'm happy with my Tifosi, although after a year
there are some small scratches. I like that it has
interchangable lenses that I can carry with me.

http://www.rei.com/product/788834/ti...ble-sunglasses




















MINUTOS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AopSW5T843s

Just like everything else, the "law of diminishing returns" applies here. I think the "sweet spot" is right about $150. You can get a good pair with polarized lenses and not go overboard. For me, I can easily see the difference between a $20 pair and a $150 pair. But from $150 to $350??? I don't see any difference. (Neither does my wife, and she's an optical tech.)

I've used Oakleys a lot for golf, but since I need reading glasses, I opted to try out a pair of DualEyes. Now I can read my Garmin without issue. Like them so much, I ordered another pair. They run $50-$60 and work well for me.

Personally, I don't feel comfortable riding around with expensive glasses, considering all the physical risks involved, as well as the risk of loss.

So, I try to keep my budget at < $50.

I've had great success with Tifosi's, also have had a pair of Uvex for about 9 months now and they've been great. Look really sharp and are very durable (I've dropped them countless times with nary a scratch).

They come with interchangeable clear & dark lenses, and IMHO are an excellent value for $35:

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...FQcHnQodYBUAdQ

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...0/uvblz2-1.jpghttp://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...0/uvblz2-5.jpghttp://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...0/uvblz2-2.jpg

I bought 3 pairs of NOS Giro Haviks on ebay for $25 each -which I consider score of the year. They originally retailed for $150 (back in 2010? 2011?), have awesome Zeiss lenses, and are designed to fit helmeted heads. I don't know why Giro stopped making them...
http://www.bike-palast.com/out/pictu...black-grey.jpg
That said, I just can't justify spending a lot for glasses no matter how awesome the lenses are. Super clear, optically pure yadda yadda yadda only counts for *clean* lenses. After a few miles, when the lenses get all sweaty.....

And so how much did you resell the extra 2 pair for? ;)

I think that is really solid advise. I've had good luck with Tifosi's. My wife gave me a pair of Oakley Race Jackets for Christmas. They are really nice, and I like them a lot. But, I personally would never pay retail for a set of glasses like that. Like TR said, law of diminishing returns really kicks in above ~$150 unless maybe you're dealing with prescriptions. I can't comment on those.

No there is no practical reason you need to spend $250 on a pair of sunglasses. There is nothing wrong with doing so if you want to though. Oakley, Rudy Project, and Tifosi all make great lenses and frames. The important thing though is impact protection. I have to replace one of my sets of lenses for my Oakleys because a rock shot or from a car tire and hit me right on my left eye. With cheapo glasses I would have been in the emergency room for sure.

I've had Tifosi Dolomite for a year. Lenses are fine, but the nose piece looks like someone took a bite out of it (one on each side), and rubber ear pieces came loose after a while and I had to reattach them with superglue.

Thanks for that. Just what I was looking for for my wife.

I have glasses that look virtually identical. very comfortable, look great, and I can get them with bifocals for reading the Garmin or a cue sheet. Not Zeiss quality lenses, but I've never had a problem with the optics. I've used them on A-pace rides, on a sub-5-hour century, and on the (daylight portion) of a 230 mile ride,

They cost $15.

Go to www.safetyglassesusa.com - or similar sites.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8476/8...632a7eda_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8...86305ddd_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8...b6916512_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8...f0486f48_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/8...51e72dd4_z.jpg

i picked these up for $80 shipped. i wanted oakleys but couldn't justify spending $150 + $60 for lenses...

Those Smith Optics are ones I'm considering as well ^^

I picked up a pair of Oakley Jawbones for $100 shipped. My friends have used Oakleys for years for sports with no problems, and I wanted something to protect my eyes. They're super clear. They make all my $15 sunglasses difficult to see out of. That said, if I hadn't gotten that deal, I probably wouldn't have gone with a pair. Especially with extra lens running $60+. I wouldn't mind a pair of clears/yellow and a darker tint as well, but at that point I'm spending more money on lens than the sunglasses themselves.

I'm VERY particular with how my sunglasses fit. So far, the only ones that fit the bill are Tifosi Podium, Dolomite and Oakley Jawbones. Oakley Radars and Flak Jackets fit pretty well, but not as well as the Jawbone (Racing Jacket). I want something else without blocked vision on the bottom which is where the Tifosi Podium come into play.

A teammate at my university got Rudy Projects. I've always been intrigued, but with how picky I am about the fit, I didn't want to blindly drop money on them. Unfortunately, he transferred schools before I had a chance to ask him if I could try them on.

I am a firm believer that lousy lenses can damage your eyes, if worn enough times. I do not have any scientific proof of this, but it is something I overheard an opthamologist telling my mother many years ago when I was about ten years old, and for some reason, it has just stuck with me. I wear Oakley Radar Path with a couple of lenses, and I can almost swear that a couple of those lenses are better than my naked eye vision.

The other thing is that I really take care of any expensive stuff I own, so I can justify spending some money on them without the fear that I am gonna screw them up or lose them.

I have had four pairs of what I consider to be expensive sunglasses (+/-$50) with interchangeable lenses. Commuting in the early morning and later evening I need eye protection but lighter lenses because of less light. Of course I need darker lenses for lunch time and weekend rides. The first two pair were Serfas and each lasted two years each and in both cases the nose piece wore out and I was unable to find a replacement. The second two pair were Tifosi, both fell apart in 6 months. I am generally very good about taking good care of my stuff, especially bike stuff. Now I uses a variety of $6 gas station glasses. They are awful but most have also lasted for three years. I have thought about buying a nice pair again but I haven't found a pair I am willing to spend $50+ on.

I have a riding buddy that has been using something similar to what antmeeks linked to and he has been very happy with them. He doesn't take good care of his stuff and they have lasted more than a year so I may give those a try.

there was another sunglass thread recently and a bunch of people suggested Tifosi.

i dont know about you, but me personally, i hate wearing sunglasses, BUT, when i started riding, i realized i hated getting bugs/dirt/crap in my eyes, and once i started doing faster rides, my eyes got dried out from the air flowing into them.

I also used cheap CVS sunglasses, and was about to spend $200+ on oakleys, but ended up getting Tifosi Tyrants at performance just last night. they said $69.95 when they rang up, but they were labeled $59.95 on the price tag, so they honored it. smoke lenses, orange-ish lenses, and clear lenses.

i plan to try them on a ride for the first time this weekend. they hug my head much better than cheap glasses, and the adjustable nose piece is much nicer, so already 2 positive points. 3 if i consider the interchangeable lenses.

I'm looking into spending $80 on these suckers. Anyone have any experience with Ekoi?

http://ekoistore.com/Eyewear/Race/Su...-CLASS-MI.html

I am happy with the $20 generic glasses. You don't have to worry about scratching them because they are cheap to replace and they work just as good as the expensive ones. Like ZZ Top says "Go get yourself some cheap sunglasses"

Check out Optic Nerve.... Its a Colorado Company out of Wheat Ridge. Ive tried them and they are affordable.

Check them here... http://opticnerve.com/collection/sunglasses

P.

I'm digging those Indigo frames!

If I had 20/20 vision, my favorite cycling glasses would be the $30 no-name made-in-China glasses that I picked up from some equally no-name vendor's booth at the Death Ride several years ago. They fit great, have great coverage, are very lightweight, have acceptably uniform optics, and make me look like a boss.

Sadly, I do not have 20/20 vision, and so I can only wear those $30 glasses when I'm also wearing my contact lenses...which means I can't go on a long ride (because my tolerance for contacts is limited to about three hours) and I can't go on unfamiliar routes (because my contacts don't compensate for presbiosis so I can't read a cue sheet while wearing them).

So my $30 no-name glasses rarely get worn, and instead I usually wear my $600 custom-ground Rudy Project Ketyums made by Brett at SportOptics. Yes, you read that right: $600

And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Best money I ever spent for a cycling accessory. (Actually, I am going to do it again in a heartbeat, because I need a clear or amber version for night rides.)

I have the Uvex ones above. Awesome value for $35 and look great.