coasting 

I have a fear of sticking things in my eyes. I hate the idea of contacts and have never used them, but cycling has made me consider using them.

Until now, I've used cycling glasses with the inserts but these are such a pain in the ass...or do I mean in the face. Then again some might say my face and my ass are indistinguishable, but they would be wrong.

So anyone else uses contacts just for cycling but hate them normally and is it worth using them just for cycling?

koolerb

Yep, mostly for cycling so I can just wear regular sunglasses. I was a pain getting them in the first few times but now its 10 seconds in and done.

cnguyen0320

Why can't you ride with normal glasses? You could also get sports sunglasses with a prescription. I know Oakley makes some. As for me, I use contacts for everything and cycling is not an exception. They do dry up faster due to the wind though but that's what sunglasses are for.

sbxx1985 

No.

coasting 

I find myself doing so more often than I use my cycling glasses but they are not ideal since I peer over the top with my super aggressive saddle drop.

coasting 

uh huh.

cnguyen0320

Oh, I never thought about that but that makes sense. Contacts are actually awesome. It's like having clear vision all around and you don't feel them at all.

coasting 

but sticking your finger into your eye is horrible.

Beaker

Yup, I use daily dislosablesfor riding. It's so much nicer to use lighter weight non-Rx lenses in my Oakleys and your peripheral vision is so much better.

Another benefit - if you find yourself riding in misty or foggy conditions you aren't wearing glasses that become covered in droplets. That's a biggie for me.

cnguyen0320

I think you should at least try it. When you go for your next eye exam, just express some interest in contacts. You stick your finger in your eye but you never feel your finger touching it. The contact acts like a barrier between your finger and your eye so you never feel it. If not, you could opt for Lasik and live happily ever after.

coasting 

You must be kidding! I can't stand a finger in the eye and you think I'll let some trigger happy optometrist shoot a death ray into them?

cnguyen0320

hahaha sorry, I overlooked that... Have you tried goggles?

Brian Ratliff

I had contacts for years before getting PRK (like LASIK, but a little different) two years ago. I went through a time in college when my contacts were so uncomfortable I would only use them for cycling. Frankly, my experience with cycling and contacts is a little of a mixed bag. The contacts would dry out for the first couple minutes at the start of the bike ride (until my body sent extra tear action to compensate), and because I had toric lenses (for astigmatism), I would have trouble seeing for those couple minutes. Not really a huge problem until I started racing track, and especially match sprints; I would be essentially blind for the first couple laps.

All that said, contacts are the best thing next to surgery for sport activities. There are minor problems, most of them related to comfort, but the thought of using my heavy glasses on a bike was almost unthinkable. What with the sweat and the vibration and the lack of clear peripheral vision.... And you'll get over the whole "can't stick your finger in your eye" thing pretty quickly. As someone said before, all you feel is a little pressure because you have the contact lens between your finger and your eye. You don't feel pain at all. Not if you are doing it right (though there were days every once in a while when the contacts just didn't want to go in for whatever reason).

Anyway, for me, after almost 20 years in contacts, my contacts started getting to be a big burden. I couldn't stay out late without getting really irritable because of eye discomfort towards the end of the day. Looking at a computer screen all day drove my eyes nuts. I got to the point where I would either have to go through the rigamarole of finding a new contact lens that would be more comfortable (especially onerous with toric lenses), go back to glasses and ditch the contacts, or get surgery. I opted for surgery. The PRK procedure takes a longer time to recover from than LASIK, but I don't have to worry about a flap on my cornea and my night vision is better because the treated region is bigger (PRK cuts through less thickness of the cornea than LASIK). Best decision I've ever made. Now I have near normal vision without having to mess with contacts or glasses.

Leinster

I find your lack of HTFU disturbing.


I wore contacts for 15+ years. No matter what brand I tried, I couldn't keep them in for long before they dried out (4-5 hours max), so I got to the stage of only wearing them during exercise. But I never had a problem sticking them in. As said above, the lens itself means your finger never touches your eye.

I got myself Lasik as a birthday present a year and a half ago, and I bloody love it. The pain (really discomfort) is momentary, and the benefits last a lifetime.

Brian Ratliff

Actually, an ophthalmologist, which is a surgical MD who specializes in eye surgeries.

fureshi

I've been wearing contacts since high school (way too long ago) and once you get used to the insert/removal process, you don't think about it twice. I've always thought about getting Lasik or PRK but have been too chicken so far. Having a hard time not getting squeamish thinking about having my cornea cut while I'm awake and knowing what's happening.

speedwobbles

...the first time you do it. Within a week you're used to it.

99Klein 

Just do it. I thought the same thing 15 years ago and haven't worn glasses since.The increase in peripheral vision alone is worth it.

coasting 

did it. just got from my shopping trip, not knowing anything about contacts.

rpenmanparker 

Funny, cycling is what induced me to abandon contact lenses after a short trial. Distance vision was magnificent, and I liked them well enough except for three things. At my age I completely lost my close vision and needed a bifocal reading glass with a planar top just to be able to see both the cycling computer and the road. So what was the point if I had to wear Rx glasses anyway. Then even with glasses over the contacts, one blew out on a windy ride never to be found. Bummer riding home with one ,not to mention the cost (that was before daily disposables). And finally when wearing spectacles, one pair was all I needed and they stayed on my face, photo-reactive bifocals for sun, shade and all purposes. When wearing contacts, I had to have reading glasses, sun glasses, safety glasses and on and on. My pockets were full of glasses. Wearing my regular specs was just easier.

As far as the sticking your fingers in your eyes, that is a non issue. It is not a problem.

Carbon Unit

I have worn contacts for more than 30 years. The newer lenses are much better and now I forget I have them in my eyes even after 20 hours of wearing them. However, I would like to get PRK. How painful for the recovery and how long did it take before you vision was acceptable?

Looigi

I'm moderately nearsighted and wore contacts for many years. Then I got presbiopia, so needed glasses for reading anyway (or vice versa). Also, when riding the bike I always wore protective glasses. As long as I'm wearing glasses, I personally find no reason to wear contacts. I currently wear progressive bifocals and also use prescription progressive bifocal riding glasses.

I also found contacts to sometimes be problematic on the bike in dusty conditions, very dry air, with alergies, etc...

MingusDew

I had PRK while I was in the Army, and it was an excellent decision. The recovery was a few days, maybe 3-4 tops. Before then I used ESS glasses with inserts:

I also used prescription Oakley M-frames.

Between the two I prefer the Oakleys, but they are very expensive, especially if you don't have a government discount. The ESS ballistics are much more affordable, and they function just fine (I wore them for 8 months in Iraq), but they weren't as good of a fit for my face as the M-frame. So that's a personal preference. I also liked how the M-frame had the prescription insert embedded in the lense, vs. the ESS has removable inserts that attach at the nose piece. Both of them are available with colored lenses.

I got tired of dealing with sweat getting on my lenses and fogging up, and PRK was an option for me at the time. PRK was awesome, although my eyes were a little dry for the first few months after the surgery. I came out of the surgery with 20/15 vision, and I still have that 6 years later. It's not cheap, but if you can afford it I'd suggest looking into it.

SpeshulEd 

You get over the finger in your eye thing after day two of doing it. Honestly, you're not pressing your finger against your eye, you're setting the contact on your eye. It should hardly even be a tap.

And LASIK was easily the best thing I have ever done in my entire life. Two minutes of laser in your eye, a day to recover, and then perfect sight. Nothing beats getting up in the morning and being able to see the world clearly.

crash14me

I've been wearing contacts for 10+ years and I wouldn't ever switch to glasses for cycling. I have to re-wet my eyes before a ride but that is the only issue I can think of. Putting your finger in your eye is something you have to get over but that is a small obstacle for the benefit contacts give you.