Prescription sunglasses for cycling?

speedy641

Does anyone have any experience of these?

I'm thinking of ones that have an optical insert behind the tinted lense.

Comments / experiences of any others would be helpful

Anonymous

I have a pair of the Adidas Evil Eye glasses with the optical insert.

Can't say anything bad about them at all!

Very happy with them.

on-yer-bike

I wore prescription sunglasses not cycling specific and have gone back to contact lenses. With prescription lenses you have to move your head back further to see through the lens and this I believe has been partly responsible for giving me neck and shoulder problems. I wear lenses of different strengths in each eye so that I can see in the distance and the computer. I wear Oakley Radar sunglasses which come up nice and high.

Anonymous

I would rather go down the contact lense route but I get really bad hayfever (and I mean really really bad) and cannot wear them, I used to but had to stop when I got this ridiculous allergy

JC.152

i used to use specialized prescription sunglasses before i got contacts and they were really good

alien

I use Rudy Project Ketyum with the optical inserts - very good indeed.

If you have a time trial/racy/leant over normal position tell the optician and they can move the optical centre of the insert a touch so that your position is maintained without compromising your vision.

master_grunthos

Rudy Project Preception (discontinued) here. Flip up front lens handy if you go under trees with tinted lenses or if they steam up. I mostly have clear in mine though.

I've had advice that some of the frames with inserts (no flip up) are prone to steaming up and for sweat to get on the insert lens which you then can't clean on the go. Also they sit very close to the eye in some cases so if you have long lashes you may find them annoying.

I have a -9 prescription, this is a nightmare to get wrap round lenses for.

If you've less than +/- 4 i'd go for a direct glaze with transitions 6 (best available) which will change colour depending on light, make sure they wrap.

To make wrapping lenses they curve the front which makes the lens thicker, hence limitations.

Things you should consider IMHO:

Get Polycarbonate (or tougher) lenses. Normal plastic will fail if a stone hits the centre (where it's thinnest) and the resulting fragments are very sharp even with plastic. Be warned Polycarbonate does scratch easily so make sure you rinse of grit if you wipe them.

Ask the optician you go to if they've done this type of thing before, i've had very varied results, some were unuseable.

Make sure they agree up front to take them back if you aren't happy, wrapping lenses can come out poorly if they aren't done correctly. Any good optician will do this.

If you use an online supplier speak to them on the phone about your exacting requirements before ordering.

Try the frames, most online stores will send you a frame to try before you order lenses.

Make sure you can get parts for them in the future, new coloured lenses, new insert frame, etc. you'll spend a lot of money so want them to last.

I've heard rxsports on the www are very good and I've chatted on the phone with them about my next set of specs and they are very knowledgeable and offered all i could ask for.

MG

Mount Pleasant

Hi Speedy

Tozi1 started off a similar post recently in Road Beginners. Might be worth a look.

MP

kingrollo

www.optilabs.com - about the best ..price v performance - although I am still searching for something a little more stylish!!!

master_grunthos

Optilabs said they'd glaze sports glasses for me without polycarbonate. My optician was very concerned that this wasn't exactly in line with current safety guidance, their labs would not do it for any sport or safety frame.

I agree that Optilabs offer a good price, this is mainly due to frames but I'd specify polycarb. They do there own which from what i've seen are pretty good and unbranded so therefore cheaper. Rudy Project, Adidas, etc are far too expensive really.

BBB do some reasonable frames (and cheaper) though you'll not find them in many places so best start on the BBB website and then google the frame specifically.

schlepcycling

I have a pair from Optilabs with the photochromic lenses and they're fantastic. Had them for about 4 years and use them for everything on road and off road and have never had any problems.

Slow1972

Bought a pair with the prescription inserts which sit behind the tinted lense.

The frame with insert and 3 different interchangeable lenses (clear, orange and mirrored) was £100 from Vision Express. They can order them in but don't have them on display (happened to ask when I was in having an eyetest so i could buy online!)

Have used the clear lense for mountain biking on wet and miserable days, insert is not much smaller than the lense so not very noticeable you've got two lenses.

They've been excellent. Picked a model with reasonable sized prescription insert to stop the cricked neck, sideways peripheral vision issues. Even have adjustable arms so you can change the angle relative to the lense let more air flow in if they are misting up (as they can do in cold weather)

I have astigmatism and find my disposable contact lenses invariably flip out when i am on long rides and /or riding on the drops (must be angular position of eye relative to the flow of air over it??) which is why I resorted to these. Two lost lenses on a chaingang was a bit too exciting for my liking...

I'll check the make of them tonight but for my mind that was good deal.