Prescription cycling glasses - recommendations please.

benno68

Thinking about getting some prescription cycling glasses, done a few searches and have noticed that you can either get glasses with prescription inserts or ones like standard glasses where the main lense is prescription.

Any idea's on the best choice?

Greggyr

Dear Benno

I've got 2 pairs from www.optilabs.com and will certainly get my next pair from them too.

benno68

Greggyr wrote:

Dear Benno

I've got 2 pairs from www.optilabs.com and will certainly get my next pair from them too.

Thanks Greggyr - what lenses did you go for? The Ultra 2000 look good, quite pricey though but they look worth the money.

cjw

Benno68 wrote:

Greggyr wrote:

Dear Benno

I've got 2 pairs from www.optilabs.com and will certainly get my next pair from them too.

Thanks Greggyr - what lenses did you go for? The Ultra 2000 look good, quite pricey though but they look worth the money.

+1 on the optilab 2000 lenses. Really pleased - these are my second pair of optilabs specs.

ratherbeintobago

My local optician (semi-pro cyclocross racer) suggested contact lenses & non-prescription sunnies as the way forward when I was looking for prescription sunnies.

If you've got a sufficiently bad prescription, a lot of the nice sunnies don't let you have strong enough lenses; also if they get covered in rain etc you can't take prescription ones off...

Andy

davis

It depends on your prescription. Lower prescriptions give you more choice. If you've got higher prescriptions, optical inserts are more likely to be the way to go; generating the compound curve of a wrapped lens with the optical prescription is tricky, and you're more likely to get distortion (a poor image) as a result.

As a company, I rate RXSport very highly -- see my curiously contemporaneous post in the Road forum -- I got a pair of stupidly named Adidas Evil Eye Pro and I'm more than happy.

the_village_idiot

instead of asking a load of cyclists who know nothing about eyes (except, perhaps, a little about their own unique eyes)- why not ask your optician? If they cant supply you with the right info- go to somewhere who can!

But IMO contact lenses are usually better- so ask your optician about them too!

Christophe3967

davis wrote:

It depends on your prescription. Lower prescriptions give you more choice. If you've got higher prescriptions, optical inserts are more likely to be the way to go; generating the compound curve of a wrapped lens with the optical prescription is tricky, and you're more likely to get distortion (a poor image) as a result.

As a company, I rate RXSport very highly -- see my curiously contemporaneous post in the Road forum -- I got a pair of stupidly named Adidas Evil Eye Pro and I'm more than happy.

+1 for RX sports. I have a pair of Oakley Jawbones which are very good and don't need inserts. I have used inserts before (addidas) which are OK but the Oakleys are lighter, more comfortable, and don't steam up as much. The original order didn't arrive so they sent me another pair without any fuss.

davis

the_village_idiot wrote:

instead of asking a load of cyclists who know nothing about eyes (except, perhaps, a little about their own unique eyes)- why not ask your optician? If they cant supply you with the right info- go to somewhere who can!

But IMO contact lenses are usually better- so ask your optician about them too!

Usually reasonable advice, but I asked a high street optician first. They said it was utterly impossible to get what I'd asked for. I then phoned RX Sport and that changed to merely "difficult".

I've been wearing glasses for ~25 years. I've come to the conclusion that while the opticians themselves are highly trained, usually experienced, professionals, a lot of the people in the shop simply aren't. They're often uninterested sales staff, who know very little about optics. That wouldn't be a problem, except they're the ones selling glasses in the region of 2-300 GBP to people who are forced to trust them.

I've had opticians and ophthalmologists who disagree on both my eyes' health and possibilities for me. I've learnt enough about the process to be able to describe both what problems I'm having and understand why.

I now get my glasses from the internet, and I get more choice at a better price. (1.76 index plastic, anyone?)

Obviously, there is no substitute for a proper eye examination which considers both the eye health and the ideal prescription, However, the shop staff are the ones that are selling the glasses, and I believe they are expected to create the most profit.

benno68

Thanks for the feedback chaps. This has narrowed down the internet suppliers down to 2 which will make things much easier.

Cheshley

After spending £400 on Oakley prescription glasses and the same on sunglasses, I came to the conclusion that the best option was daily disposable contact lenses and cheap clear or tinted shades for riding in. I dread the thought of my glasses coming off and hearing the crunch as my back wheel goes over them.

Avoneer

Bloc Stealth with optical insert.

The insert screws onto the nose bridge and the glass can be made by any optician.

Less than £45 for the frame, 3 lenses and insert and my glass cost £40.

Bit big for small faces though.

Pat...

JonSkids

Greggyr wrote:

Dear Benno

I've got 2 pairs from www.optilabs.com and will certainly get my next pair from them too.

Same with me. I'd recommend optilabs without hesitation.

PBo

Have you considered the disposable contacts? I have a pair of decathlon cheapy sports sunglasses with three interchangables, so can wear clear glasses normally, dark lenses for sun, and yellow lenses in flat/dull light. (aside - anyone ever forgot they had yellow lenses on for dull light and then wondered were the hell the sun went when taking them off! )

you can use same system for other sports too - skiing, cricket. More versatile, and low replacement costs in case of disaster. And don't need normal specs with you too.

The Running Man

hi benno,

Oakley half jackets with prescription lenses for me.

From Chalmers in Wellfield Road in Roath.

mcj78

I'm in the same position currently, although the contact lens option works out pretty expensive over a while if using them every day - I need to use toric lenses which come in at £50 for 30 pairs (accuvue - no budget option either, unless anyone knows different?), so end up wearing "normal" specs while riding & feel I may as well not bother, as my riding position means i'm forever looking over the top of them.
Don't really fancy shelling out £200 for a pair of prescription sunglasses either as they'd only be used for cycling! :?

schweiz

I’ve just got a pair of Oakley Jawbones with a transitions lens and a clear lens for skiing and cycling.

After an eye infection a few years back, I was advised to stop wearing contacts for 12 months so I bought a pair of glasses with inserts for cycling and wore fortnightly disposable contacts for skiing (the optician said it was okay to use these for a month at a time if I was just wearing them 1-2 days a week).

Wearing glasses with inserts was okay, but there were a number of occasions where the multiple reflections from car headlights on the glasses lens and the insert was quite disorienting.

Official Oakley lenses only go to +/- 4 (Sphere + Cyl) so extreme eyewear in Castleford sent the order to the company who provide lenses for Bollé and they made the lenses with no bother.

http://www.extreme-eyewear.co.uk/ or 01977 668732 and ask to speak to Simon (or Adele, who was equally helpful)

Julie20

Try fashioneyes.co.uk i got my last pair from there. Cheap prices and good service. I would recommend for all sports and just every day glasses.

benno68

Thanks all - off for an eye test on Saturday so will look around in earnest ready for the better weather.

I don't like the thought of contact lenses although I'm sure it's a good option for many I just don't fancy putting them in etc.

@TheRunningMan - I'll pop into Chalmer's, I cycle down Wellfiield and Albany Road on my way into work.

Hey Julie20 - don't work for that company do you?
They seem to have all sports except cycling on their website - shame :roll:

Christophe3967

schweiz wrote:

I’ve just got a pair of Oakley Jawbones with a transitions lens and a clear lens for skiing and cycling.

My Oakley transitions lens are fine in the dark, which obviates the need for a clear lens, although they're probably not going to be quite as good in very bright sunlight. I think there are two tints - mine are the grey ones, so perhaps you have a darker tint. Not having to bother carrying a clear lens at this time of the year is great...but I might be forking out for a darker set once the summer arrives.

bikey2009

Don't know if you have considered this option, but lots of people have recommended normal safety glasses for non-prescription use.

If you look at suppliers like "Arco" who provide safety equipment to industry you can get prescription glasses as well. Ok they are not Oakleys or Spez, but they are much cheaper because they are selling to businesses who are generally not "label tarts" like us gullable bikers 8)

Google arco and have a look, their catalogue has about 24 pages of glasses, plenty of styles, I know, I was up there looking for work stuff today.

Velonutter

A lot of lads have recommended Contact lenses, problem is if you suffer from Hayfever, then I can't wear them.

The problem I have is that I wear Varifocals as I can't read my Garmin otherwise for directions, is there a solution to this as I really need to wear my prescription but need to protect my eyes in the sun?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Some Rudy Projects take an insert which will hold prescription lenses (eg the Ekynox SX). RPs are (IMO) well designed, being high enough that they provide protection even when you're down on the drops looking forward.

Velonutter

Greg66 wrote:

Some Rudy Projects take an insert which will hold prescription lenses (eg the Ekynox SX). RPs are (IMO) well designed, being high enough that they provide protection even when you're down on the drops looking forward.

Thanks I'll have a look into them with my LBS

plowmar

I got and am well pleased with Optilab glasses at £100 a couple of years ago with photo-chromatic lenses - darkens with light intensity, giving that in case I got the term wrong- a lot cheaper than replacing ordinary glasses at over £250 a throw.

No probs if a little non cool. :roll:

FrankM

Just a word of warning. My prescription glasses were completely ruined over the winter by the grit they put down on the road.

davis

FrankM wrote:

Just a word of warning. My prescription glasses were completely ruined over the winter by the grit they put down on the road.

Are you sure? I be more inclined to believe it's the cleaning method you're employing. Granted, road grit/winter muck sticks to your lenses, but, with proper care, there's no reason they won't last. How are you cleaning them?

I'd still recommend optical inserts. Creating wrapped lenses with prescription (especially varifocal; the maths is Hard) is truly difficult.

FrankM

Probably is the cleaning method but the lenses were glass and cleaning's not that easy when you're cycling along and the lenses are so full of grit and mud that you can't see anymore ...

davis

FrankM wrote:

Probably is the cleaning method but the lenses were glass and cleaning's not that easy when you're cycling along and the lenses are so full of grit and mud that you can't see anymore ...

Ah, fair enough. Mine are (supposedly) super-duper polycarbonate, and I simply can't touch the lenses until I've stopped and I can take the gloves off (even then it's a risky proposition). I still don't get a massive amount of spray on the lenses though -- is the muck in your case purely thrown up by traffic?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Slow-N-Old wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

Some Rudy Projects take an insert which will hold prescription lenses (eg the Ekynox SX). RPs are (IMO) well designed, being high enough that they provide protection even when you're down on the drops looking forward.

Thanks I'll have a look into them with my LBS

For RPs, eBay is your friend. The insert takes a bit of hunting, as I recall.

cjw

Slow-N-Old wrote:

A lot of lads have recommended Contact lenses, problem is if you suffer from Hayfever, then I can't wear them.

The problem I have is that I wear Varifocals as I can't read my Garmin otherwise for directions, is there a solution to this as I really need to wear my prescription but need to protect my eyes in the sun?

Hello old chap

Yep Optilabs do varifocals as well. I use varifocals normally but havent need so far on the bike - I'm just far enough away to read the Garmin. Next time we meet up have a look at my riding specs and see what you think.