Contact Lenses When Cycling

chiefinspector

Just been to the opticians for an eye test and currently have a pair of prescription Oakley's which are great. The optician suggested that i should try contact lenses and said there shouldn't be any problems with regards to Mountain Biking.

Does anybody else use contact lenses for Biking and it it worth trying out?

ewizzy1977

I use them all the time, I have weeklys, I put them in on a sunday and take them out 1 week later... I would never go back to glasses now, contacts a brilliant... however, they take a while to get used to them, and they aren't suitable for everyone. Most opticians will do you a trial though, so go and have a go.

The other advantage of getting contacts is that you aren't limited to wearing shades/protective cycling glasses that you are able to get a set of prescription lenses for.. The shades I wear(Maui Jim) some of the styles you can get in prescription others you cant, typically, the ones I wanted were not prescription compatible, so I tried Contacts on teh advice of my optician, that was 4 years ago and I wouldn't go back

Hope this helps

Alex

bartimaeus

Yep, I wear my contacts for riding. I always wear safety glasses or sunnies as well - otherwise the constant wind in your face dries the lenses out.

ddraver

I wear contacts while riding as do most of my friends, we are all fine apart from one guy who seems to have problems with them coming out all the time. I ve never seen or heard of this happening with anyone else mind!!

chiefinspector

Thanks for the feedback. I have a follow up appointment next week where the optician will show me how to put on, take out etc. I will get a free trial after that so will try and get some biking done in that time.

If i decide to go for these i was thinking that glasses with interchangeable lenses would be the best option as the current prescription specs for cycling i have are sunnies only. Are these worth going for?

Anonymous

I wear them always for riding. Reason mainly being that it got very costly smashing up expensive prescription specs, and it gives me the freedom to wear any old stuff.

I wear regular bike glasses with interchangeable lenses (shades, yellow & clear) to keep the bugs and mud out and from getting stuck behind the contacts (have had that happen).

Handy for using a range of goggles for skiing as well.

Se yeah, just a lot cheaper and less hassle than prescription stuff if you wear a number of specs/goggles.

p.s. Madison D'Arcs are the shades I use. Cheap at £30 for three lenses and reasonable protection. Not sure they're up to safety spec standard but I've had smashes direct on them and they haven't broken. Edge of them dug into my face though but can happen with any specs. Down side is they scratch easily, but okay if you keep them from knocking against things and don't let the spare lenses rub against each other in your bag/pocket.

stumpyjon

Me too, never had any problems with them drying out. I use daily disposables, carry a couple of spares in my camelback as well just in case but never needed them. The guy who had problems with them coming out sounds like he doesn't have the correct fit for his eyes.

Anonymous

Only time I've had a contact come out was my big crash in April. In my dazed state some where between crash and the hospital one contact had gone missing. They spent ages trying to find it in my eye apparently. Might have washed out with all the blood

Still, better than bits of broken glass in the eye.

Deputy Dawg

Lidl have some multi lens shades for a whopping £3.99 from Monday if you just want a cheap set while your on the trial.

I might just get a pair myself to use as back ups.

Steve_F

I don't really get on with lenses (got very dry eyes so they dry out quickly no matter which ones I try) but I still have some disposables to wear for cycling or golfing type of things. Can get away without them but for fast, dark trails or if it's raining on the golf course (as in not weather for glasses) they certainly help.

Only time it got really bad and they had to come out was a winter road ride with loads of gritty spray coming off the road. Ended up having to take them out as they got pretty painful.

Just make sure you've got your glasses in the car!

Moostah

I wear daily contact lenses, so I can pick and choose when I wear them. But I always do all mu sport in lenses rather than glasses. As said further up, I don't fancy breaking a rather expensive pair of glasses plus if I break them I am in trouble they are my only pair.

It does become expensive as I have normal sunglasses and perscription ones as well.

allen.coulson

Whatever you do, don't get reactolite lenses - or whatever you call them - the ones that change density according to the ambient light - a real bll ache when you are going through woods or shade and light areas.

But as someone said - wear glasses anyway as you don;t want a wasp smacking your eye at 50mph that can be an eye ache which eveolves, rather quickly, into a bll ache if you fall off and hit the forester who is doing his stuff with a chain saw.

esp in Texas.

daveaasmith

Laser Eye Surgery - do it .

Best thing I ever did, but I admit it's not for everyone.

Dave

Eyon

contacts are the best invention ever. Never have an issue with them when riding, but I found you must use sunglasses, my eyes go to either extreme of either watering so bad that I cant see at speed, or, again at speed, drying out.

Contacts + Glasses are fantastic, do it!

(FWIW I wear 1 month extended wear lenses, I took put these ones in on Thursday and I will take out tomorrow, have a few days on glasses then put these back in on Weds/Thrus and wear for another 5 days, so are incredibly comfortable and convenient)

chiefinspector

Thanks for all the info, very helpful.

I had a follow up appointment at the opticians today so i've been given a free trial of the daily contact lenses to try out. Optician said exactly what has been said above and that is to wear glasses when out cycling. She then went on to try and sell a £200 pair of Oakleys!!!

Will go out biking one night this week after work and see how it goes.

daveaasmith - laser surgery? one step at a time i think. Did you wear contacts before hand?

daveaasmith

chiefinspector wrote:

daveaasmith - laser surgery? one step at a time i think. Did you wear contacts before hand?

Yeah - you'll prob find lenses are all you need.

I wore glasses for 16 years, and contact lenses the majority of the time for the last 10 of that. I always found that with lenses they felt like they'd sort of float around when the wind was pelting me in the face.

Decided to bite the bullet and go for laser eye surgery 4 years ago - really is the best thing i've ever done. I was sh!t scared tho, but it was a piece of p!ss really. But not cheap.

Dave

VWsurfbum

Scratched the lenses up on my oakley perscription glasses at the weekend in wales :roll: really dont like my eyes being fiddled with, and really nervous about contacts, but i really cant afford to spend aniother £400 on a pair of glasses this month, i'll be very interested to see how you get on the for your first time.

Northwind

I only use my contacts for riding, more or less... Can't be bothered with them day to day but I wouldn't be without them on 2 wheels. I find I lose just a tiny bit of depth perception mind and occasionally one'll "float" slightly for a moment when I blink, but other'n that they're perfect. I usually wear protective glasses over them, then, I'd do that anyway.

VWsurfbum

going to pop to the local oakley place to see if mine can be polished out first but there seems to a be a lot of positives

Moostah

VWsurfbum wrote:

going to pop to the local oakley place to see if mine can be polished out first but there seems to a be a lot of positives

If they are still under 12 months old, Oakley might replace the lenes for you. They did for me on a pair of sunglasses a few years ago. Drop customer services an e-mail or a phone call and ask if they can help, have always been very helpful.

VWsurfbum

Moostah wrote:

VWsurfbum wrote:

going to pop to the local oakley place to see if mine can be polished out first but there seems to a be a lot of positives

If they are still under 12 months old, Oakley might replace the lenes for you. They did for me on a pair of sunglasses a few years ago. Drop customer services an e-mail or a phone call and ask if they can help, have always been very helpful.

I think they are about 15mths old but its my fault? wiping wet sandy lenses (when its peeing down) with my oakley bag which as it turns out was also wet and sandy! Grrr

capoz77

The problem with glasses when riding fast trails is field of vision, when you look under or over the lens you can't see as well. Contacts let you look in every direction with perfect sight!

I usually buy safety style protective eyewear are bigger so stops all wind getting to my eyes

Also always carry a small bottle of contact lens safe dry eye drops, great for refreshing even when off the bike and gives your loads more hours of comfort.

I wear Toric lenses which are slightly weighted so have a specific orientation in your eye, 30 days ones too, so remove and clean everynight. Only £15 a month from Specsavers.

These are excellent, ive got various colours depending on the weather and cheap!

http://www.safety-one.co.uk/products.php?cat=31

chiefinspector

Well, went bikng last night at the local trails trying out the contact lenses for the first time. All i can say is why did i wait so long. They are much better than wearing a pair of prescription glasses and you don't even realise you are wearing them.

Only problem i encountered was my eyes watering when i was on the fast flowing downhill sections but i believe this was due to the sunglasses i was wearing. I will be looking for some suitable ones this weekend.

Looks like i will go ahead and get the daily lenses. If it works out then i'll have a look at the weekly or monthly ones.

capoz77 - Thanks for the link. I work in Health & Safety so i can order loads of different kinds through the company. Better to get them to pay for it!!!

VWsurfbum

i went down yesterday to the Oakley store where i get my glasses from, £200 to replace my lenses So i went down the route of Contacts, if i wait until the 31st of July there doing a month free trial, so i'm going to wear my old ones until then, but she also said i'd need daily's for riding? she was also concerned that i am scared of touching my eyes! :roll:

Northwind

VWsurfbum wrote:

£200 to replace my lenses

:shock: You'd think they'd be a bit more scratch resistant considering they're obviously made of diamonds.

VWsurfbum

To be fair they have survived dropping and other idiotness

Thewaylander

hey Bumboy

I rode in all that mud with my contacts in mate no worries. they are the way and give much better peripheral vision which i find helps alot.

And don't worry to much putting them in and out, you just have to be a little bit discaplined

Pizzarepairman

try Oakley Customer Services on 01462 475400, they may offer a better deal on replacement lenses

VWsurfbum

Pizzarepairman
Cheers I will,
Thewaybender
I didn't realise, no problems with all the sand etc?

Revolver22

daveaasmith wrote:

chiefinspector wrote:

daveaasmith - laser surgery? one step at a time i think. Did you wear contacts before hand?

Yeah - you'll prob find lenses are all you need.

I wore glasses for 16 years, and contact lenses the majority of the time for the last 10 of that. I always found that with lenses they felt like they'd sort of float around when the wind was pelting me in the face.

Decided to bite the bullet and go for laser eye surgery 4 years ago - really is the best thing i've ever done. I was sh!t scared tho, but it was a piece of p!ss really. But not cheap.

Dave

+1 on the laser surgery, had mine done 2 years ago and it has been fantastic, perfect vision and made a real positive change to my life.

It isnt cheap, but I worked out it will pay for itself over 5 years against the cost of contact lenses, lens solution, glasses, check ups etc. Plus I got 3 years interest free repayments on it

Before that I wore contacts for all my sport and had no problems, infinitely better than glasses. Make sure you get soft lenses though, not the hard lenses (gas permeable) - they are not recommended for sport.

Also make sure you take a spare pair out with you in your bag just in case you lose one, and keep a pair of glasses in the car

VWsurfbum

Pizzarepairman wrote:

try Oakley Customer Services on 01462 475400, they may offer a better deal on replacement lenses

Marvelous, just phoned them,

As their pescription lenses there's nothing we can do, take them back to the shop

back to plan B then, :roll: