My sunglasses don't work

jame58rown
jame58rown Posts: 263
edited August 2011 in Road buying advice
I have some bloc sunglasses and while flipping the lenses my clumsyness caused me to lose the nose piece. Now when I go downhill, my eyes water :cry: :P

Here's the thing though; My eyes always water going downhill....I remember they used to even when I had the nose piece and the glasses I had before that did nothing to protect my eyes from the wind, so at the moment I only wear my glasses to protect my eyes from bugs and loose gravel.

Does anyone else have this problem? Is it size or something ? Or do I need a new, better pair? (reccomendations?)

Thanks.

Comments

  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    Everyone will say Oakley's - so you might as well start saving...
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Is your saddle in the right position? :)
  • jame58rown
    jame58rown Posts: 263
    Nuggs wrote:
    Is your saddle in the right position? :)

    Ummm....define 'right position'. :P
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    I need glasses so when the time comes to buy riding glasses I tend to spend a bit more than non prescripton folk. I bought some Oakley Radar glasses and they have been excellent at keeping the wind out of my eyes but they do steam up if I stop.

    I didn't think they were particularly expensive at about £200, I got some Oakley Jacknife glasses for everyday wear at the same time and they were about £300 so I'm used to paying a bit more than £30 quid for glasses.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    oodboo wrote:
    I need glasses so when the time comes to buy riding glasses I tend to spend a bit more than non prescripton folk. I bought some Oakley Radar glasses and they have been excellent at keeping the wind out of my eyes but they do steam up if I stop.

    I didn't think they were particularly expensive at about £200, I got some Oakley Jacknife glasses for everyday wear at the same time and they were about £300 so I'm used to paying a bit more than £30 quid for glasses.

    Surely that even by most peoples standards £200 is quite expensive for a pair of sunglasses.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    rubertoe wrote:
    Surely that even by most peoples standards £200 is quite expensive for a pair of sunglasses.

    Yeah it is quite a lot but I need glasses to see so I need to be wearing something. I'm not a rich man by any means but I could afford it at the time and I think it was money well spent.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,861
    oodboo wrote:
    rubertoe wrote:
    Surely that even by most peoples standards £200 is quite expensive for a pair of sunglasses.

    Yeah it is quite a lot but I need glasses to see so I need to be wearing something. I'm not a rich man by any means but I could afford it at the time and I think it was money well spent.

    I take it from the above you mean these are prescription ones?

    In which case, that's about what I would pay for good prescrition sunnies.

    Apologies if I misunderstood

    The OP is just after plain non prescrition cycing glasses is the impression I am under.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    Daniel B wrote:
    oodboo wrote:
    rubertoe wrote:
    Surely that even by most peoples standards £200 is quite expensive for a pair of sunglasses.

    Yeah it is quite a lot but I need glasses to see so I need to be wearing something. I'm not a rich man by any means but I could afford it at the time and I think it was money well spent.

    I take it from the above you mean these are prescription ones?

    In which case, that's about what I would pay for good prescrition sunnies.

    Apologies if I misunderstood

    The OP is just after plain non prescrition cycing glasses is the impression I am under.

    Yes they are prescription lenses. The point I was trying to make (but clearly not very well :? ) was that the Oakley Radar glasses are very good at keeping the wind out of my eyes.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    OP - I have Oakley Flak Jackets and I find that if I use the standard lens shape I have a similar problem but if I use the XLJ lenses (deeper lenses) I'm fine.

    I suspect that you need to find some glasses that fit slightly closer to your face (close on the nose and almost touching your cheek for the whole width of your eye).
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I got the tinted Bolle Contour safety specs for 7 or 8 quid off Ebay. They look just like cycling glasses, stop 100% of UV light, and more importantly fit my face perfectly so my eyes don't water when I'm flying down hill.
    Being such a close fit, if I'm sweaty they do steam up a bit when I stop, but I'd rather that than have stones / bees / hail going in my eyes.

    Bonus is I can use them as intended when I'm playing with power tools!
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    jame58rown wrote:
    Nuggs wrote:
    Is your saddle in the right position? :)

    Ummm....define 'right position'. :P
    I'm just wondering if your watering eyes are solely down to your sunglasses....
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    When the wind speed is higher, you get air turbulence around the edge of glasses. The size and shape determines how much and where all this turbulent air goes. If it sloshes around the front of your eyeball, your eyes water.

    My normal prescription specs have glass that is a bit larger than typical modern frames and a curved edge. They seem to be quite good at keeping wind off.
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    rubertoe wrote:
    Everyone will say Oakley's - so you might as well start saving...

    This one speaks the truth.

    Most cycle specific glasses do the job of stopping my eyes watering, just my radars do it better. They're also the only glasses I've ever used that I don't immediately have to take off when it starts raining, that's worth the extra cost for me.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Well I kept my Bolles on last night and it was pi$$ing it down! I was quite pleasantly surprised by how well I could still see despite the deluge
  • jame58rown
    jame58rown Posts: 263
    200 pounds!! They seem to get good reviews though, but they cost only half the cost of my bike :lol: I'll have a look for second hand :wink:
    Nuggs wrote:
    I'm just wondering if your watering eyes are solely down to your sunglasses....

    Oh, I see.....hehe :wink:
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    I'm surprised people need such high quality glasses to keep stones and bees out of their eyes.

    I wear ordinary specs and I've never had anything get into my eyes while riding. They're rubbish at stopping the wind make my eyes water but definitely stop foreign objects getting there.
  • Bought a pair of cheap sunwise glasses - £36 with 3 pairs of lenses to replace a pair of Rudy Projects that cost 4 times as much, and are less stylish and no better functionally...
  • trooperk
    trooperk Posts: 189
    You don’t need Oakley’s as there is other good riding glasses on the market, but if you want a bit extra then you can’t beat O’s, that’s why I have over 10 pairs (and yes I do wear most of them).
    In my opinion is attention to detail that makes Oakley stands out, like Unobtainium nose pieces and ear sock, some would laugh at the name and say is marketing hype but any one that worn a pair would agree it really grips your face even when sweating and now I don’t have to keep pushing sunglasses back up my face, also Oakley lenses have a very high impact resistant then most as they claim it can stand a 6mm ball bearing fired at over 100mph, anyone old enough will remember Oakley dealers used to have a M frame lens surviving been shot with a shot gun display in the sunglasses cabinet.
    Specialized-The clitoris of bikes.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    My prescription oakleys (radar) are one of the best pieces of riding kit I have invested in.
    They fit better then my optician supplied daily glasses and in fact cost much less - the 200 quid mark is about ball park.
    They never slip, never steam up, total wind protection, only downside is you cant wear them on dark days
  • trooperk
    trooperk Posts: 189
    JGSI wrote:
    only downside is you cant wear them on dark days

    Ever thought of buying some transition lenses then you can wear it on dark days.
    Specialized-The clitoris of bikes.
  • rubertoe wrote:
    Everyone will say Oakley's - so you might as well start saving...

    Oakley is an overpriced brand. But I have found that sunglasses are bits of kit where you do generally have to pay a moderate amount of money before you hit the 'price point' and you get something good.

    I have only ever used Bolle over the past three decades and have found them to be of good value. You can get their Parole/Vigilante for 50 something quid, which are top class.