Anyone not wear glasses?

chrisaonabike

phreak wrote:

I've ridden for many years without glasses and have never had a problem with things attacking my eyes.

But you can see the risk, presumably? You've chosen to ignore the risk because you've been lucky. Up to you of course...

Amazing how riders used to be able to survive just find riding at pace on something as mucky as Paris Roubaix.

This sort of ridiculous argument is the same as "my gran didn't get lung cancer despite smoking 60 a day for fifty years, therefore it's perfectly safe for me to smoke."

Or, more topically, perhaps, "amazing how laboratory chemists years ago used to survive without wearing safety glasses".

Tell that to my lab mate from some years ago, who managed to set fire quite spectacularly to some solvent. He can see today because he was wearing eye protection. You should have seen the rest of his face for some months afterwards.

Take risks on your own account, by all means, but to argue from your luck to a general position, is simply daft.

phreak

I've ridden probably 50,000km without any incident. Is that really luck? Each to their own though. If you think your eyes are safer with glasses then carry on wearing them. My opinion has no real bearing on what you should do.

desweller

phreak wrote:

I've ridden probably 50,000km without any incident. Is that really luck? Each to their own though. If you think your eyes are safer with glasses then carry on wearing them. My opinion has no real bearing on what you should do.

You know, if you were my good friend Rob, your story would read more like, 'One day in France, I got hit in the same eye twice and then a bee got itself stuck in my neck, pointy end first.'

Maybe you really are a statistical phreak?

chrisaonabike

phreak wrote:

I've ridden probably 50,000km without any incident. Is that really luck? Each to their own though. If you think your eyes are safer with glasses then carry on wearing them. My opinion has no real bearing on what you should do.

Agreed, and I'm not trying to influence your actions either. I'm just commenting on the nature of the argument you're making.

I'm a relative newbie, and in two years and about 6500 miles - so 1/5 of your mileage - I've been hit in the face by something at least 5 times. Two stone chips hitting my lenses - they'e the ones I remember so clearly - and several things hitting my face but not my glasses.

So if you're not lucky, then I must be very unlucky.

Either way, the "it hasn't happened to me so it must be safe" argument is somewhat blinkered.

The other thing is, if the outcome of an unlikely thing is really, really bad (I count a stone chip hitting my eyeball at 20mph or more as really, really bad), then it deserves more attention than something that has only a trivial outcome.

phreak

The OP asked if anyone doesn't wear glasses, and I don't (and have never had any issues as a result). Sorry if that upsets anyone like

rolf_f

Mostly I just wear my ordinary glasses. I don't like wearing contact lenses much so I only wear sunglasses when it is actually very sunny - then I put up with the contacts. I don't see much point in putting contacts in to wear clear lenses!

If I didn't wear specs, I suspect I wouldn't bother with glasses except when there was a beneficial reason eg for sun glare. The risk of crashing as a result of a stone hitting your eye is probably similar to the risk of crashing whilst wiping condensation off a pair of sunglasses whilst riding!

Tjgoodhew

I wont go out on a ride without glasses.

Two reasons - i really suffer from the watery eyes/streaming nose so riding at anything over about 10 mph my eyes start to stream. On a fast descent without glasses the eye streaming can affect my vision to the point where it becomes unsafe.

And i will never forget - my second ever ride on a road bike and got a fly in my eye at speed. I never want to recreate that.

The majority of people i see out and about tend to be wearing some sort of eye protection

term1te

Very rarely wear glasses, 5% of rides max, and then only if it is really bright. Never had a problem, although I did wear some when I did the Marmotte a few years back, see avatar, and had to remove them quick going through those long tunnels.

slowbike

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

phreak wrote:

I've ridden for many years without glasses and have never had a problem with things attacking my eyes.

But you can see the risk, presumably? You've chosen to ignore the risk because you've been lucky. Up to you of course...

Lucky? Or built that way ...

I've had things hit my face whilst riding - iirc I think I've even had something (small fly probably) hit my eyelid - just close your eyes and it's fine ...
Seriously - your reflexes are usually enough to protect your eyes - you'll blink before the object strikes - it can still sting, but at least it's not your eye ball.

I don't tend to wear glasses when sunglasses are not required - I prefer the clear vision of no glasses - although if you go too fast your eyes do start streaming (especially in the rain!) - but then you can just blink more and/or slow down - rain on the glasses seriously hinders visibility and I've tried the No Rain wipe ons, just doesn't work for me - although I do keep trying.

lostboysaint

Always. I don't fancy having eye problems.

the_jm

I don't always wear them but on the occasions that I don't I often find myself wishing that I had.

vs

Never worn them. Well over 100,000 miles in the last 20 odd years, i can't remember anything hitting me directly in the eye...except the odd bug which I always seem to be able to blink for.

VmanF3

Often go without, but then I often go without gloves, helmet and shock horror, any cycling kit at all - just jeans and a T shirt, with a pair of Allstars on Look pedals...amazing I'm still alive.

apreading

Always wear mine now.

A few years ago, when getting back into Cycling, I did Hadrians Way and on the second day it rained so hard that I could not see because of the rain streaming in my eyes. In my bag I had some yellow £5 glasses from Decathlon so half way through that day I put them on. It made a huge difference. Now I could open my eyes and not have rain streaming in them - sure there was rain on the glasses but I could see through that more easily than the torrent that was going in my eyes before. But also, the yellow glasses made it look sunny and psychologically I felt warmer too!

As I have got faster, I wear them all the time because the wind in my eyes makes them water.

I ride off road alot too and you should REALLY wear glasses there because otherwise you get s**t in your eyes thrown up by the bike in front and your front wheel - not just stones and much but real s**t...!

I have spent alot of time wearing the yellow ones and it is really just like the proverbial 'rose tinted specs' - the ride always looks nicer, on top of the protection they give me.

cougie

How many sets of eyes do you have Joe ?

desweller

joe2008 wrote:

Some people are too funny, glasses for protection everyone knows it's a vanity thing?. Do you have your kids wear 'eye protection' on their bikes?

Ever been hit in the eye by a 50mph bluebottle?

Bar Shaker

I have had a fly in my eye when out mountain biking with no glasses. Now I would rather ride without a helmet than without glasses.

There will be plenty of people that haven't experienced this yet and think it is fine to ride fast with no glasses.

lostboysaint

Bar Shaker wrote:

I have had a fly in my eye when out mountain biking with no glasses. Now I would rather ride without a helmet than without glasses.

There will be plenty of people that haven't experienced this yet and think it is fine to ride fast with no glasses.

And got scratches on my face from branches overhanging trails, and scars on my helmet (there's one for IM) from gravel/chippings being flicked up. But still two functioning eyes thanks to Mr Oakley's finest deflecting problems away from that part of my face.

ai_1

I never ride without glasses. Sunglasses when sunny and clear or yellow ones when overcast/dark.
I've had flies etc hit my glasses, possibly never big/fast enough to do any damage but it's hard to tell. Definitely enough to be painful. On the other hand I've been hit from time to time by stones thrown up by cars, it's rare but does happen. While it's incredibly unlikely you'd get hit in the eye, it's a possibility which the glasses mitigate.
However by far the most important reason I wear them is for wind, rain and spray protection.

Glasses are a bit of a pain in the rain when they get wet but I find raindrops hitting my eyes even more annoying. Spray from my front wheel (if without mudguards) or from other bikes when in a group is a real problem. Even more so than with rain, the glasses though not a perfect solution (sometimes would love wipers!) they're better than nothing.
Finally wind: I really don't fancy descending hills at 70km/h+ without glasses. Vision into that sort of airflow is impaired and that's when I want the best possible vision. Also, at high speed you're at most risk from an insect in the eye!

No need to get fleeced by manufaturers. That's a choice you make when you chose a pair. As others have said, cheap safety glasses will do the job. They can lack ventilation (as do some of those marketed as bike specific!) which can cause some problems with misting up but one of my pairs is like this and has only ever been a very minor annoyance. Even basic cheap glasses are often available in dark or yellow versions.

Oakley, Rudy Project, etc do seem very overpriced to me. I've had a look at these and I really don't see that they are significantly better glasses. My current pair for sunny days are mid priced Armour 720 Ryders that I got 3 years ago on sale for about €40. As far as I can tell they're at least as well made as the Rudy Projects I've seen.

I used to use clear glasses at night but tried yellow and amber lenses and found they reduced the glare from car headlights noticeably so I a cheap pair of these now - Endura I think but essentially the same as a pair of yellow safety glasses.

Anonymous

I tend to wear glasses mainly as eye protection from (as lots of people have said) real and regular chances of things going in your eye.
I do also like the isolation they give, but thats another matter, and obviously the shade/light enhancement where applicable.

The argument that nothing has ever gone in peoples eyes is an odd one. 1 mile, 100 miles or 100,000 miles makes no difference. They are there for the one time something does.

I would not use a chop saw without a guard, even though I have never slipped and touched the guard.
I have worked for a guy that had to have his big toe cut off and sewn on his hand as a thumb though :shock: I never asked, but assumed he did it on a bench saw or something similar.

I wonder what the statistics are for cycling related eye injuries.

To say something is never going to go in your eye, or you are never going to crash is ridiculous IMO.
If you just do not want to wear them then fair enough, but accept there is a risk.
Just seems a risk worth avoiding to me, and not exactly difficult to do.

Anonymous

joe2008 wrote:

Some people are too funny, glasses for protection everyone knows it's a vanity thing?. Do you have your kids wear 'eye protection' on their bikes?

On her road bike, on the road (which is what we are talking about), yes, of course I do.

Guessing you are more talking about small kids cycling around in parks and on pavements, which is completely different to an adult going at 30-40 mph + with things possibly coming towards their eyes at speed too.

As to vanity. Wearing glasses is probably nothing to do with vanity, but the actual model people chose to wear might be I guess.
Mine were chosen for performance and fit first and good looks second (ideally they need to do both though).
Pi55ing haters off is just a bonus

VmanF3

joe2008 wrote:

Each to their own. I just think that people worry too much 'what if' these days. I have been riding glasses free for over 50 years and I've never had an eye related incident of any kind.

Tend to agree.

Pre-internet days, unless it was in your local bike shop, you didn't need it.

lostboysaint

joe2008 wrote:

Each to their own. I just think that people worry too much 'what if' these days. I have been riding glasses free for over 50 years and I've never had an eye related incident of any kind.

Good for you. I haven't and I have!

Anonymous

joe2008 wrote:

Each to their own. I just think that people worry too much 'what if' these days. I have been riding glasses free for over 50 years and I've never had an eye related incident of any kind.

Well done on that

Could you PM me 6 numbers between 1 and 49 (inclusive) before 7pm tonight please :P

Initialised

Snowflakes, hailstones and raindrops hitting my eyeballs were painful enough to convince me top get some glasses with clear, yellow and sun lenses.

crikey

I spend most of my riding without glasses, or gloves, or a helmet, and strangely enough I've survived to tell the tale some 30 odd years later.
The HSE types who wring their hands so hard at every opportunity need a lot more miles and a lot more time to develop a sense of perspective that isn't so obviously first world, middle class and angst ridden.

...and everyone knows the coolest place for glasses is on top of your cap or in the vents of your helmet...

charlie_potatoes

crikey wrote:

I spend most of my riding without glasses, or gloves, or a helmet, and strangely enough I've survived to tell the tale some 30 odd years later.
The HSE types who wring their hands so hard at every opportunity need a lot more miles and a lot more time to develop a sense of perspective that isn't so obviously first world, middle class and angst ridden.

...and everyone knows the coolest place for glasses is on top of your cap or in the vents of your helmet...

Crikey! :shock:

mamba80

crikey wrote:

I spend most of my riding without glasses, or gloves, or a helmet, and strangely enough I've survived to tell the tale some 30 odd years later.
The HSE types who wring their hands so hard at every opportunity need a lot more miles and a lot more time to develop a sense of perspective that isn't so obviously first world, middle class and angst ridden.

...and everyone knows the coolest place for glasses is on top of your cap or in the vents of your helmet...

yeah that was me until a trip to eye infirmary and an op to remove a large winged insect that had wormed its way behind my eye ball, it was fuggin agony and so un usual that the Doc asked me if he could put it on a slide for a forth coming lecture on eye protection, helmets though, tend to just generate a false sense of security.
But its an individual choice made on your personal experience - tonight I just heard that a guy who worked in our local LBS is paralysed following a bicycle road accident, that's worth getting het up about.

ai_1

crikey wrote:

I spend most of my riding without glasses, or gloves, or a helmet, and strangely enough I've survived to tell the tale some 30 odd years later.

That's nice, what's your point?

crikey wrote:

The HSE types who wring their hands so hard at every opportunity need a lot more miles and a lot more time to develop a sense of perspective that isn't so obviously first world, middle class and angst ridden....

Let's try and avoid dropping everyone into a category shall we?
There are plenty things I despise about what I consider an overly "safety" obsessed society. But wearing glasses while cycling isn't one of them. I certainly don't think glasses should be mandatory but they do make a lot of sense in terms of both comfort and safety for most road cyclists. If you have a particular aversion for wearing glasses...fine

desweller

crikey wrote:

I spend most of my riding without glasses, or gloves, or a helmet, and strangely enough I've survived to tell the tale some 30 odd years later.
The HSE types who wring their hands so hard at every opportunity need a lot more miles and a lot more time to develop a sense of perspective that isn't so obviously first world, middle class and angst ridden.

...and everyone knows the coolest place for glasses is on top of your cap or in the vents of your helmet...

Just so I understand you correctly...

Your sole criterion for the effectiveness of a piece of safety kit is whether or not you will definitely die if you don't wear it?