Glasses ??
Zak3737
Posts: 368
I've so far used some fairly cheap glasses for riding, with 3 interchangeable lenses, and although they're ok, hardly substantial or cutting edge, and having to carry the lenses in case I need to change is slightly annoying, especially if i forget them !
So, what do peeps use ? Full hog Photochromatic Oakleys ? Or any light sensitive variants......?
or just a better quality Pair with different lenses ?
What do people pay ?
I'm not one for normally paying over the odds for Sunglasses, indeed my usual sunglasses are Bloc Mirror lensed jobs, which for £30 are absolutely excellent.
I can see the benefit for Photochromatics for cycling however, but can a good set be had for 'reasonable spend ' ?
Thx
So, what do peeps use ? Full hog Photochromatic Oakleys ? Or any light sensitive variants......?
or just a better quality Pair with different lenses ?
What do people pay ?
I'm not one for normally paying over the odds for Sunglasses, indeed my usual sunglasses are Bloc Mirror lensed jobs, which for £30 are absolutely excellent.
I can see the benefit for Photochromatics for cycling however, but can a good set be had for 'reasonable spend ' ?
Thx
0
Posts
The photo chromatic lenses are great and I use them for riding at night and day time. Mine are also prescription if you need that, which I have found much better than my previous Adidas Evil Eye which had an insert, which was just somewhere else for much to get into or steam up!
No*, get the Oakleys.
One lens for from virtually clear, to black iridium. Perfect glasses for UK.
I have Prizm lenses too (which are amazing), but photochromic would easily be my lens of choice if I could only have one.
* You will feel the cost is more than reasonable when you have them
I seee........ hmmmmmmm rats.
What is Prizm v Photochromatic ? Or is it both ? :?
It basically makes everything look very sharp and detailed. Gives a kind of lilac tint, and generally makes the world look a better place. Real life rose tinted glasses if you like.
Prizm and Photochromic are their two best lenses IMO.
Like polarised, Prism are not that dark, but I have sensitive eyes and they have been fine both in UK and sunny Spain.
Can't believe anyone actually does this.....
I am short sighted and I have sensitive eyes to bright sunshine and drafts. Oakley prescription transition lenses totally transformed my cycling experience. I too use mine every day and they are still in great nick after two or three years. Reminds me I must get a new set in the new year. My lenses have a green tinge - at the time I bought them the specialist I spoke to recommended them as having the widest range from clear to dark tint. They are fab and I have no hesitation in recommending the expenditure if you can afford them.
Peter
Without Photochromatic, (yet), on a 4hr ride, conditions can change,
Red Iridium in when you set off in bright sunshine, and then 3hrs later, its very overcast or dark.....
I used to have terrible eye sight, I was extremely short sighted, and I always had to find ways to adapt when playing sports etc. I had my eyes lasered about five years ago now, and the results were incredible. As such, I've been careful since to look after my eyes, plus I'm sensitive to the quality of the optics I'm looking through when I wear sports or safety glasses now. Like yours, my Oakleys are now old, and have definitely been worth the money. As a cost per year, they've not actually been all that expensive to be fair.
For next summer I'm going to add the prizm road lenses Carbonator talked about above, for use just on sunny daylight rides. I've no real reason to do so to be honest, apart from I borrowed a friend's pair this year and I liked the tint and clarity.
Especially when Bloc do their Titans with Photochomic too, and customiseable......for £60
There is no point in photochromic's if the range is limited.
You get what you pay for IME
Fair Point, & I guess its the speed of change thats important too.....
Bloc website:
"This Cat 1 - 3 Photochromic optical Class One lens provides Maximum protection against UVA/UVB and harmful blue light up to 400nm.
The Photochromic lens automatically adjusts to changing light and will gradually darken when exposed to increasing UV light intensity and returns to its original state when away from UV light. The Photochromic range for this lens is is from Category 1 - 3. Not suitable for driving in twilight or at night."
Details look very similar to Oakley stats, although I cant see a Light range on here:
http://uk.oakley.com/en/mens/sunglasses/sport-sunglasses/radarlock-trade-/radarlock-path-photochromic/product/W0OO9181PHT?variant=888392070432&fit=STANDARD
Radars for me and prescription Half Jackets for the missus. If anything happened to them, I'd buy another set at the drop of a hat. How many other items (bike aside) do you use EVERY ride?
I have quite a hefty (-5) prescription, and for years I have struggled with the problem of getting decent spectacles.
Optilabs provide a good direct glaze solution at a reasonable cost. They get around the curve issue, by building the curve into the frame rather than the lenses - this works well although the frame is quite large and does look a bit daft off the bike.
Inserts - this is where you have a prescription insert behind the frame. Couldn't get on with this - very prone to steaming up - and vision restricted severely in the wet weather.
Very recently I took the plunge and shelled out a staggering amount a cash for some direct glazed rudy projects - I opted for transitions lenes. Have to say I'm delighted with the results. True the lenses are quite thick at the edges - but one the lenses darken its not noticeable at all.
Perhaps not, & they are really that good......
Thankfully, I dont need Prescription glasses, I'm a contact lense wearer so just standard lenses are good for me.
Found the Radarlock Path vented Photochromic's online for £118, which does seem very good, so highly tempted.
Whereas, the Bloc Photochromics are only £60, which might be all I need or ever use, but even if I did buy some different lenses for really bright summer days too, they are only another £15 each.
However, for those of you with Photochromics already, it sounds like they really do cover all conditions, very bright or very cloudy ?
Thx again.
Anything apart from really low light (i.e. late evening/night time) where you would need a 100% clear lens IMO.
£118 is a bargain. You would not need darker than the Oakleys go, so paying £60 + £15 and then having to faff about changing lenses still (I doubt they are anywhere near as easy to change as Radarlock either) is a waste of time/money.
If the Blocs do not have the range or response time (seems silly to half do the benefits of photochromics, even if half the price) of the Oakleys then I would avoid them.
If they do, and you are happy with looks, quality, UV protection (is it a coating on the lens, or the actual lens material?) and impact protection, then get the Blocs if you fancy them.
If you do get the Oakleys, the only other lens (other than 100% clear) you might want (and they are super easy to change don't forget) would be a Prizm.
Its great for sunny days when you are not going to need photochromic.
I know people who do night MTB rides in theirs and claim they are as good as clear lenses - never tried it myself. Very bright sunlight they do let a bit of glare through but that's only compared to some really dark sunglasses and only when you look into the sun.
As I said above though, I've not worn anything else for 4 years. Dull winter days in the woods going in and out of what little light there was all the way through to midday in the summer sun. Never felt the need for anything else
That might be because they would probably have around 10,000 lumens of lights on their bike/helmet and there are no cars around.
Why you would wear sunglasses at night when you can obviously afford the clear lenses baffles me a little.
Can only think its for when the sun comes up?
They are certainly very clear (a lot of photochromics only go from nearly clear to slightly dark, or slightly dark to very dark, whereas the Oakleys do the whole range) but you definitely need 100% clear lenses for road use in very low light IME/IMO.
I prefer to be able to see better, even if its only a small amount.
It does seem rather bizarre :shock:
POC do blade,Oakley jawbreaker or Oakley radar ev.
I wear a kask mojito helmet and I know people have had problems wearing sunnies with this helmet.
Dave, You're not on your own, I wear a Specialized S-Works Prevail, and there is nowhere to stick your sunnies in them either!
Kinesis Racelight 4S
Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
I don't think thats what he meant.
Dave, get the Oakleys. Jawbreaker if you can suffer the design, and radarlock (not EV) if you can't.
If they do not work with your helmet, get another helmet.
You could always get some Rudy's I guess, if you like that kind of look and don't mind the inferior optics
Optilabs are very good value if on a budget - the do still look a bit 'goggly' with a hefty prescription.
Anyway I finally bit the bullet and paid out close on £250 for some direct glazed , transitions by Rudy project from extreme eyewear - wow - finally decent looking specs that work. Its a serious wedge of cash - but despite many years of searching there was no other options, don't like contacts, specs with inserts are ok - until it rains ! -
One of those times when you just have to pay - or compromise.
a tip for anyone with a big prescription, pay the extra £40 and go for transitions - this hides the thick lenses that need to be used on curved (wrap) frames.
2012 Cube Ltd SL
2011 Trek 1.2 - Sold
2001 Giant Boulder - Sold