Prescription cycling glasses?

wolfsbane2k

Hi.

Im almost as blind as a bat without glasses, and after 3 months of commuting through all weather, I'm looking for some prescription cycling glasses after trying to get the balance of contacts & non prescription glasses.
I've found that I just can't do the contact thing, as the air vent around the glasses ( tried a few variations) causes trouble at certain downhill (speedy) points on the ride, so I'm currently back to reactive 'normal' glasses, which generally keep clear, but are less 'all round vision', and although suffer more leakage, are much less irritating.

Does anyone have experience of any particular prescription glasses type?
Looking at ones with fixed, clear glasses if possible, primarily in cost grounds.
Looking at ones where prescription glasses are fitted behind 'normal lenses' seem very expensive and quote fugly.

T

northpole

You may not like my response on cost grounds but one of the best cycling investments I ever made was a pair of Oakley Jawbones a few years back - I've still got and wear them every day of the week for commuting and weekend rides.

I am short sighted and have sensitive eyes to both light and the breeze on downhill sections. I ordered on line after getting a prescription for my new ordinary glasses and got them with transition/ reactolight lenses which have a green shade. They are fine for riding at night and in the brightest sunlight and completely shelter my eyes from the breeze.

They'll need replacing soon and I'm sure I'll go for the current equivalent. If you can scratch together the funds required, I'd strongly recommend Oakleys.

Peter

andcp

Don't know what the service is like (reputation is good), but Optilabs do either an insert or a prescription lens:
https://www.optilabs.com/product-catego ... unglasses/
They will lend you three styles of frames to try before you buy:
https://www.optilabs.com/optilabs-sample-frame-service/

I'm not trying to upset anyone (that'll be northpole mainly) but I've got Oakley prescriptions, and the lenses scratched up far too easily for me. Very disappointed with them.

pblakeney

I struggle to see distances sharply. I didn't think it was too bad but now I have prescription lenses I realise what I have been missing.
I went with Optilabs and I am very happy.
The frames are nothing special but I went for the top level lenses (reactive drivers) and they are top notch. The equal of my expensive binoculars. I made sure to get bifocals with a small section split at the bottom so I can read my Garmin.
They are the only ones I have tried for cycling though so that is not a very large sample.

rolf_f

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Looking at ones where prescription glasses are fitted behind 'normal lenses' seem very expensive and quote fugly.

T

I bought a pair of BBB insert type. The glasses were about £30 and the lenses something similar so very cheap compared to the options. They do have a number of advantages over the prescription lens option.

1) If you get mirrored lenses the prescription inserts are near enough invisible.
2) If you drop them, the outers are very cheap to replace vs very expensive to replace prescription lenses (the inserts are relatively unlikely to get damaged). Even the prescription inserts are relatively cheap
3) More relevant to touring but, with the clear inserts they serve as a spare pair of specs though not a very attractive pair!
4) You can change the tints to suit the conditions - eg yellow, clear, smoked etc
5) The visible lens is very thin - no fat prescription edges
6) If you are really short sighted, you may have to get really high RI (ie expensive) lenses to keep them thin enough as there is little clearance between the sun glasses, the inserts and your face.

Downsides

1) The non reflective lenses show the inserts behind which isn't a good look
2) They are less wrap round than normal shades to enable the inserts to fit (not really an issue)

I'd try both options before ruling out the other if possible. For an unarguable fashion gain, there's an awful lot not to like about the full prescription sunglasses route. Of course, if you want clear lenses then that is a bit different but then if I don't want tints, I just wear my normal specs for riding which are absolutely fine.

I got the inserts from Ciliary Blue who are excellent IME. They know what prescription will work with inserts.

meesterbond

northpole wrote:

You may not like my response on cost grounds but one of the best cycling investments I ever made was a pair of Oakley Jawbones a few years back - I've still got and wear them every day of the week for commuting and weekend rides.

I am short sighted and have sensitive eyes to both light and the breeze on downhill sections. I ordered on line after getting a prescription for my new ordinary glasses and got them with transition/ reactolight lenses which have a green shade. They are fine for riding at night and in the brightest sunlight and completely shelter my eyes from the breeze.

They'll need replacing soon and I'm sure I'll go for the current equivalent. If you can scratch together the funds required, I'd strongly recommend Oakleys.

Peter

This is my experience to a tee...

Oakley Jawbones plus transition prescription lenses in grey. I think they were about £400 all in but I've worn them for pretty much every ride I've done on every type of bike for the last 5 or 6 years I think. Mine don't quite go dark enough for night riding through, but as I nearly never do that it hasn't been a problem.

I tried a pair of non-prescription ones with contacts a couple of times but one or other would always comes out quite quickly.

The lenses are a bit scratched up now and I'm going to replace them with a different pair of Oakleys once I can come to terms with the cost!

andyrac

I bought a pair of Puma sunglasses from Specsavers last September - they were able to do my prescription and the Reaction lenses, plus the anti glare treatment.
So much so, I'm getting another pair, but in all black with maybe a tinted lens...

schlepcycling

I bought a pair of Oakley Flak Jackets with prescription transition lenses from here http://www.theinternetopticians.co.uk/, like others have said they're pricey but definitely worth the investment.

grenw

Missus loves her Oakley half jackets with clear black iridium transition lenses. MTB or road they've been worn every ride for a few years now.

Not cheap (£350 ish) but as far as cost per mile probably cheaper than most bike gear. Nothing else gets worn every ride other than perhaps a helmet and even then separate for mtb and road.

step83

If your like me with super short vision pretty much everywhere will say no to full lenses im currently -5.5 and -4.5 trouble is the lower the number the higher the base curve needed. Luckily I can wear contact but I do have an insert as an option, as said they are great for the fact you can drop the glasses an they wont get damaged etc only thing I wasnt keen on was the loss of peripheral vision on the edges which I use when I look back. Also that an glasses or inserts jiggle when you hit bumps.

Unclemonty121

I'm a -6 prescription and invested in a pair of Rudy Project Magsters - they are an old model now and there are newer ones. They have the insert behind and they are expensive, but you can pick up both the insert and glasses separately if needs be, cheaper, and then get the RX lenses in.

I have to change my prescription every 2 years generally so knew that I could change the insert easily but keep the lens/glasses. You can get reaction lenses, but I have three sets, of different lens and it works great.

I used rx-sport for them and they were great.

svetty

I used inserts for years - they work Ok in the main but in wet weather were a pain with condensation between the inserts and the lenses. For the past couple of years I've used Transitions prescription lenses in a pair of Rudi's - they work perfectly......

rolf_f

Svetty wrote:

I used inserts for years - they work Ok in the main but in wet weather were a pain with condensation between the inserts and the lenses.

I have a coating on mine which is meant to reduce this though, tbh, I mostly wore glasses in the rain on the basis that clear is better in the rain so not sure how well it works.

tangled_metal

So can you get an rx of -10 in cycling glasses or the inserts version? What's the bet it's a no then?

sniper68

Andcp wrote:

Don't know what the service is like (reputation is good), but Optilabs do either an insert or a prescription lens:
https://www.optilabs.com/product-catego ... unglasses/
They will lend you three styles of frames to try before you buy:
https://www.optilabs.com/optilabs-sample-frame-service/

I'm not trying to upset anyone (that'll be northpole mainly) but I've got Oakley prescriptions, and the lenses scratched up far too easily for me. Very disappointed with them.

I've been using Optilabs for about 10 years and have had no issues whatsoever.I'm due new glasses and I'll be using them again 8)

svetty

Tangled Metal wrote:

So can you get an rx of -10 in cycling glasses or the inserts version? What's the bet it's a no then?

I imagine that the thickness of the lenses (even with expensive high refractive index ones) might be an issue with inserts. With the Rudi Rydons I have the lenses clip into the frames but are not bound at the sides or bottom so I imagine they'd be OK.

tangled_metal

Svetty wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

So can you get an rx of -10 in cycling glasses or the inserts version? What's the bet it's a no then?

I imagine that the thickness of the lenses (even with expensive high refractive index ones) might be an issue with inserts. With the Rudi Rydons I have the lenses clip into the frames but are not bound at the sides or bottom so I imagine they'd be OK.

You're not kidding. At this prescription the standard 1.45 refractive index gives 10-11mm thickness at the edge but only 4m for 1.72 that I have to get for my normal glasses. I know because I have prescription safety glasses at 11mm thick on the edges. Higher refractive index lenses are not impact resistant enough to get rated for safety glasses use. I guess at best high refractive index inserts behind the cycling glasses tinted lense are possibly the only solution.

philbar72

Tangled Metal wrote:

So can you get an rx of -10 in cycling glasses or the inserts version? What's the bet it's a no then?

-8 at absolute maximum... so far according to the folks at RX.

I can however fit the rx insert into Oakley radar locks. I'm -7 ish. they seem to work but at low temps they do fog up a bit.

philbar72

its also about them going into the recesses behind the original lenses as well. my hack, is not recommended by anyone, but I can get them to work!

carbonclem

I've got a couple of pairs of m-frames with prescription lenses - one in persimmon and one black iridium, from RX Sport. Faultless.

hsiaolc

I bought an Oakley from RX Sports with transition with prescription. Good but I am now back with contacts.

Have you tried different brand of contacts?

Mad_Malx

Just gone back to optilabs. had previous pair for 7 years daily use. Hinges were still tight and lenses unscratched until I drove the car over them, although silicone trim was gone.
Gave 10% discount for ctc membership when I asked.

Unclemonty121

I would just add, that the Magsters and some of the newer Rudy's have vents in them - mine is in the nose piece, and even with inserts, I've never had any fog ups, which I've been really impressed about.

the_cyclist_of_catan

Just had my five-year old Optilabs lenses reframed. I dropped them last Saturday, and bizarrely the frame snapped clean across the bridge (I'm guessing that the frame might have been damaged in a couple of crashes I had last year). The lenses were completely I scratched. Sent the lenses back Monday, had the replacement pair in my hands Friday.

I do need to get a set of clear specs for low light/nighttime. Interesting to hear that high refractive index plastic aren't ideal from a safety point of view. I'm -6.5, so have 1.74 RI lenses in my everyday specs, and have to choose the frames reasonably carefully to avoid being saddled with too-thick lenses.

dannbodge

I bought a couple of pairs from Aliexpress last year.
2 frames, half a dozen different lenses and 2 prescription inserts for around £70.

They're cheap enough that it doesn't matter if they get damaged/broken