Reading glasses to ride a bike ?

beegee
beegee Posts: 160
edited June 2014 in Commuting general
I have just bought a Garmin Edge 200 GPS cycle computer. I've used it a few times and I have got used to it so that, even with my not such great eyesight, I can guess what it is telling me. However things get more complicated when I am trying to follow a course and it is telling me things by beeping at me. I cannot guess what it is trying to tell me. So now I feel that I need to keep a pair of reading glasses or a magnifying glass close at hand. Cycling used to be very simple, you just rode until you were tired or the bike broke down. Now I have to stop to see what the computer is telling me ! How do other people manage ? Get a bigger computer ?

Comments

  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    If it's just for reading then you can be perfectly safe without glasses. Older people generally. If it's glasses for short sight then hell yes get tested and wear your glasses.
    Perhaps there's a little magnifying glass you can get to stick on the display. I've seen some that are small rectangular frame holding up the lens. Also you can get magnifying plastic sheet smaller than a5. I think even some that stick onto what you want to be magnified. Just an idea but there must be a way.
  • night_porter
    night_porter Posts: 888
    If all you need are reading glasses like I do then just get yourself some bifocal safety glasses with the correct magnification. I have a couple of pairs 1 smoke and one clear for different riding conditions and I too wear them to follow maps on my Garmin. Some manufacturers of cycling glasses do make bifocal interchangeable lenses to fit their frames (google is your friend)

    NP
  • dombo6
    dombo6 Posts: 582
    I bought a 3-pack of Voltx safety glasses. They are wraparound like my bloc cycling glasses but have a corner loupe. These come in various strengths, i use +1.5 which allows me to read the garmin or map perfectly.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,002
    I’ve heard that stick-on magnifying lenses work well with cheap safety glasses or sunnies. Lots come up with google search.

    Or if you wear glasses for distance already then get bi or varifocals.
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    I got some Nike framed prescription sports sunglasses from Asda Opticians with varifocal lenses. Just the ticket for me. I don't particularly need a boost at that distance normally, but if I was using distance contacts on the bike then it would make the closer reading difficult for computer and/or phone.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,002
    edited January 2022
    :*

    Didn’t have my reading glasses on to see the date
  • drossall
    drossall Posts: 21
    Not sure the age of the post alters the answer though. This happened to me gradually. I now have to wear my varifocals when cycling. You can I think get varifocal cycling glasses, but I just wear regular ones.

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