Sunglasses

[42MuskhamSt]

What sunglasses work best for randonneuring? I'm guessing that
everybody has personal subjective experience with this question, but
I'd appreciate some opinions. I do not require prescription glasses
although I have better sight in one eye than the other. The result of
this is that the leading eye fatigues to the point that I have a hard
time reading route sheets after a few hours. I'm going to see an
ophthalmologist about this.

In the past I've found polarized lenses with a brown shade tint to be
the easiest on my eyes.

I've been looking at riding glasses with photo chromatic lenses too.

Also, does anyone use yellow lenses for low light or night riding?

The more I can reduce the work my eyes have to do, the better.

Your wisdom appreciated.

[Andrew Karre]

I'm a longtime fan of Oakley M Frames, and I've had a lot of others to
compare . Here are my reasons in no particular order:

1. Lots of lenses, and I've never heard anyone complain about Oakley
lens optics.
2. Somehow, the frame holds the lenses the perfect distance from my
face so sweat doesn't splatter on the lenses much.
3. The frames are perfectly shaped to hold the glasses securely but
not to interfere with peripheral vision.
4. They fit securely and out of the way in the vents of every helmet
I've ever owned (this is a big deal).
5. Yes, they're not exactly subtle, but they've been around forever,
so that makes them a little less conspicuous.

For a brevet that will include sunny and nighttime riding, I bring
dark and clear lenses. They're easy to swap and weigh nothing.

AK

[David S. Cohen]

While people are responding to this thread, for those of us who need them, I'd love to hear from people who have prescription sunglasses as well.  Thanks!

David

[Jim Bronson]

I got some sunglasses with 4 interchangeable lenses at Performance
Bike a few weeks ago. I really like them. Cost 44.99. I'm sure they
are a knockoff of some other name brand but I don't really care.

I used the yellow lens for a day/night ride on a recent 300K and that
worked out pretty well FYI. On my 200K in Arizona last weekend I used
the mirror grey lenses and that worked well also.

--
Sent from my mobile device

having a blood clot is a sticky situation

[The Wolff Den]

While being far from perfect (perfect being returning to my teens when my eyesight was perfect), I've found a solution that works for me. I'm getting nearsighted enough to need prescription lenses, mostly at night and especially so when I'm fatigued. I switched over to the baseball flip up style set that Rudy Project offers, RB-2's or something like that. The prescription lenses are clear and the changeable tinted lenses flip up or can be removed for extended nighttime riding.

Swapping out lenses as needed sounds easy, but it's troublesome for me. Some frames don't make it easy to do and it's hard to keep the lenses clean while doing it, or at least for someone as apparently clumsy as I.

And while I have used yellow lenses in the past for low light and night time riding, I much prefer clear lenses due to the color shift (for lack of a better description) one experiences using yellow lenses.

MW

Jacksonville, Fla / Team Diurnal
PBP - 2007, 2003
Cascade - 2005
BMB - 2000, 2002

[Keith Kohan]

My favorite sunglasses to date are Rudy Project RB3. http://www.e-rudy.com/index_inner_detail.php?group_id=1&cat_id=37&item_id=SN430911 The flip up lens and prescription attachment features are great.  Being able to flip the lenses up quickly is very handy.  I can flip up the colored lenses and the prescription lenses stay in place.  A great feature for the twilight transition time on long brevets when the sun is almost down then you turn a corner and it's right in your face.  The lenses are replaceable for life for a small fee if they are damaged and there are a large assortment of colors available. I have five different colored lenses.  I tried the yellow but never really got used to using them.  My personal favorite is red.  My son prefers blue. I should add a disclaimer.  Rudy Project gave me the RB3 sunglasses at a very reduced prices part of a race sponsorship arrangement.  They also gave me two other pairs for race victories. Keith Kohan --- On Fri, 1/9/09, 42MuskhamSt <atte...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Seth Romanow]

I use perscription sunglass lenses, and have for many years.  My preference is for Oakley's.  Which model is entirely up to face size, etc.  I prefier brown tinted lenses, which can be used in most light conditions.  When it gets too murkey, I just put my normal glasses back on. I don't like photochromatic all that much as they don't work well (change color) if you use them for driving as well.  Oakley does a great job in producing a very high quality custom lense, no distortion and crystal clear. They are expensive, though. But you pay for quality. 

 

On polarization...yes.  It does make a difference on road glare.  Plus, the skies always look bluer

 

SethR

[WMdeR]

Sunglasses are a pretty subjective thing, as others have pointed
out.

I strongly recommend going to the local sport-shield glasses emporium
and trying a bunch of them on. Wear your helmet and get low, like
you're in the drops. If you have to cock your head back to see
clearly, you'll instinctively do so on the bike, and they'll cause
neck and shoulder fatigue.

If you find a pair you like and meet your optical needs, put them on,
and settle down for a while--like a couple of hours--with your helmet
on. Still like them? No pressure points even with your helmet on?
See if you can buy them with the understanding that you can bring them
back if they don't work out. Then it is time to try them riding.

In non-prescription glasses, I've had good luck with the Oakley M
frames for reasons well articulated by others, though the long temples
interfere slightly with my Specialized helmet harness. The Smith Moab
frames also work fine for me, and cost substantially less, though
fewer lenses are available.

I prefer interchangeable lenses/shields over photochromic ones--see
below. Very dark lenses (less than about 30% visible light
transmission in my experience) will leave you riding blind in shadows
and tunnels. I've found shooter's lenses (yellow or light amber
lenses) work well for low light and riding through the night. I end
up carrying two lenses on longer rides: one for dark/twilight riding,
and one for the expected daylight riding conditions. In the Oakley
line, I like the Persimmon lens for flat/overcast days, the G30 lens
(a subtle rose lens with a blue flash coating) for brighter
conditions, and the yellow or clear lenses for night time. All the
Oakley lenses are easily scratched, and scratches in lenses with
optical coatings (flash/iridium/etc) are very noticeable.

However, I no longer pass the driving test without corrective lenses,
and I absolutely can't navigate without my glasses. I've spent six
years looking for an optimal set of prescription sunglasses with mixed
luck. I have high hopes for the current ones (on order), but here are
my impressions to date.

Contact lenses: I know they work for others, but I can't wear them
for more than ten or twelve hours straight. Not so fine for a
400/600K.

Oakley M frames with prescription inserts: the insert is not as large
as the full non-prescription lens, and my field of view was bisected
by the top of the insert. The corrective lens is also substantially
thicker than the very thin shield, and was noticeably darker than the
surrounding shield.

Briko Lucifer: the top of the frame blocked my vision unless I cocked
my head back, and the temples dug into a vein behind my ear, giving me
a headache after a few hours. The nosepiece came unglued from the
frame and defied repair.

Rudy Project, Smith Moab, Adidas, and Bollé: an optical insert sits
behind the shield and rubbed my eyelashes uncomfortably. The Smith
MOAB worked okay as a non-prescription solution.

I've never sprung for polarized lenses and can't comment on their
performance on the road.

For summer use, I've had reasonable luck with brown tint
photochromatic lenses in standard eyeglass frames--starting clear and
getting dark with UV exposure. The ones I got (Transitions brand)
stayed pretty dark even under very cloudy conditions (UV seems to get
through overcast more than visible light). Riding from bright sun
into shadows or into a tunnel, they didn't react quickly enough to see
clearly. So they're sunglasses that get light enough for evening in
warm weather. However, in cold weather, the rate at which all
photochromatic lenses lighten slows to a crawl. They darken very
quickly and stay that way until they warm up under low UV exposure
conditions. It turns out this is a common and known limitation to the
technology, and the most helpful recommendation I got was to run them
under a hot water tap until they lightened back up.

See if your optician will move the eyepoint up to match where you
actually look through the lens when you're riding. For example,
that's about a centimeter above my eye center for regular glasses.
Get the glasses oversized relative to the currently stylish small
lenses and with some wrap if possible, or you'll end up squinting and
suffering from eyestrain like I did with my last set. Those big,
square double bridge ones popular in the late 1970's and early 1980's
look promising (and cheap). Rimless glasses can be custom-shaped to
meet your needs as well.

Best Regards,

Will

On Jan 9, 12:27 pm, "Jim Bronson" <jim.bron...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I got some sunglasses with 4 interchangeable lenses at Performance
> Bike a few weeks ago.  I really like them.  Cost 44.99.  I'm sure they
> are a knockoff of some other name brand but I don't really care.
>
> I used the yellow lens for a day/night ride on a recent 300K and that
> worked out pretty well FYI.  On my 200K in Arizona last weekend I used
> the mirror grey lenses and that worked well also.
>

[Duncan Watson]

This is exactly the solution I use, including the brown lenses.

On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 1:01 PM, Seth Romanow <hsroma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I use perscription sunglass lenses, and have for many years. My preference
> is for Oakley's. Which model is entirely up to face size, etc. I prefier
> brown tinted lenses, which can be used in most light conditions. When it
> gets too murkey, I just put my normal glasses back on. I don't like
> photochromatic all that much as they don't work well (change color) if you
> use them for driving as well. Oakley does a great job in producing a very
> high quality custom lense, no distortion and crystal clear. They are
> expensive, though. But you pay for quality.
>
> On polarization...yes. It does make a difference on road glare. Plus, the
> skies always look bluer
>
> SethR

--
Duncan Watson
Duncan....@gmail.com

[pamela blalock]

I've always used sunglasses when riding. I had either two different sets or
two different lenses, one dark and one clear, for night time use. I started
out with Oakley blades and then m-frames, but found the frames didn't stand
up to regular lens switching. They would eventually crack in the middle. At
some point I just got two different pairs of *sun* glasses, one with clear
lens, one with dark and just switched glasses.

More recently John got the Oakley Half Jackets - these have two separate
lenses, as opposed to the one big one of the m-frames. They seemed to stand
up better to switching lenses, and the lenses are small and easy to carry
(easier than the m-frame or a second pair of glasses).
http://oakley.com/halfjacket

Last year I finally gave in to age, and got Prescription glasses. I'd made
it well into my 40's, without needing them, but at some point, all the print
got small and fuzzy and I started using those magnifying reading glasses
from the local drug store. But things got even smaller and fuzzier, and I
finally conceded that I needed something I could walk around in and read.
You can't walk around looking through the drug store magnifying glasses. For
the aging far-sighted person, this means bi or tri focals or progressive
lenses (essentially tri-focals without the lines)

Anyway I got my progressives for everyday and work and decided to get *sun*
glasses for riding too. I couldn't read maps anymore (tiny fuzzy print) when
touring and constantly had to pull out my reading glasses, and it would be
nice to stop at the grocery on my bike commute and be able to read
ingredients on things I was buying. I went with Oakley Half Jackets with
transition lenses. The transition lens goes from clear inside to dark in the
presence of UV. So I now had one pair of glasses that would work day and
night on the bike, and I could even stop at a coffee shop mid-ride and read
a newspaper. They have loads of other models that for prescription, but I do
like these.

They weren't cheap (since I needed progressives), but it was one of my best
bike-related purchases in the last two years! I believe you have to go with
prescription to get transitions - they don't seem to have a transitions lens
that isn't prescription.

One final caveat about the transition lenses. They are great on the bike,
but will not go dark in a car, since the windshield blocks UV. If you want
dark lenses for car use, you can just get dark lenses separately.

Pamela

[pamela blalock]

Oops, I just found on the Oakley ght that one can get non-prescription
transition lenses...
http://oakley.com/pd/3688/11811

I had said...

[prestonjb]

My view is to pay enough to get optics that have high UV protection
and then comfortable and also at least interchange with clear for the
night rides.

However stay as cheap as possible as all of these "plastic based"
lenses will scratch, get lost, stepped on, smushed in a bag or what
not.

Typically my upper limit is around $45 though I often find a right
fitting pair in the $25 to $35 range.

The 4-lense performance full face ones are nearly oakley knockoffs
even with a "P" shaped kinda like an "O" where the Oakley "O" is
located :) It fits well and the lenses are good quality however the
nose bridge breaks after several lens changes...

Tifosio (sp?) also makes a nice set but I've had the rubber ear piece
slide off exposing a metal wire... It has only done this with one pair
and it takes a while but my second pair is about to do it... Though
the clear lens is also about to fail in the middle soon too...

[SloMoe]

Panoptx.com might be worth a look. Panoptx makes sunglasses marketed
to motorcycle riders. I've been using my pair for two years now for
cycling (as in bicycle riding). They are available with or without
perscription lenses and with or without the photochromatic feature.
Mine are both perscription and photochromatic; darker than dark in the
sunlight and crystal clear at night. No dealing with changing lenses
or carrying two pairs of glasses. They are also available with a
removable foam rubber insert that seals out wind and dust. Maybe
slightly heavier than glasses marketed specifically for bike riding,
but not prohibitively so. Used them on a 1200K with no problems.
They do involve some serious coin, but at least from my perspective,
well worth the price.

On Jan 9, 4:41 pm, "pamela blalock" <el...@blayleys.com> wrote:
> Oops, I just found on the Oakley ght that one can get non-prescription

> transition lenses...http://oakley.com/pd/3688/11811

>
> I had said...
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pamela blalock [mailto:el...@blayleys.com]
>
> I believe you have to go with prescription to get transitions - they don't

> seem to have a transitions lens that isn't prescription.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[SloMoe]

Please forgive my misspelling of prescription in the previous post.

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Dark Horse]

One of the most pleasant discoveries I've made in the last couple of
years has been Rudy Project Photochromic Clear lenses. They're more
than clear enough for nighttime, and get dark enough during the day
even when it's clear. I hate carrying multiple lenses, and now I don't
have to. The only time I've wanted something a little darker was on
the C1200 during the day, but that's been the only time.

Dark Horse

[TomMarchand]

Looks like I am the odd man out with my $14 Nashbar glasses. I've
given up on expensive sunglasses.

[albert meerscheidt]

For reading cue sheets on night time brevets I carry a cue sheet light and also a pair of clear polycarbonate glasses with the reading bifocals. I picked them up from McLendon's hardware store for about $10, maybe $12. When they get scratched they go into my workshop or the trash and I get another pair. I've also taped (pre-mounted) a rear view mirror on them so that I don't have to take the time to move the mirror when the group I'm with stops to put on their reflective gear.

Albert

--
Thanks,

Albert
albert.me...@gmail.com
cbcr...@cascade.org
webm...@seattlerando.org

[lightman]

Hi: I am from Seattle. What are sunglasses? We don't seem to need
them around here.

Also, I don't like polarized lenses. They eliminate the glint from
the broken glass.

[WillemJ]

I am of an age where I need prescription glasses - progressives in
fact. These really are excellent for cycling, since you can see
properly in the distance, and also on your map. Unfortunately they are
expensive. If you need/want sunglasses of the same kind, it is the
same amount of money again (almost 1000 dollar is what a decent pair
cost me in Holland, largely because of the lenses). So that really
hurts, especially since you need new lenses every few (four?) years.
For my sunglasses, I decided on the classic Rayban ("pilot") frame,
since it is large enough to protect you well, and is classically
stylish. I got real glass, rather than plastic. Glass does not scratch
nearly so much, and optically it is still quite a bit better (less
glare especially). It is even a bit cheaper than plastic. However, it
is a bit heavier, and does not work with "frameless" frames. I prefer
brown, and I don't like lenses that get darker when there is more
light. In my experience they are too dark when there is no light, and
not dark enough when there is a lot. How dark your sunglasses will
need to be obviously depends on where you live.
I had a look at sunglasses that have inserts for prescription lenses,
but concluded that those inserts were too small to work properly with
progressives. Nice idea, and appealing for those who have never really
needed glasses before, but not if you really need your glasses to see
properly. Progressives don't work well with very small frames: there
is just not enough vertical space.
So for all of you who don't (yet) need prescription glasses: count
yourselves lucky.
Willem

[Randon Nerd]

David - Having reached "geezerhood" several years ago, I've found that
I can't read cue sheets with a font less than a 40pt and rather than
reformatting the cue sheets have found that my "regular" bifocals with
progressive lens are a requirement. For the last few pairs I've gone
with the "dorkey" ones (one manufacturer is Flexon) that have magnets
in the sides of the lenses to hold on the sunglasses. The sunglasses
are also made of glass and are polarized - for those that prefer this
feature.

Others I ride with have found that the standart "clip-on" works just
as well, and are generally less expensive than the magnetic clip-ons.

Those that are fortuate to not require glasses can find a great
selection of protective eyeware in a multitude of lenses and fashions
at industrial safety supply stores.

Presbyopia is NOT disease!

Bill

[Emily O'Brien]

>
>
> Presbyopia is NOT disease!
>
> Bill

Presbyopia? Is that when you can only see churches that are
Presbyterian? Just like Myopia is when you can only see things that
belong to you? And Astigmatism means that your palms bleed and you can
only see the stigmatized stereotypes in other people?

As far as sunglasses go, I like to have one clear pair and one dark
pair with me for brevets, and switch between them as necessary. This
wouldn't be economical if they had to be prescription, but for me,
they don't. Also, I keep them on a "chums" strap so I can take them
off and hang them around my neck if they fog up when I'm climbing or
something. It's much easier than taking them off and sticking them in
my pocket or on top of the helmet (although I'm probably missing out
on some serious style points by not ever putting them up there!) and
it's easier if I take them off when I go into a store or something,
too. I even put little snap buckles on the straps so I can take them
on and off without having to take off my helmet (I don't like to have
the strap long enough to go over it, that gets annoying).

You just have to try them on and see what fits your face best. I
prefer for them to wrap around somewhat, I hate it when the nose part
or the edges are in my field of vision, and I hate it when my
eyelashes hit them too much. So sometimes it takes a few tries to
meet those criteria.

Emily O'Brien

[DrCodfish]

Pamela said:

"One final caveat about the transition lenses. They are great on the
bike,
but will not go dark in a car, since the windshield blocks UV. If you
want
dark lenses for car use, you can just get dark lenses separately."

Actually there is a recent development in UV lenses, it's called drive
ware. and it allows those UV lenses to work insde the car.

I'm in the early stages of geezer hood so progesive lenses have been
part of my daily grind for a long time. In 2002, just befor I rode my
first long event I made the leap and got a pair of sunglasses with
progressive, transition lenses. These were very expensive, but here
is the good news: there is no other downside side. They solved all
the problems that come with othe solutions: They are dark when they
need to be, light as appropriate, I can see down the road, read street
signs read a cue sheet, and no stopping to fiddle with lense changes,
really they solve all the problems. I like these bevcase asa slow
guy, this eliminate just one more small time waster out on the road.

As I said, they are stupid expensive, but then they are multi-purpose,
I can use them every day, actually 24/7, they are not necessaily just
bike gear. With this approach you are not limited to "sun glasses" you
can find just about any pair of frames that suit your fancy and have
lenses made.

The only limitation is that if you are after a prescription lense you
will not be able incorporate styles with a dramatic wrap around
curve.

There are a couple mail orde houses that will make the lenses and put
the whole package together for you at a decent discount.

On place I have worked with for my last two pair of such performance
eyeware is Zeal Optics. I've been very happy with their products and
the service has been excellent.

Yr Pal DR Codfish






On Jan 10, 7:25 am, Emily O'Brien <emilyonwhe...@emilysdomain.org>
wrote:

[R.Murray]

I ended up with Rudy Project Ketychum with the RX insert. ( glasses
happen early in my family) I barely remember not needing a corrective
lens. With the Rudy's I have two replaceable lenses with the clip in
RX insert. Never had a problem with replacing the clear/tinted
quickly.

I tried the Panoptx mentioned by SloMoe but wondered about fogging
when climbing. Have you had any issues with that? The model that I
tried were very secure and comfortable but the cost at my local shop
was out of control. So I can recommend them if they work for you but
the cost did not work for me.

SloMoe do you have any problems with fogging? I know they are vented
but not as much as the usual cycling glasses.

Since we are on the topic of eyewear. Has anyone on this list ever
tried goggles. Modern version of the ones that we have see in the
historical pics in Bicycle Quarterly?

RudyProject has a pair (EKYNOX TACTICAL) that enclose the area around
the eye and use a strap around the head. They are supposed to be
vented like the Panoptx.

I find that between my allergies and winter/cool weather riding the
skin around my eyes has taken a real beating.
The inexpesive/or more expensive motorcycle goggles do not fit me.
They are to big, don't fit on my face with the my helmet on, plus I
would really have to crank my head back to see when in a tuck or even
just riding lower in the drops.

So I end up with a thin coating of Vaseline trying to keep the cold
wind from completely irritating around my eyes.

Thanks in advance if anyone has any input.

[SloMoe]

> I tried the Panoptx mentioned by SloMoe but wondered about fogging
> when climbing. Have you had any issues with that?

> SloMoe do you have any problems with fogging? I know they are vented
> but not as much as the usual cycling glasses.

I haven't had any fogging issues with the Panoptx whether climbing or
riding flats. However, I am off of the bike during the colder months
(December through March) when fogging is more likely to occur, so it
may possibly be a concern for cold weather riding.

Just wanted to mention also that I recommended Panoptx to a friend who
was having a problem with painful, tearing eyes while riding. It was
particularly a problem on long distance rides. So much so that she
was considering not riding PBP even though she had already qualified.
The Panoptx cured her eye problem, and she went on to successfully
complete PBP.

[prestonjb]

It is a device that blocks the kinda greyish whitish swirly areas
around the kinda bright grey spot you see on the clouds. It makes all
the clouds look dull and dark as if it is.. um well uh raining...

:)

Or down here in Fla it is the thing that makes it so when you look up
and see a brilliant blue sky (which you don't know what that is
either) and all of the sudden you glance at a blinding bright dot in
the sky, you are not blinded for as long as you would be if you did
that without these devices... ;

:)

The nice thing about polorized is that you can actually see into the
car to see that the driver is looking at you and not facing the other
way talking on the cell phone... So you know your odds of passing in
front of them without getting smacked by the hood of the car are
better...

Having said that they do also take away from other areas and
personally I think ones that are not of high quality optical glass
(coating) just don't do a good enough job so why bother with any
"taking away" if it is only going to be distracting and not useful!

[Joe Gross]

I recently switched to the same lenses. They doesn't go as dark as my
old Rudy polarized lenses, but they're dark enough. I initially bought
them for commuting and randonneuring but they worked so well I now use
them as my primary and only set of sunglasses.

Many of my rides either start or end in the dark. Not having the
annoyance of swapping lenses or glasses, or even having to worry about
anything related to my glasses is a huge deal for me.

I wasn't able to find a way to buy them with frames, but I already had
a few pair of Rydon glasses, so I replaced my clear lens set with these.

I do occasionally wish they were polarized any maybe a little darker
in bright sunlight, but I find they're as close to perfect as any
glasses I've had and the benefit of having one set of glasses more
than outweighs the minor disadvantages.

Joe

[stevo]

My two cents.... Freshly back from a 300K last night wearing a pair
of RudyProject EKYNOX TACTICAL with Rx inserts... I originally
started wearing sunglasses when I had been riding a few months when I
realised that my regular glasses didn't keep enough wind out of my
eyes and after only 40 miles or so, I would get home and my eyes would
be all clouded up from being dried out. I got a pair of (cheap!)
Bolle Paroles with Rx and went on into rando riding for years and many
series, etc with never a problem. So... time to upgrade, right?
Can't be wearing those crummy old paroles, new Rx anyway, etc. The
Rudy's were tough to get the Rx right (diffent eye geometry from
street glasses), and now I find that they let lots of wind in. I
could barely see by the time I got in... coudn't read street signs,
big halos around lights... very ugly. So back to the Paroles. I will
keep the rudy's for short club rides... but anything long or windy or
cold.. it's Parole time.

[wpr4u wpr4u]

I assume you use the Parole Rx Adapter.  Any problems?



> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:13:40 -0800
> Subject: [Randon] Re: Sunglasses
> From: steven...@charter.net
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com

[David Lafferty]

Here's one more opinion from the prescription glasses world. I don't
like carry extra lenses or glasses to lose, so I have sunglasses with
brown transition lenses. My last pair were Rayban (don't recall the
model); my current glasses are Oakley Twitch. You should defintely go
to a glasses/sunglasses store and try on a few pairs of frames. Make
sure the frames are comfortable with your helment and other headwear.
Also make sure you can see through the lenses when you're in the
riding position. I ended buying my most recent pair from
FramesDirect.com because I couldn't get *prescription* Oakleys
locally. I would definitely buy glasses from them again after getting
a new prescription.

For non-prescription users, I'd recommend trying photochromatic or
transition lenses. The convenience of not changing glasses/lenses
when the weather changes is a worthwhile investment.

David

> > the broken glass.- Hide quoted text -

[Ingle, Bruce]

> Here's one more opinion from the prescription glasses world.
> I don't like carry extra lenses or glasses to lose, so I have
> sunglasses with brown transition lenses.

Keep in mind that these are not as transparent as clear lenses in the
darkest conditions, so additional lighting output may be required to
compensate for the remaining tint in nighttime rainstorms.

If you upgrade your lighting when you change to photochromic lenses,
this shouldn't be much of an issue.

- Bruce

[SkipY]

Depending on your age, and possible Lasik, the biggest challenge is
reading your GPS, watch, cue sheets, etc. Most of the sport
sunglasses don't address the need for bi-focals with no distance
correction above...especially in a style that wraps to keep the wind
out. Couple that with the fact that polarizing lenses make some
instrument displays unreadable unless you twist your head sideways.
After looking at all the expensive options...I found "fishing
glasses" ...these are cheap, wrap style polarizing sunglasses, with
non-polar bi-focals built in ...use them, abuse them, and pitch em...
$12 at the flea market in Daytona. For night, you can get the same
idea going with clear industrial safety glasses..again with bi-focals
built in...about $10 mail order. What you lose in "cool" you make up
for in utility and convenience. If they just made these in
photochromatic.....

[Lloyd]

I've been using Rudy Project Ridon glasses with interchangable lenses
and prescription clip-ins. I've had no problem with them at all--great
glasses--but I have a problem with the retina in one eye and my doctor
suggested Panoptix (now called 7-EYE). Quite expensive (though not
much more than my RP). The panoptix will keep out the dust and wind
effectively, but I wonder about fogging issues. I also wonder what
kind of return policy they have if they just don't work for me. And do
they come with interchangable lenses?

[George Swain]

I cannot ride without vision correction of some type. While not
riding I almost always wear glasses. While on the bike, I do so as
well. For a short ride or commute, I may ride with my "street glasses"
on, but if I ride for longer than 1-2 hours, I develop pains in my
neck because the frames are fairly small and the angle is not ideal.
For longer training rides and brevets I always wear contacts and large
cycling specific sunglasses with interchangable lenses. I have pair
with three lens varieties. I pack two in a small ziplock bag within a
felt glass cleaner for safekeeping to change as the light changes.

Clear lenses are critical at night. I have ridden 600s, fleches and
24-hour races with no trouble. I always bring a spare pair of
contacts with me but have not yet had to swap these out. I find that
sunglasses also provide necessary and welcome relief from wind, grit
and rain on the eyes as well. I feel naked without them.

Good luck,
George