Question For Riders Who Wear Glasses

I wear prescription glasses when I ride. Sunglasses most of the time. They are progressive bifocals. They are not really a “style” that are athletic looking if you know what I mean. I have talked to my glasses guy about options for a sport type of frame but I am told that it would be difficult/impossible to get a lens to fit the frame with the proper curvature etc.

It is time to get a new pair so I am exploring my options. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this? I don’t mind spending a few hundred $$ but I am looking for a practical and reasonably priced solution

Contacts and laser surgery are not options

I wear prescription glasses full time. I have a dedicated pair of Oakley Crosslink Pitch just for riding. They aren’t true wraparound-type glasses, because like you said, you can’t put a strong Rx lens in that style. But they are about as close as you can get. They are a bit beefier than my everyday glasses so they offer decent eye protection. Also they have rubber arms which are quite grippy and can be bent to the shape of your head to keep them from slipping.

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I don’t know all the prescription terms or anything, but my Oakleys Fast Jackets are prescription. A very weak prescription. They work great for me, although I never use them mountain biking as they just get mud or fog on them. My eyeball place sent my Oakleys away to have lenses made by Oakley. Are progressive bifocals not an option for some reason? I don’t know what that is.

The issue is that wide and highly curved lenses only work with a weak prescription. With a strong prescription in that type of lens, your peripheral vision is highly distorted. So he’s just looking for a more traditional pair of glasses that still look sporty. Consider yourself lucky if you don’t know what progressive bifocals are:)

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@rolls nailed it. I would prefer to try on a pair of frames locally before I commit to the full meal deal. The frames have to look good on me too. After all, if I don’t have my strikingly good looks, what do I have?

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Thanks for filling me in.

@muddy I ordered mine online but they carry them and a few other models at FYidoctors on Spring Garden Rd if you wanted to try them on.

I went with a pair of raybans that have a stong wrap around shape to them. They do not move at all. And they put on carbide lenses that are extra stong and scratch proof.

Best thing to do is to take your prescription to Insight Optometry / Spot Eyewear on Brunswick St and ask them what your options are regarding sport eyewear. Like you said, there are many variables when it comes to progressives and the severity of the prescription is the limiting factor, an answer no one here can help you with. Here is my most recent script and the split jackets they were able to barely fit them into. They had other stuff on the display that would have worked perfectly but I inherited these from my wife so I saved some dough. ! Also, I went with transitions so I wouldn’t have to worry about biking in low light without glasses. 20190220_155544|243x500

@tossedsalad great advice. Thank you. I am going to check it out.

No problem, I’m actually thinking of heading into the city next week to see about some new glasses. I picked out two frames back in November but never got around to closing the deal. Something more current for a change. My lenses are Nikon, Oakley said they couldn’t do it. Individual results may vary.

How dark can they go with transitions? That might actually make for a good all around riding set. My prescription is pretty similar to yours, but also has the added complexity of astigmatism.

My existing set of Racing Jackets from Insight are scratched to hell and still running my old script. I could see swapping in some new lenses if it made sense.

@tossedsalad any issue with the transition lenses in the woods…as you move quickly between light and shadow?

Dark enough for all day riding, anyway, I use them during the summer when my rides start and end in the dark with plenty of sunshine in between. .

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No, not really. I got my first pair of transitions probably twenty years ago and have used them from xc racing to all day trail riding and can’t say that they have been a problem. I don’t think they go full dark when trail riding but don’t see it as a negative. The only time I used yellow or clear lenses is when I was doing a rain race.

Ryder’s has some nice looking options

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I’m wearing Oakley racing Jackets with the transition lens, I also splurged for a set of the prism trail lenses. I used a lot of insurance $$ to buy them and they have been worth every penny. My everyday glasses are a scratched up mess. I’ve used the transition lenses in conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. I did not get either lens polarized. The Oakley lenses are definitely the best I’ve ever had in any of my glasses and don’t scratch easily. Putting a prescription in them, I have a pretty strong prescription, works well though they are expensive. Mine came with a set of none prescription lenses also if anyone needs a set.

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I read that contacts and surgery aren’t options. Why not contacts? Eye shape? For me, it’s the only time I wear contacts. I sweat like a mad man and can’t be dependant on additional lenses to see when they’re covered in sweat or rain or fog. I almost never finish a ride with my shades or protective glasses on. Still trying to find a magical anti fog solution that is nimzie resistant.

The transitions don’t react that quickly, especially in the cooler weather. The thing that bothers me about them is that they stay “clear” while in the car. I usually slip in my Prizm lenses if I’m driving. I was told, or read somewhere, that polarized lenses are not the best for the rapidly changing light conditions found in MTB so I got my lenses without.

For me it comes down to I Don’t touch my eyyeees!