[Closed] Who here wears eye protection?

I started wearing safety specs when I wore contact lenses, now I have prescription specs. The idea of riding without them seems crazy now with all the mud / insects flying around. I have had a few flies splat into my specs before now.

You can get some nice bolle ones in screwfix for about £6.
I always wear them and it seems odd without.

All the time and given the big stone chip on the lens just where I look through Im glad I do.

As for steaming up I found it varies depending on the brand, cheap ones were always steaming up. My oakleys only steam up when I stop and then self clear very quickly once riding again.I suspect it depends on the lens and face shape and how that affects the airflow.

I wear Specialized adaptalites in summer and clear Bolle safety specs in winter/dark to protect contact lenses. The optical clarity of the Bolle's is significantly worse than the Specializeds, or my Zeiss-lensed Giro sun glasses or decent specs (Esilor high index lenses). I thought it might be due to the amount of shape (base-8 curve), but quality sunglasses of similar shape disprove this. The Bolle's are ok, but I'll be looking for some clear-lens Oakleys or similar soon.

Never wear glasses, i just can't get on with them, a muddy descent is always annoying when you have to stop every few meters to wipe off spots of mud which only end up smearing the lenses so you can't see, its the same when its rainy the water doesn't tend to stream off the glasses instead the raindrops distort the vision then the glasses steam up because of the temerature difference between face and lenses. so far found that shutting my eyes during a crash works well to stop getting stuff in your eyes, don't really tend to fall into bushes as i mainly am on the trails. perhaps if i did touring i'd wear glasses and maybe goggles on downhill, but then you have the same problem with distortion, so don't really know what the answer is, guess just whatever you feel comfortable with and how much risk you want to take

professorfaceplant

the right coatings go a long way to make water bead up and run off and to reduce misting

My old man was a nurse at Moorfields Eye Hospital, my yoot was punctuated with the latest horror stories of how people had injured/ blinded themselves in stupid ways.

Consequently I always wear eye protection of some sort, have some Bolle safety glasses for night riding and Specialized adaptalites for the day (why the hell did they stop making them?). The Bolles give you goldfish bowl vision and steam up very easily, so as a lucky recipient of free pair of Oakley Jawbones I'll be treating myself to some clear lenses.

I have to, as I'm blind as a myopic bat without my specs. I don't get on with contacts and there's no way I'm letting anyone near my eyeballs with a laser, so I wear glasses all the time. Keeping nasties out of my eyes is a secondary bonus to being able to focus more than a foot from my face. I recently splashed out on some prescription Oakleys, and I have to say they're flipping ace.

I never used to bother for many of the OP's reasons.. falling off the other month into a bush and nearly loosinng an eye, focused (pun intended!) my attention and now I have some Oakeys

An essential. I have no desire to repeat the experience of realising that the foreign substance you have been frantically trying to scrape out of your eye, and is now under your eyelid, is in fact dogs**t.

Okay then, Oakley seem to be mentioned a fair bit here. Best prices and where to buy anyone?

idon[r ajd mt tpicj typong ism[t sp good eitger.

Got some Spesh Adaptalite Glasses, they're good, even in the dark!

I had a detached retina last year and now have a lump of silicone holding my eye together, but lucky to have kept the sight. Consequently any dust can irritate my eye, so I always wear sunglasses whether out for a ride to the shops or on a full day out.

I wear Oakley Jawbones (about £120), and absolutely love them! Can only think its a good idea to protect your sight!

I tried the DHB cheap Wiggle specs- felt like my head was 1 foot higher than my body

I never used to wear specs for cycling until I got hit in both eyes at the same time by flying ants on the way to work a few years ago and almost crashed - been wearing them ever since. I find it quite nice in heavy rain as well, if it's blowing into your face (I don't wear a peaked helmet). I don't find steaming up such a problem on the road as long as you keep the speed up to keep the air flowing over them. Off-roading (unicycle for me, so much slower) it's more of a pain - then I only wear glasses if there are overhanging twigs or it's very sunny.

I treat glasses the same way I do wearing a helmet, I wouldn't feel comfortable riding without either. At best my eyes water but I've also had various things hit the glasses lens whilst out riding (gravel, bee and a branch to name three). Although I do use Oakleys I have to say I'm not impressed by the scratch resistance of the clear lenses at least (my tinted ones haven't scratched but 3 different clear ones have and I treat them well)

Forget Rain-X. I got some free from Halfords and thought I had scored but was less happy a month or so later when I had to buy a new visor as the Rain-X had removed the anti-scratch coating with very rapid deterioration of the surface. This was well documented as a problem back in the day.

I didn't used to but found goggles very handy this summer. Without them I was either getting dust or mud in my eyes depending on the weather. I do find I feel a bit detached from the riding and it doesn't feel as nice, but it's better than getting stuff in your eyes.

I don't wear any for xc or road riding, it gets too hot.

Bolle safety specs most of the time, Oakley MXs for downhilling... But mainly because I have trouble with runny eyes otherwise.

I always wear glasses, actually this morning I was looking at the new Rudy Project Maya frames in my optician's shop. I'll find out tomorrow the cost of frames & lenses. Gulp.

I have some oakley goggles for when it's really dusty and I'm going REALLY fast. Both of these are rare events so I rarely use them.

Always found any other glasses provide wonderful distortions that make me more likely to crash.

And WOW - gear cable in the eyeball - how freakishly unlikely!

Bolle contours. Great optical quality, decent level of protection, look OK and about six quid. Top banana!

always !! with oakleys......clear, or shades if it is sunny..
had a cornea injury some years back ..since that I feel extremly uncomfortable without eye protection while cycling...

cheap bolle safety glasses have a choice of lenses no visual distortion and cost about a tenner from places like Arco, you have no excuses! (they also look pretty bloomin good as well, not like the old joe 90 safety specs)

Quite a few Bolle safety glasses in my garage - no distortion and have an anti mist coating.
Also have a couple of pairs of Bolle polarizeed for the sunny times of year.
All work well, it helps when i get them free from the Bolle rep at the annual safety show at the NEC.

car overtook me on a road ride today, a stone flicked up [s]straight into my eyeball[/s] and hit the lense my eyeball hides behind

i always wear shades

I use a set of [url= http://www.playgroundonline.com/products/Btwin---SG-800-OPTIC-Sunglasses/12504.aspx ]Btwin[/url] with 4 interchangeable lenses, clear through to super dark. Bargain at under 20 quid.

I definitely categorise them as essential PPE

I used to have a pair of Madison clear glasses years and years ago and they made you feel as if you were at least a foot higher than you were - not good off road.

I've never had a problem with distortion from any other glasses I've used.
I currently use DeWalt safety glasses which are pretty cheap from Screwfix.

Usually wear glasses but always have small problems with them - steaming up being the main one. Frequent cleaning on wet muddy rides is another seemingly unavoidable hassle. Tried high end and low end but never had a pair that I was really happy with. Still prefer to wear them than not.

I use glasses ALL the time - had to take mates to a + e in the past re grit / mud insect hitting them...

I read that a shrewsbury cyclist died in wales re not wearing specs n an impact to the eye caused a crash...

wear them

Always here too.
Another Specialized Adaptalite user during the day and a old pair of Oakley M-Frames with a vented clear lens at night. A drop of washing up liquid smeared on the inside helps clear any fogging.

Once had a wasp bounce of a lens and sting me right under the eye. Could have been a lot nastier without the glasses!

Almost always - few times I don't my mates usually drag ne through some tree branch hell singletrack near Dreghorn barracks, and it reminds me to wear my Adidas again. Adidas Evil Eye something or other. They're great though.
Also to save landing on face damage, cold weather eyes streaming probs, muck in eyes/contacts esp when it's horse manure..

Occasionally remove when raining and dark as they can be cause of accident in the first place.

Always. Oakleys aren't the only choice though.. as with many things fit it everything (I wear prescription glasses anyway so make sure you try a few on)

I prefer Rudy Project personally but they aren't any cheaper....

Never ride without my Oakleys or similar quality glasses. I change to different lens colors depending on time year or day. I have had too many branches in the face in close, tight trails in the mountains.

Full facer and goggles everywhere. Being warm is half the fun although my shinnies and pressure suit smell a bit after endurance events. The screwfix Bolles look da shizzle down the pub.

Dear god- the likelyhood of severe incident through eye contact has to be SOOOOO small, even smaller than the risks involved with helmets...

i don't wear shades when riding,but am thinking about starting to.just about every trip i do,seem to get insects flying into my eyes 😡 once had some grit fly into my eye also (not pleasant at all 🙁

Oakley Jawbones for me. I find I can see things in bright light at distance that you just can't pick up with the naked eye (I'm a pilot). Clear vented lenses work a treat for night ridesalthough they still steam up when stopped, but normally clear when you get going again.
If you have problme s with steaming up, treat your lenses to some 'Gloop'. It's made to stop motorbike visors steaming up (especially at this time of year) and works a bit on my Oakley lenses...

@coffeeking - small yes but still a risk and broken eyeballs don't heal easily. My most recent incident involved a branch hitting me square on in the lens, with enough force I needed 9 stitches where the bottom edge of the lens went into my cheek (there's something to said I guess for a full framed lens...), no chance my eyeball would have survived that.

I'd also say to those wearing cheap safety specs - worth checking if they have UV protection IMO as most don't

"coffeeking - Member
Dear god- the likelyhood of severe incident through eye contact has to be SOOOOO small, even smaller than the risks involved with helmets... "

I crashed on the first big double at Spooky woods, I've got a load of excuses and reasons why , i also have a triangular shaped scar and lump on my cheek bone, that was the second point of contact with a rock . i have an identical triangular mark dead center of my oakley lens that was the first point of contact.

Aside from keeping wind sun and cow shit(and other sources of infection) out of your eyes good glasses are well worth it just in case that small chance does come up

Glasses been protected me may more times than helmet.
Essential if riding in the woods and still good to stop mud, grit and wind when on more open trails.
I once accompanied someone to the BRI who interfaced with branch during a night ride, it deflected of his glasses and fut open his nose and upper cheek. Without the glasses who knows...

i wear a £6 pair of shooting glasses. best purchase ever. I mostly wear them to keep the mud and spray out of the eyes.

'interfaced with [a] branch' ?

'interfaced with [a] branch' ?

I find the only glasses I can get on with are ones where I can't see the frames. Had a lovely pair of Specialized Arc Adaptalites for the road bike, but they are currently in storage in the wrong country. Couldn't find anything similar when I needed a set here, so ended up with a really close fitting pair, so the frames stay out of my field of view. Unfortunately, they suffer from sweat ending up on them, and then evaporating to leave sticky blobs of nastiness on the inside. Might try the Rain-x trick on the inside.

On the DH bike, with full-face helmet - love the Oakley O-Frames. I actually really like the slightly disconnected feeling as I [s]hammer[/s] mince my way down the hill