I’m trying contact lenses (if I can get them in), riding in normal glasses is pants. The don’t provide enough coverage, so the wind gets in my eyes and I can’t see anything because they water so much. They then stem up on the climbs, if there is fine drizzle as well. May as well have a bag on my head. I’m not getting on with contacts though, but I’m going to persevere with them for a bit. I’m hoping with a decent set of riding glasses (£50-80ish) and contacts my eyes won’t water as bad and glades won’t steam up as much. Prescription glasses would be preferable, but they cost a small fortune. Who uses what? Tell me about you experiences, recommendations. I’m not super enduro enough for goggles, only enduro 😉

I ride in contact lenses. Been using them for over a decade and they are very much worth persevering with. Put them in every day and after a month you will be able to do it as easily as putting your socks on.

I was dreadful for the first two to three weeks of putting them in, then it clicked and it’s now a 5 second job per eye.

Dailies are thinner and much more comfortable.

Dailies are what I’m trying to poke into my eyes at the moment. Half an hour of that, and my left eye looks like I have been rubbing her herroin into it. Cheapest prescription glasses ( photochromic ) i can find are £250. Off to specsavers now for another chat.

Been wearing contacts for 25 years for football/cycling/sports and daily use definitely worth persevering for the better peripheral vision.
Will take a while to get used to them but the advantages if you can are worth it.
Buy some decent riding glasses to help with the wind which will help with the streaming eyes.
I use Oakley fast jackets for MTB and radar for road.
Mainly for the transitions lenses which seem to be better on oakleys than other manafacturers I have tried.
I find the closed framed glasses steam up too quickly so worth getting open frame glasse, I also use divers Google demister spray to help with fogging up, but of its really cold and your really not not too much will help you out there.

Edit, also worth trying different brands of contact lenses as they all have different make ups and allow different amounts of oxygen onto thee eye which can affect comfort
Levels.

Seriously, perfect putting lenses in… it’s a doddle after you’ve done it 30 or so times and you will do it easily. Get someone you know who wears them to help you with technique and then practice.

Been wearing contacts everyday for about 10 years can’t stand glasses anymore.

Takes 2 seconds to put them in. My routine is
Place contact on tip of right index finger
Add a drop or 2 from a saline bottle
Left palm on forehead use fingers to gentle pull upper eyelid up just a bit
Middle finger on right hand pulls lower lid down
Look straight at the contact at end of finger and gently move towards eye.
Once it touches it should just sit on the eye and you can let go and blink.

Hard to describe but works perfect

I’ve been using contacts for almost 20 years now. I had real trouble getting them in when I started too – at least 10mins each! But after a few weeks, it got easy and it’s a non issue. I think the main issue is not opening your eye wide enough so that the lense goes in over an eyelash. Also, make sure your hands are completely free from any fluff, etc – I run my hand under water for a second before putting lenses in to wash anything off. Also pop a drop of solution into the lenses befits putting in to help avoid bubbles.

For cycling, I always wear glasses be they clear or tinted. I’ve used Oakley but I’m sure there are other brands that will suit just as well.

I have a problem with my eyes that can only be corrected with contact lenses, glasses cannot correct my vision. So I have to ride with contact lenses.

My suggestion is to fit a crud guard, and one of those neoprene things that goes between the fork stanchions. Between them that stops most of the grit from getting in your eyes without having to wear glasses.

Lenses take a while to get used to, but once you do they;re fine.

Like some other people I have one contact lense for close up and one for distance. Trouble is it gives very little depth of field so when I ride I wear distance lenses in both eyes. It makes an amazing difference to your speed over the rough stuff, but you’re stuffed if you need to read a map.

I have a problem with my eyes that can only be corrected with contact lenses, glasses cannot correct my vision. So I have to ride with contact lenses.

keratakonus I assume

I wear them all the time and glasses you can get anti fog spray from motorbike shops

Cannot comment re glasses in general as I cannot wear them either

I have been using photo chromatic sports glasses from optilabs for the last 10 years or so. Good protection, good vision, curved lenses for wrap round style but half the price of Oakley prescriptions (or at least they were when I bought them). Last set have survived 4yrs+.

keratakonus I assume

Yep that’s right.

Was diagnosed about 20 years ago,been wearing lenses ever since

In general I used to wear monthly contacts then stopped and used just glasses (long days in front of a PC).
When I started riding again last year I wore my regular glasses for a little while. Decided to see about daily disposables, couldnt use dailys before due to astigmatism, and SpecSavers said since I last wore lenses that daily disposables had been developed which could correct astigmatism very well.
Riding with mudguards – I dont wear riding glasses at the mo, had a few drops of muddy water in the eyes but nothing a couple of blinks didnt clear. I have these: Endura Spectral (clear lens, not the “hey look at me Mirror Finish 8) ) for when we get into fly & bug season, havent had to wear them yet.

Not sure about all daily disposables … but the ones I have are so thin, compaired to my old monthly ones, that they can be a pain to put in as it take a bit of fiddling to get them 100% seated … if there the slightest bubble or drop of fluid behind the lens then as soon as I drop my eye lid the little bugger drops out lol

You’ll get there, just takes patience and practice 🙂

keratakonus

thought that was an incurable allergy to:

Was diagnosed about 20 years ago,been wearing lenses ever since

Yes me too but had to have a transplant [ shit/did not work but long story] as well as at the bad scale of bad 🙁

I started wearing them last year, took me aaages to get them in at first (never had a problem with out though). I always wear them to ride in now and can usually get them in pretty quickly although my left eye does try it’s hardest to reject them.

Definitely do wear riding glasses over the contacts though, it bloody hurts if you get mud in your eye with contacts in!

I use a contact, only one eye working.

I get on great with them now but at first 45 minutes of stress and swearing was not uncommon.

Now they have completely transformed my sporting life, I play several sports and surf etc, no contacts and I would be done for.

Keep going and try different cycling glasses shapes to find what works best for you.

It always takes longer to get them in when you first start using lenses. More so if you are in a rush. Get some cheapo reading glasses for map work. £15 Foster grants fro Tesco or similar. Optician can advise you on what strength to get.

Get some cheapo reading glasses for map work.

^^^yes, this^^^^

I spent a small fortune on Ray Ban framed varifocals after getting fed up with not being able read while wearing contact lenses – and then had a face-palm moment when a mate suggested the reading glasses and contact lens thing about three weeks later.

Persevere with getting your lenses in. It too me months and months to get the hang (only wear them once or twice a week).

The best tips were:
Look in the mirror (even though optician I shouldn’t)
Hold your eyes open as wide as possible.

Yep, got back from opticians. With a bit more coaching, both were in and out in 10 min. Eyes feel funny, got another weeks supply for free. Any more suggestions for riding glasses?

I wear contacts when I’m riding. As I’m sure has already been said, keep practicing putting them in (must be youtube videos for that these days) and use daily lenses as they’re thinner.

As far as the glasses are concerned, I normally use £2.50 safety glasses from the local DIY store, they’re wrap around, about the same size as any normal glasses and work a treat, but I’d rather spend my cash on other bike stuff, not glasses. As for steaming up on the climbs, take them off! I’m sure there’s some anti-mist fairy washing up liquid type solution to that as well!

Used to wear contacts but they kept getting dried out/cried out at the most inconvenient times (always fastest downhill bits) despite decent well fitted cycling glasses.
Got some prescription Oakleys with transition lenses – which were ridiculously expensive – but have been one of the best cycling related purchases I have made. Incredible clarity in periphery and usable day or night.
If they ever break I’ll cry

I’ve been wearing contacts for the last 20 years. No problems on the MTB or road bike but I always wear glasses as getting dirt or a bug in your eye whilst wearing contact is a PITA. I’m currently using Oakley Race Jackets with photochromic lenses. Best glasses I’ve ever used.

My eyes don’t work very well together and I get double vision when rattling through singletrack. That leads to falling off and hitting trees. 4th nerve palsy it’s called.

I recently started wearing a reading lens in the dodgy eye and a distance lens in the better eye and it works fantastically well for me. I can’t understand why they don’t suggest different lenses in glasses too. Maybe it’s because varifocals cost so much.

Oh, and word of advise … wear gloves if you intend on cutting chillies up … if you dont for a day or so after its really bad news when you put in/take out your contact lenses …

Reading glasses with contacts = Genius. I had to buy some prescription riding glasses after getting dirt behind a contact lens (wasn’t wearing riding glasses that day) which became very badly infected and let to a bit of scarring. (that was a number of not joyous trips to Hereford eye hospital). Have to say the riding glasses I had (bought Oakley) had brilliant optics, but a PITA in rain and mud. I’ll wear them more in the summer tho as they are photochromic.

Went back to disposables. Now have to have the blooming expensive ones that are super thin to let oxygen in. Only wear them for riding really, but having been a lens wearer 20+ years, it is basically second nature.

Oh and 19N ^^^ there is right about the chillies. You only make that mistake once.

19 ninety, bummer just made a curry! Got lots of safety glasses, but deff want some decent riding glasses, I do like Oakley, but a bit pricy. Endura Masai seem well received, tifosi Dolomites look tempting to. Eyes have calmed down a bit now. Took 4hrs though is that right. And reading is no good now. Never had vari-focal glasses before.

Why pay a fortune for prescription specs? I went to decathlon, chose a pair of sports glasses, popped the lenses out and sent them it Ciliary Blue to be glazed. £55 all in. Simples. 😀

Did that with ultra hot chilli sauce. That was an intense half hour of my life, didn’t bother with the second contact…

If you’re struggling with a lens. Stop, clean it, leave it 5 min and come back to it. Once you irritate it, sticking a lens you’re not used to on top wont help and you will keep trying to reject it by reflex action which you can’t control. Be relaxed and it will become second nature as mentioned. The lens type is critical, I had uber comfy ones for the office/day to day which were shocking on the bike. They would constantly dry out or move (astigmatism) the new ones aren’t as good all day but fantastic for riding in cold/wet/dry/dusty conditions. I do use a set of spesh roadie half frames for the headwind/exposed moorland/road/fast muddy descents and nothing for climbing/stopping to chat. Mine fit my helmet or on the back of my head. Screw the fashonistas it works!

lol chvck!
I couldnt work out what the problem was, put lens in and instant pain like I dont know what, took lens out and my eye was red raw. Tried again after washing hands, clean towel, rinsing eye with solution … managed about 2 mins with the lens in and I had to get it out as it felt like I had poured sand in my eye. Couldnt figure out what was up, maybe soapy fingers, couple of bad lens?? Wasnt until later at work I remebered slicing up one little chilli to put in my spagbol.

Live and learn!

craig, it can take a little while to get used to having contacts in, after a couple of days you’ll stop thinking about them whilst they are in and things should get easier then. Try popping a couple of drops of solution in each eye after putting the contacts in, early morning I have dry eyes and the contacts often wont rotate to the correct position unless I add a little lube. If they are still taking a few hours to settle in after a few days might be worth getting the opticians to check the perscription, may well need some tweeking thats all 🙂 I had to try a couple of different brands on lens, when I first started wearing contacts years ago, before I found ones that “worked” with my eyes.

keratokonus was my favourite dinosaur as a child!

I wear contacts for riding, and for any sort of event at which there might be hot girls 😉 It’s great, frinstance today we were doing some slow, hard trails and my protective glasses fogged, so I took them off, sorted. Goggles, fine. Cheap disposable safety specs, ideal. Ride without, why not.

Occasional contact lens wearer here for sunny days and nice shades or swimming with goggles on or mountain biking or working outside when it’s lashing down.

I started wearing them in 1987 way before the daily disposable things I use today.

The first few months are hard, I used to have to get up 45 minutes earlier just to get my lenses in!

Persevere and it will get easier. You may wish to try another type of lens, I’m on “moist daily disposable one” way more comfortable then the disposable ones I did have, and the ones before that may have been made of the ends of johnnies, horrid rubbery thick things.

Edit- top tip, don’t chop chillis then put lenses in the next day. Even with a really thorough hand washing session, it hurts.

Flip side opinion here. I am pretty short sighted, around -6.5, with astigmatism and at 48 now using varifocal specs. I have daily disposable contacts that I use twice a week swimming, nowt else. On the bike I wear distance specs, in flexon frames (bendy). 20 odd yrs riding and no huge crashes, then 2 ambulance rides 8 weeks apart very recently. First one (mtb and face plant on rocks )my specs saved my eyes without any doubt. Second one the bendy frames moved around and were fine (velodrome, so burnt face and neck brace).

Relatively new user of daily disposables here.

Sometimes need a few goes to get it in my right eye, never a problem with the left eye, so I do left eye first now and that seems to help.

Wear Oakley flak jacket xlj’s when it’s sunny and Aldi amber or clear glasses when it’s dull.

Always wear contacts when riding now.

And yes, £2.99 reading glasses in my pack in case I need to fix something or read small map print.

Daily disposables here too.

One tip – my optician told me to look up whilst putting the lens in. What hogwash. Look straight ahead at a mirror and just gently touch your eye. Contact should just grip straight on. Second nature now.

Oh and I get mine on the cheap from Daysoft online. Half the price, twice the comfort (at least).

Like some other people I have one contact lense for close up and one for distance. Trouble is it gives very little depth of field so when I ride I wear distance lenses in both eyes. It makes an amazing difference to your speed over the rough stuff, but you’re stuffed if you need to read a map.

This is where I am at. tried one distance and one near, didnt really work for me, everything thing in the middle was a blur.

Then tried varifocal which just seems to leave everything a little blurry. OK but would like to see if I can improve on it

Now about to try a distance lens in one eye and a varifocal in the other.

if that doesnt work out its back to distance lenses and reading glasses