Photochromatic cycling glasses

Are they any good?

Need some winter riding glasses mainly for gravel bike duties. Given the way winter ( and summer) can be rain one hour and bright sunshine the next I figured instead of glasses with changeable lenses some decent photochromatic lenses might be a better option. I do tend to look after glasses so happy to splurge a bit if they work and are doing a couple of jobs.

looking for something like the Oakley sutra lite.

looking for advice generally on photochromatic lenses for cycling and also other options to the above and I guess where to go to get a good deal on the above if they are an option.

I had some specialized photochromatic glasses which were excellent in the summer.

They went from a yellow tint to dark ish.

I gave up on sunglasses and just wear clear lenses all year round. Think of your ancestors hunting on the Savannah and forest- I think we have eyes evolutionary adapted for these conditions and sunglasses just look cool because of their association with Hollywood.

Going from bright sun to Deep tree cover is much less drama

Going from deep tree cover to bright sun is also fine.

This might also have been brought on by needing prescription glasses and being too tight for prescription/ transition sunnies

I have photochromic Oakleys (half price 3 or 4 years ago). They’re great and always seem correct ‘shade’, and you really concentrate on looking after them, so become better value.

I have prescription photochromatic glasses and will continue with them for as long as I ride a bike.  Sure, they’re not as bright as clear glasses in the dusk but the concerns over speed of transition are overplayed unless you have a habit of riding into an unlit tunnel.  Required kit IMO.

Think of your ancestors hunting on the Savannah and forest- I think we have eyes evolutionary adapted for these conditions

One word: Pterygium

My wife has european ancestry and exposure to the uv levels of Australia led to growths on her corneas. Probably not an issue much in the UK, but still.

I like photochromatic glasses myself. I bought Oakley Sutro Prizm recently and they’re great. Apart from when they get sweat dripping on them I don’t notice i’m wearing them. If the light is really poor then they’re too dark, but for general daytime conditions they work well.

I’ve been riding in some cheapy photochromic (prescription) glasses for the last few years that just went for clear to dark grey, they’ve been good but the frames aren’t perfect and the wrap of them isn’t ideal for cycling.

So I’ve also just bought some cheap tifosi “Fototec” glasses (as well as some fixed mirror tint jobs for summer) that take the same RX type insert just to see how I get in with them.

If the sutro are on your list I’d look at the Tifosi ‘Rail’ with a Fototec lens as a possible ‘budget’ alternative.

Endura Durado II are my current pair and I find them decent

My Rudy Rydons have been fine for the ten years I’ve used them. Dark enough in full sun, fine in the dark. I ride with Rx inserts. They’re a little scratched due to a couple of crashes and replacement lenses are not cheap. I will likely replace with the same. I’ve never ridden with full tints for comparison, however due to my prescription and not wearing contacts. 

I have Melon Optics Alleycat with the photochromic and clear/yellow lenses. I’ve put the clear in a few times but the photochromatic has been in for years now and I can’t remember thinking anything about my sunglasses while riding so that’s good.

@reeksy

Is that treatable? Sound dreadful.

I’ve got the rad8/mud hugger ones they work well although not for night riding there’s always a slight tint, the lenses scratch easily which is a shame because when it’s filthy out I do wipe them with my jersey.  But replacements are available. No prescription which makes it easier.

I have prescription photochromatic in some Oakley Holbrook frames and they are great but mainly because I can now actually see after years of not wearing prescription lenses when riding. When they are clear they are very clear but still go dark enough to deal with bright light although not as dark as some really dark sunglass lenses

Great. Sounds like they’re exactly what I need. Have summer tint glasses already which are fine these would be for darker / changeable days and winter etc. 

I found the key with plastic lense glasses like Oakley’s is always use the bag they come with, never put them lense down and don’t leave them on the dashboard in the sun. 

where’s best for bargain sutras? 

Got two pairs of tifosi fototec which I use year round apart from night rides. They do the job nicely. So Oakley’s versions must be 3 times better.

Is that treatable? Sound dreadful

surgically, yes. A red headed friend of mine was a forester for 30 years. He’s had both eyes done.

Worth mentioning that you wouldn’t go under the knife unless it’s starting to impair your vision, and they’ve been known to come back. I’ve been the proud owner of one for 15+ years now (Goggling photos always shows the worst case of course)

I’ve got Smith photochromatic glasses and use them all year round.

Worth mentioning that you wouldn’t go under the knife unless it’s starting to impair your vision, and they’ve been known to come back.

to be fair my wife’s seem better than they were 15 years ago and she’s never had treatment so maybe they can self repair too.

Second the Tifosi but an honourable mention for the Decathlon ones. They make various styles and are good value 

Oakley radar ev path. Dark enough in sunlight, light enough in the dark, very comfortable to wear.

to be fair my wife’s seem better than they were 15 years ago and she’s never had treatment so maybe they can self repair too.

Dont think they can self repair, but can definitely go through different states of irritation so seem better/worse. Eye drops (bog standard stuff) always at the ready just in case they get particularly angry

Also have a pair of Tifosi Fototec that I use on the gravel bike. Comfortable, change pretty quickly, don’t seem to steam up too badly. I lost my expensive Oakleys and couldn’t face replacing them, so instead stock up on ‘RockBros’ photochromics from Evilzon for £25 a pop. Use them through the winter and don’t care if they get scratched.

Quality isn’t quite up to Oakley standards, but £25!

I have some Madison Code Breakers which I bought half price from Tredz a couple of months ago. They’re great for the £30 something I paid. The frames now match the colour of my bike, which makes it look like I care, but that aside a great replacement for the old Specialized Torros which lasted me years. 

I’ve got a pair of teh Decathlon ones going spare. They don’t fit me well so I ended up with some Lidl ones!

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/photochromic-mountain-bike-glasses-cat-1-3/_/R-p-313040

Message me if you fancy. £10 inc. p&p?

I can heartily recommend the BBB ones from Merlin.  Comfy, light, work well.  I wear them all year round, road and mtb.

Another happy Rad8 user here, they seem to work well, they’re comfy and I’ve not scratched them yet. There is a slight tint at their lightest so I tend not to use them for night rides.

My (prescription) Oakley photochomatic’s are the best glasses I’ve ever owned optic wise (40 yrs of wearing glasses), but they did cost what I thought was a small fortune (I got the Rad8 sample’s to try, but didn’t like them/didn’t suit me)

I have prescription photochromic (Gen8) from RXsport – very expensive, but I wouldn’t go back to swappable lenses. Before that I had non-prescription Tifosi – also great. I can’t be faffed with changing lenses – it’s great to just put your glasses on, get on with it and not have to worry about your glasses for the rest of your ride – fit and forget!

Got the Oakley Holbrooks mentioned above. Prescription transitions. Go from fully clear to a light grey tint. They’re awesome, best riding glasses I’ve had.

Big issue for me was wearing prescription sunnies, which were great on the trail, but then I’d go indoors for lunch or go into the garage to fettle bikes and I couldn’t see a thing.

I’ve used 2 pairs over the past about 15 years.

Rudy Project Rydons (as per another post earlier) and were / are great, other than wirh one helmet the glasses frame clanks on the helmet on DH sections (just a bit annoying but not a she stopper).

More recently (maybe 5 years now ?) I foot some Sunwise ‘Hastings’ which are great. Frameless, so no helmet rattling, and better on the TT / Tri bike as thee no frame to  get in the way of seeing where you’re going when low down on the aero bars. Don’t go clear enough for night time, so if its going to be dark when I finish a ride I do pack some cheap clear Decathlon glasses.

As for not using shades.  2 words. EYE CANCER.

I know 2 folks who have has eye cancer, and I bet a pound to a pinch of sh1t that it is a result of years working outside (or in Oz for one of them in the 80s) without eye protection.  The English one… now does a great Capt Long John Silver at parties with only 1 eye.   The Oz one… sadly dead, as an end  result of the eye cancer spreading / causing other organ failure.

I tend to mostly wear sunglasses as I find them invaluable when it’s bright out, can’t cope without them and aware of the protection from uv rays they give. Good glasses mean you wear them more and they are less hassle as long as you look after them.

I have the Adidas evil eyes and not a huge fan

they don’t go clear quick enough so I bought some Madison code breakers and run the Orange lenses most of the time