Thinking that a pair of photochromic glasses would be a nice idea for evening rides as I tend to start in the light and end in the dark, or at least almost dark. What glasses do people have and would you recommend them? I’ve struggled to find many that go fully clear, so far only Rad8 and cheap ones from ebay/amazon seem to do that. Anyone got any experience of the cheap ebay ones? They certainly look decent from a style pov at least.

My Oakley Jawbreakers go nearly clear. They look clear, but you still lose light and right at dusk it’s still better with them off. When I come to ride in winter evenings I’ll probably get a clear lens. But I still love the photocromic lens because I’ll only ever need two lenses to be covered for everything.

Sounds like your most important feature for shades is that they fit on your helmet when not in use. You feel like a wannabe at first but it’s really a great way to use shades because you can pop them on and off without stopping. Game changer for me.

They certainly look decent from a style pov at leas

ebay style 🙂

There’s varying degrees of lense change. Some go from 0% (clear) to 60%, some start at 15% and go to around 90%. The transition isn’t quick, so probably not all that good for evening rides in and out of tree cover, they just won’t keep up with the speed you need them to change.

As a speccy 4 eyes myself, I find an amber or more orange/brown clip on style work best for UK evenings. Yes, they look terrible, but under the lip of a helmet, not too bad. Over here, even when the sun starts to go down it’s SUPER bright – I use the darkest I can get, with a mirror lense and polarised but this would probably be too dark for most in the UK.

I have a pair of rockbros ones from amazon. They are fine in the day, but at dusk they dont go 100% clear so i have to take them off when entering wooded, forrest type areas. Which is a pain as thats where i need them the most.

At the budget end, I’ve had a pair of cheap n cheerful Evans FWE Helios photochromics for years, and they’re my go-to glasses.

They don’t go fully clear, so they’re not great at night, but for overcast days where you want to block out a bit of glare, and maybe the sun will come out, more likely it will go in, you’re covered either way. Reaction is far from instant, but sometimes I take them off clear, then pick em up and they’ve gone dark – gives me that ‘oooh, that’s magic’ feeling every time. ;D

I’ve been using prescription Oakley Transitions for over 10 years, day and night. I’m just about to buy another pair.

I have some dhb photochromics.

They are almost clear in the dark but there is always a tint at dusk. They spend too much time in my back pocket.

Previous to that I had some rockbros but they were not comfortable.

Thinking of spending more and going for Oakleys – something I will be comfortable in, as the cheap & nasty brands are not much less money.

DHB:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dhb-omnicron-photochromatic-2-lens-sunglasse/rp-prod178863?gs=1&sku=sku685968&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwLKFBhDPARIsAPzPi-Iz8ar8K0qpy4xDkiFr7P6RlA18H6sFjVO7xG0ZG7QnizxvhTAzen8aAu2KEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I shall, in true STW fashion, recommend what I use, which are the Bloc Titan glasses. I have both the grey and pink lenses as they had a deal on at the time.

https://www.bloceyewear.com/sunglasses-c1/photochromic-t26

I got some tifosi ones for £50 which are excellent.

Anyone got any experience of the cheap ebay ones?

Yep, got some cheap ebay ones. Think they were about £10 – Photochromic and polarised. Excellent glasses.

Also got some (non-polarised) FWE ones from Evans, they were half price so about £20, the lenses are better for evening rides as they don’t go quite as dark.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293086130438
seller has plenty of styles to choose from.

Anyone tried the Carnac ones? Just seen them on PX and they say they go from clear to dark (cat 0-3) so might be a good option.

One thing to be aware of with photochromics (speaking as a long time user cos crap eyes) is that at night they’re fine, in the sunshine they’re fine, but on dull days they’re can be a bit rubbish, as there’s enough UV about that they darken (often quite considerably), even though it’s not actually that bright out.

14 posts in and no-one’s mentioned ‘the look’? (prescription transitions wearer here – huge fan)

, in the sunshine they’re fine, but on dull days they’re can be a bit rubbish, as there’s enough UV about that they darken (often quite considerably), even though it’s not actually that bright out.

This is my experience of photochromic lenses, Adidas evil eye vario, don’t use them very much these days. In and out of trees on sunny days I find it takes too long to change shade and prefer Oakleys trail prizm lens by far

That’s very true about the photochromic lenses on dull days. I have a cheap pair of Amazon RockBros ones. At night they’re fine and they go totally clear. At dusk, if it’s getting a bit dark through the glasses, I turn my lights on. I must say that for roughly £15 they’re superb.

However, my one concern about them is how quickly they change the tint but I don’t think any photochromic lens does this very fast. For instance, if I wear reasonably dark sunglasses in forests, going in and out of bright sunlight tends to mean reduced visibility when under the cover of the trees. I end up going for either a clear or lightly tinted lens in those situations, so I doubt photochromic would be that good. I should add that as a wearer of contact lenses I have to have some sort of protection to keep stuff out of my eyes.

My trusty Specialized Helix Adaptalites are just coming to the end of their days.They have been by far the best bike eyewear I have ever had. Changed fast in different light and were a perfect fit for my heid. I dream of finding an new/old stock set in some dusty wee bike shop. I might try those Carnac ones before I need a prescription setup.

Oakley prescription here – they’re spot on.

But these are well though of by the rest of the family.

WXGZS Sports Sunglasses, Photochromic Rimless Cycling Bicycle Bike Glasses Outdoor Sports MTB Bike Sunglasses Goggles Cycling Rimless Eyewear

14 posts in and no-one’s mentioned ‘the look’? (prescription transitions wearer here – huge fan)

Care to explain what you mean by ‘the look’?

One thing to be aware of with photochromics (speaking as a long time user cos crap eyes) is that at night they’re fine, in the sunshine they’re fine, but on dull days…

I’ve had a few different brands, and they’re not all the same in that respect. The FWE ones are excellent on dull days as they go from clear to slight-tint – can also be used night riding as the clear mode is properly clear.
I’ve had BBB ones that go from slight-tint to very dark.
And the Ebay ones are similar, so not great in duller weather (or semi-dark)

14 posts in and no-one’s mentioned ‘the look’?

I dunno what that is either, but I’m surprised no one has mentioned the fabled “Lense distortion”. Which IME is total nonsense.

For 90% of my riding I wear Oakley Racing Jackets with non-Oakley photochromic lenses (lenses purchased online from a supposedly reputable option). Great most of time although evening rides at this time of year ending in dusk-but-not-fully-dark conditions are tricky – I either take them off or swap to clear lenses partway through the ride.

Beware that some road-orientated photochromics have a ‘darker’ range than MTB glasses, so aren’t as useful for tree/foresty riding.

I have a couple of pairs, neither go clear for dark riding. I think one set is Tifosi? And the other Rockbros so both ends of spectrum.

Neither fit on my helmet so I wear them on the back of my head. Added bonus is that also deters tiger attacks.

The darkening is caused by UV/vis light. The energy drives the reaction so it can happen fast. However, going clear is a relaxation process and therefore happen more slowly. So good coming out of a tunnel but not going in.

Rockbros seem to be for smaller heads but I do like mine. Go to glasses for off-road as they were cheap so not bothered about scratching and having to replace.

fasthaggis
Full Member

My trusty Specialized Helix Adaptalites are just coming to the end of their days.They have been by far the best bike eyewear I have ever had. Changed fast in different light and were a perfect fit for my heid. I dream of finding an new/old stock set in some dusty wee bike shop. I might try those Carnac ones before I need a prescription setup.

Same here: I didn’t realised my Specialized Adaptalites (Berm?) were so old, but honestly they’re great. The lens has a yellowish tinge, so brightens things in low light (under the trees etc); and the photochromic aspect is spot on, always seems exactly the right amount of dark.

Has anyone got/ owned/ tried Endura’s photochromic glasses?

I had some Endura ‘Guppy’ i think. They were okay, but definitely did not go clear. Also have some Tifosi of some sort which work better in low light.  I tend to use Prism lenses for 90% of my riding tho, just better than photochromic for the woodsy riding we do most of.

I do have another set of Tifosi for road riding. Photochromic lenses work better for me on the road.

I paid 18 quid for a pair of the Rockbros ones from Ebay. I quite like them. I’ve got a head that is bordering on large, and they are close fitting, but not particularly uncomfortable. They seem to not get too steamed up, and when they do, it quickly clears once moving. I’m happy with the level of tint, and especially the fact that they do become clear in low light, so they are decent at night.

My experience is that julbo make the best photo lenses.

Has anyone got/ owned/ tried Endura’s photochromic glasses?

Had some a few years back, they weren’t comfortable and the tint went from dark to a bit darker.
The ebay cheapos are better in almost every respect.

so probably not all that good for evening rides in and out of tree cover, they just won’t keep up with the speed you need them to change.

They don’t need to change that fast. Your eyes handle that part, the lenses basically adjust for weather or time of day generally.

Mine are fine on dull days, it’s just dull dusk that they have to come off.

Anyone know if any of the cheapish photochromic glasses on amazon/ebay come up small for a small head?

I’ve got a cheapo pair from Amazon, they look exactly like Oakleys. They are nice and light for long days, and work ok

I also have a pair from PX which I’m very happy with. On offer till Thursday.
These are a bit heavier, but I’ve been wearing them every day in through winter and spring. I’ve never had a problem seeing with them no matter the light levels.

Edit: the link seems not to have appeared, I’ll try again:
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLCARSFV2SEP/carnac-rsf-se-cat-0-3-photochromic-sunglasses

julbo make the best photo lenses.

Honestly this.
Got some Race 2.0 Octopus (2-4) a couple of years ago, and just got some Arise (0-3) cos the weather’s been so rubbish

https://www.trekkinn.com/outdoor-mountain/julbo-arise-reactiv-reactiv-performance-0-3/137090516/p
still can get them from Spain….as the bundle is under £135 there is nothing else to pay (sunlit uplands etc)

they’re superb, and completely indestructible. https://www.imbikemag.com/reviews/protection/glasses/julbo-eyewear-arise-reactiv-performance-glasses-2019/

Assuming you are prescription, I recently got the Rad8 ones with the purple grippers inside the arms.

I normally go thin and light on my regular glasses, if you are unsure, cough up for the thinnest option as the glasses are wide and lenses will be thicker at the edges anyway. And of course it significantly increases comfort as the specs are much lighter.

Sph -3.25 cyl -2.25 prescription in the photo, both thin and light lenses…you can see how the bulk of the lens gets much bigger for the wide/wraparound style, and you can only see half the depth, the rest is behind the frame.

Optical photochromic (for specs) go clear. At places like BPW where you go from full open sky to thick wooded sections they can be too dark sometimes. For day to night riding Though they are perfect.
I’ve been
Meaning to make up some lenses just for BPW, yellow tint all over but a graduated brown bit at the very top. Might look a bit ‘rocket man’though.

Very tempted to order some of the rad8 505s, as per @spooky_b329 need to go for the ultra thin lenses. £270 is a bit salty though, anyone seen a discount code doing the rounds?

Speaking of which spooky – any lens distortion? I’m -0.75 sph and -3.25 cyl, I’m no expert but prescription not quite as strong as yours I think

@davosaurusrex

Rad8 only seem to do offers on their non prescription frames 🙁

When I swap back and forth between the rad8s and my normal glasses, the vision seems a bit different, perhaps a subtle distortion, but nothing that I notice whilst wearing them. Certainly no ripples or funny business going on. The thin lenses are the ultraclean ones so they clean very easily, and presumably the same coating is why they don’t seem to suffer with fogging up.

Cheers @spooky_b329

Do they go completely clear for night riding? And do you think they’re worth the money overall?

@davosaurusrex

Apologies for late reply. They are completely clear out of the box… Haven’t tried them in the dark yet 🙂

For me they are worth it as it means I don’t need to faff around and use a pair of contact lenses for a 2hr ride (as if it’s wet/muddy my normal glasses don’t offer enough coverage) with the massive bonus that I am can use them for other stuff such as walking, holidays etc… I’ve never had prescription sunglasses before

I’ve got a set of Oakley Flak Jackets with a photochromic lens, goes from virtually clear to virtually black although they’re very much towards the end of their lives now. Oakley stopped doing photochromic for a while but having looked at their website, I see there’s a reasonable range now.

They’ve been brilliant glasses, they more or less made my collection of lenses for my Half Jackets obsolete overnight. Had about a 8 sets at one point!

Cheers. I ordered a set last week, hopefully will get them in a week or so (I see Optilabs still do the lenses for them). I’m the same with contacts and short rides so really looking forward to getting them.