Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)
  • Prescription riding specs – what and where to buy?
  • wl
    Free Member

    I need to get some prescription riding glasses within the next 4 weeks, to wear in the UK and abroad for mountain biking in all conditions. Never had a pair before and I’m planning to bite the bullet and shell out for Oakleys unless anyone convinces me otherwise. Guessing it’ll set me back around £300-£350? Any tips or warnings about where, how and what to buy? Looking for smaller models so I don’t look like an alien. My helmet size is small. Priorities are performance and robustness, not fashion. Thanks v much.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Take a look at glasses that will take the rx inserts.

    trickydisco
    Free Member

    Ciliary blue. Bought the oakley frames and got them to supply some transition lenses

    I’ve also owned a pair of oakley prescription Black photochromic iridirum (which i lost) and i’d say these are pretty good

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    notmyrealname
    Free Member

    Oakley prescription glasses are good but expensive. They have a limited prescription range that they can make lenses for so it’s worth checking if they can do something to suit you.
    As much as I like my prescription Oakleys I bought a set of prescription glasses from Optilabs and they were about a third of the price of the Oakleys but just as good. They do a thing where they will send you three or four demo pairs of frames to try on before you buy so you can see what fits and suits you.

    After using the Optilabs glasses I’m not sure I’d go back to getting more Oakleys.

    BeardedDave
    Free Member

    I’m on my second pair from Optilabs and would never consider spending that amount on Oakleys. Optilabs are about half the price. Best money I’ve ever spent on riding.
    I tried the inserts originally and didn’t get on with them at all. When your glasses mist up, rather than one layer of mist to squint through, you have two!

    Wookster
    Full Member

    TBH, I found inserts a pain, in the wet of heat it’s easy to get water or sweat! inbetween the lenses ( these were adidas glasses)

    I just got a pair or £100 sports prescription glasses from Specsavers not as fash as Oakleys but a third of the price, so loss of damage isn’t an issue. Otherwise I go contacts and normal oakleys on top. But I wouldn’t go inserts again.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Oakleys.

    trickydisco
    Free Member

    inserts are crap for riding. Avoid

    IHN
    Full Member

    As above, frames of your choice, glazed by Ciliary Blue. Absolutely no need to be spending £300+.

    munkster
    Free Member

    Had great service from RX Sport here.

    Ecky-Thump
    Free Member

    This:

    inserts are crap for riding. Avoid

    because of this:

    When your glasses mist up, rather than one layer of mist to squint through, you have two!

    snorkelsucker
    Free Member

    Glassesdirect do Oakley frames and you can get their own lenses fitted in various configurations. Pretty sure there is a 15% off code you can use also.

    Don’t know what their lenses are like though but a darn sight cheaper than going full-spec Oakleys!

    aP
    Free Member

    Depends upon your prescription.
    If I didn’t use inserts, I wouldn’t still be cycling.

    leythervegas
    Free Member

    The optical quality with Oakleys is streets ahead of the budget alternatives. The new prizm lenses are amazing especially the trail lens. That said the prescription range is limited especially if you are long sighted but if you can get them then they will last you for years if looked after.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    My helmet size is small

    😆

    wl
    Free Member

    Cheers all – good info here, please keep it coming. Not fixed on Oakley, especially if there are genuinely great alternatives for a fraction of the cost. I need glasses for seeing distance, so I use them for driving, cinema etc. Don’t think my prescription is particularly strong though. Inserts sound like a pain. I often ride in damp and steamy weather.

    Stu – ha, behave! Any minute now Phil will be along! I’ll reply to your email later on – heading out now to ride at Stainburn. A very rare trail centre visit – I’m intrigued.

    colournoise
    Full Member

    Anybody else absolutely trash lenses when riding? Mine last only 6 months or so before becoming scratched to hell. Because of this I tend to just buy a cheaper pair of normal specs to ride in rather than something expensive. Do the job but look a bit spoddy.

    Do have a pair of Evil Eyes with RX inserts but at my high prescription they make me feel a bit dizzy if I move my head around too much due to (I think) the difference between the lens area and the surrounding periphery vision.

    So basically, any tips for protecting riding spec lenses? Clearly, if I could get on with the inserts better that would be ideal as the Evil Eyes have changeable lenses…

    IHN
    Full Member

    I’m on my second pair from Optilabs and would never consider spending that amount on Oakleys. Optilabs are about half the price.

    I’ve had Optilabs (twice) in the past and agree they’re good, however Ciliary Blue are just as good and half the price again.

    The optical quality with Oakleys is streets ahead of the budget alternatives

    I’ve never used Oakleys, but I wear glasses all the time and I’ve never noticed any issues with the optical quality of my ‘budget’ prescription sunnies (when skiing, MTBing and roadying).

    aP
    Free Member

    Do have a pair of Evil Eyes with RX inserts but at my high prescription they make me feel a bit dizzy if I move my head around too much due to (I think) the difference between the lens area and the surrounding periphery vision

    This doesn’t sound right, the inserts in my Rudy Project frames are glazed to my prescription -11 and I don’t get this. You need to speak to your optician and ask if they’ve glazed them to take account of the frame base. I find that smaller lenses work best at high prescriptions.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Just priced the Optilabs at £179, reasonable for a non insert sports design prescription transition lens pair of glasses.

    leythervegas
    Free Member

    The technology and research that goes into an Oakley lens (as well as the materials used) are very different to lenses in lower costed glasses. Its the same old you get what you pay for thing. Doesn’t mean the budget glasses won’t work for you at all though. If I didn’t work in optics and hadn’t been trained on the benefits of oakleys I would probably consider them myself. They look really good.

    IHN
    Full Member

    Just priced the Optilabs at £179, reasonable for a non insert sports design prescription transition lens pair of glasses.

    You’ll get the same at Ciliary Blue for £100 less (depending n he cost of the frames you send to them). Personally, I bought a pair of £15 sunglasses with a frame shape I liked, had them glazed for about £60 with Transitions lenses.

    The technology and research that goes into an Oakley lens (as well as the materials used) are very different to lenses in lower costed glasses. Its the same old you get what you pay for thing

    This is of course true. I suppose it’s a question of how good do you need the lenses to be? In a nice weak internet analogy, Transitions lenses (such that you get at Optilabs or CB) are the Ford option; perfectly good, do the job very well at a reasonable cost. Oakleys are more, I dunno, Aston Martin; do the job exceptionally well, but at a much higher cost. You have to ask yourself how good a lens you actually need, and therefore are prepared to pay for.

    paule
    Free Member

    Asda Opticians do the Nike range, which includes some riding type glasses. 2 for £100 I think, it even included the extra thin lenses for mine!

    leythervegas
    Free Member

    Are the optilab lenses official Transitions lenses? I don’t think they are. On the website it says photochromic. Be careful with Transitions copies as if they are similar to the specsavers equivalent I have found they don’t go as dark and are very slow to go from dark back to light. Also they have a shorter life and you may find after a year they don’t react at all.

    IHN
    Full Member

    I dunno if the Optilabs/CB are ‘official’ Transitions (although I think they are), but mine have always gone really dark when necessary (like when skiing) and stayed reactive for multiple years.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    When you can get +5 Oakley’s I’ll consider them. In the meantime, I ride with Rx insert Rudy Rydons and find them acceptable.

    inserts are crap for riding. Avoid

    Not all of us have the choice 😉 . Check your prescription first. Most curved lenses have a maximum prescription.

    And yes they do mist up occasionally. As do single lenses.

    aphex_2k
    Free Member

    Bought some Oakley Fives a few years back and my optomotrist send the frames to Rupp and Hubrach in Germany – amazing Transition lenses that still look pristine. I would definitely use them again for lenses.

    CraigW
    Free Member

    I have a couple of pairs from Zenni. Cost about £40 per pair, that’s paying a bit extra for thin lenses, as I have a strong prescription (-6).
    This style: http://www.zennioptical.com/292916-plastic-full-rim-frame.html

Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)

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