Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)
  • Reading glasses & bike rides 👓
  • hardtailonly
    Full Member

    So, having had pretty good vision most of my life, the last few years I’ve needed reading glasses for, well, reading, and other close-up work.

    This is a bit of a bugger on mid-ride bike faffing and fettling, or indeed checking the phone/map for navigation.

    I sometimes carry a pair of reading glasses with me on a ride, but find they break easily squashed into a pack/bumbag/jersey pocket.

    So what do other people do/use? Feel like I want something robust and/or something where the arms & frame can bend/be squashed a bit without breaking.

    Moon on a (long-sighted) stick?

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Tifosi do some photochromic riding glasses with built in reading lenses. Seems a pretty good solution.

    Bez
    Full Member

    I use Hydrotacs which make your glasses bifocals, they stick on with water. Not a perfect solution, but compatible with whatever you use for cycling glasses, prescription or otherwise. Ideal for being able to read the GPS.

    Or the pound shop sells £1 reading glasses (just magnification, no prescription, obviously). They’re ok for brief use if you only have a weak prescription.

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    oldfatfifer
    Free Member

    I’m very interested in this as I have the same issues. What I do is carry glasses in an old fashioned, clunky, heavy (relatively) metal spec case in my camelback. On local trails its fine as I know where I am and where I’m going. On less familiar territory its a total pita: stopping, removing sunglasses, finding gasses case, putting on glasses reading map/phone etc. Usually I rely on my mates to deal with direction finding but they’re not much better than me! Often three half blind guys and a girl with no sense of direction – frequently lost.

    claudie
    Full Member

    This was a real big deal for me, for the same reasons as you plus reading my garmin. I went with rad8 photochromic mtb glasses, +2 in the bottom and 0 in the top. They have been a revelation and I now use them for runnning, bikes and hiking and the photochromic lenses work so well. I should be on commission with rad8 because I’m constantly raving about these glasses!

    avdave2
    Full Member

    After being at the side of the road fixing a puncture and have to rely on touch alone to check for anything left in the tyre I bought some of those nooz glasses. Expensive for what they are but just go in a back pocket with the phone and money. I’m still ok reading the garmin but guess I’m time it’ll have to be some bifocal riding glasses

    greyspoke
    Free Member

    You can get low profile readers in plastic tubes which are pretty tough. Try a pound shop or similar.

    hardtailonly
    Full Member

    I bought some of those nooz glasses

    Those look good. But how well do they stay on your nose?

    avdave2
    Full Member

    Depends on your nose, bit tight on mine but they do the job if you need to fix something at the side of the road or check the cake menu in the cafe. They aren’t a substitute for normal reading glasses though.

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    Had these in a wishlist for ages, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004GURF2Q/ , I just wear standard wraparound specs for cycling unless I expect to be still out near sunset.

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    I use bifocal safety glasses – got some clear and some tinted

    (edit – at least one of mine is that ^ volt-x brand)

    kerley
    Free Member

    I bought some of those nooz glasses

    That is what I would do. You can stick the very thin holder onto back of phone.

    I wear varifocals as need glasses for everything but don’t wear any when riding for some reason.

    greyspoke
    Free Member

    I use those Voltx ones on the road, for offroad the reading part can get in the way a bit for looking at the trail. I have a fat nose, so glasses tend to ride a bit high.

    jlln
    Free Member

    Bifocal safety glasses for me too. Mine are the clear Bloc ones, cost £11.30 on Ebay. A smallish area of the lower part of both lenses are +1.5 and the rest 0. Do the job well.

    pennine
    Free Member

    I have a couple of these I leave in my hill & cycling bags. I pack them in the shoulder strap pockets. Small and neat.
    PocketBlade reading glasses

    failedengineer
    Full Member

    I’ve got some BBB photochromic specs with a little +2.0 bit at the bottom. Recommended.

    jkomo
    Full Member

    I made up some bifocals to try for riding, but prefer my varifocals. For those who don’t need with prescription for distance those stick on bifocal segments are a good idea. You can experiment with position, you could also try having on non drive side only, as a type of mono vision, so you can still look at your drive chain.
    Don’t forget to choose a lower power if you want to read your Garmin at arms
    Length.

    Moe
    Full Member

    The BBB ones are a good bet, 1.5, 2.0 or 2.5, clear and dark lens included and reasonable price.

    hardtailonly
    Full Member

    Those Hydrotacs … How many do you get in a pack?

    lothalildan
    Free Member

    You can get low profile readers in plastic tubes which are pretty tough. Try a pound shop or similar.

    I don’t think that’s good for your eyes. Those cheap glasses will only worsen your vision. I’m using contact lenses.

    montgomery
    Free Member

    Bifocal/varifocal contacts?

    My near sight has just gone in the last 12 months; having to wear reading glasses for bike maintenance, shaving, the lot. I’ve ordered a set of those Voltz because map reading was turning into a drawn-out performance, I’ll be interested to see how they go. Longsight is still fine (had a test two months ago to check), it’s just the close-up stuff.

    Dogsby
    Full Member

    I bought some BZ Optics photochromic glasses and they changed my life! I can now read my Garmin while riding. Not cheap but brilliant specs and I wouldn’t be without them.

    Dogsby

    greyspoke
    Free Member

    You can get low profile readers in plastic tubes which are pretty tough. Try a pound shop or similar.

    I don’t think that’s good for your eyes. Those cheap glasses will only worsen your vision. I’m using contact lenses.

    This is only for repairs, I use them a few times a year or if I need to read a pub/cafe menu.

    Frankers
    Free Member

    I can recommend Nannini Conpact reading glasses. They fold up in to a case that is only 10mm wide and are pretty tough/flexible

    https://www.nannini.com/shop-cat/eyecare/readers/page/1/?lang=en

    sarawak
    Free Member

    Pince nez. Only a few pounds on Ebay. Keep on a thin cord round your neck. Far from being ideal but plenty serviceable for occasional map reading or phone message checking. They lie flat against your chest and are hard to damage.

    They look odd but WTF? Who cares as long as they do the job?

    globalti
    Free Member

    For you old duffers whose eyes are getting worse and worse at reading, the good news is that if you’re also short-sighted, your eyes will become better at long distance as you age. My last three prescriptions have been progressively weaker and without specs in good light my vision is now almost good enough to drive.

    tjagain
    Full Member

    I have cheap prescription reading glasses with anti scratch coatings. I just keep them in a pocket and consider them sacrificial ie no case so they are there when I need them

    Bruce
    Full Member

    The perfect solution for the discerning Lady or Gentleman.

    https://www.monoclemadness.co.uk/

    crashrash
    Full Member

    another vote for the BZoptics photochromics – genius bit of kit.

    avdave2
    Full Member

    I thought I’d try the Volt -X safety glasses after the recommendations above, first ride with them yesterday and they were great on the road bike, perfect for glancing down at the garmin. I bought the smoke ones and the yellow lenses but you can get all 3 for under £30 on Amazon.

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