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riding with poor eyesight/glasses
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CregFull Member
Hi folks
Just after a bit of advice regarding riding with poor eyesight. I have to wear glasses all the time as my left eye has really bad vision but I don’t want to ride in my only pair of glasses. Its putting me off riding somewhat and my optician has said she doesn’t deal in anything sport related.
Has anyone here taken the plunge and got some prescription based lenses for something like Oakleys or any other brand? If so where did you get them done?
NorthwindFull MemberContact lenses for me, and cheap safety glasses. But then I’ve lost or broken about 20 pairs of sunglasses and safety glasses in the last couple of years so I’d be mad to spend much money, if you’re less of an idiot that might change 😉
SimonFull MemberContacts for me too and any sunglasses/safety glasses or more often than not just contacts.
Been wearing them for 25 years and never had one fall out when riding.Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...andyeezFree MemberI used to ride in contacts but found more recently that they dry out quickly and move around my eyes when blinking etc. temporarily losing full vision. Also had one blow out completely on a fast downhill road ride. As a result I bought a pair of Bloc wraparound sunnies and sent them with my prescription to Cilliary Blue who glazed them with prescription transition lenses. £75 total. There is a small amount of ‘fisheye’ due to the large lens but my eyes quickly adjust and they are a great alternative to contacts.
jonnysevenFull MemberContacts and cycling glasses for me or an old pair of 2nd pair specsavers that turned out to be quite good.
I used adidas evil eyes with a lens insert for a while but the frame and lenses of the insert glasses was small and rubbed the lenses. Oakleys are ok but they will be expensive and the curve on some brings the ground up towards you – weird to wear and take some getting used to.
Search ‘prescription cycling glasses’ and there’s loads of options out there nowadays.duirFree MemberDepending on your prescription a lot of frames may not work as they tend to be wrap around with too much curve. I wouldn’t bother with anything expensive as you will probably loose them etc. Some of the sub £10 safety glasses look as good as anything and are tough/durable. Maybe getting your lenses put into those will be best.
I can’t get away with contacts as my eyes are too sensitive, with a strong long sight prescription and prominent astigmatisms, so the wort of all worlds!
I have decided that the only way forward is laser surgery but in the meantime cheap frames and good quality lenses for MTB.
glasgowdanFree MemberI need to update my prescription and fork out for something. I can’t wear contacts as I have scars on my eyes so I put up with L Frame goggles over my usual glasses. Not ideal. Read loads of articles and still unclear what would work.
mintimperialFull MemberI don’t want to ride in my only pair of glasses. Its putting me off riding somewhat and my optician has said she doesn’t deal in anything sport related.
Get a prescription off your optician and buy the least expensive set of specs you can find online, that’s the cheapest way to solve that one, probably won’t set you back more than £20-ish.
scotroutesFull MemberI tried contacts and just couldn’t get on with them. I then bought a set of Oakley Transition with prescription lenses – £250!! That was 7-8 years ago and I’m still using them so it’s worked out a decent investment.
JoeGFree MemberI got a pair of prescription WileyX glasses for riding. As above, your prescription may be in issue if its too strong.
The ones with a set of custom lenses inserted behind a nonprescription lens are effing horrible IMO and I will avoid those at all costs.
If your prescription is real strong, just buy a set of regular glasses with a more robust & cleap plastic frame and use those to ride in instead of your good ones.
aPFree MemberDepends upon how poor your eyesight is. Up to +/- 2-3 it doesn’t really matter what frames as they’ll pretty much be ok. 4-6 then you’ll be restricted to lower base frames, or get specific lenses such as Rupp+Hubrach made for the frames. Beyond this you’re getting into really specialist country where you’ll be very restricted to frame base, and then when you to -11 like me then my only option really is Rudy Project. I’m currently using Maya frames which are ok, and my opticians have also reduced the lens size as the edges are intrusive otherwise. If you do have high prescription lenses then I can also recommend making sure that when they cut lenses down to not polish the edges otherwise you get annoying internal reflections.
If you’re in London I can recommend going to Schuller Opticians in Lambs Conduit St, and asking for Erica.TiRedFull MemberI do all my riding in a pair of Rudy Rydon photochromatics with an Rx insert. I’m +5 in one eye and +4 in the other (with double astigmatisms for good measure) and can’t have bespoke glazed Oakleys and the like. They do steam up a little, particularly in the rain and damp, but they are simply the best solution for my needs.
I used to wear contacts and stopped for no other reason than I like glasses and no pfaff. Mine were glazed by my family’s optical lab.
garage-dwellerFull MemberI couldn’t do contacts (finger eye interface squeamishness).
I have a very odd prescription and astigmatism that isn’t compatible with really curvy sort frames so I use normal glasses to ride but I never only own a single pair of glasses.
At the moment I have some chunky ophthalmic Oakley frames which are my ‘ old ‘ prescription (mine is fairly stable) that I ride in. Once my good / current pair start to get cosmetically tatty they get transferred over to riding duties.
If your prescription is less freaky you might be able to get something more riding specific but for xc/in the hills riding I have not found any massive issues although I could be tempted by goggles over the top in the very worst weather.
CoyoteFree MemberReasonably mild prescription here. -1.25 in one -1.5 in the other. Used to wear contact lenses then got episcleritis (sp?) in my left eye. Not pleasant and has recurred a few times. I now figure that I can see reasonably clearly for about 20 feet so that’ll do. 8)
coatesyFree MemberGot Oakley M-frames with RX inserts, been using them for probably best part of 20yrs, not cheap by any means now I can’t get trade price, but still willing to pay the price as they work far better than all of the other options i’ve tried. Vision Express have been very helpful in sorting mine.
colournoiseFull MemberAnyone got any recommendations for +6/+7 prescriptions? Got some Evil Eyes with RX inserts but they are tiny lenses and distort oddly.
Can’t/won’t do contacts.
mick_rFull MemberShort sighted and gradually getting too blurry without glasses on mtb.
Got some prescription sporty Uvex safety glasses for work and these have been great for mtb use – planning to get another set sometime (not sure what the whole cost was but had to get work to agree as £30 more than standard issue). Mine are model 5508 – big full prescription lens so great field of vision and no inserts but I’m a fairly weak prescription so might not be available in more severe cases.
onewheelgoodFull MemberRudy Project Rydon photochromics with insert here too. They do mist up in damp conditions but I’ve found that Fogtech sorts that out – the only anti-mist stuff that actually works, in my experience (and I’ve tried a lot over the last 40 years).
johnhighfieldFree MemberSame as TiRed – Rudy Project Rydons with Photophromatic Impact-X lenses & RX inserts with varifocal lenses. They were an expensive outlay – but got the lenses cheapish online. I’ve had them several years now & also use them for windsurfing (with neoprene strap) but they do float too……
benjiFree MemberI wear normal specs, but chose the bigger lens variety. Looked at the different sport glasses, don’t quite fancy the lens behind a lens solution, so at that point, I would be looking for two lens a clear and a tint, and at that point the costs rocket.
theonlywayisupFree MemberI’ve got some Oakley prescription Eye Jackets from these guys http://www.extreme-eyewear.co.uk/
Cost a lot (~£235), but would I wouldn’t be without then. Depends on how stable your prescription is, but I find that I don’t need to change my cycling glasses as often as I get new regular glasses. I can handle the prescription being a little out on them – so the cost doesn’t seem so bad since I’m keeping my latest ones for 6-7 years (so far)
If you want different lenses for different light conditions (I have Fire Iridium and Perssimon) then the cost does rack up.
climbingkevFree MemberAs mick r, Uvex 5508 through work. One tinted, one clear pair. Vision is a bit “flat” on the periphery due to the plastic safety lens. If it were my money I’d have a punt at those Oakleys above.
cookeaaFull MemberGet a prescription off your optician and buy the least expensive set of specs you can find online, that’s the cheapest way to solve that one, probably won’t set you back more than £20-ish.
This^^
My recommendation would be bolle spider safety specs, can be had for under a tenner from various places online, then post office to ciliary blue, riding glasses sorted for as little as ~£30… Email them first with your prescription just to see if they think it’s feasible, normally come back quickly and are very helpful IME..
deadkennyFree MemberContacts again for me. Started smashing up prescription glasses in the early days, way too expensive. Though these days with prescriptions on safety specs I suppose it’s not so bad.
For me contacts provide so much flexibility. I can wear whatever protective glasses, shades, goggles I want, and likewise don’t need anything special for ski goggles etc when I go skiing either. Plus I can wear nothing or cope if the glasses get bust up and still continue the ride without any (and hope I don’t get mud in my eyes).
Contacts also give you better peripheral vision.
But I can understand those who don’t like the thought of them. If you’ve not tried though, I encourage giving it a go. Obviously some people just can’t cope with them and some have vision that just doesn’t work well with contacts.
And +1 Bolle Safety Specs (I just started using the Contour ones myself, £8 each for different tints).
Tom_W1987Free MemberContact lenses plus ski/downhill goggles so they dont dry out so easily. Cheapest in the event of a crash and better vision than glasses. I find glasses or even prescription shades bounce around to much on techy stuff.
batfinkFree MemberPersevering with contact lenses is by far the best solution….. nobody likes poking themselves in the eye, but the few weeks it takes to get used to them is a great investment. Now I only wear them for sport.
If they are uncomfortable/move around/fall out….. then you have the wrong lenses and need some different ones – they have different “fits”. I surf in mine – and even cartwheeling underwater with my eyes open, I have still never lost a lens.
aPFree MemberGet a prescription off your optician and buy the least expensive set of specs you can find online, that’s the cheapest way to solve that one, probably won’t set you back more than £20-ish.
Mmmm, yeah right 🙄
IHNFull MemberFind a cheap pair of sunglasses that you like. Send them to Ciliary Blue along with your prescription. They’ll reglaze them and hey presto, photochromic prescription cycling glasses for about £50.
I did this with some, ahem, ‘Ferrari’ sunglasses that cost me 8 Euros.
Highly recommended.
EuroFree MemberTake advantage of the two for one deal that you sometimes get from the likes of specsavers etc. One pair to look super cool in and a dorky pair that that offer a bit more coverage and wrap around your face better for on the bike (and fit under goggles if that’s your thing).
CregFull MemberWow thanks for all the info folks. I’ll take a look at my prescription and see what that says and then look into some of the suggestions made here re: safety glasses.
Its mostly for road riding/commuting rather than mountain biking, lost my bottle for that ages ago and I doubt I’ll get it back anytime soon 😳
slowoldmanFull MemberMy specs cost a bomb so I don’t buy a spare pair or a special sports pair. I just uase my previous pair, which are generally good enough.
cookeaaFull MemberaP – Member
Get a prescription off your optician and buy the least expensive set of specs you can find online, that’s the cheapest way to solve that one, probably won’t set you back more than £20-ish.
Mmmm, yeah right [/quote]
mintimperialFull MemberMmmm, yeah right
What? My suggestion was based on my own experience of what I did a few years back. I bought a pair of normal specs online for twenty quid, they were ok for riding in, a handy spare pair, and it’s definitely the cheapest way of solving the problem.
edhornbyFull MemberI just wear an old pair of internet purchases as above – glassesdirect I think but you could go into specsavers and get some of their ugly budget ones for pretty cheap
cycling cap keeps the rain out of them, keep the snot wipers on your gloves free of snot and they work well for wiping mud off
pigeonthingFree Memberi recently got rx prescription inserts for my goggles…they’ve been great ( being able to see where your going is a benefit? imagine that!!!) so much so that I’ve been using them for trail not just DH, which makes me look a bit of a div …so interested in the uvex link as seem ok priced as up until the rx inserts I just used whatever was cheapest and light safety ones, mainly due to the amount i lost broke, left on top of cars etc..
nickcFull MemberMostly contacts here, but recently bought some Oakley Crosslinks. £199 from Vision Express, came with free pair the choice included frames up £99, so 2 pairs of pretty good specs.
But contacts are the way forward for most folks I think.
nemesisFree MemberHave you actually tried contacts? Loads of places do free trials so you’ll lose nothing giving it a go.
FWIW, most people find the whole finger in eye thing a bit tricky to start but everyone gets over that.
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