Okay,

It’s time to admit I can’t really see when it’s less than bright, and when it’s bright I get massive headaches.

I had an eye test about 5 years ago, I’ve got a astigmatism/stigmata whichever doesn’t involve bleeding palms, wore cheap glasses for a bit, now lost them.

I’ve got an eye test booked soon, but I’m not set on buying glasses from them.

I know NOTHING about glasses, what I want…

Some kind of 2 for 1 deal, that allows me to have 1 pair as some kind of riding glasses – does such a thing exist, or if not what do my fellow glasses wearing riders wear on their bike? I tried contacts and I’d rather not do that again.

I’ve always worn my normal glasses on my bikes. Haven’t had them fly off my face too many times over the years, though all my specs have been particularly light weight.

Now you’ve made me listen to this:

I’ve had really expensive custom Oakleys, and equally expensive varifocal custom lenses in a pair of Raybans I got off eBay, with DriveWear photo-reactive and multipoint A/R coating, but now I’ve got two pairs of Specsavers frames on a 2for1 with one pair clear, the other tinted and an a/r coating, cost less than £60, if I recall.

They work just fine, I’ve got slight astigmatism, but my eyesight has got better as I’ve got older, so maybe I can get away with cheaper glasses, or maybe I could have done all along, and the lure of whizzy glasses got the better of me.

Should add I’ve always used Specsavers 2 for 1, one pair tinted one pair plain. Never bothered with scratch resistant coatings, I’m on my third set in fifteen years and haven’t regretted the saving.

+1 Specsavers – a rare example of a business where quality and service (for me at least) have improved steadily during the time I have dealt with them.

I use an old pair of varifocals with elasticated retainer round the head. They are good enough for riding in and when they get plastered with rain or mud I just hang them down and do without. Same set up for climbing and yoga (not the mud bit). You wont have a old pair but get a 2 for 1, keep a pair for best and one for outdoors. By the way the 2 for 1 deals can end up being a bit more pricey than they 1st seem, what with fancy lenses and coatings etc. so be prepared for that.

Thanks all SpecSavers booked, I like the look of some of the Puma Sunglasses, I’ll ask if they can do with them with clear lenses for riding. I’m gnar as ***** so I need something that’s not going to fly off when I’m being so.

*not really.

Daily disposable contacts for riding.

I buy a box of 20 sets from Tesco opticians for £25 -ish   and just order more when they’re finished

Wot I do :

– Nice glasses from opticians for everyday wearing.

– Cheapo sports-type sunnies, reglazed with Transitions lenses from Ciliary Blue, for riding.

Have a look at the internet retailers. If you have your prescription it is easy to order online. I got an unbranded lightweight sports style frame with standard lenses cheap enough to not worry about whether they get scratched or broken.

Glassesdirect usually have offers. I’ve got one pair just for riding in – cheap so doesn’t matter so much if they get scratched or smashed in a get off.

https://www.glassesdirect.co.uk

Give them your email address and you can get 2 pairs for £19. That’s what I did.

I bought some specs online recently. One lense felt off and the frames were so cheap and shoddy any quick head movement would make them slip or fall off. Even though I know my prescription and from measurments they were still crap. I sent them back for a refund and have now purchased some from Specsavers. Good lenses and a sturdy frame. They weren’t that expensive either.

Thanks for all your help.

finally got to Specsavers yesterday – eye test showed quiet a bit of damage from a winter of grit and grime so glasses probably not a bad idea.

Ordered a pair of Puma sunnies with clear lenses, sales person knew her stuff and they get lots of requests for riding glasses – they did offer goggles but I remarked I could never go full-Enduro which went over her head I think.

When it came to the day-to-day glasses I seemed to talk myself into a pair of Hugo Boss jobs for £180!!! Get me, flash ****.

Ordering prescription glasses off the internet question. I’m new to glasses, so new the 1st pair haven’t arrived yet. But when I ordered them, the optician used a device to measure the distance between my pupils.He said it was necessary to get the glasses correction strength in the right place.

As far as I can tell this measurement isn’t on the prescription. So how does the internet know? Does one have to measure it, or is it not used in all cases?

PD – pupillary distance. It won’t be on your prescription.

You can measure by holding a ruler just under your pupils while someone takes a photo then zooming in and reading off the distance between centres of your pupils. Or if you’ve got an existing pair of glasses you’re happy with then you can try this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yneMPZ8mee4

>Some kind of 2 for 1 deal, that allows me to have 1 pair as some kind of riding glasses – does such a thing exist, or if not what do my fellow glasses wearing riders wear on their bike?

I have ended up with three pairs to cover all bases:

Prescription glasses, wear every day

Prescription wrap round sunglasses, wear driving, cycling, skiing

Prescription wrap round photo-chromatic sunglasses for sports in poor light.

My prescription doesn’t change much, so I don’t always update them all at the same time, just when one breaks.