Glasses??

Chopper
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Glasses??

Postby Chopper » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:40 am

Hi All,

first post after lurking now for a month or so. I'll be undertaking my first commute tomorrow from Sylvania to Zetland so it's roughly a 24km trip. I'm giving myself just over an hour so will be leaving home around 4.45am to get to work by 6am.

My question is - how important are glasses? Are they more to offer protection from flying insects, dirt, sand, etc or are they more for sun protection? Or a bit of both? If they are important, any recommendations for a pair under $100 that can be worn day and night?

Cheers,
BK

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Mububban
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Mububban » Thu Jul 14, 2016 12:44 pm

Chopper wrote:My question is - how important are glasses? Are they more to offer protection from flying insects, dirt, sand, etc or are they more for sun protection? Or a bit of both? If they are important, any recommendations for a pair under $100 that can be worn day and night?

Cheers,
BK
I wear prescription glasses, and even they've stopped me getting bugs and sand/dirt in my eye. Although once I did get a bee trapped between the lens and my eyeball. That was a nervous few seconds....

If you're after budget but effective eye protection, nip down to Bunnings and check out their safety glasses. The right pair will be light, tough, have grippy rubber arms, will fit tightly to keep dust, dirt and cold morning air out (all that cold morning air hitting your eyes will make them water and it can be quite dangerous until it clears up), and you can get clear or tinted, with UV protection. And all for about $15 a pair.
I don't often wear my contact lenses but when I do, I wear my safety glasses and they're comfy and offer great visibility and protection.
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find_bruce
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Re: Glasses??

Postby find_bruce » Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:05 pm

Got a nice pair of photochromatic glasses from Reid cycles - normally under $100 but often on sale

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bychosis
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Re: Glasses??

Postby bychosis » Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:25 pm

I mostly wear regular sunnies, but probably would look to be wearing clear in winter dark mornings. Cold mornings tend to be the time I most need glasses due to watery eyes from the cold. Night riding also can attract bugs to the headlight, I've been hit in the face by bugs in the dark far more than in the day.

+1 for safety glasses
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Chopper
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Chopper » Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:47 pm

Cheers for the replies. I have access to clear safety glasses at work so I'll grab a pair for tomorrow mornings ride in and rely on my sunnies when riding home in the afternoon
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westab
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Re: Glasses??

Postby westab » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:59 pm

Chopper I use the safety glasses and sunnies - and when riding in the morning at dawn or afternoon at dusk I keep the pair I'm not using in my jersey pocket in case I need to change. There is nothing worse than having to get the gear rolling again (esp. in the cold) because I had to retrieve glasses from the panniers.
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Thoglette
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Thoglette » Fri Jul 15, 2016 12:32 am

bychosis wrote:+1 for safety glasses
Clears at night, yellow at dawn/dusk and darks once the sun is up. Cheap.
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Chopper
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Chopper » Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:31 am

Thanks everyone - wore the clears in this morning and have my sunnies for the ride home this afternoon. Didn't feel any bugs hit the lenses this morning but I was grateful they kept that cold air out!!
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human909
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Re: Glasses??

Postby human909 » Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:11 pm

Chopper wrote:Thanks everyone - wore the clears in this morning and have my sunnies for the ride home this afternoon. Didn't feel any bugs hit the lenses this morning but I was grateful they kept that cold air out!!
Unless you make a habit of riding through bug infested areas then clear glasses are mostly overkill IMO. But that said cyclists love to accessorise so if you want to why not.

The dutch certainly don't. I only use Sunglasses to protect from UV. Though getting a bug in you eye is annoying and I certainly have had that before. (less than once a year where I ride though!)

fergy1987
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Re: Glasses??

Postby fergy1987 » Mon Aug 01, 2016 1:14 pm

I bought some of the Jetblack glasses that come with the clear/yellow/black lenses. Got them on special for like $20 and haven't looked back. Dark works in the sun, and I wear the other two at night but really only for the bugs. Nothing worse than copping a bug in the eye when you are speeding down a hill or something. Definitely worth the investment I think

TheWall
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Re: Glasses??

Postby TheWall » Mon Aug 01, 2016 7:20 pm

And a wash and rinse with dishwashing detergent a couple of times a week will mean they do not fog up. :D

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trailgumby
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Re: Glasses??

Postby trailgumby » Mon Aug 01, 2016 7:59 pm

If you need prescription glasses, I can recommend Shamir Attitude III with Transitions photochromic tinting. Review article and video to come soon.

Might be around the $100 out of pocket after health fund rebate if you bring existing name-brand two-lens sports sunglass frames, depending on your health fund.

I wouldn't be without protective glasses of any kind except *maybe* when it's humid and belting down rain and I'm going slow, when it becomes a challenge to see through fogged lenses.

Not so many bugs about now, but a cold airstream at 60km/hr is not eye friendly. I'd struggle to see from tearing up.

human909
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Re: Glasses??

Postby human909 » Mon Aug 01, 2016 10:37 pm

trailgumby wrote:Not so many bugs about now, but a cold airstream at 60km/hr is not eye friendly. I'd struggle to see from tearing up.
Huh! That has never even occurred to me... Maybe it's my eye lashes as even in skiing I don't have a big problem with cold air and faster speeds. (snow in the eyes is another story though)

Though we are all different. I think I'm more sensitive to sunlight/UV than most. I now wear Category 4 sunglasses in the summer sun. These block so much light that supposedly you aren't supposed to wear them while driving! 8)

Ant_S
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Ant_S » Thu Aug 11, 2016 3:25 pm

I generally wear normal or funky retro cycling sunnies on bright summer days however like anything some are more comfy than others depending how long you wear them, how they sit under your helmet/cycling cap etc. I have a few pairs and some are comfier than others.

I also wear contacts & I found riding without glasses was ok whilst on the bike but later on or after a few days commuting my eyes sometimes would get sore from the cold air and what not.
I ended up picking up a new pair of Ekoi photo chromatic lensed sunnies from Gumtree for ~$70. They're the lenses that can shift how dark they are depending on the sunlight. They won't ever go clear enough for night riding or dark enough for Aussie summer day riding, but for transitional times riding like dusk and dawn I've found them really good. Perfect for when I set off a bit before sun comes up & it then comes up while I'm still on the road. Likewise with it starting to go down when riding home.

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trailgumby
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Re: Glasses??

Postby trailgumby » Thu Aug 11, 2016 6:54 pm

Ant_S wrote:I ended up picking up a new pair of Ekoi photo chromatic lensed sunnies from Gumtree for ~$70. They're the lenses that can shift how dark they are depending on the sunlight. They won't ever go clear enough for night riding or dark enough for Aussie summer day riding, but for transitional times riding like dusk and dawn I've found them really good. Perfect for when I set off a bit before sun comes up & it then comes up while I'm still on the road. Likewise with it starting to go down when riding home.
Unfortunately I can't wear contacts according to the optometrist as I have astigmatism. Whether that's a general rule or specific to me I am unsure. MY dry eye problem would rule them out in any case. :(

Interesting comments on these Ekoi photochromics. The Transitions Signature tinting on the Shamir Attitude lenses (review now up) performs really well, going from virtually completely clear suitable for night riding to well dark enough for Aussie summer.

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Re: Glasses??

Postby ironhanglider » Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:26 pm

human909 wrote:
Chopper wrote:Thanks everyone - wore the clears in this morning and have my sunnies for the ride home this afternoon. Didn't feel any bugs hit the lenses this morning but I was grateful they kept that cold air out!!
Unless you make a habit of riding through bug infested areas then clear glasses are mostly overkill IMO. But that said cyclists love to accessorise so if you want to why not.

The dutch certainly don't. I only use Sunglasses to protect from UV. Though getting a bug in you eye is annoying and I certainly have had that before. (less than once a year where I ride though!)
I rode through several protein clouds on the way home today.

Cheers,

Cameron

Ant_S
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Ant_S » Fri Aug 12, 2016 3:29 pm

trailgumby wrote:
Ant_S wrote:I ended up picking up a new pair of Ekoi photo chromatic lensed sunnies from Gumtree for ~$70. They're the lenses that can shift how dark they are depending on the sunlight. They won't ever go clear enough for night riding or dark enough for Aussie summer day riding, but for transitional times riding like dusk and dawn I've found them really good. Perfect for when I set off a bit before sun comes up & it then comes up while I'm still on the road. Likewise with it starting to go down when riding home.
Unfortunately I can't wear contacts according to the optometrist as I have astigmatism. Whether that's a general rule or specific to me I am unsure. MY dry eye problem would rule them out in any case. :(

Interesting comments on these Ekoi photochromics. The Transitions Signature tinting on the Shamir Attitude lenses (review now up) performs really well, going from virtually completely clear suitable for night riding to well dark enough for Aussie summer.
I also have Astigmatism actually, but mine is right on the border for having contacts powerful enough. Not quite as strong as glasses, but I've always been fine with it.

Yeah I didn't really do a huge amount of research into the Ekoi, they just came up BNIB on Gumtree and I'd been riding without anything so I jumped on them. They basically go to a "smoke" colour at lightest and a "fairly dark" at darkest. Ok for sun but I prefer sunnies nice & darker in full summer.

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kb
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Re: Glasses??

Postby kb » Mon Aug 15, 2016 1:28 pm

trailgumby wrote: Unfortunately I can't wear contacts according to the optometrist as I have astigmatism. Whether that's a general rule or specific to me I am unsure. MY dry eye problem would rule them out in any case. :(

Interesting comments on these Ekoi photochromics. The Transitions Signature tinting on the Shamir Attitude lenses (review now up) performs really well, going from virtually completely clear suitable for night riding to well dark enough for Aussie summer.
Astigmatism is ok with toroidal lenses. They're shaped so that when you blink they self-orient. Dry eyes / blepharitis is an issue though. I find my prescription glasses with anti-reflective and Transitions coating do pretty well except in dappled light or flickering side light.
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FXST01
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Re: Glasses??

Postby FXST01 » Mon Aug 15, 2016 8:02 pm

I buy my glasses, clear, yellow and brown at Bunnings, so I don't care if I lose or scratch them. They have UV ratings.
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Re: Glasses??

Postby tcdev » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:49 pm

Aldi had some "sports glasses" with 3 lenses (clear, tinted and yellow) for $9.95 a few weeks ago. I picked them up for shits 'n' giggles and have used them a few times now. Ugly as sin but they seem to do the trick...
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Mububban
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Mububban » Sun Sep 25, 2016 10:56 am

Glad I was wearing my contacts and Bunnings safety glasses yesterday, as I rode through a large and long swarm of tiny little flying bugs that kept pinging off my lenses. They didn't taste very good either :D

I'm perfectly happy with my $15 safety glasses. I wore my tinted ones yesterday, they're light, UV rated, they've got grippy rubber arms so they don't move around and they've got a safety brim at the top to keep dust out, which keeps the wind out of the top of the glasses when you're bent in the aero position. My contacts didn't dry out at all.
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Mububban
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Re: Glasses??

Postby Mububban » Tue Oct 04, 2016 12:06 pm

I tried on some different glasses over the weekend and with the shape of my nose and how glasses sit, the solid top frames block my vision when I'm on the hoods and especially on the drops. These cheapo safety glasses I wear are great because they have no top frame and that top dust rim effectively seal out the wind.

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Re: Glasses??

Postby HyperHorse » Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:16 pm

I wear Oakley M2 XL's. They're all white with the polished gold icons and the polarised Ruby Iridium lenses. Custom sunglasses they are, $270...
I'm so pro. :-P
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V2rocketeer
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Re: Glasses??

Postby V2rocketeer » Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:43 pm

Mububban wrote: If you're after budget but effective eye protection, nip down to Bunnings and check out their safety glasses. The right pair will be light, tough, have grippy rubber arms, will fit tightly to keep dust, dirt and cold morning air out (all that cold morning air hitting your eyes will make them water and it can be quite dangerous until it clears up), and you can get clear or tinted, with UV protection. And all for about $15 a pair.

I wear my prescription glasses all the time,, but my Wife doesn't need a script so she uses the Bunnings glasses cheap, durable and not bad looking really. I'm not a bike snob (ok yes I am) but really $300 glasses vs $15 bunnings that are safety rated?? no brainer :shock:

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