Are glasses always necessary when commuting?

[Norm]

I had a lump of mud hit the lens directly in front of my left eye the week before Christmas. Not exactly a bumble bee but it would probably have smarted anyway.

 

[Gbola]

I need eyesight correction. Sometimes I wear glasses. Sometimes I wear contact lenses.

Now it might be my imagination, but I have the impression that I'm able to interact better with other people generally when I'm not wearing glasses, whatever form of transport they or I am using, or even if neither of us is using any.

The same is certainly true of sunglasses - it's hard to interact effectively with someone whose eyes you can't see.

I never wear cycling glasses.

That was exactly how I felt yesterday

 

[Gbola]

It's your choice, but I can't see how clear glasses affect eye contact, perhaps you could explain that one. I usually wear glasses for cycling whether or not pedestrians wear them.

It is psychological. The eyes are the window to the heart.

 

[CamPhil]

The only thing eye-contact means is that they are facing towards and their eyes are open.
So how much difference can glasses make?
I'm always going to wear what allows ME to see properly, including protecting my eyes from whatever airborne debris the current weather conditions may allow.
I'm planning on sharing the road with them, not body fluids.

 

[Nebulous]

I've only a 2 mile commute and never wear glasses. I got an Aldi pair with changeable lenses though, and wear them slightly more than half the time when out on the roadbike. To be honest I rarely notice they are there, except if I have to stop at a junction and they steam up.

 

[JosefK]

I have just recently been given a pair with interchangeable lenses for my Christmas from the wife.

This is after cursing flies and grit for years! I didn't realise that there was a social element to wearing them though!

 

[Pikey]

"Has anyone seen an eyeball-bumping bumble bee recently? Or more pertinently, not seen one and been ambushed by it? Does anybody here know anybody blinded by road debris whilst cycling?"
deptfordmarmoset

Whatever...

 

[Bicycle]

I often ride helmetless, but always wear gloves and eye protection on a bicycle.

I dislike getting insects in my face/eyes. I also dislike the gravel and chips that car and bike tyres can throw at me (bike tyres when you're on a wheel). Similarly, spray on wet days can get in my eyes.

I also dislike getting cold eyes on frosty days and glasses make it less uncomfortable.

It's simply never really occured to me that glasses (mine tend to be tinted) might make me appear aloof or distant. It's an interesting notion. I like to think I interact nicely with other road users, but they may think I'm a weird Bono wannabe. Eeek... I've just started to worry about something I didn't even realise was an issue.

Having said that, I use a chainsaw with no eye protection, but I've never fallen off a chainsaw at 30 mph.

 

[G-Zero]

I've never given a thought to how other road users might interpret my wearing of glasses and to be perfectly blunt, I couldn't give a chuff what they might think. I wear them to protect my eyes and it doesn't get any simpler than that.

Perhaps I've been unlucky, but my last pair picked up a lovely deep lens scratch from a crushed drinks can that was flicked up by a car; and even without the summer insects, I'm always cleaning grit and crud off my lenses, some of which would probably end up in my eyes.

Call me cynical, but some drivers don't even register the fact that a cyclist is present on the road, with fluorescent/dayglo clothing, flashing lights et al, so to afford them the presence of mind to consider what eye protection we do or do not wear is probably asking a little too much of them.

 

[byegad]

As a spectacle wearer I always ride with them on. It helps if you can see properly. I did have some cycling glasses with prescription inserts and found them great, until I stopped. At that point they steamed up and I was left with the choice of taking them off or peering through the mists.
The point about dark or reflected lenses stopping you from making eye contact is a good one. Maybe clear lenses are the answer.

 

[subaqua]

i wear my normal specs for cycling to work in. am going to start wearing my PPE specs in the new year as i got a tiny bit of road dirt in the eye yesterday whilst pootling about. for an hour or so it looked like i had been hit by a prizefighter.

safety specs are compulsory for the company i work for and we have seen eye injuries reduced by 75% since the introduction of mandatory use, based on the numbr of cyclists and miles ridden i would suggest that a reduction would also be noted . of course some of the usual protagonists wuld argue against this simply because i posted it but hey ho maybe they will have a decent new years resolution.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Yes, simple as. I wear yellow lenses at this time of year, so if drivers want to see my my eyes they can

 

[2Loose]

Safety glasses are essential imho. Being hit in the eye by ANYTHING is more likely to cause an accident than someone not seeing your eyes.

Grit, mud\water spray, flies, wasps, stones and even rain and hail are all easily capable of causing a wobble, or worse, if they get in your eyes at speed.

 

[Danny]

I tend to wear glasses when it is sunny or I have got my contacts in. While I understand the point the OP is making I am not sure it is really possible to make eye contact with drivers when you are in moving traffic, the best you can do is look in their direction so they know you are aware they are there.

Also given that many drivers wear glasses or sunglasses I don't think many are going to be agravated by the sight of cyclists in glasses.