Can cycling cause UV eye damage?

[Chris S]

A lot of people who cycle get tans from the UV light reflected from the road. Can this cause eye damage as well?

I got rid of my car a year ago and have been using my bike for daily transport instead. In that time my long range vision has got worse, though it could just be coincidence.

 

[Bazzer]

I am not a medic, but I would have thought the risk of UV damage to the eyes of a cyclist without eye protection, is the same as most others who spend an equivalent amount of time outdoors without eye protection.
But decent sunglasses do more than stopping insects hitting your eyes.
Have you made an appointment with your optician?

 

[I like Skol]

A lot of people who cycle get tans from the UV light reflected from the road.

Is this true? Seems a bit farfetched to me.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I wear glasses but I still have occasional problems with insects getting into my eye

and there is often a problem with bright light

I cannot see a huge UV problem with eyes in the UK - but countries with higher levels may differ

I do wonder - are there any 'over glasses' that can go over normal specs and act like normal cycling glasses - with some UV protection
and not look silly???

 

[cougie uk]

UV reflecting off the road ?

That's got to be very marginal. You get the tan from the sun directly. And yes UV will damage the eyes.

Just wear polycarbonate glasses. Don't even have to be tinted.

The risk of a stone chipping or insect damaging your sight is probably a lot higher than the UV risk anyway.

 

[ColinJ]

cataract[/URL], and there may be a link between exposure to UV light and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Protecting your eyes from the sun
If you are spending time outdoors, especially in the summer or on holidays abroad, make sure that you and your children have good quality, dark sunglasses with UV protection. Look for the British Standard (BS EN ISO 12312-1:2013) or the CE mark, which is the manufacturer’s assurance that the sunglasses have been made to the appropriate safety standards. You can also protect your eyes by making sure to wear a hat with a brim or a sun visor in bright sunlight. You will need stronger protection if you are taking part in winter sports.

It seems likely that more UV would reflect back off snow or water than a road surface, but who knows?

Anyway, enough UV gets into the eyes directly to make protection a good idea.

The risk of a stone chipping or insect damaging your sight is probably a lot higher than the UV risk anyway.

I got my first pair of cycling glasses and went out for a ride. I encountered a stretch of road that had loose chippings on it and a 20 mph speed limit but a tosser of a driver shot past me doing about 50 mph. A chipping shot up and smacked straight into the middle of one of the lenses so it would otherwise have hit my eye, which convinced me to carry on wearing glasses on the bike!

A friend had a high speed eye-bluebottle encounter when he forgot his glasses. It was not pretty...

 

[Drago]

Asphalt actually has a fairly low UV reflective index, in the same range as grass, so reflected UV isn't a significant issue.

 

[fossyant]

UV doesn't reflect of roads - it comes from that big orange thing in the sky.

 

[fossyant]

I got my first pair of cycling glasses and went out for a ride. I encountered a stretch of road that had loose chippings on it and a 20 mph speed limit but a tosser of a driver shot past me doing about 50 mph. A chipping shot up and smacked straight into the middle of one of the lenses so it would otherwise have hit my eye, which convinced me to carry on wearing glasses on the bike!

I've had that happen. Chipping flew up and hit the side of my nose (glasses on) and split it open. I was in the middle of nowhere and had to ask a local home owner to call an ambulance as there was no way I'd get far given the blood loss. The bike was put in the dog kennel. Let's say there wasn't much blood on it when I picked it up - the dogs must have decided to clean it. 👅

 

[Chris S]

A lot of people who cycle get tans from the UV light reflected from the road.

Is this true? Seems a bit farfetched to me.

I assumed the UV was being reflected from the road because it's shiny.

 

[fossyant]

I assumed the UV was being reflected from the road because it's shiny.

You are confusing UV with reflection of light, not the same thing. Worth investing in glasses, not just for eye protection from debris but it does cut down on glare from the sun. You eyes can get strained from reflected light off the road.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Thinking about it - when I look at what tan I get it is mostly on the top of my hands - not my fingers
and the top of my legs - thighs especially
and the front of my arms

all the things that the big yellow thing in the sky shines on
the bits that face downwards tend to stay untanned

I think the sun only reflect much from the road when it is wet - which tend to be when the sun is not very strong due to clouds

 

[MichaelW2]

Roads reflect about the same amount of uv as water.
Most prescription lenses have uv filters so you dont need secondary cycling glasses. Non spec wearers should wear eye protection anyway.

I got a dose of "snow blindness" driving across the USA high desert. Not very nice.

 

[screenman]

UV doesn't reflect of roads - it comes from that big orange thing in the sky.

Sorry but I deal with the effects of indirect UV in one of my businesses and have to remind people about it almost daily, it certainly does bounce around, not sure that it will damage eye's as I have no expertise there.

 

[Drago]

It does abounce around, but asphalt is one of the least UV reflective surfaces that you can encounter when outdoors.