I think the time has come I need glasses

[johnnyb47]

Hi
Yesterday the Sun was out and a bike ride was looking very tempting.
I got my biking gear on , filled my bottle up with a drink and set off down the country lanes.The ride I did was around 35 miles and the weather was perfect.
Low and behold around 20 miles in I got a rear wheel puncture.So it was off with the wheel and out with the puncture repair kit to sort it.
Well I've been living in denial for a good few years now in that I need glasses, but yesterday was a turning point..I found the offending sliver of glass that sent my tyre down, but could I see the hole in the tube, not a chance even with me frantically pumping some air into it and listening for the tell tale hiss.
After around ten minutes I eventually found it and set to work patching it.Glue on and then a patch.
The only problem was I couldn't focus my failing eyesight on separating the peel off backing film from the patch.That and the fact my nails are very short left me scratting at the patch for nearly 25 minutes to separate it. As luck would have it ,a couple walking there dog came by and offered me assistance and saved the day 🤣.
Once it was sorted I was soon back on my way again.I can see perfectly fine distance wise but anything close up like a newspaper I struggle.
After another few miles under my belt I came across a nice country pub to which my bike has a nasty habit of throwing me into the beer garden.Honestly I've tried fixing this problem in the past to no success.
With the bike parked up I walked into the pub covered in mud and stinking like a tramp only to stumble into a posh reception inside.There I was surrounded by top hats and tails whilst I looked like I'd been dragged through the hedge backwards.I quickly ordered my pint and retired to the beer garden to hide.
I think my cheap reading glasses should be now taken with me my I go out on the bike again or better still get myself down to the opticians for some proper glasses 🤓

 

[Slick]

I got reading glasses for the first time during lockdown, but rarely used them as I never really felt I needed them. Now I can't even go to a restaurant without them, as even the massive menu's are now too difficult to read without glasses. Once you use them, it's a slippery slope to needing them full time. I've yet to take them on a bike ride, but I replace rather than repair on the go, and glasses are required when I'm repairing anything at home.

 

[icowden]

Same here. Can't read anything now unless it's in a decent size print and good lighting. I suspect the next Optician's visit will be for some full time varifocals

- side update, I'm 48. I'm told that peak eyesight deterioration is between about 46 and 54. Mine has deteriorated a lot over the last 2-3 years. It started with squinting at a little metal model R2D2 and realising I couldn't see the tiny holes. Currently I can't read the carbs on food packets (a regular requirement as my daughter is T1D) without specs and have to use my phone as a magnifying glass in restaurants if I've forgotten the specs.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I've got a pair of cheap Home Bargains reading glasses in my panniers, at work, in my kitchen, my bathroom ... on me

 

[Drago]

I made it to 49 before needing reading glasses. Now at 55 I use varifocals for daily wear. I might not wear them when bimbling about the house or the like, but for driving or going out for more than 10 minutes I'll wear them now.

I need them for reading, and while I don't need them for distance the improvement is now marked. The intermediate 4 feet out to about 20 feet I'm OK.

 

[Alex321]

I think my cheap reading glasses should be now taken with me my I go out on the bike again or better still get myself down to the opticians for some proper glasses 🤓

Cheap reading glasses are the way to go. Many pairs, so you can keep a pair in work, a pair in your saddlebag, a pair by your bedside, a pair where you normally sit to read, and a few spares for when you sit on a pair or lose one.

Even my optician agreed that was a good idea when I went for my eye test last week - and you would expect them to be trying to sell me expensive reading glasses.

 

[Jenkins]

I'm the other way round - fine with close up stuff, but need glasses for distance use so I treated myself to some prescription cycling glasses. Which is fine for general riding, but when following a plotted route on the Garmin I keep needing to lift the glasses to see the map & instructions clearly.

 

[tyred]

43 here. I've used glasses for distance for many years but am definitely finding it more difficult close up or in low light. I wanted to sew something the other day and I'm sure Stan Laurel could have turned my attempts at threading a needle into a great comedy sketch.

 

[MontyVeda]

I've got ... reading glasses in my panniers, at work, in my kitchen, my bathroom ... on me

same here... but they all seem to migrate to my desktop so i seldom have a pair where i need them (other than my desktop, where i can currently see four pairs including the ones I'm wearing)

 

[ColinJ]

Cheap reading glasses are the way to go. Many pairs, so you can keep a pair in work, a pair in your saddlebag, a pair by your bedside, a pair where you normally sit to read, and a few spares for when you sit on a pair or lose one.

But probably not THIS MANY PAIRS!!!

 

[gavroche]

Hi
Yesterday the Sun was out and a bike ride was looking very tempting.
I got my biking gear on , filled my bottle up with a drink and set off down the country lanes.The ride I did was around 35 miles and the weather was perfect.
Low and behold around 20 miles in I got a rear wheel puncture.So it was off with the wheel and out with the puncture repair kit to sort it.
Well I've been living in denial for a good few years now in that I need glasses, but yesterday was a turning point..I found the offending sliver of glass that sent my tyre down, but could I see the hole in the tube, not a chance even with me frantically pumping some air into it and listening for the tell tale hiss.
After around ten minutes I eventually found it and set to work patching it.Glue on and then a patch.
The only problem was I couldn't focus my failing eyesight on separating the peel off backing film from the patch.That and the fact my nails are very short left me scratting at the patch for nearly 25 minutes to separate it. As luck would have it ,a couple walking there dog came by and offered me assistance and saved the day 🤣.
Once it was sorted I was soon back on my way again.I can see perfectly fine distance wise but anything close up like a newspaper I struggle.
After another few miles under my belt I came across a nice country pub to which my bike has a nasty habit of throwing me into the beer garden.Honestly I've tried fixing this problem in the past to no success.
With the bike parked up I walked into the pub covered in mud and stinking like a tramp only to stumble into a posh reception inside.There I was surrounded by top hats and tails whilst I looked like I'd been dragged through the hedge backwards.I quickly ordered my pint and retired to the beer garden to hide.
I think my cheap reading glasses should be now taken with me my I go out on the bike again or better still get myself down to the opticians for some proper glasses 🤓

Why do you bother repairing the inner tube on the side of the road? Just carry a brand new one with you and repair the old one at home. . No need for glasses then.

 

[ColinJ]

I have 4 pairs scattered around the house and a fold-up pair in a sturdy case in with my tools in my cycling bag.

I had a similar experience to @johnnyb47 a few years back before I started carrying specs when out on the bike. I was trying to sort a puncture out at the roadside and a passing cyclist stopped to ask if I needed help. I thanked him and said no, but immediately changed my mind when I realised that I couldn't see what I was doing. He soon removed a shard of glass from the tyre for me and I then put a spare tube in to save faffing about with patches there. (I fixed the tube later when I had my specs on back at home.)

Why do you bother repairing the inner tube on the side of the road? Just carry a brand new one with you and repair the old one at home. . No need for glasses then.

You posted that while I was typing!

As you can see from what I posted above, that is not strictly true. If the other cyclist hadn't sorted the tyre out for me I would probably have got a puncture in my spare tube a few moments after pumping it up.

 

[slowmotion]

Cheap reading glasses are the way to go. Many pairs, so you can keep a pair in work, a pair in your saddlebag, a pair by your bedside, a pair where you normally sit to read, and a few spares for when you sit on a pair or lose one.

Even my optician agreed that was a good idea when I went for my eye test last week - and you would expect them to be trying to sell me expensive reading glasses.

I've been with sub-£10 reading glasses for at least twenty years. I think I started on 1.0 but now I'm up to 2.5. I have to have annual eye tests because I'm on a drug that has the potential to screw up my eyes. Mercifully, my eye test last week showed that my eyesight was OK. The optician lady said I could continue with the cheapie solution for the moment.

As @Alex321 suggests, keep a stash of spares.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I was 29 when i was first prescribed glasses. I never thought i needed them. My other half has always been a glasses wearer and she encouraged me to get an eye test, so i thought why not. I was still sceptical right up until i went to pick them up. Then i remember vividly, everything was like laser beams. I could see distant objects in HD clarity. Then, about 2 weeks later, i was helping the old man replace his driveshafts on his car and i put the glasses on the floor for a moment so i could get my head into the wheel well to look at a troublesome bolt, then crunch.... He stood on them. I couldn't recommend specsavers to him highly enough!

 

[Drago]

I have to have annual eye tests because I'm on a drug that has the potential to screw up my eyes.

Aye, crack cocaine will do that!