Sod helmets - should I wear glasses?

[ufkacbln]

This was goning to be my next question (it's true).

I wear contacts and it's a complete nightmare when something gets in your eye, but I've always been a bit concerned about glasses/goggles misting up, so haven't yet given them a try.

But it sounds like a lot of you are wearing some form of eye protection withour any roblems, so I'm going to invest in them the next time I'm near the bike shop

There can be a problem, but it is easily sorted.

There are lots of hints and tips on how to prevent this. The most common is Fairy Liquid, but the salts can damage coatings and cause fine scratches.

There are commercial sprays - most motorcycle shops will stock or advise.

As with helmets though...

Buy the best you can afford, with regard to lens type and material
Buy a wider pair of "wrap around" if you can to increase protection
Make sure they fit and are comfortable

Finally (and this will probably be deemed "anti-glasses")

Make sure they will not cause injury if you are involved in a fall. There is evidence that the material can be a factor in injury. Polycarbonate lens material is better than glass which can cause penetrating shards. Additionally the glasses design is important, glasses frames should be able to distort and misshape on impact, stiff and rigid frames can cause injury.

Some reports even suggest you should not wear "normal" glasses for sports activities for this reason, and where possible properly designed "sports" glasses should be used in preference.

interstingly the "Unite for sight" organisation takes this furher and states that:

The 2 types of eyewear that are NOT satisfactory for eye-injury risk sports include:

1. Fashionable spectacles, eyeglasses, and sunglasses
2. Safety eyewear that conforms to the requirements of ANSI standard Z87.1,which is mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for industrial and educational safety eyewear.

So the best advice is dedicated sports glasses where practicable, not normal eyewear, fashion or "normal' glasses or industrial safety glasses.




Also if you can get interchangeable lenses as this is more adaptable on long rides where the weather can change. Top of the range can even offer interchangeable photo-chromatic lenses.

 

[rusky]

I have a set of PBK glasses with interchangable lenses sitting on my desk that I keep forgetting to wear.

The cold & wind make my eyes water but it was brought home to me last week when a gust of wind whippped up a load of dust along the road, it was like a sand storm! Luckinly I had time to close my eyes unlike the young lady on the other side of the road who took the full force.

 

[HaloJ]

Cycling/safety glasses here after being hit by an insect at speed and then nearly crashing.

Bolle Contour to be precise. Cracking glasses and crackingly cheap.

http://www.arco.co.uk/products/3B3000/293087/Bollé Contour Spectacles

 

[monnet]

I always wear glasses when out on the bike, mainly for keeping grit and flies out of my eyes but they're also a massive help when descending or riding in the wind (no eye-watering).

I've got a pair of cheapo clear lens cycling specific glasses which I used to wear all the time but now just wear for commuting (real bottom of the range RPJ's, a budget subsidiary of Rudy, cost about £20) but do the job. I recently got a pair of Specialized Helix Adaptalite's for £50 (reduced from £100). Absolutely amazing. Superb clarity and the adaptalite really works well (though I may get some clear lenses for winter riding). I still fancy some Oakley's though - those Transition lenses look great (apart from Tyler Farrar's annoying advert!)

 

[TheKay]

During the winter, glasses for me are optional.
But in the spring/summer when the flies/midges/wasps/bee's come out to play... i wouldn't leave home without them!!

Mine are the cheap aldi ones like a few others have on here, does the job perfectly.

 

[chillyuk]

I wear prescription bi-focals. Without them I can see the road, potholes, cars and road signs. I can't read the car numberplate or see small signs. I do feel perfectly safe with my specs off though. I find in the morning the wind gets round them and my eyes just stream and sting so I take them off, and when it's raining I tend to take them off or I can't see a thing with them on. Most of the time though I do wear them.

My driving licence records that I wear glasses, so is an offence to be driving without them. How would I stand legally on a bike in an accident. Could having no specs on get me in trouble. as you don't need a licence to ride I doubt it's relevant.

 

[skrx]

I wear my normal glasses almost all the time. I'm short-sighted and have astigmatism, so if I don't wear my glasses everything in the middle-distance is blurry and everything nearby is wonky: nearby squares look like trapeziums, perspective is distorted, I feel taller (i.e. the ground nearby seems further away), I look bigger if I use a mirror, I get confused when I look at very familiar objects (I said "no, I ordered a half!" in a bar when I'd taken off my glasses once, the glass looked bigger than normal).

If it's raining I just wipe the lenses with my finger as necessary.

If it's raining, there's a lot of water on the road and it's night and there are lots of lights then there can be too many reflections. Sometimes going slow works, otherwise I tend to give up and use a train if possible, if that's not possible I use quiet backstreets.

 

[Mark_Robson]

I wear my normal glasses almost all the time. I'm short-sighted and have astigmatism, so if I don't wear my glasses everything in the middle-distance is blurry and everything nearby is wonky: nearby squares look like trapeziums, perspective is distorted, I feel taller (i.e. the ground nearby seems further away), I look bigger if I use a mirror, I get confused when I look at very familiar objects (I said "no, I ordered a half!" in a bar when I'd taken off my glasses once, the glass looked bigger than normal).

If it's raining I just wipe the lenses with my finger as necessary.

If it's raining, there's a lot of water on the road and it's night and there are lots of lights then there can be too many reflections. Sometimes going slow works, otherwise I tend to give up and use a train if possible, if that's not possible I use quiet backstreets.

Have you considered using over glasses?

 

[ColinJ]

On my first ride with my first pair of cycling glasses on I had a stone thrown up into one of the lenses by an idiot motorist who decided that a 20 mph speed restriction on a freshly resurfaced road didn't apply to him. The glasses saved my eye.

A friend left his glasses at home and was hit in the eye by a large bluebottle on a fast descent. He very nearly crashed his bike and ended up with a massively swollen black eye.

Etc. etc. (lots of similar experiences)

It's up to you, but - YES!

 

[mr Mag00]

glasses everytime and a contact wearer, sometines the wind blows my lens onto inside of my glasses esp side winds

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I do (and a helmet

Protects you from all sorts, not sure what I'll do when it rains....

wipe them?

seems to work for me (but I need mine to see with too)

 

[guitarpete247]

My driving licence records that I wear glasses, so is an offence to be driving without them. How would I stand legally on a bike in an accident. Could having no specs on get me in trouble. as you don't need a licence to ride I doubt it's relevant.

I sometimes wear just cycling sunglasses as I can see the road and potholes far enough ahead to react to them, I feel, safely.
Does anyone know how I stand legally as I to am short sighted though don't need a reading prescription.
I passed my test before I needed glasses so don't think that detail is on my license.

 

[Riding in Circles]

I have some wrap arounds with a prescription insert, always use them, three different lenses for different weather, night riding etc..

 

[guitarpete247]

Just had latest eye test yesterday in Specsavers. They do a pair of wraparounds with prescription insert. Does anyone know if they are any good or can they recommend anywhere else to take my prescription? Specsavers only showed me one pair that they can get in for me to look at next weekend. I'd prefer to have more than one option.

 

[goo_mason]

Cycling/safety glasses here after being hit by an insect at speed and then nearly crashing.

Bolle Contour to be precise. Cracking glasses and crackingly cheap.

http://www.arco.co.uk/products/3B3000/293087/Bollé Contour Spectacles

I bought a pair of these last year when my PBK Irons broke. Shortly afterwards, the PBK pair were on special offer so I bought a set. However - I've not worn them yet as I've stuck with the Bolle pair. Fantastic - lightweight, slim & very stylish. Dropped them a number of times on gravel / concrete / stone chippings and not even a scratch.