[Krause]

Heya guys, im lookin to get a durable pair of Prescription shades to use for mainly biking.

Any recomendations? i know of Oakleys Rx lenses you can get, are they the best or are there others that are better?

And is getting Polarized lenses worth it over normal tints?

 

[hollerbachMTB]

the main diff between polarized and non is the former is about 30-50 bucks more and lets you see underwater. for cycling, i dont think they're super neccessary. i would look for something with a transitions-style lens, but NOT that actual brand. they change too slowly for performance usage. check out specialized cycling glasses with NXT, i think its called

 

[crashtestdummy]

When I'm driving my Altima (not my biking vehicle) I have a hard time seeing out the windsheild on sunny days without wearing my polarized prescription sun glasses. However I have no porblems mtb'ing with my Rudy's and Bolle's, both non polarized with prescription inserts.

 

[meloh1]

Some complain that polarized lenses actually reduce the ability to see definition in trails. Light reflected off bumps and holes is made flat by polarization. Polarized lenses are a necessity where theres a lot of glare and reflection, like snow or water or glass (car windows). This is almost never the case when mountain biking. I wouldn't pay extra for polarized lenses. That said, I think Rudy Project sunglasses can be a great buy. Good optics, adjustability, lens choices, style and frame choices. They can be had for good prices at many internet stores.

 

[bitflogger]

Heya guys, im lookin to get a durable pair of Prescription shades to use for mainly biking.

Any recomendations? i know of Oakleys Rx lenses you can get, are they the best or are there others that are better?

And is getting Polarized lenses worth it over normal tints?

A favorite has been Smith Otis in glass lens with the brown/rose tint that resist scratches, and stood up to an amazing amount of punishment. The brownish/rose tint is not good for accurate colors, but helps contrast in snow and flat but bright light. This lens size and shape is better than many for biking due to size and wrap around.

If you have the cash you can get Maui Jims which offer prescription and coatings to reduce eye reflection in the inside of lens. My pro river guide pals and boating/sailing friends consider these the best there is.

Oakley M types are now available in polarized, and I love the optical quality and neutral color or my Oakley model called "BIG SQUARE WIRE". I got these because LBS owner I respect and support said Oakley has had the best quality and support of the brands he's sold even though there is so much snob appeal, hype and a pompous firm behind them.

We have had Bolle polarized for much less $, but they do not have the optical quality. You can see the distortion compared to the Smith and Oakly we have, but my wife also got them for 1/4 the price.

I do not know what Ray Ban is like these days, but I still have some non-polarized aviator models I got in 1977, and had some simple old style nylon frame polarized models survive the 20 years prior to my 2 yo twins working with them.

I digress here, but had to examine and compare the $425 Channel (spelling?) sun glasses my sister in law has to our Oakley and Smith models. For that price you get the designer name, thin weak hinges and plastic lenses that have visible distortion not present in the Smith, Oakley and Ray Bans. The woman who buys those, gets $100 hair cuts (pre-tip) and stuffs her middle-aged plump self into grotesque looking $225 pants was not convinced that she could do better for less. Beauty by some interpretations indeed knows no pain.

 

[burtondogs]

Tifosi

I have been pretty happy with the Tifosi KILO's.

They are really affordable and work great.
3 sets of interchangable lens.

The only problem was that the RX insert cracked, they sent me a new one free of charge.

Polarized is great for fishing, but I dont think you need them for biking.

Later
Jim

 

[29Colossus]

I have a pair of Oakley RX with the "transition". They are great glasses, but not the best riding glasses.

Glasses suck for my kind of riding.

 

[BelaySlave]

My advice is to go to an eyewear person (optician?) that really, really knows their stuff about prescription sunglasses. For some people (like myself) that have VERY STRONG prescriptions, there aren't too many options out there as say for a person that doesn't have a strong prescription. With me, my prescription is so strong that not many inserts or frames work for me. For me, it's just not as simple as getting a pair of lenses made and then plopping them into any ol' random frame. If I do something stupid like that and waste all that $, all I'm going to get is distorted vision (l learned that lesson with a pair of Wayfarers back in the day ).

When shopping online, most manufacturers will give you a range for the type of prescription that will work in a certain pair of sunglasses.

Good luck!