Sunglasses....need them....

Alliant I think...

https://www.rei.com/product/131742/tifosi-alliant-sunglasses

 

Nice
Have never actually tried them, but seen to make a great product. Quality is said to be competitive to the big boys (Oakley, Smith, ), but actually affordable.

 

If you're like me and you trash your sunglasses (scratched up lenses) a few times per year, I suggest Nitrogen polarized sunglasses. Cheap price, never had a pair fail, multiple styles/lens colors/frame colors available . I get mine on ebay.

 

I am a fan of transition lenses. Unless it is really bright, the tint of the transition lenses is enough to take the edge off but allow me to see clearly in the shade of trees and such. I was (still am for now) using the cheap Rock Bros from Amazon for years now, but I stopped using Amazon a while back so I won't be buying more. I did buy a set of Tifosi and so for like them.

 

Transitions were a game changer for me. I'm blind without the glasses... So I used to make the choice between carrying my regular glasses or sunglasses. The transitions allow me to go from riding in the dark to bright sun without missing a beat.

 

How many people here ride with polarized?

From my understanding, most cycling glasses do not use this technology because I had a negative effect on depth perception.

I'll probably prefer a photo chronic lens from Smith whether they have a sale... I've been hesitant this far, fearing the shift might be too slow fort popping in and out of the tree cover. But reviews say otherwise

 

@herzalot another option for your old oakleys are aftermarket replacement lenses. I’m a fan of Oakley optics even post Luxotica, but I have a set of Oakleys that they no longer provide replacement lenses for, so I followed a tip from the Path Podcast and tried Revant Optics for replacement lenses & now have replaced several sets of Oakley lenses with them and have had a positive experience with three or four sets of lenses.

@Derkderkall I personally use polarized glasses for mtb and all activities for that matter, but not for any good reason. I have also used non-polarized lenses for riding and cannot tell the difference at least in terms of depth perception.

 

I've worn prescription, polarized sunglasses for 8 years now. I have not noticed any effect on depth perception at all. You can put them on in a dark room and still see just fine. They kill off the glare and transition from sun to shade is seamless.

 

Interesting to hear about depth perception issues using polarized lenses. IMO, they increase depth perception because they see through sun and bright light glare and help in dense fog. Being a fisherman, this type of shade lens is all I will wear.

 

Yeah.
I guess if you look at most MTB specific shades from Smith, of Oakley, 100 %, none are polarized.

But most of these are also designed with pros who travel with speed and terrain far out of our realms..

 

I always use polarized lens for driving, the beach ( and water activity a must) and anything other than mtb. But I also prefer glass lenses ( not for mtbs though) as they last for years and don't get scratched easily. I have had daily wear glass maui Jim's last well over 10 years when treated right.

Oakley prism lens are the best I've used yet for mountain biking, but yep I'm also getting tired of paying all that for lenses that have a year or two life span before they are nicked in the viewing area and barely usable.

 

Staying on topic, I use polarized Hobie sunglasses for everything.

Straying off topic, I have horrible problems with dust in my eyes. Especially at races like Over The Hump and even cyclocross.
I have never worn goggles on a bike and am seriously considering it.
Does anyone make a "goggle light"? Thinking if there was something about halfway between sunglasses and a full goggle it might help me.

 

Photochromic (Rudy Project) glasses were a game changer for me, UK riding you go from bright light to dark forest a lot. These things adapt to the changing light level very quickly. Here in CA I don't notice it as much but it is pretty cool to be able to just have one pair of glasses and not worry about having to change lenses depending on conditions.
Shortcomings I've noticed, they mist up easily when riding in clouds and night riding they struggle a little and a proper clear/yellow would work better.

 

I can’t stand the depth distortion with my Flak Jacket prescription lenses. And they’re only 50% strength.

I don’t like wearing eye pro for any outdoor activity, but at a point it becomes the lesser evil. I’ll take a decent visor and sun mask unless it’s midday blazing.

 

I don't like polarized lenses. I can get by with them on a bright trail, but once I am near reflective surfaces they start to bother me. They are okay for driving when I have a glass windshield to do some filtering, but bother me on the bicycle and I can't wear them on a motorcycle.

Wiley X. I can't remember if I had the Brick or Airrage model, but they came with a little foam insert on the frames that sealed against your face. I got some issued to me in the military and loved them, and kinda forgot about them until now. But at twice the price of the Tifosi I have a tough time paying that now.

I don't think they transition very fast. I think if you are expecting something dark and/or fast transitioning, you will be disappointed. At least I was when I first started using them. I then got used to how they aren't dark, just a tint. Which means they aren't totally dark when you hit shady spots. and when you do get into the dark like at night, they had plenty of time to transition.

What is weird is when you notice only a part of the lens has transitioned because something like your helmet is only partially covering the lens from the sun.

 

Hey @Sidewalk thanks for that Wiley X reco.
That just might be the ticket.

 

You have to be moving for that to matter!

 

As for polarized, they interact poorly with my contact lenses to the point where I can't read my phone, the gauges in my car or even see out my windshield. Polarized pull out the tinting patterns so all I see are blurry dots and blind spots. In the bright sun without trying to read something or look in a window, they're fine.

Anyone else experience this with polarized over contacts?

 

Well, poop.

 

I have lost and/or destroyed so many Ray-Ban's and Oakley's while riding/crashing at this point that I just buy my riding shades at the dollar store. I just bought a pair today in fact. $1.

I still occasionally wear my Ray-Bans, but the only reason I need shades on the trail is eye protection. I was going completely without for awhile, and then one day earlier this year I was sitting at a bar, and the bartender dropped a glass and a piece inexplicably shot up 6 feet off the floor and cut me about 1/4 inch from my eyeball. Oddly enough, that incident reinforced the importance of having eye protection while riding.

But yeah, no more expensive riding sunglasses for me.

 

That's so weird. The other day, I was riding without glasses because of the fog, and a stone hit me about 1/4" from my eye and I thought, "hmmm, I should probably wear eye protection in a bar in case a piece of glass shoots 6' in the air and hits me!"

 

Dude, I am telling you ... sitting at a bar and riding a mountain bike are totally unrelated, but when that random, one in a million piece of glass cut me, my first thought was "eye protection while riding." I even bought a clear pair for cloudy days.

From my Facebook the day it happened ...

 

I don't wear contacts (I have perfect vision), but this is my experience wearing polarized glasses and why I don't like them.

At night I tend to ride with cheapo clear safety glasses. I have lots of hearing damage, but my vision is still great and I am trying to save that.

Matter in fact, last time I was at the race track I couldn't put the visor down on my motorcycle helmet. I rode all day (granted at relatively low speeds) with the visor up because I couldn't see with the polarized glasses I had that day.

I do have some polarized glasses, I tend to find glasses on the roads that I guess people drop off the roof of their cars or something.

 

In the last 9-12 months I've found a pair each of Oakleys and Ray-Bans on the road in decent to good condition.

What I ride in is $8.00 Uvex Genesis safety glasses in the brown tint. I frequently get hit in the face by bugs that can/do scratch the lenses, so I'm reluctant to invest a lot.

I have an old black frame pair that's 15 years old and still hanging on, but I bought some brown ones a year ago and the rubber started falling off the frame and nose after about 50 hours of ride time.

 

I pulled out my Oakley Radar Path sunglasses that I purchased a couple of years before the pair I just replaced. The Radar Paths have a rose tinted lens that I love for low light conditions. With this morning's marine layer, I decided to use those instead of changing the lenses on my new Tifosis. Turns out, the lenses on this pair of Oakleys are still fantastic! None of the deterioration that my newer Oakley lenses had. Of course, the marine layer cleared about 20 minutes into my ride and I could have used a bit more light mitigation, but oh well!

 

I have been wearing Native Eyewear for a Decade they are Top Notch Glasses and used pay well over $100.

Not sure if it global competition put the prices are MUCH less and as far as I can tell the quality is there.

All the lenses are Polarized... anywhoo...

https://www.nativeyewear.com/en-us/sunglasses

Like this is one of my favorite... Thievery at $44 ... seriously

https://www.nativeyewear.com/en-us/sunglasses/XD9021-764824018954

Pay attention to the sizing. I have kind of the classic dude. Normal wide face. The glass is above. Fit me perfect... But they do make smaller ones as well.

The brown lenses are really great for riding I have a set of the blue lenses for driving in bright light.

Love the polarized!

 

I start my rides before or just after sunset, so I do not need sunglasses to ride. But that is me. These are the longest days so my start times will be before sunset
Happy twilight trails