MTB and prescription glasses

[ImDesigner]

I'm becoming increasingly reliant on wearing my glasses and I think for safety's sake I should be wearing them whilst I'm off road. I've currently got a really nice pair of Oakley Splice shades that are perfect for the job but they're just standard sun glasses.

Is it possible to have prescription lenses fitted to these frames?

[2DDav]

Yes you can:

http://uk.oakley.com/innovation/optical-superiorit...

[bigandclever]

I've got them in a pair of Flak Jacket xlj's. Pretty handy but HOW MUCH?!?! Vision Express did mine, and they said they could retro-fit.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Dont hate me: Contact Lenses!

[ImDesigner]

Thanks gents.

TwistingMyMelon said:

Dont hate me: Contact Lenses!

I would but the extra monthly expense will become tiresome.

[TwistingMyMelon]

You can buy them in bulk, IE 100 pairs of dailies, or 3 months of monthlys and then just save them for sports etc

I'd struggle cycling with glasses, as I find the vision is inconsistent and would be too worried about breaking glasses.

Contacts give me perfect (ish!) vision and let me wear any sunnies I want

[P-Jay]

Judging by the primal, almost animalistic noises my lens wearing friend makes when he gets mud in his eye or his lens goes to the wrong place I wouldn't recommend them for MTB!

I looked into it recently because I'd been told I needed glasses, in the end I didn't bother, extra clarity just made me even more scared.

Anyway the cheapest option I found was prescription sunglasses from Tesco, about £60 if I recall, I asked and they can do clear or yellow lens too. Other than that it was riding glasses from CRC which allowed you to have lenses clipped to them.

[ImDesigner]

I've just been in touch with my closest Oakley dealer and apparently fitting prescription lenses is model dependant. My Oakleys are from around 2002 I think so I doubt there's much hope.

How do people find riding with glasses? Do they steam up easily and are there any issue with them falling off? (Mine are a snug fit).

[r-kid]

I've been wearing these for cycling for the last few years, not trendy but very effective.

http://www.i-sunglasses.com/Global-Vision-Escort-S...

[robpearson]

quite a few brands now do glasses where the prescription lens goes in a seperate holder behind the main lens, does mean if you scratch the lens you are only replacing a non prescription piece of glass, or if your prescription changes you are only replacing a piece of plain glass.

[gazza285]

Bolle Tracker 2 can be fitted with prescription inserts, so you can get a clear pair, and a dark pair and swap the insert between them. Handy for if they become damaged as well, as the external frames themselves are about a tenner.

[Samcat]

I ride MTB in my normal perscription glasses, as said above there is a risk of breaking them, but it's less likely than the risk of me hitting a tree due to not wearing them!

I use a head-band type of thing that attaches to the arms of the glasses and I can tighten around the back of my head, it stops them falling down my nose or jumping off my face altogether.

I do miss not being able to wear trendy cycling specs though.

[G0ldfysh]

Contacts are a good start unless you get grit in your eyes so still need glasses over the top for protection.
I always find contacts make my eyes dry specially on the bike.

I have a pair of Oakley with interchangable lenses, split jackets have an option for a strap on the back to hold them on and vented lenses ideal for stopping fog up.
However for all the reported toughness of Oakley lenses I managed to chip the optically corrected lens, from stones flicked up so contacts would be a concern if the only option in front of eyes.

Be warned replacement lenses are the expensive part.!!! :-(
Cheaper than the Minority report option though.

[BadgerBenji]

TwistingMyMelon said:

Dont hate me: Contact Lenses!

Some of us can't

Just so I don't fall foul of too much information

reconstructed eye, involving a plastic cage and cryo-stitching, not smooth enough now to fit a contact

[waterwonder]

Contacts all the way.

If you don't want to wear them regularly just buy some decent ones in bulk. Or get a batch from the optician to "try out".

I wear contacts for snowboarding and mtb/road etc etc. Wouldn't do it any other way. If you get decent ones and decent specs (goggles for snow) to keep your eyes out range from grit etc then they're fine.

Better field of vision, no steaming, no breakage of expensive prescriptions glasses.

All IMO.

Try some out from the optician, i'tll probably be free so what's too lose.

[ImDesigner]

Thanks for those insights.

I'm going to consider contacts for MTB'ing only with my current Oakleys over the top for now although I'm going to my Oakley AD this weekend to see of they can do the glasses at a later date so I can use them in the car anyway.

[Gizmoish]

Cheapo glasses from e.g. glassesdirect.co.uk. Then if they fall off your face they were only cheap and it doesn't matter. Mine went flying across the road last week (following the bike, and followed by me) and are unscratched (amazingly).

[Gren]

Missus wears Oakley prescription photochromics (half jackets I think) - not cheap but awesome lenses. I've got the same but non-prescrip in my Radars. So much better than the Endura photochromics I had. But then again they should be at 4 times the price

[Gumstabber]

I have contacts that I wear 100% of the time, including for sleeping in. Love them.

However if you can't wear contacts or don't want to then how about some of these

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CLPRAPA/power_...

so you can wear your glasses via the prescription insert and have shades too and they don't cost the earth. Aren't I good to you :-)

[anonymous-user]

Loads of people on STW and bikeradar have used optilabs. They have some good looking sports frames that can take prescription lenses, the Seregnti and the Blaze are direct glazed.