I've worn contacts for 20+ years, and lately, biking, I get so much dust and stuff in my eyes that I look like I'm crying pretty much all the time. Yes, it's agricultural country, and pollen and plowing season.
I NEED contacts; they work better for my vision issues than glasses, and I love having peripheral vision and such, so I'm not switching to riding with glasses.
Does anyone have good suggestions for biking goggles that won't look any more ridiculous than necesary?
How about good-quality wraparound sunglasses?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the wraparound sunglasses. I also like the snowglasses, they fit tight and keep out everything. Some are pretty cool looking.
ReplyDeleteI'm an avid cyclist and contact lense wearer (and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express...)
ReplyDeleteForget goggles. Skiing goggles will actually impede your peripheral vision on the bike and will be difficult to wear with a bike helmet.
Cycling-specific sunglasses (or sunglasses that are sold with cyclists in mind) will work well. Cyclists see good sunglasses as eye protection (they come with hardened, shatter-resistent lenses), so they protect contacts, too. I never ride without something over my eyes, even yellow or clear glasses for not-sunny days.
Most cyclists wear Rudy Project, Oakley, or Briko. Mountain bikers also seem to like Smiths. There are a lot of sporty looking sunglasses out there, but they may not all be appropriate for riding. How to tell? Check out an online cycling megastore to see what they sell (and what cyclists will buy): Performance Bike, Colorado Cyclist, Nashbar. Once you find something you like, you can pretty much buy them anywhere.
I used to wear Oakley M frames (total wrap around), which wear great on the bike, but a little cumbersome because the arms didn't fold down. Now I wear Rudy Kerosenes mostly. They come with dark, yellow, and clear lenses. Perfect for riding, and not so bad off the bike. I've got several pairs of other Rudys and Brikos. They're all great.
Rudy and Briko are made in Iatly, so they won't look ridiculous.
Cheers
Wow, thanks for the help, folks!
ReplyDeleteWill wrap arounds really keep pollen and dust out of my eyes?
I was thinking more of looking for motorcycle goggles rather than ski ones. But if wrap arounds could keep the pollen and dust out, I'll go for those.
Holy cow, though, those glasses are more expensive than my bike was (though I bought it about 20 years ago).