School me on bike glasses

[net4n6]

Hi Corey,

Pretty good advice so far in this thread. Here's a few more points for clarity:

1) The magnitude of your prescription will determine whether or not you can use "Rx-able" wrap around's, like what Oakley and other sunglasses companies offer. The reason for this is that wrap around's have a high base curve (curvature of the front surface of the lens). They can not manufacture high power lenses with large base curves. It's just how the physics works out. Most wrap around.s have an upper limit of +/- 2-3 diopters.

2) If your Rx is too high for wrap around’s lenses themselves, some wrap around frames accept Rx inserts, which may or may not be acceptable to you for the reasons stated by others. Personally I don’t like them.

3) As a general rule, you get what you pay for with sunglasses. In my experience those Performance brand frames are junk. Oakley’s and Rudy Projects are very good, as are some of the other more expensive end brands. With the cheap ones you sacrifice not only the optical quality of the lenses, but on the strength and comfort of the frame material. Being in the business might make me bias, but I still am willing to pay more of my own money for good lenses.

4) As for the lens tint I suggest simply trying different types before you buy. The color of the tint, photochromatic lenses, polarization, and darkness of the tint are almost entirely determined by personal preference. I prescribe lenses for sports vision, and also for the visually impaired and legally blind. I could talk all day about vision theory, but in reality the type of tints people prefer depend on many circumstances that are unique to how you’ll use the lens. The best thing to do is try them out in person (not by guessing with online demos). Go to REI or something and see what they’ve got. Personally I prefer brown polarized lenses for cycling both on and off road on sunny days. I prefer clear or orange lenses for cloudy days. I prefer photochromatic if I’m just not sure what the day will bring :bike_rider:

Good luck with your eye exam :sombrero:

Very well inform.:iagree::bowdown:
I have an optometry office and have been using Oakley frame/lenses for the last 15 yrs. I currently have 7 pairs of Oakley. RX and non-RX

 

[Corey]

Which Oakley frame do you suggest for a non wrap lens?
I have an old pair of Heaters with wrap around, sure wish they could fit lenses to them.

Very popular frame ten+ years ago.
Wore them when I wore contacts.

 

[bluedog]

For non wrap try the new Jaw Bone or the Flak Jacket. I have the Flak Jacket in transition and they work great from bright sun to night riding. For daily glasses I have a pr. of Concrete in transition.

For the record, my Oakley habbit is supported by my bike shop.


B.

 

[Corey]

Jaw Bones look nice.
http://www.oakley.com/custom/jawbone

So do the Flak Jackets.
http://www.oakley.com/custom/flakjacket

So if I want the Flak Jacket model, I just build it on their site but do not order a lens?
I do not see the option there to tell them Transitions or input a prescription.
Maybe it is best to order them with no lens, then have my eye center install the lenses?

 

[Mtn Mike]

Jaw Bones look nice.
http://www.oakley.com/custom/jawbone

So do the Flak Jackets.
http://www.oakley.com/custom/flakjacket

So if I want the Flak Jacket model, I just build it on their site but do not order a lens?
I do not see the option there to tell them Transitions or input a prescription.
Maybe it is best to order them with no lens, then have my eye center install the lenses?

I'm not familiar with Oakley's order process, but I think you'll have to go through an Oakley dealer with your Rx. The only lenses that fit in Oakley's are the one's that they manufacture. The dealer basically sends your information to Oakley and they make the lenses. Also, I doubt that Oakley offers Transition brand lenses as an option, as they are basically competing lens manufactures. Oakley might have their own photochromatic and Rx'able lens that could be put in the Flak Jacket. It's hard to tell from the website.

 

[Corey]

Thanks Mike.
I will call up Oakley on Monday to get the details from them, and see if my eye doctor will give me my prescription info.

I will also ask about the Transitions thing or see if they offer something comparable, as I want the lens to be able to handle both light and dark situations.

 

[Corey]

Called Oakley just now.
They can not make me custom glasses with an rx and ship them to me, nor can they send them to my eye doctor unless they are regged with Oakley.

What I have to do is click on dealers on their site and find a local doctor and take my rx from my doctor to them, then have them order them.

I will have to decide whether to stick with Transitions like I have now, or go with one of their photochrome lenses that are always a certain color I think.

He did say the Flak Jacket is an excellent glass for mountain bike riding.
And the material gets tackier when you sweat, thus it helps hold them to you head/face instead of slipping off like normal glasses do when you sweat.

Cool man cool :sombrero:

 

[Corey]

Picked up my regular glasses they made for me and dropped off Oakleys number and a picture of the Flak Jacket.

She is going to call both Oakley and the place that ground my lenses for my current glasses and see if they can fit the Flaks frame or not.

She will also see if it is best to go with a Transitions lense like I have been using for years, or to go with a lens that is dark all the time.

I should know this week if the Flaks will work, and if they will, I will order them from Oakley in the color I want, then take to my eye doctor.
This will be very cool having a custom sunglass for biking.

 

[Corey]

Be here in less than two weeks, then I take them to my eye doctor to get the Transitions lenses made up for them like I have now in my regular glasses.

The Oakley guy thought the Transitions lens was a good choice too since you do not have to switch lenses for varying light conditions.

The orange color on the ear sock I went with to match this
My hydration Mule pack is pretty much the same color too.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Pretty sweet! I bet those will be super nice. I just pulled the trigger on a pair of Rudy Project Ketyums today with photochromatic polorized lenses.

Be sure to give us a full review of them once you get a chance to use them.

 

[Corey]

Thanks, and will do on the review.

I asked the Oakley guy about the photochromatic polorized lenses they carry, or even to get a prescription in them, and he suggested I stick with the Transitions if I want them to let me see well when going from full sun to tree covered trails.

If these work out, I may try some other frames from them in the future.
I still have an old pair of M frame Heaters I bought close to twenty years ago from REI.

 

[STREGA]

Corey good choice going with the Oakleys IMO, they have always given me good performance over the last 20 years. Cheap sunglasses give me headaches. Alot of people overlook eye protection, as far as I know they can replace most body parts but the eye is not one of them.

 

[Gpzguy]

I'm coming into this thread late, but if you are looking for an AWESOME pair of bicycling glasses that can be made prescription, then you need to look at the Wiley-X line. I have a pair of XL-1's with a polarized prescription. My company bought them for me for safety glasses. They exceed ANSI Z87.1-2003 safety standards, wrap around, and have a (removable) foam 'gasket', what Wiley-X calls a cavity seal, that help them seal up against your face. Truley awesome for bicycling, kayaking, motorcycling, and all around wear.

 

[Corey]

Strega, cheap ones did the same to me too when I use to wear contacts.
That is why I bought the Oakley M Frame Heaters several years ago.

The glasses showed up yesterday, and I will be dropping them off at the eye doctor on Monday.
Probably be a ten day turnaround to get them back.
That is if they can do the lenses for them.

If not I will be going to another doctor with my prescription and see what they offer.

I will try to snag a pic of these later.

Gpz, those are nice too.

 

[Corey]

What a PITA.
Dropped them off at my eye doctor on Monday after work.
Their grinder shop picked them up Tuesday and brought them back Thursday to my doctor.
They can not do them, only Oakley can they said to fit the Flak Jacket right.

So the woman who fits the glasses at doctor called Oakley and gave her the name of a local eye doctor who is affiliated with Oakley.
I just got back from dropping them off there, about 10 miles away from my home.

Doctor there wanted to sell me some fugly framed ones, and I said why, when I just spent $160 on the Flak Jacket, and Oakley recommended this to me as their best one for mountain biking.
He said he will try with a few of their local grinders Tuesday before shipping them to Oakley if needed.
Doctor is open Tuesday through Saturdays, hence why I was able to drop them off today.

I never knew it would be such a hassle to get a quality pair of specific purpose glasses for mountain biking.

I should know Tuesday what the outcome of this will be.
Then comes the fun of picking a lens if either a local grinder can do it, or if it goes to Oakley.

My doctor wanted me to go with a Polaroid brown C as seen here.
http://www.sportsvisions.com/svpcolor.htm
Good lens for biking, as they felt a Transitions lens like I have now in my everyday glasses would not lighten up fast enough it I am out in direct sunlight and then ride under the cover of trees on a trail, and I might not be able to see obstacles.
Makes sense...

If they go to Oakley, not sure what color/type lens they recommend, I will have to call them, then let this new doctor know if they end up shipping them back to Oakley to be fitted with prescription lenses.