Opinions on Cycling Sunglasses [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

sulis

06-14-2007, 10:00 AM

Alright ladies - I know how we all love to give our opinions. I have managed to exchange some services for cycling sunglasses and want to be sure I get a great pair. So I am looking for honest opinions on Cycling Sunglasses.

What are your favorite cycling sunglasses?
Do you have multi lense or single lense? What are the pros/cons?
Has anyone tried the photo tec lenses? I like the idea of a single lense that auto changes shade but not sure if the tint as dark as it would be on a changeable lense.

Thanks everyone

chickwhorips

06-14-2007, 10:29 AM

I just got done posting on Sheesh's post about these glasses.

I personally love my Smith Theory glasses. I have the polarized glasses (great for fishing also), the rose, yellow and clear ones. I always have to have glasses on when I ride. My eyes are sensitive. The bad thing is trading out lenses, I'm always doing that because I'm picky about the light, but its better than having 5 different pairs of sunglasses to keep tract of!

:cool:

HillSlugger

06-14-2007, 11:07 AM

I have Oakley Half Jackets with grey, amber, and clear lenses. They are extremely light weight and comfortable and have never slipped as I get sweaty. The lenses are a bit hard to switch but will probably get easier with time.

indysteel

06-14-2007, 11:12 AM

I have two pairs of Tifosi sunglasses. I don't know the exact model name for my first pair, but they came with four different lens. I liked them at first but over time, the nose piece started to wear a groove into my nose on long rides that hurt.

My second pair are these:
http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=20894

They're specifically made for smaller faces, are very light, and have an integrated nose piece that doesn't bother me at all. They are also polaraized and Fototec. I love them so far. I wear gas permeable contacts, and my eyes are very, very sensitive to light. Even on the brightest days, I don't get any eye strain or headaches. I've also ridden with them in some lower light conditions and they've been just fine, too. If it's really gloomy out, I sometimes still opt to wear my other Tifosis with clear lens, but I haven't had to do that much with all the dry, sunny weather we've been having.

VeloVT

06-14-2007, 11:24 AM

I have a pair of Tifosi's with interchangeable lenses that I like, and some with the fototec lens. While it's nice to have the option of a clear lens (for riding at night, etc), lately I've been opting for the fototec lenses all the time and I really like them. Tifosi has a lens chart on their website, and the smoke lens (the darkest lens you get in an interchangeable set) lets in 17% of light, while the red fototec lens I have lets in between 35 and 12%, so it actually gets darker than the smoke lens (and in my experience this is the case). They seem to adapt pretty quickly to changing light conditions too.

But I woudn't necessarily recommend Tifosi over other brands (though I'd recommend them on their own merits, as I've been happy with mine). But I bought Tifosi's mostly because they're less expensive (but still good quality).

Zen

06-14-2007, 11:36 AM

I got mine at Wal-Mart:p
Can't wear contacts.You guys are lucky to have all those choices.

stacie

06-14-2007, 11:44 AM

I love my Rudy Projects. The ones for smaller faces are perfect. I have the lenses that change with condition and they are perfect even in the bright Florida sun. I often forget I am wearing them because they are so comfortable and never slip. If you plan on changing lenses, I would choose another brand. Rudy's don't seem to do well with often changes. They have a replacement plan for scratched lenses that I have used with satisfaction on many occasions. They are pricey. But I don't mind spending money on quality. They last for quite a while too. stacie

Susan126

06-14-2007, 11:57 AM

I too love my Rudy Project Sunglasses! I have the Ekynox SX Sunglasses with the inserts. They fit great, they look great, and I love them. :D

Andrea

06-14-2007, 12:34 PM

I just got some Serfas Miradors in white, and I think they're great. I like how the lense is one piece instead of two seperate lenses. It makes switching them out very easy. They come with rose, amber, orange, and clear options and retail for about $50.

The guys on my team call them my porn-star glasses :p
http://www.serfasoptics.com/interchangeables/int_large/1277_mirador.jpg

Deanna

06-14-2007, 01:44 PM

Another vote for Rudy Projects. Even if I wasn't thrilled with the style, the lens quality is amazing. No distortion and if it wasn't for the shading, you wouldn't know the lenses were there.

Aquila

06-14-2007, 02:58 PM

I wear contacts and early last year when I started riding a bit more than before, I'd make it to maybe mile four before my eyes were freely running with tears from the agricultural dust and such.

I broke down and got a pair of Oakleys, and they're just incredibly good at keeping dust out of my eyes. I rarely tear up on rides ever anymore, even though it's plough season. I also like that I have good shaded peripheral vision with them.

Mine have a single plastic lense with a rubber nose piece. They don't seem to slip and are remarkably comfortable!

Nokomis

06-14-2007, 04:14 PM

Andrea - those are Hawt! wraar!

I'm wearing Oakley Minute w/ my prescription. They've worked well for me so far - except my eyelashes have a tendency to rub & smear the inside of the glasses.

Jolt

06-14-2007, 06:09 PM

RoadRaven

06-15-2007, 12:45 AM

Well... there is a franchise here called the "$2 Shop" and another one called "DollaWorx"

I buy my sunglasses from there... $2... $12...
Dark, big shades and they work just fine for me
:rolleyes:

I'm too rough on glasses to spend big bucks on a pair.

Andrea

06-15-2007, 03:34 AM

Andrea - those are Hawt! wraar!

Thanks! I'm rather partial to them :rolleyes:

sulis

06-15-2007, 04:31 AM

I have two pairs of Tifosi sunglasses.

I have looked at the tifosi. Do any of their styles wrap around to provide protection to the side eye? I have really sensative eyes and need the coverage on the side too but the only ones I can find locally don't wrap.

Jo-n-NY

06-15-2007, 04:43 AM

Does anyone have any suggestions for sunglasses that come in small sizes and are reasonably priced (under $50)? I tried on some Ryders the other day that were supposedly made for smaller faces (I think one of the model names was Slim) and they were STILL a bit big. My problem is that I can never find any that fit well--the ones that are somewhat close to small enough are still a bit too wide and rest in an uncomfortable place on my ears. Does that mean I have to find kids' sizes, or what? If so, who makes them?

I used the Performance glasses for many years. I had a pair that were for smaller faces, they may have been called the Viper, but I am not sure. I think I paid $29.00 and they came with interchangeable lenses.

Since I scratched one of the lenses I replaced them with Tifosi's because I thought maybe I should get something a little better, but did not want spend a super amount of money. I chose the Gavia in Black because I do not like to have the frame around the bottom of the lense. There is a difference from the Performance, as everything looks crisper. I bought them here at TE for $60.00 and I am very happy with them. They also come with the 3 interchangeable lenses.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=20889

JoAnn

VeloVT

06-15-2007, 05:15 AM

I have looked at the tifosi. Do any of their styles wrap around to provide protection to the side eye? I have really sensative eyes and need the coverage on the side too but the only ones I can find locally don't wrap.

I can vouch that both the Slip:
http://www.tifosioptics.com/interchangeable/slip.html

and the Forza FC:
http://www.tifosioptics.com/single/forza_fc.html

have wrap lenses (since I have both). It looks like there are a few other wrap styles too, incl. Stelvio and Pave.

(BTW I have a pair of brand new Forza FCs I'd part with, see this thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=15846).

Jiffer

06-15-2007, 08:57 AM

I have Oakleys. I don't know the style, but I know they weren't cheap. DH got them for both of us when we got the tandem and made many a huge point to take care of them. I love them. They have interchangeable lenses, but I've never changed them. The yellow lense seems to work well for everything. I guess I should try the other lenses to find out what I'm missing! It's amazing that even on a cloudy day, it doesn't seem so dreary with these sunglasses on. The world seems a happier place! And very clear. :cool:

DH got them for his dad for his birthday, mostly to golf in, but you can hardly get them off of him he likes them so much. A friend of mine is planning on getting the same pair for her DH for his birthday after he tried ours and hinted to her. My friend tried mine one time as well and was very impressed. Especially at how cloudy it was that day and how beautiful everything looked with these glasses, yet not to where you had to squint at all.

I'll find out the model if you'd like. I highly recommend them. I never notice my eyelashes rubbing up against them or anything like that, and I have long lashes.

ChickWithBrains

06-15-2007, 04:07 PM

My husband has the Mirador style in the picture above, and we both have Oakley Half Jackets as well. Each of these have interchangeable lenses, and fit great.

However, when it's moderately windy, they both SUCK.

It's not that the glasses suck. They are great. I love wearing them usually. It has to do with how a pair of glasses fits your face. The contour of your eye sockets and brows, the shape of the glasses frames, whether there are air inlets, if they are wrap or traditional, it all matters. Next time I am in the market for glasses (which is asap), I'll be sure to stand in front of a fan when trying them on. Nothing is worse than flying down a hill all hott in your shades and then being blinded by wind or debris in your eye. Yow!

Jolt

06-15-2007, 04:34 PM

Anyone have any idea if Uvex sunglasses are any good? I found these http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39297725&memberId=12500226 on Campmor and from the sizing info they give it looks like they may work. I wish every place that sold sunglasses online gave measurements like Campmor does--I don't like buying things online if I don't even know that they will fit. I looked at some Tifosi's at a LBS today and they didn't have any that fit me very well (the Quam 1.5 fit OK but was still a bit big). I did notice on the TE website that they have a Tifosi model called the Alpe that is supposed to fit narrower faces, but the shop I went to did not have this one in stock.

Eden

06-15-2007, 05:16 PM

I'm getting some Smith Theory frames with lenses made just for my perscription! whoo hooo. I ride so much in the rain that I really did not want the kind with inserts and I have a very small face - and my interpupillary distance is small too so it was really hard to find a pair of glasses I liked and would take my perscription. I'm getting the kind that change clear to dark. Eventually I'll be able to get more lenses so that I can swap them out, but they're kind of expensive so my insurance will one cover one set a year :p
the optician said that Theories are pretty much identical to Oakly half jackets (which I loved).
If anyone else keeps getting told NO - you can't get your perscription in nice frames that you like try www.sportsoptical.com - he'll do his best to get you what ever ones you want - even interchangable types that normally aren't offered for presciptions.

orcoz

06-15-2007, 05:40 PM

I wear contacts and was getting extremely dry eyes (felt like sand in them when I took my contacts out).
Had a really nice pair from Sports Authority - fit great in the store, almost blew off my head on the road.
Finally I bought a great pair of glasses from the hardware store. UV protection, tinted enough to be great in the sun, but not too much so they're great in the clouds. Wrap around the sides, and fit tight. Impact resistant so I'm relatively comfortable a rock to my face isn't likely to blind me for life.
And they were cheap -$10.

7rider

06-15-2007, 06:04 PM

Related to sunglasses....
Does anyone know if vented glasses (like those pictured below), work to prevent fog? This a.m., I stopped for a traffic light, and my glasses (some sort of Oakley's I pilfered from my DH) totally fogged up and didn't clear until I started rolling again. My Briko's do the same thing.
I was wondering if vented glasses would prevent fogging....
(hmm...picture didn't seem to load...let me try something else - apologies if 2 show up)
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z85/7rider/20-4813-GBK-ANGLE.jpg

Jiffer

06-15-2007, 08:50 PM

I posted earlier, but didn't know which Oakleys we have. They are the "M" Frame, according to DH. There are a few different sets of lenses to choose from. I think it's the shape that is different. I've never noticed any issues whatsoever with them, including wind issues, which we have a LOT of around here.

RoadRaven

06-15-2007, 09:24 PM

Related to sunglasses....
Does anyone know if vented glasses (like those pictured below), work to prevent fog?

My two eldest sons both have vented sunglasses - they both find them very good in conditions where other glasses might fog.

The brand they have is "ProRace"
:)

RolliePollie

06-16-2007, 01:44 PM

I recently bought a pair of Performance Bike sunglasses...the style is called Athena. They were $29 and came with three sets of interchangeable lenses. So far, I'm very happy with them. They seem a little flimsy but I wasn't expecting too much at that price. They are very lightweight and comfy though.

I wear contacts and my eyes were watering and tearing up like crazy with my old sunglasses. I had tears pouring down my face within 5 miles! But today, with these new sunglasses, I hit a new personal speed record (41.5 mph) and I had no teary eyes whatsoever!

Jolt

06-17-2007, 05:24 PM

I ended up finding a pair of the Tifosi Alpes at a LBS in another town that I had to drive through anyway to get somewhere, tried them on and they actually fit! I haven't had a chance to wear them on the bike yet, but did wear them this weekend while hanging out at my church's summer camp and they were comfortable and stayed put nicely, so hopefully the same will be true while riding, running etc.