Another sunglasses thread...help please

[miffy'sFuji]

Hi everyone,

I need to get some sort of pair of sunglasses that'll work for me. I've tried a lot of pairs on, and am not sure...I looked at some old threads but didn't see anything that touched on this specifically.

Here is my problem (I think)...On the last two rides when I wore my sunglasses I got a sharp pain behind my left eye that turned into a headache. I think it was caused by the weight of my sunglasses on the bridge of my nose. I don't wear prescription glasses, so I'm not used to the weight on my nose. Also I have thin skin there and get deep impressions from the nose piece.

I haven't worn my sunglasses for the past week, but we all know I'm gambling with what might fly into my face..oh, and I haven't had that pain or a headache since, so I think the pain was probably caused by the glasses.

My current sunglasses are Kenneth Cole (not bike specific) that weigh about 20-25 grams. The nose piece gel used to be really soft, but I think it has hardened somewhat. I tried on some rudy projects which weigh around 17 grams and the nose piece seems quite soft, but none of the pairs seemed wide enough (they weren't flattering).

Has anyone had any sort of a similar problem? Has anyone who also gets deep indentations from their nose piece found anything that doesn't do this?

Thanks so much in advance for any help or suggestions.

[Nanci]

My Smith Toasters don't do that. And they're even missing one of the gel pads. (They are ancient- it only fell off this year.)

[Melody]

Miffy, one thing to keep in mind is that it could also be the temple of your sunglasses squeezing you in the side of the head.

If you haven't done so, talk to an optician about what kind of glasses would be best for you. Getting the size of your glasses is important. There are three numbers that come into play. They are lens size, bridge size and temple size. You want all three to fit you though not any one size is right for you. Instead there may be a combination of sizes that are right for you.

Things to remember about sizing, the lenses should be wide enough to cover your entire eye and should not be so short that they could hit your eye in the event they are smashed into your face. The width of the glasses should be wide enough that they fit without them feeling like they're squishing your head. The temples should be long enough that they fit comfortable behind your ear, or in the case of straight temples, hug without squeezing, the side of your head.

Mel

[DeniseGoldberg]

I second Mel's suggestion that you talk to an optician.

In fact, even though you don't need prescription glasses, an optician will be happy to build a pair of glasses for you with a non-prescription lens. I wear Smith sunglasses for riding, but I also have some non-prescription sunglasses with a frame I chose in an optical shop. If you can't find an already constructed sunglass that fits you well, this might be an option.

And you're right - it's dangerous for your eyes to be riding without any glasses at all.

--- Denise

[KnottedYet]

Got my sunglasses from my eye doc, and have no complaints. Those folks are good at fitting, and if you explain what problems you're having with the current glasses (and take those glasses in with you) you'll be giving the doc even more info to work with.

I have Oakley Minutes.

[miffy'sFuji]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'm uninformed. I didn't know opticians could make regular glasses. That's cool.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'm uninformed. I didn't know opticians could make regular glasses. That's cool.

Sometimes you'll also find that opticians sell sunglasses from Smith, Oakley, etc. If you buy the sunglasses from an optician they can and will adjust the fit for you too.

--- Denise