Rose lenses work at night?

[caribou]

It's really inspiring reading all your bike commute stories. You all are awesome!

I just started bike commuting a couple of days a week this last summer. There's convenient light-rail to my office, but bike commuting's the only way I can get riding in during the week. (Just promoted to a 40-hour a week job after being spoiled with 3/4 time for the last ten years. Miss those weekday long rides, but the money's much better ) I just bought front and rear lights and hope to install them today and get back in the saddle now that it's dark in the evening.

Anyway, to the question: Eye protection. On the New Riders board there was a thread about riding at night, and several people said that amber lenses reduce the glare from oncoming headlights. Have any of you tried riding at night with rose lenses? I have Rudy Project frames, and the Racing Red is what I use for cross-country skiing in flat light conditions, to give more depth. They're not terribly dark. I'm wondering if they work for night riding to reduce glare without being too dark. Got clear lenses too, but the idea of less glare from oncoming lights sounds really good. I don't want to shell out more for yet another set of lenses if what I have will work well to cut down that glare.

[boy in a kilt]

This is a pretty subjective thing. Probably best to give them a try and see whether you like them. I like rose lenses in general.

The company I work for has started handing out yellow safety glasses and a lot of us wear those when the light is really low or it's just flat.

However, unless it's sunny outside, I don't generally wear glasses when I ride. They tend to collect sweat and condensation.

[RoadRaven]

We don't night ride, but I would wear glasses if I did (been hit on glasses by too many bugs to not wear them)... so I can't really help you, however this may help...

My partner dislikes any kind of tint in his glasses and only wears tinted glasses on very bright days.

Mostly he wears a pair of safety glasses (not goggles) I picked up for him from the local hardware store for about $NZ25.

They are clear but have UV prtection, and because they are from the hardware store are quite scratch resistent and "drop-proof"

They would probably work well on night rides and would be a cheap option.

[onimity]

I wear completely clear lenses riding at night or when it is overcast & love them. Tinted lenses don't work well for me at night, but I definitely ride with glasses always because there may rain, in the summer there are bugs and in the winter there is sand and gravel on the roads that passing cars kick back.

Congrats on the promotion!

Anne

[PscyclePath]

Glasses are the one piece of bike safety gear that can actually prevent a crash, instead of simply mitigating the damage when you have one... by protecting bugs/debris/rain/etc. from getting in your eye(s) and blinding you... Always a good idea to have them.

I wear prescription lenses to see anyways, but often augment them with a pair of tinted or clear lenses now that the riding light is getting low...

Tom

[caribou]

Thanks, all.

Like Tom, I need the glasses to see anyway. I'll try my rose lenses, bring the clear ones along in case they don't work, and post on the board whether the rose color works for glare reduction and isn't too dark.

[SadieKate]

I don't have an opionion on rose lenses, but I love these photochromatic Tifosi glasses I got from TE last year for eve and night riding.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=20966

I'm another one who doesn't put my eyes at risk by going nekkid. I was only given the one pair and having had gravel hit my lenses . . . well, you get the picture.

[RoadRaven]

Good reason for wearing glasses

Last Saturday at the club race I was hit by a few bugs but they bounced off my glasses - no biggie

The last one bounced into my shoulder, and stung me... I went on for another km but it got worse so I was a DNF 'cause I turned around.
When my partner got back he thought I had been stung twice, when I looked in the mirror at home I had three stings - so one very annoyed wasp methinks...

I am pleased I was wearing glasses and didn't have those stings in/around my eyes!

[indigoiis]

I went to our local discount store and bought a pair of HUGE, ugly frameless (important for peripheral vision) circa 1970 amber tinted glasses with tiny little jewels on the temples for $3.99. My husband calls them my "JLo" glasses. They have so far been about 700 miles with me, and although I have dropped them, stepped on them, "lost" them, and abused them in every way, they have stood the test of time. AND, much to my joy, they are great for night riding!

In the same store (Ocean State Job Lot) you can get clear Safety glasses for a few bucks. I think I'll get some as back-up.

[RedCanny]

I'll try my rose lenses, bring the clear ones along in case they don't work, and post on the board whether the rose color works for glare reduction and isn't too dark.

Caribou, I'm eager to hear how this goes for you.

I need to buy new prescrip sunglasses. As I am attempting to continue bike-commuting through the winter (at least a few days of the week), I may need some lighter alternate lenses as it's dark when I ride home, now. Rudy Project does appear to provide some good solutions.

I read somewhere that yellow (not amber?) lenses are good for cutting glare when riding in dim/nighttime light. If rose doesn't work for you, perhaps yellow will?

[bmccasland]

OK, so I wasn't planning on riding late last night, and I usually ride with the rose lenses in my glasses.

Some of us were riding after work on the levee, planning to go out 10 miles, and back, before it got dark. But one of the guys convinces an office newbie to ride the path too, on her beater bike. So we take off, she quickly falls behind, but we plan to pick her up on the return trip. Which we do, and she's walking her bike. Flatted, no tools, no spare. One of the guys (the one that said "come on, it'll be fun...") gets voluntold to ride hard and fast to go get his car and come get her. So now there's 3 of us walking our bikes back because the sun is setting and we aren't going to leave her alone. Eventually he comes back (stopped by a train, twice), and gets her. So the two of us can finally head in, and in twilight, with the rose lenses, it's plain dark.

Moral - if you're planning to ride late, bring the spare clear lenses. Rose lenses are too dark in low light. And in the dark it's really dark.

Yellow - I do have a pair of them in my car for driving in hazy conditions. Helps sharpen thing. They're popular for shooting, but my riding glasses didn't come with yellow.

I bought my glasses with inter-changeable lenses from Terry - dark grey, rose, and clear. Pretty much stick to the rose. But I may be making a little pouch for the clear ones so I can have them with me. Why is it that when you're crunched for ride time, mechanical *issues* happen?

[caribou]

[QUOTE=bmccasland;261763]OK, so I wasn't planning on riding late last night, and I usually ride with the rose lenses in my glasses.

. . .
Moral - if you're planning to ride late, bring the spare clear lenses. Rose lenses are too dark in low light. And in the dark it's really dark.


Thanks, Beth,

I chickened out on the test last week because it seemed too dark even in the well-lit parking garage where the bike cage is. So you (inadvertently) did the test for me, I'll stick to the clear, and save up my pennies for some new yellow/amber lenses.

[bmccasland]

Caribou - glad to be of service. Walking two miles at twilight, next to an industrial area wasn't exactly fun. Was kind of wild riding the levee back in the dark.

[helena]

I've tried orange ski goggles in the dark and I saw very little so would advise against them...

One thing for cars with their brights on: I find that wearing a headlamp allows me to 'flash' the drivers by turning my head in their direction a few times, and 9 times out of 10 they turn off their brights.

[Andrea]

Good reason for wearing glasses

Last Saturday at the club race I was hit by a few bugs but they bounced off my glasses - no biggie

The last one bounced into my shoulder, and stung me... I went on for another km but it got worse so I was a DNF 'cause I turned around.
When my partner got back he thought I had been stung twice, when I looked in the mirror at home I had three stings - so one very annoyed wasp methinks...

I am pleased I was wearing glasses and didn't have those stings in/around my eyes!

I got stung by something on my tongue once... during the first 5 miles of a 30 mile race! It sucked. I thought I was going to have to drop out, but I somehow managed to pull off 3rd place