Prescription cycling glasses - need recommendation

[tulip]

Prescription glasses are expensive, there's no getting around it. I really like my Tfosi prescription cycling glasses. I find it best to go to an optician that is familiar with sports glasses.

[Zen]

I got mine at the optician. I want to be able to try them on when I'm spending that much money.

[szsz]

After losing my favorite pair in the ocean *sadface* I went and got actual cycling glasses (instead of just big semi wrap sunglasses) and I love them. My prescrip is for trifocals and I want to be able to wear them for driving (map reading + distance) skiiing, etc. as well as just cycling. So, I found a pair made by Adidas where the prescription part is an insert. This way, if I get laser and then need to switch prescriptions, I just have to change (or omit) the insert and I still have an awesome pair of sun specs.

There is another company that does inserts as well, Bolle I think? Probably Oakley as well.

I didn't know if the "double pane" so to speak would be annoying or fog up and it turns out it is fine. I do love them. (My other sunglasses that I lost fogged up more.)

Also, no way around it, they are pricey. So I do NOT wear them to the beach!!! (I still wear shades, just an old script.)

[michelem]

I would suggest seeing your optician first to find out if cycling sunglasses will even accommodate your rx. Unfortunately, due to the strength of my prescription, I am unable to get rx cycling sunglasses even though I'm willing to pay out of pocket whatever the price. I can't tell you how much I hate having to wear contact lenses with regular (non-rx) sunglasses when doing sports. If I had my way, I'd never wear contact lenses! Sigh . . .

Hope they work out for you.

By the way, even if your health/vision insurance doesn't cover them, you may be able to get FSA reimbursement if you participate in such a plan. Might be worth checking into that as well . . .

[szsz]

I would suggest seeing your optician first to find out if cycling sunglasses will even accommodate your rx.

Ya -- good point. That is the thing about the insert, though -- it is relatively flat, so it can accommodate a trifocal. It then fits into the outer lens / frame
which are wraparound.

I got mine through a sunglass shop that also sells regular glasses. A sort of specialty shop, I guess.

[malkin]

I have my distance correction in my Oakleys. I think they were kind of expensive, but I had some 'use it or lose it' money in flexible spending, so it worked out great.

Be sure to tuck a pair of readers in with your spare tube or patch kit.

[Owlie]

I'm in a similar boat. I only need distance (I'm nearsighted), and my regular prescription sunglasses work fine most of the time, but I want something that keeps out the wind and debris. Only problem is that my prescription is weird (thanks, astigmatism!) so it doesn't fit nicely in frames. Argh.

[smilingcat]

Eden posted the links a number of times and she was kind enough to send me the link (again some time ago). So to spare her the time of writing here it is. www.sportsoptical.com

I've contacted them and been really lazy about getting them after my last pair broke about 6 month ago. I just wear my regular prescription and just put up with the light condition on my regular glasses. I'm planning on going with them. Tad expensive but what am I going to do...

As for bifocal or not? my last riding glasses were for distance only. With the riding glasses on, I couldn't read my computer even with the LARGE numbers. I kept on having to push up/down the glasses to read and push up/down again for riding. I'm going with bifocal next time.

I like the rose tint for riding. Amber is great in heavy overcast since it helps with the contrast but I hate in the bright sun. Rose tint seems okay in bright light but still okay when it gets darker out like when there is a thundershower or dusk. Do ask around though.

One of the e-mail I received from them:

Hi *****,
We can certainly make progressive (no-line!) bifocals for you. We would need to send you the frame, have you adjust it and then mark where your pupils sit. Your eye dr can certainly fax us the Rx, or you can just email or call us with it. Whatever is easiest---Transitions we can make, however if your eyes are very light sensitive it might not be the best way to go. I would love to talk to you more about lens options for color and what you do...what time you need them, where you live....etc. That will all be a factor in what lenses are best.

Everything is a custom order, so it does take 3-4 weeks.....

Hope that helps and we look forward to hearing from you,
Thanks,
randi


Thanks for your time,
Bret
www.sportsoptical.com
303-455-3369

smilingcat,

[Eden]

I have a pair made by Randi at Sports Optical. I was one of those folks turned down by everyone else (don't give up hope michelem), mainly because my face is too narrow and my interpupillary distance is too small, rather than my prescription being too strong, but the effect is the same - too thick at the edges when they are curved lenses.

I love having prescription cycling glasses. I've never worn contacts and the rx glasses I could get were not that great. Sports Optical made me inserts to put into Smith frames. I went with transitions because the lenses are quite pricey and I could only afford one set at the time, but I hope to supplement them with some yellow or orange (for cloudy/rainy days) and some very dark ones some day.

Everyone else said no - even Oakley, which claims they'll do rx for just about anyone, so Randi is my hero.