sunglasses?

[MartianDestiny]

Depends on you really.

I have Oakleys and yes the lenses and build quality are better than the $25 Performance Bike sunglasses that I got sick of replacing every 6 months. Are they $150 better? Maybe not for you; the Performance Bike sunglasses worked perfectly well as sunglasses (until I destroyed them; mean lifetime based on 3 pairs was ~6 months, but that's me)

I almost have to have interchangeable lenses or multiple glasses (currently going with changeable lenses). I, personally, NEED a nice dark grey lens if the sun is out, period, but I have sensitive eyes and have had eye surgery. I use the grey Iridium colored Oakley lenses that block an insane percentage of light. That of course causes a problem on cloudy days, so I have a set of amber lenses for those days (still block some light and increase contrast).

Ideally I'd have 3 lenses:
1) Dark (grey most likely polarized would be nice too, but $$$$) for sunny days
2) Contrast enhancing (amber, orange, yellow, rose) for cloudy/overcast days
3) Clear for night riding or very cloudy days (I've been hit in the face while biking (both road and mountain) enough to always try to wear glasses sheerly for the protection factor. I've even had (shatter resistant sport) lenses destroyed before and thanked God it wasn't my eye!)

If I could only have one lens I'd go with a medium grey, polarized, or maybe amber (but I hate the color change unless it's very overcast) that would be a good compromise lens between very sunny and overcast.

[oz rider]

Rudy photochromic here. I don't like the idea of changing lenses all the time. Sometimes these might not be quite dark enough, but I like being able to ride out early without having to change to clear (nearly) lenses. And they just stay put.

[zoom-zoom]

I have a pair of Optic Nerve Eyeques...love them. They are photochromic, cheap, and have served me well on the bike and running. I love that on an overcast, windy day they are nearly clear and offer protection from flying debris, but when it's super bright and sunny they get VERY dark.

[VeloVT]

I am a big fan of Tifosi, they are a bargain. I have the Slip (which I use primarily for the clear and yellow lenses which come in handy riding at dusk, and also for really cold days since the vented lenses don't fog as easily) as well as several pairs with photochromic lenses. My favorites by far are my photochromic Vogels. I was kind of expecting the frameless design to look/feel gimmicky, but I love them. They are very light and comfortable and flattering, but best of all, I LOVE not having an upper frame in my field of vision while riding.

This is the model:

http://www.tifosioptics.com/single/vogel.html

I have the ones with the "EC Fototec" lens, which I also love. It has a super wide range (it goes from 56% light transmission to 17% transmission), so it's really versatile for different days/changing conditions.

[hammertime]

love my oakley flak jacket;s... they totally rock... although i "only" wear them riding... cause they are too macho for me otherwise, LOL!!

[hammertime]

Depends on you really.

I have Oakleys and yes the lenses and build quality are better than the $25 Performance Bike sunglasses that I got sick of replacing every 6 months.

I tried Performance glasses... hated them, they scratched easy and were super dull... what a waste of money.

[Maxxxie]

I have Livestrong-themed Oakleys and love them. They're super-dark and even though I managed to get a big scratch in them, I don't notice it.

I used to have Rudy Project glasses, I think the "Kerosene" model. Even the slightest scratch on them is visible and annoying. These have been retired from biking. Now I just use them to look cool when I'm off the bike

I don't bother with interchangeable lenses. In low light conditions I wear cheapie yellow safety glasses from the local hardware store. They're light and small enough to carry in a jersey pocket or backpack. These scratch pretty easily, but for $5, I don't really care. I wear them so rarely that it doesn't really matter to me.

In pitch black, I wear clear safety glasses. Same deal, $5 throwaways.

I'm with MartianDestiny on this, no matter the conditions, I wear some form of eye protection. All it takes to give you a bad day is to ride face-first into a spider web or a swarm of bugs!

Max

[silver179951]

im a total Oakleys girl. i use the jawbones with the +red polarized lenses. i absolutely love them. i used to use flak jackets, but i was terrified to change lenses cus i didnt want to break a $140 pair of sunglasses! other than my fear of changing lenses, the flak jackets worked fantastic. the ear stems worked better with a helmet than the radar's ear stems do. the radars stems seemed alittle to big with my helmet straps. i agree with ny biker 100%, you dont even notice there is something between you and what youre looking at. the unobtainium works amazing to, no slipping at all, even in 100+ degree texas summers.
if the price is a deciding point, look on ebay, you can sometimes find a good slightly used pair that is wayyyy under the list price. thats how i got my jawbones