# Prescription Riding Glasses



## Fred_G (Jul 26, 2019)

Howdy, looking to get back into mt bike riding after a 10 year break. I tried searching the forum, but did not find a thread that was recente. I used to wear contact lens and Oakley sun glasses. Worked great.

I am now thinking about a dedicated pair of prescription glasses for riding. I am about as blind as a bat without glasses, so the lens will be kinda thick, even with the 'thinner' lens. I am looking for a frame that will stay on my face when I ride. I am in the south US, so regular glasses will not work, they slide down my nose. Sweat, a couple of bumps, and they are sliding down...

I don't mind spending a bit of cash for a good pair, but looking to see if anyone has any recommendations.

Thanks.


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## Dropout33 (Apr 9, 2007)

Walmart. In store. They have some great safety glasses and riding glasses that can have a prescription added to them. 

Thats what I use for riding and I keep my expensive prescription Oakleys for everyday wear.


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## BmanInTheD (Sep 19, 2014)

I've got several pairs of Oakleys with prescription lenses. Since mine are all progressive, I can only use the styles that have 2 separate lenses. If you don't need progressive, pretty much any of the frames will work. They have a bunch that have "Unobtainium" nosepieces that do not slide down your nose and stay in place. My favorites are the Field Jackets. They have a large field of view, especially at the top of the lenses, and stay in place, but are kinda dorky-looking. If I wasn't so good-looking, it might be an issue. And I use the Prizm Trail lens for all my MTB glasses. For road, I use the Prizm Road lenses in some Field Jackets also.


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## Fred_G (Jul 26, 2019)

Thanks for the info. I need to save up, dang hobbies get expensive...


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

One place on-line you can check is https://www.sportrx.com/. You can put in your prescription info and see what frames will work. Strong prescriptions generally rule out large curved lenses typical of sport glasses. There are frames that work, just not the more flamboyant styles. You optometrist can very likely set you up with sports or safety glasses frames. Mine ordered in three pair of frames for me to try before deciding.


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## slcpunk (Feb 4, 2004)

Fred_G said:


> Howdy, looking to get back into mt bike riding after a 10 year break. I tried searching the forum, but did not find a thread that was recente. I used to wear contact lens and Oakley sun glasses. Worked great.
> 
> I am now thinking about a dedicated pair of prescription glasses for riding. I am about as blind as a bat without glasses, so the lens will be kinda thick, even with the 'thinner' lens. I am looking for a frame that will stay on my face when I ride. I am in the south US, so regular glasses will not work, they slide down my nose. Sweat, a couple of bumps, and they are sliding down...
> 
> ...


I have a strong prescription. Most glasses that require inserts won't work for those of that are blind - same for glasses with a lot of curve. (think sport glasses)

I ended up getting some "wiley-x" frames check em out. i think their primary market is motorcycle riders but i like em )

i found cheap was hard to pull off for sunglasses with a strong prescription ;(


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## CycleKrieg (Dec 19, 2013)

Lone Rager said:


> One place on-line you can check is https://www.sportrx.com/.


Can't recommend SportRX enough. They were a joy to work with.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I use https://www.zennioptical.com/ With their prices, I buy a bunch and don't care if they get trashed or broken. My favorite is an amber sport pair that does not have inserts. I can't get past the warped view of the insert styles.


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## Stahr_Nut (Nov 7, 2006)

CycleKrieg said:


> Can't recommend SportRX enough. They were a joy to work with.


100% agree. Back in May I order a pair of Wiley-X P-17 frames with digital progressive bifocal lenses from SportRX using their Win-Win tint. This was the first time I have ever ordered prescription glasses of any kind on line and since I have occasionally had trouble with progressive bifocals through my local optometrist I was super nervous about how they would turn out.

I followed their instructions for taking a selfie in order for them to get my pupil distance and sent that along with my prescription to them and then crossed my fingers.

I have to say I could not be happier with the way they turned out!! They are absolutely perfect. I can honestly say I can see the best using these than i can wearing my everyday non-tinted glasses. I'm considering ordering all my eyewear from SportRX from now on. My only slight nit-pick is that the lenses are a bit dark when it isn't bright and sunny and/or you're riding a very shady trail. But that isn't SportRX's fault.


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## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

I like lenscrafters for selection. Another vote for Oakleys. Make sure they are 'tall' enough to protect your eyes from the sun and debris when leaning forward the way you do on your bike. Also, last year I bought a pair of the safety glasses lenscrafters carries. They are not on display, you have to ask for them. I just got them as extra around the house glasses, and it turns out they are very good. And the ends of the arms are bendable, so they stay on your face better in the heat. I am also in the South, btw. Not far from Savannah, GA. But I'm in SC.


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## FuzzyOptics (Oct 15, 2014)

Just received an order of prescription glasses for riding that I ordered from Zenni Optical. Got the cheapest options I could get since I was ordering these frames for the first time.

If I like one of them a lot, then I'll order a new version of it with more expensive options: higher-index lenses, Trivex lenses, polarization, more premium convenience coatings...








https://www.zennioptical.com/p/tr-square-eyeglass-frames/11185?skuId=1118512


Ordered the transparent frame version. Frame appears less transparent in person.
Nose pads are rubbery material. Frame stays on face pretty decently, considering retention is not coming from wraparound tension from the arms.
I've got a really wide face and these fit well. 
$45.85. with cheapest 1.57 "mid-index" lenses and standard 80% gray tint, only anti-reflective coating, no polarization.
Lens can be spec'd/upgraded with all the options that Zenni offers, if one wants. Including photochromatic.








https://www.zennioptical.com/p/other-plastic-eyeglass-frames/7085?skuId=708521


These have Rx lens-behind-tinted-lens structure.
There's distortion from the dual lenses that's at least non-ideal.
Also seems that the Rx lenses are designed to sit closer to the face, and that this is closer than ideal, in terms of making contact with eyelashes.
Rubbery nose pads and bits on arms.
Overall coverage is smaller than the first pair.
Fit of first pair is better for me and since these don't have interchangeable tinted lenses, there's no positive to counter the negative of having lens-behind-lens.
$43.90 with 1.59 "polycarbonate impact-resistant lenses", only AR coating.
Outer lens tint is not customizable and determined by choice in frame color. Black comes with "red mirrored" and Tortoiseshell comes with "amber mirrored."








https://www.zennioptical.com/p/prescription-protective-eyeglass/7439?skuId=743923


These are billed as Rx protective glasses. So they have those "protective fairings."
I guess along with my head being wide, my face is pretty flat, because the protective fairings don't meet my face.
So not much point to these for me, versus other non-tinted glasses.
But they fit fine and are light and even if protective fit isn't ideal I guess they might block out some debris better than other glasses.
$27.90 with Rx lenses and not even AR coating.

My prescription is about 2 years old and pandemic complicates getting new prescription. Want to get updated prescription before buying "nice" Rx sunglasses, such as Oakleys.

I'm also curious about the Roka glasses that browser/search cookies keep force feeding me through ads. Wonder if they're really dramatically nicer. I like that they have Rx versions of their super-wide-coverage "visor/shield" design.








https://www.roka.com/collections/prescription-sunglasses-for-men

They need to be much nicer, given that they're $300+ when outfitted with Rx lenses.

They appear to work in the Rx lenses as a sort of insert within the overall lens. And whereas one seems to maybe get multiple swappable lenses with non-Rx versions, one has to pay for different types of Rx tinted lenses. I imagine one at least CAN do this, and get different tints to swap within same frame. If they're really nice then I don't necessarily mind paying a ton to have different tinted Rx lenses to swap within a sports frame.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

I use Oakleys, however there is a limit to the strength of prescription that they can do.
I usually don't have a problem with slippage with them. In the past I have use keeper straps on regular prescription glasses.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

FuzzyOptics said:


> Just received an order of prescription glasses for riding that I ordered from Zenni Optical. Got the cheapest options I could get since I was ordering these frames for the first time.
> 
> If I like one of them a lot, then I'll order a new version of it with more expensive options: higher-index lenses, Trivex lenses, polarization, more premium convenience coatings...


I do not recommend the oil-resistant coating. I got this on my day-to-day glasses and while it makes it a little harder for oil to get on them, it also makes it incredibly hard to wash off, vs. just a cloth microfiber without the coating. The more you try to clean them, the more it smears a lot of the time. Otherwise, yeah I still have many pairs of these and they are great.


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## Andrew Coates (Dec 3, 2020)

x2 Oakleys! I've had these safety glasses for about two months now and I'm impressed.


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## Whiterabbitt (May 16, 2020)

way old thread you bumped, but maybe more relevant here than a new topic.

I got Rudy Project Defender Rx, and I am on the fence about them. Two issues.

#1, noone warned me about wraparound lenses. They took a month to get used to, and now months later, I still struggle. The blurriness is about gone, but I have this weird effect where everything looks far away and flat. So I go riding up to a 3 foot drop and say to myself "no problem, I can take this 18 inch drop". Then I'm flying through the air way higher than I expected, going "holy ****!"

#2, I expected the coatings to be whatever needed for cyclists. But they almost seem too contrast-y, where brights are very bright, and dims are very dark, so it's harder to pick out detail when I am riding. Like someone flipped on "high contrast mode" to the world, so details like how rocky the trail is ahead of me, is harder to pick out.

Not how I wanted to be feeling after spending several hundred bucks.

Other than that, I like the wind rejection


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