# Are clear safety glasses good enough for biking?



## randum (May 17, 2016)

When its cloudy or dark, I would like to don a pair of clear shades to protect against bugs and other air debris getting into my eye.

for $35 CDN and at Home Depot, i can get the 3M SecurFit, which has a wraparound design, UV protection, anti-fog and are impact resistant. link

for $60 and at MEC (REI equivalent) , i can get a cyclist specific glasses, which has anti-fog lenses, scratch resistant, 8 base curvature to protect me from light coming in at different angles. link


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

A friend of mine rode with cheap clear safety glasses and they worked great.

Only real requirements is that they protect your eyes, they're comfortable and they fit well with your specific helmet.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

Safety glasses (clear) is all I've ever worn. I get them for free from work. Everywhere I ride is in the woods with lots of shade so tinted lenses are out. Some pretty tight trails and my biggest concern is getting a stick in the eye so I usually wear them every ride.


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

I got mine for $10 at Home Depot....clear and amber. Mine are 5 years old now...


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

I’ve worn primarily clear, cheap safety/shooting glasses for many years. Still do. Smith n Wesson Mags.


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## huckleberry hound (Feb 27, 2015)

I get mine from Safety Glasses USA. They have bifocal ones too. For daytime I use the Indoor/Outdoor lenses and at night for night riding I use clear.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Yep that's all I use, works great.

I lost too many"nice" bike specific ones, no more.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## TooTallUK (Jul 5, 2005)

Have a look online for the likes of UVEX and Bolle safety glasses. They are excellent quality, some great styles and way cheaper than big box stores charge for them.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Some of the cheap safety glasses I have offer absolutely horrible wavy lenses and I'd never ride in them. I can barely tolerate them for short term use in the garage. Others I've had have had pretty good lenses.

The issues I have more consistently had with the cheap safety glasses and riding are often fit and ventilation. My head is a weird shape and I'm kinda picky about glasses in general. For safety glasses that I'm only going to put on when I'm working in the garage, or running a chainsaw or whatever, I'm willing to tolerate sloppier fit and poor ventilation. But on my riding glasses, I'm not.

Thankfully I've been able to keep my last pair of expensive riding glasses for about 11yrs. These fit great and I'd hate to have to find a replacement for them. I have another pair of expensive glasses I got as a freebie once, and I can't ride in them. The fit is pretty bad, so they don't sit on my face very securely. I've tried riding in them, and they bounce all over the place. They're my daily use sunglasses as a result.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

Been riding in clear safety glasses for decades, I used to order them through work and could get really good quality ones. IME, the more expensive the glasses, the quicker you destroy or lose them....


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

Harold said:


> Some of the cheap safety glasses I have offer absolutely horrible wavy lenses and I'd never ride in them.


I've noticed that too. Some glasses I bought at home depot were returned immediately because the left lens was magnifying everything.

I'm missing Performance bike right now. I always bought cheap glasses there that came with clear lenses and felt really unobtrusive. I just lost my last pair that wasn't all scratched to hell.


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## huckleberry hound (Feb 27, 2015)

92gli said:


> I've noticed that too. Some glasses I bought at home depot were returned immediately because the left lens was magnifying everything.
> 
> I'm missing Performance bike right now. I always bought cheap glasses there that came with clear lenses and felt really unobtrusive. I just lost my last pair that wasn't all scratched to hell.


Try these https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/cf-2964.html . I've been using them except I use the bifocals version for about 3-4 years now. They are very good.


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

huckleberry hound said:


> Try these https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/cf-2964.html . I've been using them except I use the bifocals version for about 3-4 years now. They are very good.


Thanks:thumbsup: Got em on eBay for $10


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

If you're near a Harbor Freight Tools, try their sub $2 safety glasses ( I like amber, they also have clear), I find that any dark tint makes roots and shadows look too similar. I don't like riding dirt with glasses (I won't ride road without), but those are good for muddy race starts when the mud is flying all over. After they get crudded up and the traffic clears I stick them in my back pocket or toss them to the side of the trail/course near start finish, - and if they're not there later, or get too scratched up, I'm out $2.


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## GeePhroh (Jan 13, 2004)

Heck yeah -- I buy the UVEX and 3M by the 5-pack off Amazon. With the tree cover here on the west side of Cascades in WA, clear lenses are the deal pretty much year round. I love the newbs hanging out in the Tiger parking lot with their Pit Vipers complaining about how they can't see anything. 

Plus, I've rarely had a pair of nice glasses that lasted more than a few months before I destroy or lose them.


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

huckleberry hound said:


> Try these https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/cf-2964.html . I've been using them except I use the bifocals version for about 3-4 years now. They are very good.


Got them yesterday. They are very good. No distortion and the nose bridge is comfy.


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## TheFatGecko (Aug 16, 2020)

Another option might be clear glasses from the motorcycle shops. Mine have taken a rock to them while on the motorcycle and were fine besides just scaring me (yes, have helmet on, just visor was up). If you get the ones with foam around the eyes, they also work for cutting onions in the kitchen.


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## Plusti (Apr 22, 2008)

*Second the Smith & Wesson safety/range glasses!*



Miker J said:


> I've worn primarily clear, cheap safety/shooting glasses for many years. Still do. Smith n Wesson Mags.


I'll add a second to the Smith & Wesson safety/range glasses. They have been tough as nails and come in many configurations and I've used the same pair for years. They also provide 99% UVA/B protection which is always a plus. :thumbsup:

https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/smith-wesson-elite-safety-glasses-with-black-frame-and-indoor-outdoor-lens/

Best regards,
Jason


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Yep all I wear for biking.

I lose or scratch too many nice sets, won't buy them anymore.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

I’ve never spent more than $10-$12 on safety glasses, so maybe I’m missing something. But every pair of hardware store safety glasses I’ve worn has had visible distortion and artifacts. Fine for close 100% focus work like using a chainsaw but not what I’ll accept for riding. Photochromic lenses FTW. I wish there were more options, but I’ve been happy with Ryders. They frequently have sales, so it’s not hard to get decent MTB-designed glasses for a good price. 

Maybe it’s because I grew up wearing eyeglasses and learned to take care of them (and the face behind them), but I have a bit of a WTF reaction to the amount of people who can’t keep from losing or destroying a decent pair of sunglasses. I had literally dozens that accumulated over the years until I donated a bunch to a thrift store. I wore out and warranteed my last pair of Smiths.


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## OldSchoolMBer (May 25, 2013)

Just a thought on riding glasses, I was wearing a pair of clear safety glasses but the bridge was small and squarish shaped. On an OTB crash, hit my forehead on the ground (had a helmet), but the bridge of the glasses dug in and put a big gouge in the bridge of my nose. If they'd had a wider flat bridge with smooth edges think I would've walked away mostly unscathed.


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## gnewcomer (Jul 2, 2011)

When you get old like me and your vision starts to decline .... readers are a must. I've been buying safety glasses for work and riding from safety glasses USA. Four pages of different styles of tinted and clear safety glasses with readers in them. Search Results


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