# When to wear Goggles Vs Glasses?



## Mattlikestobike (Nov 1, 2010)

I am debating whether to wear goggles like those you wear for skiing or, Sunglasses.

I like Goggles because you have better view of the front, but would it be overkill on normal trails?

The only thing i dont like about sunglasses is that they can move around pretty easily.


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## skaterqwertyuiop (Jul 22, 2010)

Goggles when riding DH for protection. Glasses (prescription) while riding otherwise. Goggles for XC just look dumb IMO.


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## Andy Pancroft (Aug 3, 2011)

skaterqwertyuiop said:


> Goggles when riding DH for protection. Glasses (prescription) while riding otherwise. Goggles for XC just look dumb IMO.


I'm considering goggles with contacts because prescription glasses seem to be a hassle.


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## FiveStar (Jul 9, 2011)

i had a left over pair of clear shooting glasses, that can be had for under $10, actually just bought a 2nd pair last week at walmart. they are cheap and do the trick, but you can always go all out and buy a nice quality pair.


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## Mattlikestobike (Nov 1, 2010)

I just bought Iron Man sunglasses! they are incredible. They have these "air-pockets", which allows the sunglasses to breathe and have no fog


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## one incredible donkey (Jul 19, 2007)

Here's your answer buddy


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## ub in ne (May 24, 2011)

This is what I wear;

I use these Wiley X's

Link:Wiley X | Safety Climate Control - Blink


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## masterofnone (Jun 21, 2009)

skaterqwertyuiop said:


> Goggles when riding DH for protection. Goggles for XC just look dumb IMO.


+1. The only time I'd consider goggles for xc is one ride nearby where it takes an hour to climb it but only 5 minutes to boogie back down if you take the fireroad down. My eyes tear uncontrollably from shear speed. I would wear glasses for the whole ride and keep the goggles in the backpack for the trip back down.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

Def goggles for DH , i use regular glasses for riding XC/AM stuff .. Main reason for me is so my eyes dont tear up from the wind while going down some trails.


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## Mattlikestobike (Nov 1, 2010)

aedubber said:


> Def goggles for DH , i use regular glasses for riding XC/AM stuff .. Main reason for me is so my eyes dont tear up from the wind while going down some trails.


ah, i bailed really bad because a bee flew and hit me in the eye, before i began riding with sun glasses. So i made this thread, to see what others would wear...

The only issue right now is that, i cant see at some spots of the trail when going downhill, what glasses do you guys wear? What tint would you reccomend?

right now im using a redish tint, i can see bumps good enough, but when i run through the shady parts of a trail im almost blinded, and coming to a stop to take them off is dangerous.


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## MTBAlex (Mar 29, 2006)

clear lens?


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## Mattlikestobike (Nov 1, 2010)

MTBAlex said:


> clear lens?


is there any alterative to clear lenses? the only issue is.. when going down the hill, its VERY bright towards the top, and then towards the bottom, it begins to get darkened by the surrounding trees.


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## Andy Pancroft (Aug 3, 2011)

Mattlikestobike said:


> is there any alterative to clear lenses? the only issue is.. when going down the hill, its VERY bright towards the top, and then towards the bottom, it begins to get darkened by the surrounding trees.


Photochromatic????


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## Mattlikestobike (Nov 1, 2010)

Andy Pancroft said:


> Photochromatic????


oh wow, thats awesome! thanks! never knew the name of those glasses that could change the darkness. Thanks! :thumbsup:


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## slacker666 (Aug 16, 2011)

2nd the rec for Wiley X products. It's a nice cross between glasses and goggles. Have tried 3 different pairs from them. Some of them have foam inserts to keep them stable, and to keep moist air from fogging you up in the winter. They're removable and I always ride without them, and the frames stay put.

I tried a photochromic pair from them, but I thought the baseline/no sunlight tint on the lens was too dark. Also it didn't change fast enough to work with changing light, so I ride with a lower tint and tilt my visor down if it's bright. My main pair is very light weight, wrap around pair, with almost no frame to interfere with field of vision...there are 3 different lens inserts, clear/medium tint/dark tint, that you can swap out depending on ambient light.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

I ride with a pair of ray bans lol , they are clear lenses but with a slight light tint on the upper lenses, i havent had an issue with at all during bright sunny days and when it gets darker at night as well . I have a pair of oakleys as well but they are my casual glasses  ..


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## TheMTbiker89 (Jul 11, 2011)

I'm looking forward to getting a pair of goggles soon, but for now I use my old oakley gascans when I go mountain biking. They are good sunglasses but sometimes at dusk or when I have to go into tunnels I have to take them off because I can't see sh**t!

Sent from my Droid


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## DarkKnight369 (Jul 22, 2009)

I use Oakley scalpels. They don't move when riding. I will get some goggles for cold weather moss likely.


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## 1dkl1 (Sep 7, 2011)

I wear googles, two reasons: had a pair from snowboarding, and they offer more protection.


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## simpterfex (Nov 14, 2010)

I got a pair of goggles from zenni optical that were pretty cheep with some prescription lenses inside. The lenses clip inside of the goggle and are pretty easy to clean. I saved some money, they were about $35.


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## C 73 (Jun 21, 2012)

Googles, Oakley


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## lernr (Jul 13, 2012)

Photochromic goggles for DH: Zeal Detonator or Eclipse. Maui Jim bought Zeal because they are so awesome.

Sunglasses for XC / AM.


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## yetimeister514 (May 11, 2011)

If you are looking for cheap, durable sunglasses to ride trails, try your local equipment rental place for some polarized safety glasses. They will also have some yellowish or rose colored ones that you can wear in the woods that makes the obstacles pop out.

Or if you are looking for glasses that have good venting and wiper bands to keep the sweat out of your eyes - try one of our xc sponsors - Adidas Eyewear. The Evil Eye glasses are very good ! The "active" lens is the photochromatic lens that will adjust to bright or dark light and is in between the very dark polarized lens and the rose colored tint for the woods.

adidas eyewear evil eye halfrim pro L


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## masm71 (Dec 24, 2010)

I have been riding with sport sunglasses during the sunny days (XC/AM) and my normal glasses in more darker/rainy days.
Both had a problem: Sunglasses where too dark in forest and with the normal glasses made my eyes to tear in faster speeds. 

Solution: Now I ride with Nike Transitions with optical lens. They get dark/light in about 30s.
Had no problems with them.... only in my first ridet I felt as they are so light that they will fall.... but haven't done that.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

are you skiing? no? wear glasses.


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## lernr (Jul 13, 2012)

b-kul said:


> are you skiing? no? wear glasses.


Glasses for DH with FF helmet? :nono:

Especially with the dust at Stevens Pass? US Army guys in Middle East don't ski either but they do know better and wear goggles


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## Kona_CT (Apr 25, 2010)

I wear goggles for DH but glasses for everything from trails to BMX.


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## Brandon Lew (Jul 3, 2013)

For the most part, wearing sunglasses are good enough. I tend to wear goggles if I go biking down the mountain early in the morning when all the little critters are flying about in groups dense enough to make me gag when I breath. Otherwise, for normal trails, just use glasses.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

Sunglasses for XC and DH. Sunglasses with a full face are so much better when it comes to not fogging and getting air flow. I don't know how riders wear goggles when its warm out.


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## bad andy (Feb 21, 2006)

VTSession said:


> Sunglasses for XC and DH. Sunglasses with a full face are so much better when it comes to not fogging and getting air flow. I don't know how riders wear goggles when its warm out.


agreed, this works for me too. I'm a sweaty bastard as it is so any more comfort I can obtain is welcome. I do bust out the goggles for DH if it is overly dusty, or rainy, muddy.

I also put them on for trail bike rides if I want to pose. No, I don't enduro.


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## JRT_in_WMass (Jul 22, 2013)

Mattlikestobike said:


> I am debating whether to wear goggles like those you wear for skiing or, Sunglasses.
> 
> I like Goggles because you have better view of the front, but would it be overkill on normal trails?
> 
> The only thing i dont like about sunglasses is that they can move around pretty easily.


I wouldn't know specifics about where you ride, but if you wear anything over your eyes while riding, wear safety glasses or safety goggles, suitably rated for high velocity impacts. Most sunglasses, most prescription eye glasses, and many sport goggles do not provide suitable eye protection against high velocity impacts, and some may break into sharp shards that could damage an eye.


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## johnbike81 (May 23, 2013)

I recently found I-force dual pane safety googles on amazon. The are under $20 and do not fog. They also come w an optional strap. u can wear them like normal glasses or w just the strap. 

I was having trouble finding something that would not fog and that was cheap enough that it would not be a big deal if I broke or lost em. 

Sent from my LT30at using Tapatalk 2


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## ajd245246 (Sep 1, 2008)

Everyone who's anyone knows pit vipers are all the rage right now.


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

All depends on the terrain 

I remember a great add from Oakley a while back " bones heal, chicks dig scars, but they don't dig the eye hole where your eye was"


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## Brandon Lew (Jul 3, 2013)

Omg...story of my life...I sweat horribly and my gawd those goggles suffocate me till there's no more sweat to wring out of me. Although they come in handy for some occasions so if you're a biker like me who wears a backpack, it never hurts to have the goggles in the bag just in-case.


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## Desertride (Nov 1, 2012)

I'm putting in a rec for Smith pivlock v90 max sunglasses. They come with three lenses (various combinations available, but usually one is transparent), all of which are shatterproof polycarbonate, have a lot of coverage to protect from dust and debris. What is crucial for me is that they accept an RX adapter for those who wear prescription glasses. I almost always use their regular amber lens which works in everything from bright sunlight to shady forest and provides great contrast enhancement.

You can find them on sale for about $50 (Look out for STP coupons). The RX inserts and prescription PC lenses from my local optician added another $100 something dollars. So not cheap, but high quality and very versatile. (However, way cheaper than the equivalent setup from Rudy Project). Smith is also known for their great warranty service.


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## bikemuscle (Aug 21, 2008)

I know its a old thread but I could relate to some of these guys who can't wear goggles because I sweat way too much in the summer. Their good in the winter when its freezing but thats it. I wasted my money on Oakley MX googles, they just get way to foggy and its suppose to be anti fog. I live in so call and ride places like Mammoth where its really rocky and dusty which is perfect conditions for googles but unfortunately I have to stick with my Oakley Sunglasses and those even tend to fog up at times but they are so much easier to deal with.


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## drew925 (Apr 22, 2013)

Thread revival! Just got a pair of Oakley's with Prizm Trail lenses. Man, what an improvemeont over the photochromatic cheapies I was wearing.


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## dave785 (Apr 30, 2016)

Do we know how safe the Oakley Prizms are? I have the jawbreaker model w/ Prizm trail lense.

Not sure how safe they are for the DH stuff. I know the lense isn't supposed to break... and it's called the "Jawbreaker" after all.. but still, it isn't goggles.


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## bikemuscle (Aug 21, 2008)

All of their lenses are the sh*t, you shouldn't have any worries, they have demonstrations of the high mass/high velocity impact protection it offers on their website.

Oakley


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

Those Prizm lenses are the bomb. Got a pair of the Jawbreakers in road and some trail lenses for my Racing Jackets. It took a few minutes to adjust to the lenses...but once my eyes adjusted...they were like bam...awesome. I didn't want to take them off.

When I use my full face, I always wear goggles. When I use sunglasses, the padding from the helmet pushes the ear stems into the side of my head. The goggles are more comfortable. Only time my goggles really fog up is when I come to a stop. If it does fog, I'll pull them forward and lower them to the mouthpiece of the helmet.


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## Drop Dead (Aug 18, 2016)

"Do we know how safe the Oakley Prizms are? I have the jawbreaker model w/ Prizm trail lense."


I sold sunglasses for 5 years. We had an oakley lens on display, pock-marked from .22 rounds but not cracked. Polycarbonate lenses (oakley and most other sport brands) are extremely shatter-resistant. Cheapo acrylic or fancy glass lenses, not so much. 

My experience is that oakley's frames aren't so tough, but the jawbreaker's big lens keeps the vulnerable frame away from your eyes. 

Ride safe, have fun!


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## root (Jan 24, 2006)

If you want to look badass, get the Oakley SI ballistic M frame kit. One lens converts from regular frame style glasses, to one with a gasket to improve wind & debri protection, to a full low profile HALO goggle. I don't know if you can buy them though, they are for military and law enforcement market so you don't see them at retailers. I'd do it if I didn't wear prescription and could access them.


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