# do you wear clear lensed "sunglasses" at night ?



## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

i have $3 clear safety glasses from Home depot and Oakley Radar sunglasses which have 10% transmission lens ( darkest i could find at the time ). to be honest - there's not much difference between the two except price and style. i use the Oakleys in sunny weather, but at night so far i wasn't using anything.

my main problem is that when i go downhill fast and cold air blows in my eyes they begin to tear up and i can't see sh*t. and when you're going 30 mph that's precisely when you want to see stuff of course. i have also had an occasional bug or a speck of sand blow into my eyes, which also made me long for some glasses.

now i could use the $3 home depot glasses. these are the exact ones i have:










i could try to find fancier safety glasses like this, which would still be cheap.










or i could clear lenses for my Radar. actually the hard case from the radar ( which fits in my fanny pack ) has a space in it specifically for a spare lens, so i could have a clear lens in there and witch the clear to 10% and back as needed. of course it probably won't reflect very well on longevity of the frame because switching those lenses requires a bit of force - and i haven't actually tried it, but i seen the sales guy do it.

so the (+) of going the Oakley route is i'm already carrying the case, which is designed to fit that lens. the (-) of Oakley route is it will be hard on the frame to switch lenses every time i go from night to day riding.

i don't think there is any sense for me to get dedicated cycling glasses with clear lenses because if it comes to spending money i might as well just get the lens for the radar.

what do you think ?

PS: in defense of Oakley Radar i was in a pretty bad crash with them on ( flew over the bar, and the bike did a flip and landed upside down ) and when i got up the glasses were exactly in the same spot as before the crash - they haven't moved, and they're still as good as new, while the helmet took some scratches. the Radar really grips your head like a clamp - anybody who is not into active sports and buys these glasses for style is making a mistake - because it squeezes your head pretty tight and unless you need that extra grip for some sort of a sports activity you're better off with regular sunglasses. the Radar also tends to fog up if you try to use it while driving a car - it is really meant for outdoor use. for biking though it works great.


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## mtb143 (Aug 26, 2007)

You should always wear eye protection, day and night, for the exact reasons you state: an errant bug or speck of sand at the wrong moment can easily ruin your whole day. A buddy fractured a clavicle because of a bug in the eye. The only time I feel safe(ish) without eye protection is riding in snow - no bugs and no dirt to get in the eyeballs.


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## kingsqueak (Jul 21, 2013)

Yup ^^^that


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

mtb143 said:


> You should always wear eye protection, day and night, for the exact reasons you state: an errant bug or speck of sand at the wrong moment can easily ruin your whole day. A buddy fractured a clavicle because of a bug in the eye. The only time I feel safe(ish) without eye protection is riding in snow - no bugs and no dirt to get in the eyeballs.


oh i agree. i definitely need something. but no idea what.

i wanted high quality sunglasses for day use because i wanted ones that attenuate the light level strongly without distorting colors, have good UV protection and have a lens that properly covers the entire field of view.

but for night use the requirements get relaxed quite a bit. no need for UV protection, no need for good attenuation of light, no issues with color when the lens is clear, and if the lens doesn't evenly cover the whole field of view i won't really notice it because the lens is clear anyway, thus the edge of the lens is not particularly conspicuous.

is it easy to find cycling specific glasses with clear lenses ? the clear lens for the Radar is $60 - could i get complete clear cycling sunglasses for less ?

now that i think about it i'm going to scrap the idea of using Home Depot safety glasses. It's either a lens for the Radar or a second set of complete cycling glasses but with clear lens, and something cheaper than Oakley.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

Curious, why scrap the cheapy Home Depot safety glasses option?


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

fightnut said:


> Curious, why scrap the cheapy Home Depot safety glasses option?


i'll use them temporarily until i find something better.

but they're not super hot - for example unless i move them further down my nose my eyelashes touch the lens.

aside from that, i could find other reasons why cycling specific glasses would be better - for example cycling specific glasses like the Radar are designed to fit properly under the helmet.


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## dfp23 (Aug 27, 2013)

I never leave home without some sort of eye protection- something is better than nothing brand unspecific. I have used Oakley sunglasses for years on the bike and during combat operations without any issues. They have saved my eyes countless times.

When I commute to work, I wear the clear lenses into work (cause it is usually dark) and swap out lenses before I head home. The Oakleys are lightweight and stay on your face- you hardly know they are on. I put rain X on them to help bead the water off on rainy days. The current pair I am using I have had for 7 years.


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

Just get the clear lens for the radar. If been switching lenses on my mframe for years. Granted I don't do it everyday, but they still work fine. You have to learn the correct method, then it won't be a problem. Maybe you could invest in one of their switchlock systems, then there is no force required to switch lenses.


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## mtbRevolution (Aug 10, 2012)

General safety glasses work fine. Cycling or anything specific means you pay more for a model name and probably some nicer colors. No more automotive analogies please.

Now, I normally use these Cat ones. Will be getting out my Bolle goggles soon. It's hayfever season in Oz. I use these Bollé Cobra in Spring. This model seems to be obsolete. Bollé and Cat (not the facetious guy in this forum) have a wide range of safety glasses and goggles without the Oakley pricetag.


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

varider said:


> Maybe you could invest in one of their switchlock systems, then there is no force required to switch lenses.


haha i see now those bastards managed to make my sunglass obsolete already. well done !

if i'm able to sell my Radar that would be a good option !

unfortunately i don't know where my interchangeable nose bombs are, so i would have to sell at a loss.

but since the new Radarlock doesn't take old style lenses it probably doesn't make sense to keep investing in an old model.

is Radarlock *the* one ? or did they come out with some altogether new model to replace the Radar at this point ?


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

I was on the Oakley page the other day. They have so many options that it boogles the mind. I couldn't figure out the difference between half of them! Replacement lenses seem much cheaper on Amazon. I have no idea what the latest and greatest is.


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## stuflo (Mar 10, 2011)

I use Oakley Ballistic's at work they come with a clear lens and tinted. Not cheap but when you have to wear them all day the lens quality is noticeable. 
Went out the other night in orange low light glasses and was the most horrible ride I've ever had. No trail definition what so ever with bright lights.


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## Gundam168 (Dec 19, 2012)

I tried riding with the safety glasses on but it had a certain glare and starry affect on all the lights I was looking at.

The Dangers of Night Driving Glasses | Laramy-K Optical - Wholesale Uncut and Coating Lab


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

I wear prescription glasses but some issues are the same. Wind seems to only bother me when at speed. Rarely an issue when MTB'ing. On the road the eyes will water-up a bit when at speed and the air is cool. My glasses do little to change that. 

When mountain biking sometimes there is a problem with the lenses fogging up when I start to slow down or stop. A real nuisance sometimes. Last night I tried an anti-fogging spray I bought for cheap at Wal-Mart. It did help but when I got real hot and started slowing down I still had some fogging issues. I might have to try another brand of anti-fog spray ( or reapply when needed ).


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## stuflo (Mar 10, 2011)

Never had that problem with the Oakley balistics. They're what u see the US army wearing in war zones.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Absolutely. Having been whacked by a bug in the eye cured me of the notion of riding without glasses.

I wear prescription lenses, but it's largely for the reader portion. My sunglasses are Rudy Project Rydons (highly recommended cycling glasses) and they have an absolutely brilliant lens design - you can buy a version with a bifocal in it. The top part of the lens is normal and the bottom half has a diopter in it for reading magnification. I have the clear ones for night. Brilliant.

J.


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## StumpyandhisBike (Jun 26, 2012)

I actually use clear lens black framed 3M safety glasses for both night and day rides as they are UVA/B protectant, shatter resistant and I'm typically riding in the woods and out of direct sunlight. Though in wear them on my road rides too. They work great.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I need prescription glasses and love my grey polarized Wiley X Bricks. 
When I started night riding, I bought another pair with clear lenses. They're safety rated and I've had plenty of stuff bounce off em.


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## Maximus_XXIV (Jun 7, 2009)

I always wear glasses at night when I am riding. Bugs are attracted to lights so that is more of an issue and I want to keep my eyesight intact for awhile. I once switched lenses out but decided to make my life easier and extend the life of my sunglasses by buying a second pair with clear lenses. Now I carry a case with one pair inside and the other on my head. I swap as needed.


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## androgen (Apr 28, 2005)

Maximus_XXIV said:


> Now I carry a case with one pair inside and the other on my head. I swap as needed.


that is brilliant ! i didn't think of that !

of course that assumes both sunglasses fit the same case.

hm ...


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

I have a couple pairs of old Oakley Half Jacket JLJ's. I bought a pair of Walleva Polarized Transition/Photochromic Lens for Half Jacket XLJ. Primarily because at this time of year, regular sunglasses are a hindrance as it gets dark earlier in the evening. 

I've found the photochromic lenses work very well both for daylight and night rides. I still prefer darker lenses for daytime driving.


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