Importance of Cycling Eye Wear

When cycling, never underestimate the importance of wearing cycling eye wear.   Beyond looking fashionable and protecting your eyes from bright light, eye wear offers valuable protection from harmful UV rays and potential flying debris, e.g., glass, small rocks, insects, dust., etc.  While competitive cyclists often focus on light weight lenses and aerodynamics, upgrades may include prescription, photo-chromatic and polarized lenses.  The following are a few well known brands; Oakley, Rudy Project, Tifosi Optics, Bolle, Uvex, POC and Smith.  Here are a few things to look for when purchasing your next pair of cycling eye wear.

Lens Type: Depending on your sensitivity to brightness, having a good pair of lenses is crucial while riding in order to see clearly ahead, avoiding as much glare as possible, and for those on dawn or dusk patrol, provide clear sight while out spinning in the dark. Purchase your eye wear based on your riding conditions, especially if the particular pair you select includes a single set of lenses.

• Polarized lenses will help you avoid harsh glare lines created by the reflection of the sun off pavement, especially when riding towards that beautiful sunset.
  

  Photo Julio Barajas

• Some cycling eye-wear companies include an additional set of clear lenses that will help avoid riding in the dark without protection.
• Similar to transition lenses you often find on prescription glasses, some manufacturers offer Photochromic lenses as an option that darken depending on the source of light, such a great option as this will eliminate the need to carry two pairs of lenses having to change them out as the sun rises or sets.

Shatter Proof: Although most lens manufacturers commonly make their lenses shatter resistant, make certain the pair you select to purchase offers the safety of shatterproof lenses. You won’t want to be caught in a crash or accident with a shard of plastic or glass in your eyes.

Nose pads: Something often overlooked is the comfort offered by those tiny sweat proof nose pads. Enjoy whatever amount of time you spend on your bike without the worry of losing your eye wear at the first bump in the road simply by wearing appropriate fitting glasses with sweat proof nose pads.

Safety and comfort should always be your focus when shopping for cycling eye wear.  And of course, selecting a fashionable frame that fits properly ensures you will be more than likely to wear them on every ride.

 

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