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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

671.0. "Bad Sunglasses Blues" by DISSRV::WESTER () Tue May 17 1988 12:58

    I wear prescription sunglasses when I ride.  They're aviator style
    and aren't great for riding.  I find my eyes tear up when I get
    going fast and they don't do a good job keeping bugs and dirt out
    of my eyes.
    
    My question is are contacts worth investing in?  If I had contacts
    I could buy a pair of Oakleys or Bolle cycling glasses designed
    for cycling.  They also have the brow sweat band to keep sweat out
    of your eyes. 
    
    Has anyone recently switched to contacts?  I'm really tired of 
    hassling with my current shades.  I'm ready to buy the cycling 
    glasses now, but I guess there are certain advantages in seeing 
    where you're going!
        
    Dave
    
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671.1if you don't mind looking like KareemAQUA::OCONNORThe law dont want no gear-gammerTue May 17 1988 14:558
    Hi,
    
    I grant you that Oakley's and the like look pretty good, but if
    you don't mind looking like Kareem check my replies to 618, .1 and
    .3.  Although these glasses don't look like Oakley's they dont't
    slip, my main problem, and are fairly comfortable
    
    Joe
671.2See Triathalon FilePRYDE::DAMICOJANE DAMICOTue May 17 1988 15:565
    Dave, in the Triathalon notes file, there is a guy selling a brand
    new pair of Oakleys, that he got as a give (grey frame).  Just in
    case you are going to get the contacts.
    
    Jane
671.3Get the contacts!USMRM5::MREIDTue May 17 1988 21:0315
    I'd recommend getting contacts for bicycling. For years I put off
    getting contacts, but I recently invested in them specifically for
    bicycling. They are daily wear soft contacts and I never had a single
    problem with them; they don't dry out, sweat is no problem - I don't
    even know they are there ... except for the fact that I can see! 
    They are the most worthwhile investment I ever made!
    
    BTW - what convinced me to get the contacts was a triathlon last
    year: I was doing the bike leg ... and missed a turn and did an
    extra 3 miles. My team would have easily finished first (with a
    BIG trophy), instead of second.
    
    Mark
    
    
671.4BPOV06::DANEKTue May 17 1988 21:5824
I got my first pair of soft contacts about four years ago.  I didn't wear any
extra eye protection and the wind dried out my eyes enough to make the lenses
uncomfortable.  So I stopped wearing them.  Actually, shortly after that I
stopped wearing them altogether...riding or no riding.

This year I took up skiing and discovered that glasses are a royal pain...they
steam up too much, all the time, when your not moving.  So I got contacts.  I
figured that I could wear goggles for the wind...

...but I also discovered that I HATE goggles.  So I took to not wearing the
goggles and noticed that the wind, at my skiing speeds, was not enough to dry
out my eyes.  As a matter of fact, the wind made my eyes water enough to make
the lenses VERY conforatble!

So when it got warm enough to ride again this spring I tried the lenses again.
I'm not going to go with the lenses alone, though!  I make sure that I have
some good sunglasses with me...AND THAT DOES THE TRICK!  I've had no trouble
with my eyes or lenses at all!  My Vuarnet sunglasses hug mey eyes enough to
make a good seal, blocking the wind effectively, although this might not real-
ly be all to important...when I'm looking down at the ground the wind can't
help but rush OVER the tops of the glasses onto my eyes.  This doesn't seem to
bether me either.

Dick
671.5WORDS::SWANBERYWed May 18 1988 15:1910
    
    Be sure and take a lens case with you that is filled with saline.
    Contact lenses are great for cycling until a bug or piece of dirt
    gets under them.  It only happened to me once, and I was wearing
    regular sunglasses at the time.  I was only about 5 miles from
    from home, but it was the longest 5 miles I've ever ridden.  Since
    then I put a lens case inside my bike-bag so I don't have the 
    opportunity to forget it.
    
    Adam.
671.6Its only the pain that makes it worthwile !RDGENG::DEARLOVEHappiness is your own Cluster !Mon May 23 1988 21:2748
    On the whole I would recommend lenses over spectacles. Neither is
    the the total solution but if you want to ride but cannot see then
    you have to wear something. A few points to watch out for ;-
    
    o Sunglasses are a must to stop the wind drying out the lenses and
    minimise the risk of getting a 'house-brick' stuck in your eye (believe
    me, sometimes it feels like it !!).
    
    o Even with sunglasses your lenses might still develop a film during
    a ride so be prepared to clean them afterwards.
    
    o If you sweat a lot and need to wipe you face (probably with your
    sleeve - a filthy habit your mother would not be proud of if she
    saw you doing it !!), then watch out for dislodging the lens. If
    this happens 
    
    			DON'T PANIC
    
    rely on the other one to keep you going. If you are lucky the other 
    one will come back on its own. You can engage in all manner of eyeball 
    exercises to help this along (try not to fall off the bike when you 
    are doing this !!).
    
    o Getting sweat into the eye can be a very interesting interlude.
    If you can afford some of those wizzo shades with sweat-bars this
    may help solve this problem. If not just look forward to the searing
    pain as the acids get to work on your eye. Remember, dont rub your
    eyes as it may dislodge the lens.
    
    o Dont forget to buy some insurance for your lenses as your are
    going to need it at least once.
    
    I remember not long after I first got my lenses, I was struggling
    up a hill when the chain fell off. Before I started to fit the chain
    again I wiped the sweat of my face. Result lens #1 dislodged. After
    refitting the chain and getting oily hands , I continued to the
    top of the hill and stopped to try and get the lens back. In the
    process of doing this I managed to loose the other lens (it just
    popped out). Result a most *****ed-off bikelist with greasy hand
    and no eyes who was 15 miles from home.
    
    
   On the whole I would recommend lenses over spectacles. I am getting
    quite used to riding with only one eye.
    
    
    Have fun - Mike
    
671.7Get them, but don't worry so much!PSG::BUCHANANBatTue May 24 1988 00:178
Contacts are well worth having.  In general you see just about as well as with
glasses with much better peripheral vision and they are much better for sports.
I guess it's better to be over prepared then under, but I ride with contacts,
never carry a lens case, have never lost one, sweat like crazy, only wear sun
glasses when it's sunny (maybe 25% of the time).  It's almost impossible to
lose soft contacts.  If your eyes dry out then just blink a few times and force
yourself to tear up (actors can do it).