Wear eye glasses/sun glasses while riding

[tonythomson]

Despite many years of riding and touring and putting up with a sore neck finally figured it out.  I've tried all sorts of adjustments to the bike but it has just dawned on me that my glasses slip down slightly or just block out my upward field of vision causing me to lift my head slightly higher than is natural and I think that this is the cause.

However, I don't seem to be able to come up with a solution, does anyone else have this problem, maybe like me you don't even realise it, and what have you done?

Thanks Tony

[FredHiltz]

I did, and got a pair of aviator-style sunglasses. They reach almost to my eyebrows, and do not block the wind as well as goggles, but are much more comfortable. They are also out of fashion, shouting 1950s to those who care about such things.

Fred

[knolltop]

Sunglasses are a fashion item.
With fashion items there's a "what goes around, comes around" cycle.
So, when aviator style glasses once again begin to come into vogue you'll be viewed as an "early adopter" .... which is good thing!
 

[Galloper]

Pair of ray bans from Vision Express    As Fred mentions, they give very good coverage and are almost as good as goggles.

[staehpj1]

Despite many years of riding and touring and putting up with a sore neck finally figured it out.  I've tried all sorts of adjustments to the bike but it has just dawned on me that my glasses slip down slightly or just block out my upward field of vision causing me to lift my head slightly higher than is natural and I think that this is the cause.

However, I don't seem to be able to come up with a solution, does anyone else have this problem, maybe like me you don't even realise it, and what have you done?

Thanks Tony

I do two different things.

1. Most of the time I wear a pair of sunglasses with photochromic lenses and my bifocal prescription.  They were chosen specifically for cycling and running and avoid the problem you mentioned.  The photochromic lenses allow me to wear them day and night.  I do find that they have a "space alien" look to them that seems to alienate local folks so I take them off when speaking to local folks along the way.
2. In the few cases I ride with my regular glasses I let them slide down a bit and look over them when looking down the road only looking through them to read the map or cyclocomputer or to look at the road surface right in front of me.

[Pat Lamb]

Glasses slipping can be a problem; I'm blind without mine, meaning they're heavy, and therefore likely to slip.  Other than grin and bear it, there's a few things you can try.

First, change the bend over the ear to pull the glasses a bit more snugly toward your nose.  (This assumes you're wearing real glasses, like my prescription shades, and not a plastic cheapie.)

Second, try to secure it with a headband.  As I'm usually wearing either a bandana or other headband for sweat absorption or redirection, this comes easy.  Wear it over the glasses to snug them into your head.

Third, as Grant Pederson says, "Raise dat stem!"  This is a point of personal preference, I suppose, but if you tilt your head up a bit, the glasses are less likely to slip down.

[Tandem4Rider]

Good points given so far.  Not knowing your prescription I don't know how heavy your lenses are or other preferences.  However, I picked up some prescription sunglasses that are very light and manufactured specifically for cycling.  They have rubberized arms that are arced/angled in a manner to hold onto your head, though, you don't feel them at all around your ears as you might suspect.  Well, perhaps they do, but I don't notice them (I wear hearing aides - though, not while riding - that reach over my ears, so feeling something around my ears doesn't get noticed much by me.)

Here is a link to what I wear: http://www.libertysport.com/products_detail_sun.asp?codeprod=1112

Hope it helps.

[whittierider]

Unfortunately sunglasses makers don't understand cycling and the fact that in a low position we nearly look through our eyebrows to see forward without bending our neck way up.  I wear prescription photogray glasses and I have always insisted on real glass, not plastic, because glass is easier to get really clean and keep free of scratches.  It makes them heavier, but they fit well so they don't tend to slip down at all.  I have some cheaper plastic ones that don't fit as well and they slip down constantly.  Some people's noses and faces are just better shaped for keeping glasses up though.

[litespeed]

I'm moderately nearsighted and wear glasses most all the time I'm up and about. They are flexon (titanium), transition (photochromic), varilux (no-line bifocals) and CR-39 (plastic lens). They are very light and cause me no trouble whatsoever - never slip down despite my having a straight nose. They are up to my eyebrows so no need to tilt my head at all while bicycling. The trick is to have light glasses that don't slip down and keep them in tight. I never put them in a case and wash them in the shower every night. These lenses are almost 4 years old and in fine shape.

[johnsondasw]

I would wear my light weight plastic photosensitive prescription glasses more if they didn't get doused with sweat all the time.  I use a "halo" sweatband, and that helps some, but I've never found a good solution to the sweat dripping onto them after a few miles.  I don't have any problem with the fit or slipping down or anything like that.  So I usually just don't wear them. 

[ducnut]

You definitely need to look into cycling-specific glasses. The ones I have are from Rudy Project and have prescription inserts. Cycling glasses have much better eye coverage, arms that grip the sides of your head without the need to wrap around your ears, and lenses that are designed to filter UV rays. They're not cheap, but, your vision, safety, and comfort are worth it.

[staehpj1]

You definitely need to look into cycling-specific glasses. The ones I have are from Rudy Project and have prescription inserts. Cycling glasses have much better eye coverage, arms that grip the sides of your head without the need to wrap around your ears, and lenses that are designed to filter UV rays. They're not cheap, but, your vision, safety, and comfort are worth it.

I agree that it is worth spending on some cycling specific glasses.  That said, I found that for me inserts were not as nice as just having the lenses be prescription.  The inserts made for extra surfaces to fog up or get dirty.  I used glasses with inserts on the Trans America and they were OK, but I like my new cycling glasses much better.

I got really good service from Sportrx online.  The guy who helped me (Rob) was an avid cyclist and an optician and seemed to really know his stuff.  The price wasn't that bad either.

[ducnut]

I agree that it is worth spending on some cycling specific glasses.  That said, I found that for me inserts were not as nice as just having the lenses be prescription.  The inserts made for extra surfaces to fog up or get dirty.  I used glasses with inserts on the Trans America and they were OK, but I like my new cycling glasses much better.

I got really good service from Sportrx online.  The guy who helped me (Rob) was an avid cyclist and an optician and seemed to really know his stuff.  The price wasn't that bad either.

Unfortunately, my vision is so bad that I can't get a prescription lense made from anyone, in a cycling-specific model. I tried. So, I'm stuck with inserts. I have to call Lensecrafters, in advance, so they can order in the material for my lenses. Otherwise, I wait a week on any new pair of glasses. Most people's eyes aren't this bad. The Doc assured me that I won't go totally blind. We'll see.

[staehpj1]

Unfortunately, my vision is so bad that I can't get a prescription lense made from anyone, in a cycling-specific model. I tried. So, I'm stuck with inserts. I have to call Lensecrafters, in advance, so they can order in the material for my lenses. Otherwise, I wait a week on any new pair of glasses. Most people's eyes aren't this bad. The Doc assured me that I won't go totally blind. We'll see.

Interesting, I had more trouble finding someone who could do the inserts in my bifocal prescription.  If you haven't already I would check with Sportrx to see what they have to say.  I would advise actually phoning or emailing them, because I got better advice from Rob via email than what I could glean from their web page.  They just might be able to recommend a model that will work for you.  For example, I know that with the Project Rudy Horus model they were able to accommodate my bifocal prescription and I was unable to get that for my inserts.

My companions brow beat me for the entire TA since I was the one with the map holder and I couldn't read the map while riding without my bifocals  because I was only able to get my inserts in a single vision prescription.  Now with my new glasses it is no problem.

If he is still there, I would email Rob at rob@sportrx.net next time you need glasses and see what he suggests.

[mucknort]

Despite many years of riding and touring and putting up with a sore neck finally figured it out.  I've tried all sorts of adjustments to the bike but it has just dawned on me that my glasses slip down slightly or just block out my upward field of vision causing me to lift my head slightly higher than is natural and I think that this is the cause.

However, I don't seem to be able to come up with a solution...

One very effective solution is to ride on a recumbent style bicycle. By riding in a head up position, similar to driving a car, you eliminate neck pain and are able to use just about any sunglass style. Though I prefer polarized cycling sun glasses.

Here's a photo of my son riding somewhere in WA showing this position: