I'm thinking Photochromatic sunglasses?

[Expidia]

I searched out a few sunglass posts here. I started off with a $30 pair of riding glasses off Amazon. KAPVOE Polarized Cycling Glasses with 4 Interchangeable Lenses. First off changing out a lens is a pain as not only do you have to clean off your prints every time . . . the mere process of swapping a lens with cheap plastic frames I know they are only going to break at some point.

From what I read UV protection is important. My eye's lower lids do burn after a long ride and I know even though these $30 glasses say UV protected, I've found they probably are not. Plus I'm sure their lenses distort my view. I get this same burning of my us when I'm out on my boat as the sun reflects off the water even though I'm wearing $150 Maui Jims.

Polarization from what I read is not nescessary for cycling/MTBing. Maybe good for boating/fishing etc.

So now I'm down to maybe trying a decent pair with photocromatic lenses so I don't have to swap them out during varying rides like cloudy then sunny type days or days and espeically with it getting darker earlier as we approach the fall in the Northeast U.S.

I know Oakley and Smith etc make good quality sunglasses, but their prices like $175 to $290 are just way over the top for what we are getting IMO.

So have some of you had success with photocromatic auto changing lenses for eMTBing. I know years ago they were very slow to change making them useless on trails that quickly change from shadows to bright sections, but supposedly the newer lenses are much quicker adjusting to changing light conditions.

* I also prefer biking style sunglasses over full goggles.

(pictured is what I have been using)

What say you?

 

[Jurassic]

I ride in a pair of Oakley Jawbreakers with photochromatic lenses and they're very good. I know you already mentioned that Oakley, Smith etc were too expensive but I managed to get mine quite heavily discounted over here in the UK and I've already had them for around five years so I see them as decent value. In terms of the lens adjusting quickly, when I drop into a forest trail from a fire road it does take a few seconds for them to adapt but not long enough for it to be an issue. For full on winter riding and night riding I have a pair of clear lenses as well as the photochromatic lens doesn't quite go fully clear (although it's very close to it).

 

[Expidia]

I ride in a pair of Oakley Jawbreakers with photochromatic lenses and they're very good. I know you already mentioned that Oakley, Smith etc were too expensive but I managed to get mine quite heavily discounted over here in the UK and I've already had them for around five years so I see them as decent value. In terms of the lens adjusting quickly, when I drop into a forest trail from a fire road it does take a few seconds for them to adapt but not long enough for it to be an issue. For full on winter riding and night riding I have a pair of clear lenses as well as the photochromatic lens doesn't quite go fully clear (although it's very close to it).

Thx Jurassic, I saw that model on Amazon. Now $233 Youuch! And they are not being shown as photocromatic at least on the current Amazon page. Maybe they are available direct from say an Oakley store with photo lenses? Do your lenses have an Oakley logo on them?

There are a lot of knock offs out there that have no logo (if Oakley even puts one on at all). My Maui Jims I use for boating has their logo on the lens. And so do my RayBan's I use for driving glasses, they also have their logo on the lens. I'm thinking the lens logo could offer me a little more protection from the knock offs if I find what I'm looking for at a discount somewhere.

 

[Jurassic]

Yes they are genuine Oakleys and have the small logo and description written on the lens. I bought them initially with the photochromatic lens and then later bought the clear lens as well. One of my friends has a pair and has used fake lenses (not photochromatic ones though) and reckons that they're fine but I've always stuck to genuine Oakley. What price your eyes?
Prior to getting them I used various safety glasses and other cheaper brands but the difference is huge. The cheaper glasses used to steam up constantly meaning I had to take them off frequently whereas the Oakleys clear quickly meaning I can usually keep them on. It was almost getting a tree branch in my eye that prompted me to get the Oakleys in the hope that I'd be able to wear them all the time for protection and to a large extent I'd say they've fulfilled that role well.

 

[RickBullotta]

I use Oakley photochromatic lenses on a set of Half Jackets. My wife got them for me for my birthday 10 years ago or so, and they're still nearly perfect. They are expensive, but the quality is also there. Amazingly the lens have virtually no scratches, the hinges and grippers still work as new.

 

[Jurassic]

I got the idea for the Jawbreakers from watching McTrailrider's YouTube videos (he has a pair and used the photochromatic lens initially, although he now rides with a Prizm Trail lens). I messaged him for advice as I'm a Patreon patron after I'd seen him wearing them and he recommended them. The fact that they are physically quite big glasses means they give excellent protection but they look totally dorky off the bike.

 

[Stihldog]

I use two different pairs of photochromatic riding glasses. Clear and tinted. On the flats or wide open spaces I use the tinted. I find that the change in tint is not fast enough to change on technical trails in tree’d areas.
Regardless, any eye protection is important.

 

[theremotejuggernaut]

I bought some cheap Carnac branded glasses from Planet X and think they're great.

They were about £40 I think.

Not sure how much that helps you over in America land...

I find them really useful where my riding takes me through woods and shaded areas. If I'm out in the open all day, I'll wear normal lenses but often I find them too dark in the woods. My eyes struggle to adjust quick enough to the dark in the trees. Not being able to see roots/ rocks/ trees until its too late kind of spoils the fun.

With the Photochromatic lenses, I hardly notice that I'm wearing glasses, they just always seem to right.

There seem to be different types of photochromic lense. Some that start almost clear and end up medium tint in the sun, and some which start medium and end up dark in the sun.

For me, almost clear to medium tint is the most useful for the majority of my riding.

 

[Jurassic]

My Oakleys are clear to medium, they don't go super dark in the sun but it's enough to stop the glare.

 

[Pyr0]

I've been using a pair of Julbo Renegade with reactiv 1-3 lenses. They change quickly and they're anti fog too. Much better than my old Serengeti sunnies which were too dark/slow for riding, especially when passing under tree cover.

RENEGADE

www.julbo.com

 

[Expidia]

I first looked at these but they are not photo.
Oakley Men's Oo9401 Flight Jacket Rectangular Sunglasses.
But these weird (to me) bottom only frames make me feel like I'm upside down
They did have a cool tool on the Oakley site that puts any frames on your face

 

[Expidia]

i have the trail and road lens with mine and also have the older racing jacket but got the jawbrakers as there more like goggles but i dont wear them when off the bike.

View attachment 97022

Thx Shockwave. Those in the center are nice. I did see you posted them in another thread wearing your fullface helmet. The setup looked scary as they are really big, so I can see why you don't wear them other than biking

 

[Expidia]

I use two different pairs of photochromatic riding glasses. Clear and tinted. On the flats or wide open spaces I use the tinted. I find that the change in tint is not fast enough to change on technical trails in tree’d areas.
Regardless, any eye protection is important.

Ya, I'm not flying down the trails so I'm trying to get one pair tainted so I don't have to switch off. But years ago they took overly long to start darkening. Which model/brand is your tinted ones?

 

[Expidia]

I bought some cheap Carnac branded glasses from Planet X and think they're great.

They were about £40 I think.

Not sure how much that helps you over in America land...

I find them really useful where my riding takes me through woods and shaded areas. If I'm out in the open all day, I'll wear normal lenses but often I find them too dark in the woods. My eyes struggle to adjust quick enough to the dark in the trees. Not being able to see roots/ rocks/ trees until its too late kind of spoils the fun.

With the Photochromatic lenses, I hardly notice that I'm wearing glasses, they just always seem to right.

There seem to be different types of photochromic lense. Some that start almost clear and end up medium tint in the sun, and some which start medium and end up dark in the sun.

For me, almost clear to medium tint is the most useful for the majority of my riding.

Ya, I've been reading up on that as to their VLT rating as to the level of the various tints.

 

[Expidia]

I've been using a pair of Julbo Renegade with reactiv 1-3 lenses. They change quickly and are anti fog too. Much better than my old Serengeti sunnies which were too dark/slow for riding, especially when passing under tree cover.

RENEGADE

www.julbo.com

I was actually looking at those on Amazon this AM. The model I was looking at only had 1 rating. They have similar models but 1,2,and 3 stars added up to 26% of unhappy users. Worse for me is most of those reviews were all in German.

I like everything about them, but they should be around $100 and of course the Amazon vendors are charging $208 to $229!

 

[Dax]

I first looked at these but they are not photo.
Oakley Men's Oo9401 Flight Jacket Rectangular Sunglasses.
But these weird (to me) bottom only frames make me feel like I'm upside down
They did have a cool tool on the Oakley site that puts any frames on your face

View attachment 97024

Flight jackets are the closest glasses I’ve found to goggles, for people who hate wearing goggles (me). They look less ridiculous under a full face helmet and provide a great field of view and lots of protection.

I wear Flak Jackets with photochromic lenses, brilliant fit-and-forget for riding in most conditions, they change plenty quick enough. I’ve recently tried the Prizm trail lens, which really helps enhance definition on an overcast day. I’ve not decided which I prefer yet, will see how it goes.

There was a recent thread that is worth checking out: Sun Glasses Advice Please - EMTB Forums

 

[Pyr0]

I was actually looking at those on Amazon this AM. The model I was looking at only had 1 rating. They have similar models but 1,2,and 3 stars added up to 26% of unhappy users. Worse for me is most of those reviews were all in German.

I like everyting about them, but they should be around $100 and of course the Amazon vendors are charging $208 to $229!

I know I paid about £87 for mine

 

[Expidia]

Flight jackets are the closest glasses I’ve found to goggles, for people who hate wearing goggles (me). They look less ridiculous under a full face helmet and provide a great field of view and lots of protection.

I wear Flak Jackets with photochromic lenses, brilliant fit-and-forget for riding in most conditions, they change plenty quick enough. I’ve recently tried the Prizm trail lens, which really helps enhance definition on an overcast day. I’ve not decided which I prefer yet, will see how it goes.

There was a recent thread that is worth checking out: Sun Glasses Advice Please - EMTB Forums

Yes, I found that thread this AM when I first searched for anwers here.

 

[Stihldog]

Ya, I'm not flying down the trails so I'm trying to get one pair tainted so I don't have to switch off. But years ago they took overly long to start darkening. Which model/brand is your tinted ones?

I use “Riders” glasses. No frame at the top which makes seeing ahead on the trail a little easier. . I guess I expect the tint to switch from lite to dark a little too fast, so I switched to clear. I only use the tinted ones in wide open spaces.

I wear one at a time though

 

[RustyIron]

What say you?

Oakley Photochromic lenses are nice.

They're not as dark as their standard lenses, but that's not a problem for me under the SoCal sun. Actually, I DO NOT like super-dark lenses. When ripping down a trail fast in the bright sun and you enter into a shaded area, dark lenses can obscure features that you need to see. The other thing about the Oakleys is that they'll lighten up enough as the day transitions to night, so you can keep wearing the same glasses. Lesser brands can be so dark that you can't wear them at night.

Oakleys don't exhibit the distortion seen in gray-market knock-offs and cheap lenses.

Oakleys allow clear transmission of light, maintaining or increasing contrast. Cheap brands flatten out the color and contrast. You really want differentiation when viewing the trail that is rushing up under your tires. The more of the trail you can see, the better you can ride it.

 

[Expidia]

And thanks also to RustyIron's last post and for others that tried to steer me to the Oakley's . . . Amazon‘s search was messed up as every time I searched for “photocromatic” Oakleys it kept pulling up non chromatic. Or constantly pulled up the Rock Bros crap brand.

I went directly to Oakley.com and actually found a $250 pair selling for 1/2 price or $125.

I don’t trust Amazon’s vendors as I know some are selling knock offs.

If I don’t like them I may even be able to return them to a company store in my local mall. There were no stores showing this model in stock anyway.

Thanks to all that responded and they will be delivered free in a few days.

* I like the style of these and I also have a cataract, so a photo chromatic lens I figure will give me more light than riding around with dark lenses “all the time“ like I am now. True, I have the yellow, clear and dark lenses that I could swap out from my $30 set . . . but I know cheap glasses give distortion and it’s a pain to swap them. I’ve only swapped once for the clear ones and that was annoying to do As I had to swap them back the next day again. The daylight is getting shorter here everyday, so these Oakley’s should be just what I’m looking for.

I can also wear this style around town when not eMTBing and not a bad price either for authentic Oakleys. Thanks again for everyone’s guidence

 

[KnollyBro]

My wife threw down a pile of cash on some Oakley glasses ($240) that she loves. I bought these ones which work fine for me as I am sure to scratch them in no time.
8.24￡ 59% OFF|2022 NRC P Ride Photochromic Cycling Glasses man Mountain Bike Bicycle Sport Cycling Sunglasses MTB Cycling Eyewear woman|Cycling Eyewear| - AliExpress

 

[Mabman]

I started using Oakley's when a friend was a rep for them and set me up with an account for my small mtb shop in VT. in 86'. From there I just kept using them and I would say most of them came to me for free cause my kid was good friends with a major player in the company and I could just get him the sku.

I was a big fan of the Persimmon lense for years and wish they still had it actually. Never liked clear or yellow but have several pairs of photochromatics which I have used for sport, work and driving cars and boats. Sponsorship dried up so now I get whatever I think I want on eBay and don't spend more than $100/ and less if possible. Just purchased a set of Trail Torch Full Sutro's and an Oakley helmet off eBay for $200 in fact.

However it still is silly how one company controls the sunglass industry and basically charge whatever they want.

 

[Expidia]

My wife threw down a pile of cash on some Oakley glasses ($240) that she loves. I bought these ones which work fine for me as I am sure to scratch them in no time.
8.24￡ 59% OFF|2022 NRC P Ride Photochromic Cycling Glasses man Mountain Bike Bicycle Sport Cycling Sunglasses MTB Cycling Eyewear woman|Cycling Eyewear| - AliExpress

Ha! Pretty amazing price. Shows you how these Oakley stores and other high end sunglasses companies can afford to pay the rent in high end malls. I've used AliExpress for some purchases in the past. They ship to the U.S. in a week with free shipping. What don't they carry?
Those blue shades do look sharp and photo

 

[Expidia]

I started using Oakley's when a friend was a rep for them and set me up with an account for my small mtb shop in VT. in 86'. From there I just kept using them and I would say most of them came to me for free cause my kid was good friends with a major player in the company and I could just get him the sku.

I was a big fan of the Persimmon lense for years and wish they still had it actually. Never liked clear or yellow but have several pairs of photochromatics which I have used for sport, work and driving cars and boats. Sponsorship dried up so now I get whatever I think I want on eBay and don't spend more than $100/ and less if possible. Just purchased a set of Trail Torch Full Sutro's and an Oakley helmet off eBay for $200 in fact.

However it still is silly how one company controls the sunglass industry and basically charge whatever they want.

All true Mabman. Pretty good deal getting them for free too!
I do hate over paying for anything. First two ebikes I bought (3 and 4 months ago) I got great deals on price wise. And 2 months ago when I bought my Powerfly I was actually happy to pay MSRP for becasue I knew exactly the model I wanted.

Funny thing about owning a few expensive trinkets . . . Of course wearing expensive suglasses is always a risk for breakage in this sport (but the do protect your eyesight in a crash so what price is that worth?). I was in financial services for 33 years and I always carried a Montblanc pen. Sure I could have used a $1 BIC pen, but not everyone could walk around with a $250 pen in their pocket. It just felt special. I still own it and I find if you own a few expensive items you never lose them or damage them. If someone asked me to use my pen (always hated that) I kept my eyes riveted on that pen until they handed it back (or I would say "my pen please"). I used to leave cheap pens all of the place.

Same went for high priced Sunglasses that I've bought. I've owned the same pair of Maui Jims and Ray Bans for 20 years or so. I've never lost them! Nice thing about high end sunglasses is you can usually replace a broken ear piece or a scratched lens for years as they keep the same models around for years and the customer service at these companies is outstanding as they know you will switch brands in a heartbeat.

Sure I used to buy all my ties at discount stores for like $10 each, but when I would wear a $35 tie (usually a gift) I walked around just feeling a little different when I wore it!

Expensive stuff I tend to take care of. I never park either of our cars between other cars hence no dings or dents from swinging doors. I don't mind parking on the other side of a lot and walking (gives me a little exercise too). I can't remember the last time I took a car through a car wash. I always hand wash and hand wax them! Taking care of my toys is a labor of love for me

 

[Jurassic]

You clearly value and appreciate your expensive, high quality possessions and I think over the longer term buying a quality item can work out as better value and give more satisfactory results than multiple cheaper items. I cut corners with some items but when a premium product is clearly better I tend to go for it (and like you, value and look after it).

 

[skinipenem]

All true Mabman. Pretty good deal getting them for free too!
I do hate over paying for anything. First two ebikes I bought (3 and 4 months ago) I got great deals on price wise. And 2 months ago when I bought my Powerfly I was actually happy to pay MSRP for becasue I knew exactly the model I wanted.

Funny thing about owning a few expensive trinkets . . . Of course wearing expensive suglasses is always a risk for breakage in this sport (but the do protect your eyesight in a crash so what price is that worth?). I was in financial services for 33 years and I always carried a Montblanc pen. Sure I could have used a $1 BIC pen, but not everyone could walk around with a $250 pen in their pocket. It just felt special. I still own it and I find if you own a few expensive items you never lose them or damage them. If someone asked me to use my pen (always hated that) I kept my eyes riveted on that pen until they handed it back (or I would say "my pen please"). I used to leave cheap pens all of the place.

Same went for high priced Sunglasses that I've bought. I've owned the same pair of Maui Jims and Ray Bans for 20 years or so. I've never lost them! Nice thing about high end sunglasses is you can usually replace a broken ear piece or a scratched lens for years as they keep the same models around for years and the customer service at these companies is outstanding as they know you will switch brands in a heartbeat.

Sure I used to buy all my ties at discount stores for like $10 each, but when I would wear a $35 tie (usually a gift) I walked around just feeling a little different when I wore it!

Expensive stuff I tend to take care of. I never park either of our cars between other cars hence no dings or dents from swinging doors. I don't mind parking on the other side of a lot and walking (gives me a little exercise too). I can't remember the last time I took a car through a car wash. I always hand wash and hand wax them! Taking care of my toys is a labor of love for me

"Isn't that special," the church lady.

 

[Expidia]

You clearly value and appreciate your expensive, high quality possessions and I think over the longer term buying a quality item can work out cheaper and give more satisfactory results than multiple cheaper items. I cut corners with some items but when a premium product is clearly better I tend to go for it (and like you value and look after it).

Ya, like "your" premium ride, I'm sure!

 

[Eliadn]

Do any of these work with some kind of prescription lenses? Since I actually need glasses to see clearly lol...

 

[Dax]

Do any of these work with some kind of prescription lenses? Since I actually need glasses to see clearly lol...

Get contact lenses.