+1 for the scratched cornea experience. Literally the worse pain of my whole life.
You can also get clear lenses
Ride dependent for me.
If Iām solo on an easy endurance ride, and itās not blindingly sunny out, no glasses.
Non solo, non easy, or non cloudy, the glasses go on.
A wholly unnecessary knock against people who choose and act differently than yourself.
Outside of that, itās funny to see that slight used against a choice with clear benefits and practical reasons to do so (even if you disagree with them).
To be brutally honest, I think I look like a dork without them on.
Rather than addressing personal ideologies and working on myself, I can just wear them and also benefit from the protection. Easy win-win.
Also, I probably look like a dork with them on.
Having said that, I donāt think much of others wearing or not wearing them. Itās just a me and āI wish I hadnāt looked in the mirrorā thing.
We choose to wear lycra and shoes that make us walk like a duck. I donāt think glasses (or lack there of) will really move the needle at that point
Will occasionally take them off on rides where conditions mean theyāre impairing my visibility enough that itās increasing my risk. Typically something like a hard early morning group ride starting in the dark where the combination of hard exertion and cold air means theyāre steaming up. Figure riding in close proximity to other riders in the dark with misted up glasses is a much higher risk than riding without them.
Otherwise I always have them on. Had enough bits of road debris and gravel, or insects, bounce off my glasses that I want that eye protection. I donāt like distortion either and will often prefer sunlight to glasses when just walking around. The best frameless cycling glasses though are really good now, I barely notice theyāre on. Photochromatic lenses also good for dealing with different light conditions.
Iāve only worn glasses on bike since Iāve needed to wear them for short sightedness. But for sure, if itās raining so bad you canāt see, itāll be safer to take your glasses off.
Iāve definitely had a large bumblebee (or other large bug) hit me in the cheek and sunglasses before. They hit surprisingly hard and probably wouldnāt feel good on an eyeball.
God, I love a partial quote. Best part of the internet.
Wife says I look like a rock star with mine on. I still donāt wear them
I wear glasses all the timeā¦No big deal. That said. I once had the classic insect goo smashed onto my glasses at 40mph. I was pretty glad I was wearing them then. I had to stop to wipe off the dead bug bits so I could see through my left lens again.
I totally agree
Only reason I pretty much always wear them is I wear contacts and if I dont have glasses, the wind dries my eyes/lenses out in about 2 miles and my vision is worse than if I werenāt wearing contacts
Its also just kinda a good idea. Your eyes dont exactly āhealā the same was as a scrape on your skin. its cheap insurance
Glasses are #1 on my safety list. Helmets are like #5. Ever single ride something hits you in the face. Even if it doesnāt hurt your eye, it can cause you to veer off the road.
Eyewear
Visible clothes
Cellphone
ID/money
Basic preride check (tire pressure/ everything works/ wheels, stem, and brake are tight)
Water
Helmet
Light
I wonāt take the kids to school without glasses.
I mostly donāt. I got out of habit on my tri bike, I think angle of face just meant sweat fell right onto them and I couldnāt see so I stopped. Majority of my outside riding the past few years was a canal tow path, not a ton of light so anytime I had sunglasses on I found I was taking them off.
Been meaning to buy another pair to try, see if they vented better, another problem that annoyed me, just havenāt pulled the trigger.
Only really commuting that I havenāt, because of the (lack of) light. Recently got prescription yellow lenses so when Iām back on the commute. Would normally wear them on any other spins. Even off the bike Iām fairly sensitive to wind and sun in my eyes. Iām short sighted (but still within legal driving limits without them) - so now wear contacts most weekend cycles. I do/ did have prescription inserts which I found problematic in damp conditions, but donāt have that issue with single lenses. I use non-big brand frames though.
Regardless of grit/ wind/ branches, my understanding is that some UV protection is advised for the eyes in general, not just on the bike? 4-5 hours (sometimes in Ireland) in the sun is probably enough reason?
My parents both worked in the āeye fieldā (step-dad a surgeon and mom an ophth-tech). Eye safety has always been a priority.
In addition to providing physical protections, eye glasses also protect against UV light damage. Your eyes absolutely can get sunburnt and itās a very painful experience. UV damage also leads to early development of cataracts (which is curable, but like any transplant, less preferred to the original equipment).
Also, Low-light lenses for the win. Iāve pretty much stopped using my dark lenses for anything but full sun and no shade.
Interesting to see how many people have responded that they always wear them on MTB but not always on road. Iām the other way around- I always wear them on road/gravel, but often donāt riding trails. I completely understand why I should ride them on trails, but itās often just too dark under leaf cover for them to be useful, and I find smudges/ fog on my clear lenses to be extremely distracting and annoying. I always start with good intentions, but they usually end up stowed on my helmet not long into the ride.
As a near-sighted person, I need correction for any real riding covering distance outside. So I use glasses for road, gravel, MTB & BMX. Shading from sun as well as some nice color correction from my favorite lens (Oakley Prizm Trail) along with the UV protection are great as well.
The only place I donāt always use them outside is for trials riding. Particularly in hot times, the sweat issue leads to drips on the lenses that is beyond frustrating. So I ditch them when itās super hot but like them most other times for the same reasons above.