Got an eye test booked in a week as reading etc isn't as clear as it used to be, so I'm sure I need glasses/ contacts , I'm weiry of wearing glasses under my helmet as think it may be uncomfortable, how do people find it, think would prefer contacts if I can get them in!!
If you end up with specs get frameless with thin wire sides. I've tried all sorts and the frameless ones are best. Don't bother with reactalites either, they don't work behind a visor
I don't like wearing specs under my lid but have done on occasion. Is a real bitch when it is cold as they don't do pinlocks for specs If it is only close up you have problems with then you may not need specs/lenses for driving/riding. The optician will be able to let you know for definite.
Only downside to contacts on the bike is that you can't control the need to shut your eyes when a piece of dust gets behind the lens - had this happen to me on the York ring road years ago, bloody terrifying trying to stop and really battling to keep my eyes open. Had laser surgery 11 years ago, best thing I ever did.
Your more than likely " Not going Blind" but just like us all ,you are getting older! If you need glasses for reading then you won't need them to ride your bike so this may not be too much to worry about.
i was one of them who thought i would never need goggles. and yes the feckn day come. i did 3 years am not going to say struggling all the time but when out all day at the end me eyes were acing and up to last year got a way with it till one all day out on the bike struggled like feck and now have to ware them all the time just use a little bit of fairy liquid on your lense and u well be fine
Kevin1 is an expert at riding his bike with glasses .Last year he turned up for a Northern run to Wales looking like Mr Mcgoo with the visor steamed up and his glasses where the same ...Good crack that was.
funny you said that, I had it done 3 or 4 years ago (can't remember ) and was the best thing I've ever done. cost me about €3K and the best 3K ever spent, although I know in about 20yrs or so I will need reading glasses, but at least I have 20yrs or so without contacts!!
Agree with Pete H, wearing contacts can be dodgy, but in 15 years of wearing them I have only had a problem once. I was out at night with a dark visor, riding along with visor open, wind blast made my eyes water and bloody lenses just came out. I had to ride home very slowly ! I never now ride with visor up at anything above walking speed. I need glasses for driving/riding, but hate to wear glasses when riding the bike, I much prefer to use lenses, and they are so easy to get in and out. I get my eyes tested at Tesco optician and pay £32 for 6 month supply, you could go for daily lenses,(they are a bit cheaper) but if you get out on the bike more than 30+ times a year, monthly ones may be the cheaper option.Tesco and most opticians should give you a supply of 'trial 'day lenses, to see how use get on with them. Whatever you go for ,you won't believe how much clearer everything becomes.
Since getting my Arai, I have no issues with the glasses fitting inside, Infact very comfortable. What I find when riding though, is I tend to look over the top of my glasses when cornering, I have discussed this with my optician and she suggests I get a second pair like the ones Denis Taylor used for playing snooker, "if anyone knows who I mean?" Of course, I'm going to look a tit stood in my local specsavers with my helmet on trying all the options but needs must I guess? I tried the contact lens route, and I thought it was amazing for the first few miles, then I got some grit in my left eye and this caused be great discomfort, "I say grit, but it felt like half a brick" I also found by eyes dried out quickly, even closing the vents didn't help too much, even opened the visor a little to try and encourage my eyes to water slightly. As noted by others, the reactalight glasses take a long time to 'react' I found this particularly difficult to deal with last year going from bright sunshine into tunnels and out the other side. Even for a 'normal sighted person' the process of time taken by eyes to adjust actually takes several minutes. You can read the science here if you wish? Discovery Health "How Eyes Adjust to Darkness" Anyway, my vote is for someone to come up with a prescription Pinlock, unsure if this can be done? But what a difference it would make. Especially to us blind Bastas
I hated wearing glass with my helmet, I also found I was always looking through the wrong section of the varied focal glasses meaning vision was not very good. This was the main reason I decided to go for laser surgery a few years ago. Its the best thing I ever did and don't know why I didn't do it earlier. Having said that, the left one is not quite perfect so at some point I will go back and get it done again, which luckily will be done FOC as part of the life time guarantee.
Another vote for laser, only needed the one doing but very pleased I did. Still might need reading glasses sooner rather than later but I don't mind that too much.
Thanks for all your info guys, I will see what optician says, don't think I can stretch to laser surgery just yet!
I wear a single contact while riding. Open visor riding can be a bit of a bugger as the wind hitting it feels like it's come straight from the arctic. glasses have the same effect, they channel the turbulence around an directly onto my eyebal. I've got a pair of wrap around polarising shades with a foam seal around them. Brilliant. I wear them as much as is possible and keep thinking of buying a pair of the yellow, high contrast ones for night riding. The straight arms on them make them simple to fit between the foam of my lid and my lug holes.
Nothing wrong with your eyes I am sure matey. Same thing happened to me last year, ended up with reading glasses, worn them a few times, then I realised that the ba**ards were using smaller print than ever on jars and packets, thats 100% what your issue will be.
How can I put this nicely. wearing glasses is piss easy, using a lid or no Going blind is not Fun. done both. and don't fancy going blind again. will have my send Cataract Op in 3 months at 36. won't embed this but what I've just gone through and will again in just over a week NSFW NKS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aohAHNYpAOs glasses no probs and if you need them you will be happy with the results. As for Lazer Surgery ha for women. Sorry ladies
Well as thought glasses are required, got a months trial of contacts to see how I get on, find them really tricky to get in not so bad to get out, just practice I guess!!
you'll get used to them, I wore them for about 15 yrs before I decided to get laser surgery doe, best thing in my life!
Hi mate if you don't mind me asking who was it with? Really really fed up with glasses now lol Cheers Si
