Oakley Prizm Road or Polarized?

[PNW]

I like that they have a road lens but the variety isn't the best on colors...is there a noticeable difference?!

[feta99]

Prizm lense is great but I hate polarized when riding. IMHO, avoid polarized.

[parris]

Just curious what do you mean best on colors?

[PNW]

Meaning there is no variety for lens color on the prizm road..


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[parris]

Okay gotcha. The way I understand it is that Prizm Road took the place of OO Red Iridium minus the polarized feature of the earlier lens.

I have the earlier lens and prefer it to the road lens due to less color shift and I like a polarized lens for many uses.

For how my eyes perceive color and such I find lenses with a mild rose or brown to work well. Standard gray and cooler color tints tend be fatiguing over time. Just something to consider.

[bianchi10]

Well, there are a few factors to consider first IMO.

First off, since I know you live in the Pacific northwest like I do, its good to consider Prizm lenses. They are great for early morning or later evening rides. They give a nice clarity and highlight shadows better than polarized. If you are riding through a lot of tree covered areas, this will also be a benefit because they bring out more detail in the road, which is a safety benefit. Seeing a pot hole while descending is important.

I like my prizms and will use them more in the fall than in the summer and spring. I have both Polarized and non polarized jawbreaker lenses and while the polarized has its benefits, I dont feel that it is hand over fist worth while with the type of riding I do.

The color options are obviously better with the non prizm, but its also important to understand that Oakley makes the different colors for different reasons and each is made to have its own benefits for certain lighting and geographic. The deep ocean blue lenses look very cool from the outside, but I dislike the color it gives from the inside looking out. Thats mainly because its not specifically intended for riding through tree covered roads which is covered in greens and dark brown environments. Its meant for blue environments around large bodies of water. So the color is meant to coordinate with the environements. This is why they have 4 or 5 different Prizm options. Each prizm is meant to highlight specific colors and lighting.

Now, that being said, I personally am guitly of choosing the colored iridium to best match with my kit rather than environmental benefit. If you want colors that will pop with you kit, I'd say save your money and get non polarized and get standard lenses. Then if you find yourself riding a lot of early mornings or late evenings and finding it a hair bit difficult to see, invest in some prizm lenses.

Hope that helps!

[everbeek]

Originally Posted by PNW

I like that they have a road lens but the variety isn't the best on colors...is there a noticeable difference?!

I have had Oakley brown polarized prescription progressive lenses for 4 years and just recently got prescription Prizm Road glasses. As bianchi10 noted, the Road lens is a specifically chosen tint for the task at hand. Brown polarized lenses are a classic, all-purpose contrast lens and the polarization has its place (when I fish). The brown lens certainly offered better contrast on the road than my Rudy Project smoke gray lens, but you have to put up with the change in color to everything in the environment. The Prism Road absolutely shows up differences between black and shades of grey (all the things on an asphalt surface) better than the brown polarized and the rose tint is less distorting to true colors. The brown polarized, Prism Road, Rudy Project smoke lenses all are 20% light transmission which is more than enough and arguably a bit too much. My nonprescription RP Racing Red lens at 28% light transmission was ideal for sun and shade but I prefer the contrast effects of the Prism Road best.
-Mike

[pdmtong]

I have been using RP polar photo gray or years and tried the Road Prizm alternating with my RP for six months last year. The prizm reviews are generally favorable, but I found the lenses unremarkable for my usage.

I sold them to someone here who loves them since he wanted a third pair

[Spoked_matt]

Prism Road. Hands down.


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[chiasticon]

I generally alternate between the Prizm Road and Prizm Trail, depending on whether it's sunny or cloudy that day. both work great at highlighting contrasting surfaces on the road. I actually prefer the trails, but sometimes it's just way too sunny for them.

[PNW]

Cool! I'll pick up a new pair of the prizm road and go from there! It's hard when you're at Oakley because you can't take them outside lol.

[simonov]

Originally Posted by PNW

Cool! I'll pick up a new pair of the prizm road and go from there! It's hard when you're at Oakley because you can't take them outside lol.

Try a bike shop that sells Oakley. They'll probably let you step outside for a minute...especially if it's a shop that knows you.

And I'll add another vote for the Prizm Road. They're a really great lens.