Sunglasses Hype

[geordanh]

I have exclusively bought ****ty sunglasses my entire life as I’ve never been able to justify spending money on something I inevitably forget somewhere or drop while riding. But... I came across some crossrange glasses with the prizm road lenses online for cheap. And I gotta say, I am so impressed. I’ve always figured expensive sunglasses are a bunch of marketing BS but these are super comfortable and the lenses are crazy cool - not sure what the effect is exactly but things seem very contrasty and stuff “pops”. I guess I get it now. Went and got a second pair with the trail lenses for CX this year.

Not sure you could convince me to put on those crazy looking jawbone oakleys yet though...


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[tsarpepe]

I remember the feeling when I put my first Oakleys on: exhilarating. I still think their prices are whack, though... :butt:

[bluesea]

I'm not here to hype Oakley's, but their newish rose tints are the bomb.

Yours truly off the west coast of Molokai, with early 90's rose tinted Sunclouds.

https://i.imgur.com/bctutrp.jpg?2

[charliedid]

Lol

[Davist]

I received a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses as a raffle prize at a conference, really great optics, actually improve my vision a bit (I'm 20/20 anyway, sharpens it up a bit) but yes, I'm afraid I'll drop/sit on/lose them. For on bike, I use Smith pivlocks, came with 3 lenses and don't have the cool factor of Oakley, but $60. They stay on my head.

[Mikej]

The more expensive my sunglasses are, the better I keep track of them.

[madsciencenow]

I was riding with my dad and he mentioned he was looking for something different (I think he had Tifosi) and I let him borrow my jawbreakers with prizm lenses for about thirty minutes. He was so impressed that he ordered a pair and his comment to me after riding them was, "wow, I can't believe how much clearer the road is."

I'm a big fan of Oakleys for optical clarity and function. They are pricey though.

[notsew]

I had almost the same experience, always used junk, then found some Smith Arenas online for cheap. What. A. Difference.

On a grey day I went back to my old glasses (because they have photochromatic lenses and my Smiths don't), I could barely wear them, I felt like I was looking through a fog. The Hype is real. I bought another pair of Smiths for off the bike (also on a steep discount). My wife was making fun of me for buying sunglasses that cost more than $20, she gave them a try and I didn't get them back for the rest of the day!

[wooly]

I've used pretty nice sunglasses over the years but recently went to Argentina fly fishing and was re-introduced to the importance of a good pair of shades for ID'ing trout in a river. My guide let me try some Costa del Sol's with their 580g glass lenses and damn they were so much better than the Zeal polarized amber lenses I was using. I also tried some Smith Chromapop polarized glasses and those were awesome too. Think I'm going to pick up a pair!

[kppolich]

About 10 years ago I bought a pair of Oakley's for a ski trip. We were standing at the bottom of the mountain waiting on some others and one of my friends game barreling down out of control. The end of his pole, yes the pointy end struck my glasses and pushed them off my face without breaking. The lens was barely scratched and it saved my eye.

Worth $120 at the time? Absolutely.

+1 for the Prizm lenses on the new models, so nice!
+1 for the Photochromic lens as well. I used in for CX last season and they were great in low light.

I currently ride in a pair of EVZero's, they are light on my face and frame-less so there isn't any annoying plastic to see around.

[MattTuck]

The mark-up on sports sunglasses must be ridiculous. I can't imagine they cost more than $5-10 for materials and labor.

[kppolich]

The mark-up on sports sunglasses must be ridiculous. I can't imagine they cost more than $5-10 for materials and labor.

+ research, development, employees, advertising, sponsorship to athletes to wear the damn things.

[Onion]

+1 for prizm. colors pop. contrast increased. vision riding through dappled light through trees is improved.

[azrider]

I have multiple pairs of Oakleys that I paid damn near retail for sitting in my closet, while the pair that is currently getting used the most is set of Foakleys I bought on Paceline for $20............. and they're outstanding...........

go figure :rolleyes:

[mktng]

another vote for Oakley Prizm.
sometimes...you almost forget youre wearing them. thats how clear the lenses are. the larger frame of the jawbreakers and the newer flight jacket make it so you never really see the edges.

good quality stuff.

however.... ive slowly transitioned over to their photochromic stuff. as i use my glasses daily. which sees me riding in low light and rainy conditions. those lenses are just as clear and they do surprisingly well at blocking the sun when required.

[geordanh]

Hmm I'll have to try the photochromic ones you mention. Sound good for winter dirt riding.

I was a mega skeptic on prices and the whole thing until I saw you can get lucky with store demo pairs and factory samples on ebay. I think I paid $42 for my pair with road prizm lenses. Basically a no brainer. Original packaging, all the accessories etc. Definitely seemed legit and can't tell any difference to ones in the store.

[Ozz]

...Yours truly off the west coast of Molokai, with early 90's rose tinted Sunclouds.

https://i.imgur.com/bctutrp.jpg?2

Love those old Sunclouds....I had several pairs.

Now onto Maui Jims for everyday, and keep a spare pair of Revo in the car.

Rudy Project on the bike.....

[djg21]

The mark-up on sports sunglasses must be ridiculous. I can't imagine they cost more than $5-10 for materials and labor.

All eyewear. https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-why-are-eyeglasses-so-expensive-20190122-story.html

[asindc]

All eyewear. https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-why-are-eyeglasses-so-expensive-20190122-story.html

I'm not surprised.

[canadasteep]

Kaenon have very, very good clarity and are polarized, which allows you to see where drivers are looking (handy in the city).

Photochromic would be a great, all-day/all conditions pair.

[SeanScott]

The 100% opti-grab was a crack up. The marketing before the release was that it was going to change cycling for ever.

[Hellgate]

The more expensive my sunglasses are, the better I keep track of them.Until you lose them! [emoji3064]

[zzy]

I hate buying into the Luxottica monopoly more than anyone, but I bought my first pair of Oakleys since the buyout (Raderlocks) with trail prizm and clear lenses and love them. They just fit perfectly. In the 90s I always wore eyejackets (lol) and m frames (best cycling glasses ever) and I can't deny they just work. Still have my maui jims and love 'em, but prefer the Os in spite of the faux military/"operator" thing.

[JStonebarger]

All eyewear. https://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-why-are-eyeglasses-so-expensive-20190122-story.html

Not all.

https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/search-results?search_query_adv=ztek

Start at $1.89 and unlike most expensive sunglasses they're ANSI Z87.1-2015 and CSA Z94.3 certified to protect your eyes.

[pdmtong]

I have exclusively bought ****ty sunglasses my entire life as I’ve never been able to justify spending money on something I inevitably forget somewhere or drop while riding. But... I came across some crossrange glasses with the prizm road lenses online for cheap. And I gotta say, I am so impressed. I’ve always figured expensive sunglasses are a bunch of marketing BS but these are super comfortable and the lenses are crazy cool - not sure what the effect is exactly but things seem very contrasty and stuff “pops”. I guess I get it now. Went and got a second pair with the trail lenses for CX this year. Not sure you could convince me to put on those crazy looking jawbone oakleys yet though...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

YMMV I did not care for the prizm road lens.

I have photochromatic oakleys, polarized photo chromatic rudy's, and the ungodly $$ assos zegho's. each have their +/- but for sure I am in the camp that a better lens does work better than the Smiths I started out with way back.

And, since someone else was talking about $500 shoes, I am also in the camp that the more $$ shoes can be better. For instance the ergo 2 was better than the 6.6 and that was better than the Genius 5 and now my wires are even better (fit, ease of use, all day comfort) than the ergo 2.

these are items we really only need one of, so buy a good one and dont look back.

[Seramount]

Start at $1.89 and unlike most expensive sunglasses they're ANSI Z87.1-2015 and CSA Z94.3 certified to protect your eyes.

two bucks, huh...

including the vision exam, my latest pair of glasses were $1307.

this is what happens when you order Rx progressive bifocal lenses, anti-scratch coating, XtraActive Transition darkening, and trick Ti frames.

[benb]

Do modern Oakleys even have the Oakley lenses anymore?

Oakley post Luxottica acquisition is not at all the same thing it was pre-acquisition.

I saw a massive massive difference in lens quality after the acquisition, there's no way I believe they are the same.

I thought Oakleys were great till I got some Rudy Project eyeglasses. No comparison at all, at least if we're talking Luxottica "Oakleys".

[beeatnik]

eBay

[OtayBW]

Prizms +10.
I've had a lot of good sunglasses over the years, but the Prizm lenses are my favorite. They make several kinds, but I like the Prizm Black the best.

[hoonjr]

Sadly, I just lost my Oakley Prizm glasses to a rouge wave in Puerto Rico. Especially galling as they were asian fit one version. Sigh! Another $173 to Luxottica!

[parris]

I've been a sunglass nerd for for a bunch of years and have several pairs of Oakley, Smith, and Randolph sunglasses in my RX's which haven't changed a huge amount so the old glasses can still be worn.

I find the quality of Oakly RX lenses very good with the Randolph glasses coming in a close second. The Smith model I have are good but I made a mistake in not getting AR coating on them which has me stay away from them more than the others.

The Oakleys are standard and Asian fit Flakjackets. I find the standard fit good for general wear but due to how they fit my face they're less than ideal for cycling. The Asian version is much better for me due to the brow bar sitting higher and the slightly less curved/raked frame keeps wind out of my eyes better. The most used tint that I have is the discontinued VR-28 which is a copper/rose tint that works for many conditions here in NYS. My favorite lens to look through is the OO Black Iridium Polarized. That has a mild rose tint and is very non fatiguing to look through on bright days. My least liked tint and what I would consider only real dud for me is the low light persimmon lens. It's an orange base and for my eyes it just makes everything blend together

The new prizm lenses have some really great options but like anything you've got to know not only what you want the glasses to do but also what works in front of your eyes. I saw that they brought out a Prizm Low Light lens and when I tried it on I was blown out of the water for that the lens is designed for. I REALLY want that lens to be offered in an RX option one of these days.

My Randolph glasses are all the Ranger shooting frames I have half a dozen different lens tints for various uses. In those I find the dark purple to be the most useful lens which surprisingly doesn't cause a big color shift. I also get a bit of use out of the brown lens as well. I have owned these glasses for a lot of years and they're ugly as all get out but super functional for their intended purpose. The frames are VERY high quality.

The Smith glasses I have are the Approach Max. I have these in Smith's green/gray polarized lens. This lens is a direct copy of the Rayban g-15 tint but polarized. I use them on the bike during bright sun and also on the shooting range when teaching. The reason I didn't go with the AR coatings on these was due to concerns of scratching while in the range environment. Due to the lens curvature that was a big mistake because I get a good amount of reflection off the back of the lens.

What I REALLY wish though is that I didn't need RX lenses though! If that were the case I have about 10 pairs of Raybans, Bolle's, AO Optics, Vuarnet's, etc that don't get used anymore that I would put back into rotation !

Good subject.

[parris]

One thing that I didn't add in my reply is that at least until a couple of years ago Smith utilized Zeiss for their RX lenses at least on my glasses. When they were sent the Zeiss lens bag was in the case with the glasses.

[BobbyJones]

Smith Chromapop Polarized Lenses.

Amazing stuff.

[Likes2ridefar]

Do modern Oakleys even have the Oakley lenses anymore?

Oakley post Luxottica acquisition is not at all the same thing it was pre-acquisition.

I saw a massive massive difference in lens quality after the acquisition, there's no way I believe they are the same.

I thought Oakleys were great till I got some Rudy Project eyeglasses. No comparison at all, at least if we're talking Luxottica "Oakleys".

My experience with Rudy project is the opposite. Nothing special imo. They are a photochromic model, and IMO are never dark enough.

I just got a brand new pair of Holbrook’s with prizm, ice blue polarized and they are the best lenses yet I’ve used of the many Oakley’s I own or have owned. Had the exact same without the prizm previously and the new are definitely better.

I really like my jawbreaker for on the bike and use the darkest polarized model sans prizm. About the only pair I’ve found with unblocked vision and a perfect fit on my face with no contact anywhere besides the expected spots, a problem I typically have with that style.

Maui Jim’s have great lenses, but they were even more painfully priced than most Oakley glasses and I don’t think worth it. Mine are always staticky after cleaning with the included bag.

My favorite lens right now is julbos camel lens. The model I have (montebianco or something) are definitely not my favorite for style or fit, but for pure eye comfort and covering a wide range of sun conditions from high elevation mountain to super bright arizona sun by the pool these are my pick for lots of sun exposure. I think they drop to 4% transmission and are cat 4 rated.

[chiasticon]

Went and got a second pair with the trail lenses for CX this year.these are excellent. either for CX/MTB or just on overcast days. even on the road, I wear them over the road ones 90% of the time. (well, Ohio also has many overcast days...)

plus in the fall when the leaves change, it looks absolutely incredible through them.

[Drmojo]

Not all.

https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/search-results?search_query_adv=ztek

Start at $1.89 and unlike most expensive sunglasses they're ANSI Z87.1-2015 and CSA Z94.3 certified to protect your eyes.

I ordered 6 pairs
orange tint yellow blue clear
grey
They arrived in 2 days
All fit great
20 bucks for all 6 pairs
I always lose pricey shades
or break them
6 pairs of Oakleys and counting
less is more
economy baby!!!

[pdmtong]

these are excellent. either for CX/MTB or just on overcast days. even on the road, I wear them over the road ones 90% of the time. (well, Ohio also has many overcast days...)

plus in the fall when the leaves change, it looks absolutely incredible through them.

from the prizm comments here and prior it appears the trail lens is preferred - even on road.

[joosttx]

+1 for prizm. colors pop. contrast increased. vision riding through dappled light through trees is improved.

I’m a big fan of the prizm lens too. For all the reasons mentioned above. I prefer the trail over the road but both are real nice.

[fignon's barber]

I've been using a pair of 100% Speedcraft glasses. Really good lenses, great coverage and range of vision, retro look.

[FlashUNC]

Been a Rudy Project fan for a long time. Love their stuff.

[54ny77]

that's hilarious. but so perfect. they look like sharp glasses.

i'd do the same if i could (i need prescription lenses since i can't wear contacts).

I ordered 6 pairs
orange tint yellow blue clear
grey
They arrived in 2 days
All fit great
20 bucks for all 6 pairs
I always lose pricey shades
or break them
6 pairs of Oakleys and counting
less is more
economy baby!!!

[Plum Hill]

Got a quick estimate for Wiley X prescription sunglasses last week. $650.
My aging eyes no longer tolerate contacts, but when they did I loved Smith Otis.

Glass guy said they no longer handle Oakley, seeing a definite quality issue since being bought out.

Years ago I was doing electrical work in the local Lense Crafter. I always viewed them as part of the medical field. Until I heard the employee pep talk one morning. It wasn’t about eye care, it was about “sell, sell, sell”.

[parris]

Plum Hill you may want to look at Smith Optics as well as Rudy Project. Also check out Sport RX. I've never dealt with them but have heard good/great things about their customer service.

I'm pretty sure that Lens Crafters is another part of the Luxotica universe so I'm not really surprised that you would've heard that. Good luck.

ps. One option that I just thought of but don't have direct experience with is that I've heard that Tifosi also has an RX program. They may be someone to look at as well.

[54ny77]

Tifosi does and they run a couple hundred or so depending on complexity of lens and coating (basic is a couple hundred or so).

Plum Hill you may want to look at Smith Optics as well as Rudy Project. Also check out Sport RX. I've never dealt with them but have heard good/great things about their customer service.

I'm pretty sure that Lens Crafters is another part of the Luxotica universe so I'm not really surprised that you would've heard that. Good luck.

ps. One option that I just thought of but don't have direct experience with is that I've heard that Tifosi also has an RX program. They may be someone to look at as well.

[m_moses]

All my Oakley’s are gathering dust as I’ve gotten older. I need readers now for anything close. I started wearing Dual sunglasses a couple of years ago because of the built-in readers that allow me to read my computer, my phone or to dig a wire or piece of glass out of a tire.

I just bought a pair of Tifosi sunglasses with readers from Amazon and tested them on two long rides this weekend. They feel a bit sturdier than the Duals and have Transition lens. I think these are my new favorites. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190421/4f35fc201b4d4f71d108a4970ee5fc91.jpg


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