Bar drop, neck pain and sunglasses -

[David Kirk]

Bar drop, neck pain, and sunglasses -

This past winter I injured my neck and it kept me on the couch for nearly two months recovering. I couldn't even sit on a bike without shooting nerve pain running down my arm. When the range of motion got better and the pain lessened I wanted to get back on the bike and my normal position didn't work well for me as it required that I bend my neck too much to see up the road. Over time this got better but it didn't go away.

One day while riding I got frustrated with a dirty spot on my sunglasses and I took them off and nearly instantly I was more comfortable and could see forward better at the same time. What was going on?

The glasses I've used for years didn't have particularly large lenses and there is a rather thick frame on the top edge. It turns out that I was craning my neck so that I could see under the frame of the glasses....and taking them off made it much better.

On the next ride I used my wife's glasses which have lenses that go up higher and they are frame-less. This gave me wind protection and easy vision without having to bend my neck as much. A win-win if ever there was one. I then bought a pair for myself and I've been using them both on and off road and they have made a real difference. I was able to lower my bars back down to where they had been for the past 20 years without neck pain. I'm more aero and make better power and it's faster and more fun. Glasses? Who knew?

That is a rhetorical question of course but I'm guessing many of you have known this all along....but I hadn't thought of it so I figured I post and maybe someone else would benefit from the idea.

My neck is about 90% of normal now and hardly holds me back from putting in miles and the glasses have been a real tool is allowing this to happen.

Food for thought.

dave

[72gmc]

Just this morning it occurred to me that the prescription on my Rudy Projects is from long, long ago.

And they have thick frames ...

[oddsaabs]

Dave,
Glad you're doing better. Perhaps some classic frames are in your future. You've definitely got the panache to pull this look off.

[David Kirk]

Dave,
Glad you're doing better. Perhaps some classic frames are in your future. You've definitely got the panache to pull this look off.

Do I need the tire wrapped around me?

dave

[donevwil]

Hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought about it, but have been experiencing some neck discomfort recently that appears to coincide with my moving to a new pair of glasses. Much better optics, but in addition to being a bit smaller than the previous they tend to slide down my nose.

[David Tollefson]

Maybe look into a face shield on the helmet?

[Bostic]

When I don't want to wear contacts I have a pair of Oakley prescription Cross Links. They don't provide any where near the coverage that Jawbreakers or my preferred Eye Shades reissues from 2014.

[DRZRM]

I figured this out through shooting pool, I needed some big "old man" glasses to shoot pool without looking over the top of my frames which messed with where the balls appear as I got near the edge of the lenses where they distort more. Same thing holds true of cycling glasses.

[msl819]

I ride with a set of Smith Pivlok glasses to have as minimal amount of frame interference as possible. Not so much for field of view at the top of the glasses (although they are great there too) but for field of view on sides and bottom. I noticed that sunglasses with frames really hinder field of view when taking glances back to look for cars and or when looking off to the side for cross traffic or dogs. When choosing riding glasses, frameless is a big priority for me. Something the size of a lens frame as close to your eye as it is can block more line of sight than one would think and with wind noise and the rate cars move, I want all the sensory info I can get. Maybe they are helping my neck hurt less as well.

[oddsaabs]

Do I need the tire wrapped around me?

dave

You don't have to, but we both know you should. ;-)

[zap]

Whenever I'm checking out sunglasses for cycling at "eye stores", I'm the odd one in the store assuming the "cycling position". Many frames just don't work for me.

[charliedid]

Interesting story....little things can have big impact.

[Alan]

I have run into this as I use noline bifocals. The optician needs to mark the center of the lens as you look thru it. If you go to Lenscrafters they have a device that locates the center of your pupil in the lens. The problem here is that their device assumes you are sitting up straight.

On a bike my back is bent and my head is tilted up but not straight as it would not work for my neck muscles so they have to move the center of the lens up some to accommodate for this.

If you are getting bifocal hold your head the way you ride when the optician centers your lenses or uses the device. Just simulate your position on the bike.

Lenscrafters had to remake my Oakley lenses twice due to this.

If this is a problem try other glasses and see how you feel before you go to the optician.

Alan

[many_styles]

Oh wow, that’s interesting insight! I’ll have to see if the design of my glasses are causing my shoulder stiffness.

I made an ever slight change to my bar rotation. Let’s see if that helps too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bshell]

One word-

Assos Zegho

[Veloo]

Yeah, I've been thinking about this for a while.
The tops of the frames on my Rudy Rydon's and Adidas Evil Eyes kind of slop down toward the bridge section when I really need the angle to slope up so I'm not looking at frame when I'm riding.

Those Peter Sagan (100%?) glasses, the old Factory Pilots and similar shades have the right upward sloping coverage.

I'm kind of stuck since I wear Rx lenses and don't want to go back to riding with contacts. Would be interesting experiment so see I feel more comfortable though.

[weisan]

Dave pal, you mean all these years at Serotta, nobody there told you the secret sauce about sunglasses in improving bike fit?

:rolleyes:

:p

[duff_duffy]

Great thread! I used to suffer neck pain when I rode...I had small prescription lenses that sat low on face and had just always used them. Then I spent some real money on a pair of Oakley’s with very large lenses just because they looked cool. Turned out to be best purchase ever. Absolute bliss when riding. I did not have to arch my neck to see through my old small lenses (Did not realize this was even problem, just kinda lived with it!). Now Could just lift my eyes instead of neck. For those with prescriptions and neck pain, try big glasses that rest high above top of eyes.

[Veloo]

We should probably draw somewhere though...


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QwgTHhummY/T7HCvDP1LEI/AAAAAAAABYI/6ZXrC04p5DE/s1600/hugesunglasses.jpg

[bigbill]

I got some prescription cycling glasses last year with my FSA. I wanted a bifocal to see my Garmin and my distance correction on top. I stood up at the fitting table and bent over at the waist with my elbows on the table. "mark them up now". The other thing that helped me is wider bars with a flare.

[Ken Robb]

I had a minus 6 correction so I really had to strain to get to look through the small optical center that required. My problem was that bike fitters kept wanting to put me on a bike too small for me to see through that part of the lens though I did look cool and aero while staring at the ground. I finally got bigger bikes where I could have my bars and saddle level and the problem went away. I suppose my arthritic neck also had something to do with my pain too. :rolleyes:

[Toeclips]

Wow looks like she face planted a dual butt cheek bike saddle like the Hobson

Sorry about your neck issue, too familiar with that myself

I like wearing a cap with the visor providing some shade

I do nerve glides/flossing for numbness down my arms

Physical therapy helps a lot

Hope you get better

[parris]

Thanks for sharing Dave.

I stumbled into eyeglass frame issues like this when I got back into the sport and decided that my regular glasses weren't cutting it after taking a good hit to the eye one ride . In the 80's my eyes were good enough where I could get by non-rx glasses that were similar to original Oakley Eyeshades so there was never an issue with the frame getting in the way.

I've had bad luck with American fit Oakley Flak Jacket rx glasses but fantastic luck with the Asian fit Flak Jacket frames. I've also had very good luck with the new Oakley Flak 2.0 frame. These raise the brow bar of the frame out of the eye line quite well. I've also had good luck with the Smith Optic Tempo Max.

DRZM if you're into pool take a look at both Decot HyWyd and Randolph Ranger glasses. They were designed originally for competitive shotgun shooters and not only sit higher on the face than a normal set of glasses but the optician's that work with the frames can and often times do move the optical center of the lens up 1-2mm. They both also can be had in a large number of tints that may be an advantage.

[OtayBW]

Neck issues are my #1 problem on the bike after a bad whiplash accident a couple of decades ago put a hurting on my C5/C6. I can tell you after years of numb pinky and ultimately migrating over to the other side and causing numbness on my jawline, that traction is what works for me (think Barney Fife trying to pass the Deputy Sheriff's Physical, and needing to grow another 1.5 inches....but I digress...). Some kind of traction or inversion really helps.

That said, I can ride with no more than ~ 6 cm drop nowadays, and even then, cheating the bars up another 1-2 cm is really where I need to be. You know, you all (many) are all concerned about how great your bike looks and maybe how matchy-matchy your bar finishing tape is with respect to the color of your water bottle caps, but second only to fit is is how YOU look on the bike. ;)

I'm afraid I'll never get those last few cm back, but it's OK.....

[Hawker]

Great post. I'm dealing with a pinched nerve in my neck and substantial pain in both arms. Just last week the pain moved from my arms to my finger tips. I had an X ray this morning and probably an MRI next. Hopefully they can find a recommendation that doesn't require neck surgery.

All that to say, I've had to stop wearing my sunglasses entirely because the frame is too thick and it really causes me to crank my head up. Weird, the things that become an issue as you get older. Sigh.

[Hawker]

One word-

Assos Zegho

That's two. One word back at you; pricey.

[reuben]

Do I need the tire wrapped around me?

dave
Only if you have legs that look like his.

[reuben]

We should probably draw somewhere though...


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QwgTHhummY/T7HCvDP1LEI/AAAAAAAABYI/6ZXrC04p5DE/s1600/hugesunglasses.jpg

Winner winner. Can't touch that.

[David Kirk]

Thank you all for the feedback and input. All things considered I'm doing very well now and the trend seems to be toward continued improvement.

I had a few months of intensive PT and that helped a good bit I think as did icing my neck most every night for about 6 weeks. The arm pain is completely gone and it shifted for a time into pretty rough headaches. Those too have faded and now I get a mild head ache after a long day at the bench.

I can now do 3+ hour rides on the road of MTB without any issues and a significant part of the reason why is the change in glasses. I didn't want to go out to stores (virus) so I bought some online and ended up with some by a company called "Optic Nerve" and they were $50 shipped. The optical clarity is very good even out the top of the lens and they fit me well. I'm very pleased with them. I bought them directly from the company and they showed up in just a few days. Highly recommended.

So if any of you guys out there are feeling like you need to raise the bars more and more over time it might be worth trying a change of eyewear. It makes a difference....at least it did for me.

Be well, stay healthy.

dave

[OtayBW]

^ Hmmm.The sunglasses never really occurred to me. However, I have a pair of this bad boys that I picked up as a reissue a couple of years ago.I don't guess they get any more bug-eyed than that. Haven't worn them in a while, but I'll give 'em a shot tomorrow.

Briko Stingers:

[David Kirk]

^ Hmmm.The sunglasses never really occurred to me. However, I have a pair of this bad boys that I picked up as a reissue a couple of years ago.I don't guess they get any more bug-eyed than that. Haven't worn them in a while, but I'll give 'em a shot tomorrow.

Briko Stingers:

I found that having no frame at all was the thing that made the real difference....nothing to try and see under.

dave

[Veloo]

If the sunglasses in this thread is for real, may address what I was referring to. Rx with a high mid section.

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/1191970-any-inexpensive-lens-rx-cycling-glasses-2020-a.html

[mktng]

I experienced the exact same problem. Commuted for a month using my new Oakley frogskins. Did 120km with those glasses and I felt stiff at the neck, and sore the next day.

Went back to using my Windjackets. Which I find hilariously large. But the big lense does make a difference.

[OtayBW]

I found that having no frame at all was the thing that made the real difference....nothing to try and see under.

dave
Well, shucks! That would eliminate the sunglasses in posts #19 and #28! :D

[NHAero]

What are good frameless sunglasses that fit narrow heads? Currently using XX2i USA1 which fit well, with a temple width of 125mm. Full frame and not particularly large in size or height.

[wallymann]

i sometimes have minor issues in winter/spring when riding with a cycling cap under my helmet. helmet can sometimes force the brim slightly lower, meaning i have to crane my neck a bit to see forward.

[jemoryl]

I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder (non-cycling related, I believe) that kept me off the bike for a few months. When I finally got back on the bike, found that one helmet that I bought (MET Rivale) had a brim that stuck out further than my other helmets, causing me to bend my neck in a way that was unacceptable. Could see the same thing happening with glasses or hats.

[benb]

I have had plenty of trouble with this.

I started wearing Rx Glasses in the 1990s and the first few pairs looked like George Bush Sr.'s favorite pairs. Didn't really have a choice as my parents were paying for them.

Once I realized they were so fugly I went to much smaller frames & have stuck that way.

Those smaller Rx frames definitely made me crane my neck further for the same riding position and I've had plenty of sore neck & upper back issues.

I've had Rudy Project Rydon's with Rx lenses from Sports Optical for about 4 years now and they've really helped. I don't have to lift my head as far.

The other thing I've really noticed is this is also partly caused for me by insufficiently long reach on the bike... if my reach is crowded my back curls, which puts the base of my neck curved down towards the ground, which then forces a more extreme bend up in the neck to look down the road. When I lengthen my reach (taking care not to have too much drop) my whole back straightens out, my shoulders are pointed up the road more, and my neck doesn't need to bend as much.

[MikeD]

My glasses unfortunately slip down a little on my nose, and thus the top rim of the glasses blocks my view at times. A bit frustrating and I've got to bend the temple pieces to make a tighter fit behind my ears or maybe try a Croakie.

[NHAero]

Bought a pair of Assos Zegho G2 Interceptors (Bike Closet, $199) and they really make a difference with the issues covered in this thread. Hardly know they are on my face, they are so full coverage and distortion-free and lightweight.

[Pastashop]

Yup... stopped wearing glasses for essentially this reason, and then realized that most cycling caps I have give me this issue, unless I flip up the brim / wear them backwards. It's too bad, as sometimes the dust gets bad on the dirt roads I ride.

(Incidentally, wearing a helmet gives me neck strain and headaches after a ride, and I've tried a bunch of lightweight ones... Hopefully folks don't crucify me here for that, just that there are various mitigating issues for what we may see folks doing / looking like out on the road.)

Some years ago I saw in a shop rim-less sport glasses from Adidas, kind of a larger lensed, sport version of these (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adidas-A641-40-6053-Chocolate-Eyeglasses-641-406053-51mm/202779634701?hash=item2f369bac0d:g:4VAAAOSwa8Vdfr9 v)... Anyone know of current sport models?

EDIT: Just did some searches: Link (https://www.jomashop.com/oakley-sunglasses-oo9308-930813-38.html?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googleproductsearch&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6ID99_7_6wIVgZJbCh3uQQF4EAkYByAB EgJoW_D_BwE), Link (https://www.amazon.com/Smith-Optics-Pivlock-Arena-Max/dp/B01M0NW6KM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=smith+optics+pivlock&qid=1582357110&sr=8-4&linkCode=sl1&tag=tid-004-20&linkId=9f756b58fa5848d49ab9e9b4abf81086&language=en_US), Link (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/oakley-flight-jacket-prizm-sunglasses?avad=245653_b1d19f70d), Link (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/shimano-ce-arlt1-sunglasses?skidn=SHI00GU-TRSISIMI-ONESIZ&ti=UExQIENhdDpDeWNsaW5nIFNwb3J0IFN1bmdsYXNzZXM6MTo xNTpjY0NhdDEwMDU0Nw==)...

[NHAero]

I have the brim flipped up unless I need it for sun control. Fashionistas be damned!

Yup... stopped wearing glasses for essentially this reason, and then realized that most cycling caps I have give me this issue, unless I flip up the brim / wear them backwards. It's too bad, as sometimes the dust gets bad on the dirt roads I ride.

(Incidentally, wearing a helmet gives me neck strain and headaches after a ride, and I've tried a bunch of lightweight ones... Hopefully folks don't crucify me here for that, just that there are various mitigating issues for what we may see folks doing / looking like out on the road.)

Some years ago I saw in a shop rim-less sport glasses from Adidas, kind of a larger lensed, sport version of these (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adidas-A641-40-6053-Chocolate-Eyeglasses-641-406053-51mm/202779634701?hash=item2f369bac0d:g:4VAAAOSwa8Vdfr9 v)... Anyone know of current sport models?

EDIT: Just did some searches: Link (https://www.jomashop.com/oakley-sunglasses-oo9308-930813-38.html?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googleproductsearch&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6ID99_7_6wIVgZJbCh3uQQF4EAkYByAB EgJoW_D_BwE), Link (https://www.amazon.com/Smith-Optics-Pivlock-Arena-Max/dp/B01M0NW6KM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=smith+optics+pivlock&qid=1582357110&sr=8-4&linkCode=sl1&tag=tid-004-20&linkId=9f756b58fa5848d49ab9e9b4abf81086&language=en_US), Link (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/oakley-flight-jacket-prizm-sunglasses?avad=245653_b1d19f70d), Link (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/shimano-ce-arlt1-sunglasses?skidn=SHI00GU-TRSISIMI-ONESIZ&ti=UExQIENhdDpDeWNsaW5nIFNwb3J0IFN1bmdsYXNzZXM6MTo xNTpjY0NhdDEwMDU0Nw==)...

[kevinvc]

I need some new riding glasses, but I've got a weird sized face and head and have to be able to try them on before knowing if they will work. Unfortunately that's not really an option right now at most stores. I also need something with really good wind blockage because of dry eyes.

Has anyone tried any of the off-brands on Amazon that are in the $30 or under range? These look like a decent (https://www.amazon.com/Queshark-Unbreakable-Sunglasses-Interchangeable-Anti-UV400/dp/B084WS7SN3/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cycling%2Bsunglasses%2Binterchangeable%2B lens&qid=1600890074&s=outdoor-recreation&sr=1-1&th=1) (albeit butt-ugly) set and have great reviews. Might be a nice place-holder until I can go put a bunch of different styles on my face for comparison.

[Peter P.]

Thanks for the story, Dave.

Yes; I've known this a very long time. Cycling specific glasses need lenses that cover higher above the eye so that you can see the road while riding versus staring into the top of the eyeglass frame.

Also, this trend of extreme saddle-bar drop differential results in extreme neck craning and reduced comfort on the bike.

Like pastashop has said, I've stopped wearing sunglasses for just this reason.

[warren128]

I need some new riding glasses, but I've got a weird sized face and head and have to be able to try them on before knowing if they will work. Unfortunately that's not really an option right now at most stores. I also need something with really good wind blockage because of dry eyes.

Has anyone tried any of the off-brands on Amazon that are in the $30 or under range? These look like a decent (https://www.amazon.com/Queshark-Unbreakable-Sunglasses-Interchangeable-Anti-UV400/dp/B084WS7SN3/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cycling%2Bsunglasses%2Binterchangeable%2B lens&qid=1600890074&s=outdoor-recreation&sr=1-1&th=1) (albeit butt-ugly) set and have great reviews. Might be a nice place-holder until I can go put a bunch of different styles on my face for comparison.

I have been using a pair that are similar to the one in your link, except mine does not have a frame on top, so there is nothing obstructing the view at the top of the lens. If you look for them, you can find a version like mine either on Amazon or Ebay, with the same lens shape as your linked ones, for around $20 give or take a few dollars. The are cheap, generic, made in China, but work reasonably well for me.