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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

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.


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[bshell]

One word-

Assos Zegho