There is something supremely Fantastic about a precisely manicured set of sunglasses, particularly when they’re not being used for their intended purpose. Certainly, there are times when circumstance offer no alternative but to actually look through them, but for the most part, it’s a bit pedestrian to use sunglasses for seeing through.
I’ve been obsessed with sunglasses since I was a kid; photos of the Smallest Frank Imaginable feature sunglasses in close proximity, usually perched atop my head of wavy brown hair and rarely anywhere near my eyes. As an athlete, sunglasses have never been far adrift, whether in skiing or cycling, and – in all seriousness – for good reason: eyes are fragile things that should be protected.
Nevertheless, whenever any kind of effort is required, I quickly find myself moving the eyeglasses away from my eyes in an almost claustrophobic panic, and it wasn’t until my most recent ride up Haleakala in my 30th year of sport that the reason for this occurred to me. As athletes, we are hugely dependent on our vision to gauge our effort.
Flying by V-Meter only, our vision offers a constant feedback loop to how near the Man with the Hammer has wandered, and how sharp his blow might be. As we approach sustained effort at or above aerobic threshold, one of the early signs of Diminishing V Returns is the flushing of blood from our cheeks followed closely by the tunneling of our vision. Color is desaturated, then the sides box in a bit, then things get a bit narrow and blurry, and after that the deterioration is not normally recalled in any degree of clarity.
It struck me like a bolt from Merckx’s Crankset: when my vision starts to go, I tear away my sunglasses in order to gauge my effort without the abstraction of the lens. So long as I ride within myself, the shades happily cover my eyes; when I am at my limit, they come off and pop onto the helmet. I used to blame claustrophobia, now I realize it is a matter of gaining an unobstructed view on the V-Meter.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@Spun Up
Plus One Badge to you, matey! Fantastic!
@Spun Up
I use Oakley's hydrophobic lenses and they work pretty well, and the spray-on stuff they have seems to keep it up.
Rain-X is a good idea. I have a spare lens, I might try that.
@il ciclista medio @Spun Up
Exactly my problem - whilst having eyewear in place protects my peepers from gravel / buckshot / errant hummingbirds, my commute which is always dark at this time of year and frequently rainy turns my yellow lenses into a kaleidoscope of can't-see-a-damn-thing. I got precisely 5km into the ride last night before they had to come off. Still, I did manage to transfer them to the helmet vents one-handed. Not the right vents, but I'll work on that.
@frank
On repeated viewing, I see what you mean - you did exactly what I did the other night and stuck your glasses in the wrong holes. I must admit I'm not a cap wearer as the fit of my lid doesn't permit it, so I channel my inner Pirata with a thin bandana to stop my head from freezing, I have noticed that glasses in vents actually do quite a good job of acting as a peak to keep some of the rain out of my eyes though.
@frank
I love your description of the V-Meter. I'm pretty new to racing so I have yet to experience the full spectrum of suffering one endures but recently during stage 2 of The Tour de Bintan I was literally riding out of my mind. With only 5km to go and racing up the last climb I was at my limit. Under 38 Degrees Celsius heat, my body was cold, my vision narrowed to the width of the tyres in front of me as I struggled to stay on the wheel of the last man in the front group. I truly believe if I had taken my eyes off I would have been dropped there and then. Been riding without a speedo or comp for the last 4 years and don't miss it one bit.
I use a pair of UVEX Crow Pro's with night lenses. As we start our rides at 430am and the weather can change dramatically I keep the night lenses on for all our rides. They cost less than half the price of Oakleys, comes with 3 sets of lenses, look good, are durable and they fit into helmet vents pretty nicely.
@frank
Although being dead (assuming we're talking about the same John Bonham) would make this Rule dispensation somewhat redundant...
@getsetchris
I used to use Uvex's but the nose bridges kept cracking which was a shame as a 10 cent part kept ruining a worthwhile pair of shades
@the Engine
I was the local distributor for UVEX sunglasses and helmets in Singapore so I had a nice supply of nose bridges and helmet padding. I must admit they are fragile which is probably why I hardly change lenses but there is a way to remove the bridges from the lenses without cracking them.
I can't seem to get the photo to upload. there seems to be no link on my page? So i will do it this way and hope for the best. These are the perfect rain shades and i can not actually vouch for there functionality , i still had a good laugh.
http://www.spectaclesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/wiper-spectacles-goggles.gif
@Russ M
2 pairs over here please!