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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Frank - so you picked up some Radars with photosensitive lenses? Interested to read continuing feedback as I've only every heard bad things about lenses that change. But wow, same lenses with a headlight and same lens in HI? I'd say those sound superb.
I love the Radars. Better than M-frames, better than other Oakleys and Uvexs I have. I just need to sort out a smaller lenses. I have some of the special Oakley lenses, G28s I think, and they are amazing in their range from near dark to near blazing sun. They're polarized and I like them. Sometimes have trouble reading a meter with them, but not always. And don't ride in much rain, know some people say they're bad for seeing puddles/puddle depth, but I like them.
Still maybe the Path in photosensitive is the way to go after reading that info.
@chiasticon
Similarly, I run prescription lenses in Oakley Splitjackets and got a pair of persimmon lenses this fall for this exact purpose. Do you use vented or un-vented lenses? My tinted set-up is +Red Iridium (non-vented) which will fog up easily when not used in high sun applications (read: warm). I got the persimmon lenses vented, my theory being that in low light situations (which might also imply chillier conditions), the vents would help the lenses stay fog free. Yet, I haven't been able to test my theory...
I present my case.
eightzero, Mt. Baker Hill Climb, 2012.
@eightzero
The rest of us must stay mindful that you trained in law, not medicine.
Shari and I are hoping that you and the Mrs/Dr will join us on Hurricane Ridge this summer. Could be big fun sur la montagne and back at the ranch afterwards.
@CanuckChuck i have vented in both lenses (VR28 black iridium and clear). they don't fog up on me when riding, only when i stop. as you said though, this is just in cold temps. and differing cold will change how quickly this takes effect. ten seconds at a stop light is fine; 30 seconds or more, i have to drop 'em down my nose just a tad to let some air in. also, the venting helps with quickly determining left from right; great for when you're changing out on the road.
@eightzero another one here for the Lazer/Cap theory (although I think the Rapha peak shown here is a little too long), as well as for keeping the sunnies where they can actually do their job regardless of the suffering being endured.
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Same glasses (and better helmet/cap combo) in use pre-dawn in the middle of winter...
Lazers and caps works great. More evidence, @Dave_R and myself cogaling
My sunnies don't do very well in the vents but I can live with that.
Also, a well placed cap brim can keep a lot of rain off your lenses.
@Nate
I had to go for glasses with thinner temples to compensate. My Salices fit upside down in my Lazer Genesis and though they stick out a bit, they seem relatively secure.
I scored some Uvex's (not Crows, forget the model name) on a sale site for $25 last year. Three sets of lenses. The nosepiece and ear socks are nowhere near as nice as Oakleys, nor the optics, but I was after a pair to wear when cross riding/racing that I won't might get bashed up on trees, barriers, or the ground. I can deal with a scraped face but not broken $300 shades.
Oh, and as for he nose piece, yup, mine cracked. The trick is to order four of them, put one each on the lenses and not move them, plus have one as backup. I think they cost a $1.50 and shipping was around $5 anyway, so it made more sense.
And, I had a broken pair of Oakelys that were well beyond warranty. I stripped the ear socks off, pulled them over the Uvex socks and now they stay in place much better.
Nate - nice! Tall & medium twins!!