La Vie Velominatus: Perched Eyewear
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.
Alas I wear prescription eyewear so it is never perched on helmet or cap for me… unless I am resting my eyes at the end of a ride. I will also admit that Rule #37 doesn’t really work for prescriptio eyewear, but I am guessing that the over the helmet straps thinking is related to facilitating the eyewear perching.
@all,
When discussing which eyewear is the best I think it’s like jabbering about which bike is the best for any given person. Any given brand is going to fit different face types. I was a huge fan of Smith for a long time. Oakley’s have never worked for me as cycling eyewear. Casual only.
I’m stoked by Rudy Project stuff for me personally. I think (and hope that Keepers would agree), that you should try on everything you can get your hands on, and if it looks good, buy it.
@the Engine
1. Pros have closed roads and routes laid out for them.
B. Maybe when they get into their 50s they will.
iii. Yes they do.
@PeakInTwoYears
Well, I AM from Arkansas, so my middle name is Cooter and I have a sistercousin who has reached the age of consent (12) who will be happy to oblige…
But seriously, I can’t see shite when my glasses have raindrops all over them. Anybody have a solution? wiping them with my gloves just makes a mess.
@starclimber
Depends on which shades and which helmet; Bell Volt or Sweep are very secure, to the point of staying in on the cobbles – upside down or not will depend on your shades. Giro seems much less firm, based on the VMH’s helmet.
@Sauterelle
@Fausto
(I’m referring to the Ray Charles at 0:10, of course.)
@Spun Up
I have Puma frames for my prescription glasses with photo chromatic lenses they go on at 5:15am and come off at 10:00pm! I sweat like a waterfall the only thing that seams to help clear the lenses during a ride is to lick your finger and wipe the spit across the lens like a windshield wiper, this also works as an anti fog treatment, but alas not for long!
Anyone got any good recommendations for keeping sweat out of the eyes? I use a Gut ‘R and a Halo skull cap with a rubber strip to push the sweat to the side of the head.
@chezzie
My new Radar Locks are photo sensitive; I wore them with a headlight yesterday – and at the top of Haleakala, they were jet black. Amazing how far that technology has come. Knowing that now, I’d have forgone the clear spare lens for a polarized or iridium option.
I suspect this will be my most-used pair of Oakleys. But I still love my Jawbones – fantastic in cooler weather especially.
@wiscot
This. Just…this.
@Paul 8v
Its a great look – very Desert Fox, who despite being a Nazi was a master of the aesthetic.
@the Engine
Yes, unless your name is John Bonham, in which case you can do whatever the fuck you want while shark fishing from a balcony.
@Ron
My approach is not that complicated, really. I just don’t drop them. And I was very annoyed at how flubbed that shade perching went. Very unpro. Normally its one straight move.
@DerHoggz
Yes, see my response to @Sauterelle.
@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!
I perch my glasses on long climbs only, since I need prescription glasses and don’t get along with contacts. Perching them allows me to maximise every square cm of ventilation available, and allows me to blur out the environment – I don’t want to see the road ahead when I’m putting out every watt left in me. All I can see, then, is a blurry contour of the road below. This, however, will depend on the situation – if we’re actually competing up the climb, the glasses stay on: One shouldn’t reveal anything to the competition.
I used to ride Rudy’s ubiquitous Rydon, but upgraded since. Smith’s Pivlocks come in V-Orange and are the tits: I ride the V1 (left, though mine have blue arms) since I need inserts, my mother rides the V2 (right). What started out as a curious “Can I try them?” at an expo quickly became a family purchase. They’re fantastic for on-the-rivet, head-down laying of the V (all frameless designs are superior in that regard), but I’ve found them perfect for perching, too – the arms grip tight and are super-flexible, and I’ve securely fitted them both right-side-up and flipped into the vents of my helmet. Right-side-up for the Schleckian climber’s look, upside-down for the longer periods (or rough conditions).
Funny how every time I try a helmet on, I first test it’s ability to hold me glasses.
@DerHoggz
I was going to say there is no such thing but that photo of Ullrich is pretty awesome.
In general though I think 95% of helmet+cap combos look pretty awful.So Jan falls within the margin of acceptable error.
Choose one or the other, people.
@ChrisO
How come he gets a Rule #37 pass? Is it because you can break this rule provided your first name is Jan and your second Ullrich and you pay €35,000 a year to doubtful doctors?
@the Engine
That’s exactly it. I actually do like Jan and think he was/is awesome. But once I made fun of his current weight here and was given the stinkeye by a few people.
@graham d.m.
I remember it well – perhaps he employs people skilled in mass hypnoses too
@ChrisO I think a lot of it comes down to head shape. If you’ve got the wrong shape head a cycling cap is never going to look good whether it’s worn by itself or with a helmet.
I’ve certainly got the wrong shaped head as cycling caps just make my head look more like a bowling ball. (This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as in the past when i was younger and somewhat more impressionable it probably saved from some disastrous head wear faux pas)
@tessar
@frank
I got a free Giro AEON in 2011 and although the brain bucket is superior in fit and comfort over the IONOS, the vents of the AEON aren’t as glasses friendly as the IONOS which is disappointing. With all the pros popping their sunnies in their helmets, you’d think that this would be an important design consideration.
@Chris
Or the type of cap – I look like an utter tool in a three panel cap (like a Pace or Rapha), but much better in a four panel cap (Santini or Nalini) As far as looking good under a helmet, I think it also depends on the helmet. I think Lazer’s design with the cutout in the front goes a long way to accommodating a cap.
I also always though VDB knew how to properly wear a cap under a helmet and managed to look pretty fucking bad ass
like others, i wear prescription lenses (with jawbones), hate inserts and don’t work well with contacts. before i had proper cycling glasses, i just rode with my normal everyday glasses (see: fignon, laurent). so the idea of taking them off for any particular reason never really occurred to me. as such, i got used to riding with them always on and so that’s what i do.
i wish i could take advantage of the awesome transition lenses like frank has in his radarlocks; those really are great all-around lenses. but the black iridium/clear option (where it’s black iridium coated but does fade to 100% clear as well) is also available for jawbones, but not for prescription lenses. the only options are transitions (either straight-up brown or black tint) or iridium transitions, which only fade to about 40-60% light transmission, depending on the tint. neither of which i’m happy with. as such, if i’m setting out on a late ride (normal this time of year) i have to bring my clear lenses along and stop to change mid-way. annoying, yes (especially when it’s cold and your body temp drops). but being able to see is good too.
@CanuckChuck The helmet might still be salvageable – try it with differed shades. The straight arms of the Rudy Project are easier to get into the vents of some helmets, while the curve of the Smiths or Oakleys fits other vents better…
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.
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/Mikael/2013.01.11.19.42.43/1/”/]
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!!
@PeakInTwoYears
We are making it a priority!
@VeloVita
Head shape and lack of hair has got me to get a cap under the helmet. Vent tans on top of the noggin is not a good look. Wasn’t aware of the panelling. May have to take helmet into LBS to try on a cap.
@anthony
A-Merckx to that. Likely we’ll never see the likes again. More’s the pity
@Ron
Exactly my experience on the Uvex’s and I have them for the same reason – I should probably send of for a bag of nose pieces then.
Il Pirata would have been 43 today – what a bloody waste…
@chiasticon
To the point regarding the transition lenses – 1st world problems for sure, but they are amazingly good – I rode with them at night and at the top of Haleakala in 100% sunlight and they were perfect both times. Amazing. I had photosensitive lenses in my old Briko Shots, but they did not adjust very much; this technology has really come along.
I’ll probably replace my clear lense with a pair of polarized lenses at some point, as I love the brown tint, but these are really one-stop-wonder lenses.
(I wear glasses as well, but my eyes are not so bad that I can’t go without when riding. I am OK bumping into the odd object if I must.)
@eightzero, @Mikael Liddy, @Nate
All you bastards look fantastic. Brings a tear to mine eye.
@Nate
I had and loved my Lazer – superb helmets. But the vent issue was a deal breaker for me, and I’ve been very happy with my Bell since then.
I do think the Lazer looks fantastic with the cap. Makes sense that a Belgian helmet company would look after that kind of detail.
Frank – what lenses do you have in your Radars? Looks like the Path, as just lenses, (I have the frames already) only come in the Clear Black Iridium Photochromic. If that is what you have and they work in those two extremes, those might be added to my “need” instead of “want” list. $85 isn’t outrageous, especially if they can work that well in those two opposite conditions.
FYI I have the VR28 polarized. Very nice lenses for all but fullest sun and they work for me down to dusk and nearly dark. They’re a brown-ish tint. I really like them & thought they were an all-arounder until these photochromes came to my attention.
Check that, $165 for the Path lenses in Black photochromic. So maybe they’re on the “want” list after all!