Contact lenses
Nature Boy said:
I'm trying to decide whether to get contact lenses and biking glasses (Oakley Half Jackets)
OR
to get Rx lenses installed in the same frames.
I figure that I'll get disposable lenses so that if anything happens to either lens or frame i'm "only" out 100 bucks instead of $400.
Any advice on contacts + sunglasses vs pure Rx lenses?
I'll add my experiences. I used to use sunglasses with the prescription inserts (the old Bolle system from the mid-90s and later the Rudy Project system). This setup was OK, but had its limits. For instance, when out on a training ride or casual ride, I would have to wear them if I went into a store to get food/water or if the group stopped for coffee. Kind of dorky, but not the end of the world. What really changed my mind was when we moved to a pretty wet climate. All of a sudden riding and racing with the prescription insert setup became a real problem for me. The 4 lens surfaces had a tendency to accumulate water and in a race with rain falling and spray from other riders' wheels, I was more or less racing blind. The final straw was a few years ago when I had to drop out of my "home" race, a tough one on a technical hilly suburban circuit, not because of my legs but because I simply could not see well enough in the rain and spray and I was a hazard to myself and anyone around me. I vowed to only wear my regular glasses in future rainy races, but even they can be a liability and of course they can't be taken off either. That fall, I started to investigate contact lenses and I made the switch to a monthly disposable toric soft lens over winter.
What a difference! I can wear them comfortably for longish periods of time if I have to and I do not have problems with dry eyes. Initially, I would have some drying out if I wore them at work (hospital environment, VERY dry air) but over a few months my body began to compensate by producing more natural tears. For riding they are superb. I have better peripheral vision and I am not completely reliant on having glasses on. In low light or rain, I can ride without glasses and not have problems. I have done some very rainy and windy races where my glasses have been off after 15 minutes and the course has been both wet and dirty (think muddy face like the guys in Amstel Gold last Sunday) and I have had no problems. I have never had a lens pop out in a crosswind and contrary to most people's experiences, when I ride without glasses the wind actually acts as a tearing agent and helps with moisture. Sometimes if I have glasses on and I feel my eyes are dry (eye moisture varies from day to day, IME) I will take my glasses off to get a bit of wind in my eyes to aid in tear production.
IME, the most important thing is to have a good contact lens fitting and work with the optometrist to ensure the lenses are a good fit to the eyeball. There are different sizes and curvatures, and they vary by manufacturer as well. A good vision clinic can get you set up with trial lenses before you commit to a big purchase.