Sunglasses and motorbikes

[Blossom]

I am not fond of the sun, I think I was born a vampire and just built up enough immunity to survive its onslaught but still I cannot go outside without my sunnies on. Summer or winter, sunny or overcast, no difference, I wear sunnies.
So I wonder...Assuming I am not the only sunglass wearing kber out there,
1. Do you wear sunnies on your bike?
2. Are they wire or plastic style?
3. What about safety sunnies? anyone tried em?

My wire sided ones are the most flexible around my ears but a bit scary if I bin I think. The plastic sided ones kinda dig in a bit and I havn't tried the safety ones the man has from work, they look like normal sunglasses though. I guess after reading about fknamericans bin I was having some thoughts on safety and sunglasses.

[sunhuntin]

always wear sunnies. currently wearing a pair i found while walking, cos my last $10 pair fell to bits, lmao.

i always ride with some form of eye protection, since i have an open face lid. at night, its a pair of yellow tint. makes life much easier, must admit. much nicer than picking moth bits out from the corner of your eyes.

[Rockbuddy]

my helmet has a built in sunvisor so when i need sunnies I slide a switch and wahlaaa sunnies appear. saves the hassle of wearing sun glasses or having to change visors all the time

[yod]

yep me old Nolan had a sun-visor - bloody good it was

now i just have tinted visor

[Blossom]

my helmet has a built in sunvisor so when i need sunnies I slide a switch and wahlaaa sunnies appear. saves the hassle of wearing sun glasses or having to change visors all the time

What sort of helmet is it? I thought a fixed sun visor was the only option on a helmet.

[007XX]

I always wear sunnies. My eyes are blue, and absolutely hopeless in sunlight.
At the moment, I have an old pair of cheap wrap arounds that I have broken the plastic legs half way off, and I just stick the remaining bits in the sides of my helmet (my helmet is quite tight around my face, and normal sunglasses hurt the top of my ears after about 30 mins).

I am seriously thinking of investing in a tinted visor.

[Blossom]

I always wear sunnies. My eyes are blue, and absolutely hopeless in sunlight.


Does eye colour make a difference? My eyes are blue also.

[Biggles2000]

I always wear (perscription) sunnies, just call me old 4 eyes. I like the idea of the safety ones caus they are designed to take high energy impacts (like bird strike) without breaking up.

[Usarka]

Sunglasses can restrict your vision also, I carry a cheap pair of wraparounds for when i encounter sunstrike etc while wearing a clear visor and i lose about 15% of my peripheral vision.

Because the sun stays so low in winter, a tip if doing a "loop" ride is to consider the time of day and what direction you are doing it. For example if you are riding late afternoon it might be better to finish with the long motorway leg into the sun instead of getting sunstrike in the middle of some twisties....

[McJim]

I used to drink and smoke so much my eyes were always red.

http://www.hjchelmets.com/

HJC do some flash lids with Visors. Go see Motomail in Ponsnobby.

[fizbin]

Colour will make a difference as will profession. i have blue eyes and hated the sun to start with, then i became a baker for 10 years and that really fucked them up! :Pokey:
i also wear prescription glasses so i invested in photo sensitive ones. and i used to wear a tinted visor on top of that! I would say invest in a tinted visor and wear sunnys under that. (but not at night that is scary lol) :cool:
those safety sunnys suck hard the are uncomfortable at the best of times i used to have to wear them in my last job hated every moment of it.

[Cajun]

tint or mirror visors way to go

I live in a dark tint visor all year around, most brands have a dark verson

I personally find sunglasses dangous riding, since they move around on face and hard to adjust them, when they move. and when going a tad fast they push in against your face also.

[007XX]

Does eye colour make a difference? My eyes are blue also.

I don't have any scientifically based studies to prove it but a lot of people I have spoken to who have blue eyes seem to complain about the sun.




I personally find sunglasses dangous riding, since they move around on face and hard to adjust them, when they move. and when going a tad fast they push in against your face also.

yes, I used to think exactly the same until I found the wrap arounds I'm wearing now. Light and plastic, they just mould the contours of my face very tightly and just don't budge even when I look around over my shoulder. And well, I guess I never go fast enough for them to be disturbed by my speed.

[Blossom]

Having never riden with a helmet with a tinted visor, are they as dark as sunglasses? and what is the benefit of a mirror visor?

I agree with you 007, I dont go fast enough to get those sort of G's either. :lol:

[chubby]

I am finding, as I get older, that I am wearing sunny's almost permanently when outside. I brought a set from the local bike shop recently, as i have stuffed the bridge of my nose I can normally only wear el cheapo glasses, but these just fit perfectly. Had my off and even with visor up they stayed on perfectly. But thats just me and my head.

[Usarka]

Having never riden with a helmet with a tinted visor, are they as dark as sunglasses? and what is the benefit of a mirror visor?

You can get different shades. In winter I ride a light tint which I can get by at night if I really have to.

But yes they can be just as good.

And a mirror tint is good so you can look at yourself AND your bike when you stop for a pie....

[Blossom]

And a mirror tint is good so you can look at yourself AND your bike when you stop for a pie....

:devil2: that is such a bad habit Usarka... I get harassed about the amount of time I look in my wing mirrors already...:spanking:

[sels1]

I always wear (perscription) sunnies, just call me old 4 eyes.

Yup, me too. As someone who has worn glasses since high school, I always had hassles with fitover sunglasses etc. Last year bought a pair of perscription sunnies which made life a lot easier.

[megageoff76]

I personally find sunglasses dangous riding, since they move around on face and hard to adjust them, when they move. and when going a tad fast they push in against your face also.

I had been taught early on that you shouldn't wear glasses in your helmet, because in the event of an accident you dont want the glass/plastic that close to your eyes.

Could be a load of bollocks, but makes sense to me.

[Swoop]

My sunnies are safety sunnies. (I'm just a fashion victim...)
Normally ride with them on, under the tinted visor of the HJC.
Really dark cloudy days I go back to the clear visor with sunnies.
Stormy, black pissing-down-with-rain days, clear visor and clear wraparound safety specs (these come in handy on foggy days as well).

[Warr]

I wear prescription glasses all the time.
Chemically hardened photo chromic lenses but also have magnetic polaroid clipon.
Too much trouble with a normal full face getting glasses over the ears so now have a nolan fliptop which works sweet.
Only trouble I have is forgetting to put polaroid clip on before you get going and the other one is driving thru tunnels.
Got very dark in the Homer Tunnel with all on.

My son has just bought the HJC (http://www.hjchelmets.com/) with the flippy Sun Sheild .. may go for one of them next

[CB ARGH]

What sort of helmet is it? I thought a fixed sun visor was the only option on a helmet.

Nah mate... search the stores a bit... :oi-grr:

[Blossom]

My son has just bought the HJC (http://www.hjchelmets.com/) with the flippy Sun Sheild .. may go for one of them next

omg.. I recently brought 2 brand new HJC helmets and the guy at the bike shop didn't even show us those. :angry2: I admit its been quite a few years since our last helmet purchases and I didn't realise how much they had advanced.:Oops:

[Cajun]

yes, I used to think exactly the same until I found the wrap arounds I'm wearing now. Light and plastic, they just mould the contours of my face very tightly and just don't budge even when I look around over my shoulder. And well, I guess I never go fast enough for them to be disturbed by my speed.

Yeah i tryed number of different sunglasses in the early days, from wrap arounds to small avaitor type,
sunglass riding around town is fine if don't have a tint visor, is good.

[portokiwi]

Hi got a helmet from a bike parts shop in Onehunga. it was advertised on trademe.... Nice skid lids that has the internal visor that you can use.
I have love it. cnell-com. They have web site as well.
There is one on tradme right now closes in 11 hours.
Good thing too as they let me buy 2 at the same price.
Mine was $120 each.:banana:
Hope this helps
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-159999533.htm

[Rockbuddy]

What sort of helmet is it? I thought a fixed sun visor was the only option on a helmet.


Its an "Airoh TR1" i bought it online from a crowd in christchurch but there are a few different brands that do these helmets. check out
http://www.motoworks.co.nz/index.html and look up the TR1 :msn-wink:

[Blossom]

Hi got a helmet from a bike parts shop in Onehunga. it was advertised on trademe.... Nice skid lids that has the internal visor that you can use.
I have love it. cnell-com. They have web site as well.
There is one on there right now closes in 11 hours.
Good thing too as they let me buy 2 at the same price.
Mine was $120 each.:banana:
Hope this helps

Are they NZ Safety approved? Do they have the sticker thing on them? Sounds awfully cheap for a helmet.

[007XX]

Yeah i tryed number of different sunglasses in the early days, from wrap arounds to small avaitor type,
sunglass riding around town is fine if don't have a tint visor, is good.

Absolutely. I guess the whole sunglasses thing also depends on the shape of your face as well.

I'd love to be able to afford a Schubert, but honnestly, they are way out my price range. Plus, I got an awesome little AGV for Christmas which works a treat, so a tinted visor will have to work.

[Blossom]

Just went and had a look on trade me at those helmets (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-159999533.htm)
Does anyone know what the actual NZ Safety standard is? The ad says its ECE22.05 standard.
Anyone else got one of these helmets?

[hellkat]

I had been taught early on that you shouldn't wear glasses in your helmet, because in the event of an accident you dont want the glass/plastic that close to your eyes.

Could be a load of bollocks, but makes sense to me.


But if that were the case, all prescription-wearing riders would be unable to ride at all ... unless they were wearing contact lenses, which wouldn't be great in your eyes either, if that were really an issue during an accident.

I can't always be arsed putting my contact lenses in, but I like to wear shades on the bike.

I like wraparounds best, they don't have to be expensive, any sort will do, but somebody once said that they make ya look like a prospect :laugh: ... so I gave up wearing them for a while, but now I don't really give a stuff, its just the style I prefer. Never really liked aviator shape and Hollywood fashion victim isn't really my style either. So it has to be wraparounds.

[Rockbuddy]

Just went and had a look on trade me at those helmets (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-159999533.htm)
Does anyone know what the actual NZ Safety standard is? The ad says its ECE22.05 standard.
Anyone else got one of these helmets?

mmmmm the add says it "meets" the standard does that mean its been officially tested for nz standards ie has the proper NZ creditation, im not sure how it all works but personally id only buy a helmet from a motorbike shop. then im sure its up to standard

[Horse]

I wear prescription glasses, and while I've got clip-on sunnies for them I found them a PITA on the bike. So I bought an FS-MAX (http://www.motoretail.co.nz/product.cfm?ID=6354) by HJC from a local bike shop - flip face, which I find easier as a four-eyes, and the internal sunvisor that you can raise and lower while on the move. Brilliant.

BTW I recommend finding a shop that stocks these and trying one on before you buy - the FS-MAX had a very different fit to the el-cheap HJC I was wearing originally.

[hellkat]

I have to wonder ... how is PROFESSION related to the ability of one's eyes to absorb sun (or not)?

I can almost believe the thing about blue eyes or whatever colour, but profession?

[avgas]

yep - i prefer metal frame ones, but i take what i can get for $2/pair

[portokiwi]

Just went and had a look on trade me at those helmets (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Helmets-clothing-footwear/Helmets/auction-159999533.htm)
Does anyone know what the actual NZ Safety standard is? The ad says its ECE22.05 standard.
Anyone else got one of these helmets?

Legal requirements for helmets
There are legal requirements that motorcycle helmets must comply with. You should be aware of these if you're intending to:

import a motorcycle helmet for sale in New Zealand
offer a motorcycle helmet for sale in New Zealand.
International standards
All motorcycle helmets sold in New Zealand for road use are required to comply with one or more approved international standards. These are:

UN/ECE Regulation No. 22: Protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motor cycles and mopeds (Europe)
Australian Standard AS 1698: Protective helmets for vehicle users
New Zealand Standard NZ 5430: Protective helmets for vehicle users
Snell Memorial Foundation: Helmet Standard for use in motorcycling
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218: Motor-cycle helmets*
British Standard BS 6658: Specification for protective helmets for vehicle users (for type A helmets only)
Japan Industrial Standard T8133.

[portokiwi]

I was just trying to help:shit: I dont work for them.
The brand is called HLD safety helmets.
The shop here sells scooters helmets, gloves and when I went to try on my helmet they had just started selling jackets.
I am happy with mine....... SO FAR...
http://www.kang-tex.com/product_info.php?language=en&info=p45_HLD-H869-Helmet---black-matt.html&XTCsid=5459ba32aaaaff9aebcfe2142ea97071

[FROSTY]

Over the years Ive tried all sorts of sunnies inside my lid.
The best Ive found are the Maui Jim brand.
They have arms with spring hinges and glass lenses.

[Nagash]

Used to wear sunnies but found they dug into my head, specially seein' as I prefer to get fairly tight fitting helmets.

I've just got a tinted visor now with a quick release. 2 mins and you're riding clear. Plus tinted visor's make you look tough.. and you can check out girls at the lights.

[The Stranger]

I use a set of Adidis sunglasses.
Advantages-
Never get caught out at night with a tinted visor.
The whole lot snap apart, so never break.
All parts are available indiviually - scratch a lens and you can replace it.
Non polarised else they restrict vision with visor down.
Can ride with visor up in summer for better cooling.
No hooks on the legs to try and feed around your ears.
Plastic lenses - wont shatter into your eye.
Plastic frame and legs - easy to feed between head and helmet.
Largish lenses so shit doesn't find it's way up behind the lens and into your eye.
Look cool.

Disadvantages
None.

[Maha]

I chew gum and wear RB's...yeah cool man!....:cool:

[swbarnett]

I wear mine all the time unless it's dark out. I have a pair of Revos. A bit pricey but they're the best sunglasses I've ever worn. I used to break the arms about once a year by bending them back too far but these ones have a spring mechanism that allows for that.

I have no problem sliding them into the helmet, the arms are fairly straight and just slide in over my ears.

I'm blue eyed too. I can't remember why but yes, blue eyes both make you susceptible to bright light. My eyes are very good (I'm 43 and can still see better than most people half my age) but very sensitive to sunlight.

[swbarnett]

Non polarised else they restrict vision with visor down.
I used to think this was an issue until I bought polarised ones without thinking and have never had a problem.

[swbarnett]

I found a reference that talked about lighter eye colours letting in more light. Hence blue eyes are more sensitive to bright light because more of that light passes through the iris.

Dark eyed people are already wearing sunnies so don't need man made ones.

[The Stranger]

I used to think this was an issue until I bought polarised ones without thinking and have never had a problem.

Yes, that should probably read *can* restrict vision with visor down.

The problems I found were when looking through 2 layers of plastic.
For example, reading your speedo etc or the times you may tuck behind the screen.
I would also expect that some bikes and some polarised glasses, perhaps even most, don't exhibit this problem. But some do, my Blackbird was bad for this with my old polarized glasses.

[Big Dave]

Polarised sunnies under a visor are dangerous. They can cause visual disturbance and blind spots.

Ray Bans for me. 24/7.

[swbarnett]

Polarised sunnies under a visor are dangerous. They can cause visual disturbance and blind spots.

Ray Bans for me. 24/7.
I had this problem with a pair I owned 20 or so years ago through a particular car windscreen. Hence why I've avoided them until now. It seems that my current combination of visor, polarised sunnies, speedo etc don't have this issue.

[fizbin]

I have to wonder ... how is PROFESSION related to the ability of one's eyes to absorb sun (or not)?

I can almost believe the thing about blue eyes or whatever colour, but profession?

10 years only working in the night under artificial lights trust me on this i fucks with your eyes has happed to every baker i know

[k1w160]

Gidday,

I'll always wear sunny's unless it's dark, reason being I like the visor up on the full face when riding.

Like frosty I use Maui Jims - not cheap but very very good in our harsh sun, and I've got no ambition to line up for a cataract oporation later on in life (if I make it that far...)

[alanzs]

I have a tinted visor as well as a pair of bolle sunglasses that I wear pretty regularly.

They helmet and tinted visor is also fun when going to the bank. I get a lot of attention, fast...

[fireball]

i tend to wear my purple sunnies around alot under my helmet because with my new HJC helmet the size is youth so it only comes with clear or slight tint visor and to get the visor on and off is a pain in the ass......
also because i go to work and the suns behind me and coming home its night time anyway

[vifferman]

I too always wear sunglasses when outside, where StrongBad the Sun rulez, OK? I used to always wear sunglasses under my helmet (wraparound Bolles, with thin frames) until I bought my first helmet with a tinted visor. I must admit that the clear visor + sunglasses is more versatile, and more effective than the tinted visor, but the tinted visor is easier.

[vifferman]

I don't have any scientifically based studies to prove it but a lot of people I have spoken to who have blue eyes seem to complain about the sun.
Mine are green, and I seem to be more light-sensitive than my wife and three boys, who all have eyes in various shades of blue-grey. Or grey-blue.
Or blue.
Or grey.
Or somesuch.

[007XX]

Mine are green, and I seem to be more light-sensitive than my wife and three boys, who all have eyes in various shades of blue-grey. Or grey-blue.
Or blue.
Or grey.
Or somesuch.

Good point, I should have been slightly more specific in colour definition evasiveness...

Light coloured eyes seem to struggle with sunlight. That better?

[Bullitt]

I used to wear sunglasses when I had my old helmet unless I had the tinted visor on. Even though they were rather uncomfortable.

My new helmet has the flip down tinted visor inside the main one so I dont use sunglasses on a bike anymore.

However that idea is pretty much a gimmick so Ill be going back to a regular helmet/tinted visor/sunglasses next time.

[blossomsowner]

Does eye colour make a difference? My eyes are blue also.

hmmmmmmm blue eyes aye?

you sound kinda sexy............

[blossomsowner]

Colour will make a difference as will profession. i have blue eyes and hated the sun to start with, then i became a baker for 10 years and that really fucked them up! :Pokey:
i also wear prescription glasses so i invested in photo sensitive ones. and i used to wear a tinted visor on top of that! I would say invest in a tinted visor and wear sunnys under that. (but not at night that is scary lol) :cool:
those safety sunnys suck hard the are uncomfortable at the best of times i used to have to wear them in my last job hated every moment of it.



those safety sunnies are actually available in a wide range of styles so it should be easy enough to find some that fit ok under a helmet.....cheap too.........and you know a little bang will not shatter them into your face.

[Blossom]

Lots of great info guys thanks.
I think I wil find a pair of sunnies that dont have hooks and resist the urge to get another helmet with a twin visor.
As a side note... how many visors do you guys have? I didn't realise how expensive the tinted ones were and yet everyone seems to have one.

ps..sorry for the no show over the last few days. I have been at a Music conference.

[HungusMaximist]

I wear prescription glasses fluffing around the city, but if need it be I just chuck on my contacts (especially if it's raining), because I know the weather is crap but vision is gonna be crap with all the rain/helmet fogging going everywhere.

Soft contacts are great in most conditions but they'll go fuzzy with the wind if you ride at 100km with your visor open.

As for sunnies I wear wrap arounds. The ones I have are in a dark black tint but the old sunnies I use to wear were brown tints and they were way more comfortable for the eyes.

These are the ones I have at the moment, I paid $40.00 off trade me.
There's alot of marketing bullsh*t, the lenses aren't interchangeable but these are the best I've had so far because it's the most I've ever spent on sunnies.

But do note (most would know anyway), I've found that with polarized sunnies as it reacts with your UV filters on your visors, I personally don't enjoy it but it's OK.




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[Stirts]

I found wearing sunnies with a helmet a right pain in the head! That and the fact that I forgot to take my sunnies out of my helmet before putting it back on :Oops:

[road king]

i got me some of these of trademe, $48, no arms just a strap.http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/52/71864952_full.jpg

there comfy as

[NighthawkNZ]

yep me old Nolan had a sun-visor - bloody good it was


ditto......

[yod]

the new Nolan 103 looks good and has the internal shade...if i didn't already have a newish agv i'd definitely look at one

[Blossom]

the real tragedy here is I am off to the optomitrists next week to get the eyeballs checked out as things are getting a little blurry. so am expecting to have to wear specs and that brings out a whole set of different problems with my helmet and sunglasses..
Wish me luck.

[OutForADuck]

I always wear sunglasses. I just like the wind in my face but not the bugs or road debri in my eyes.

I do, however have a nice scar between my eyes from a pair of inappropriate glasses worn under my helmet during a high speed parking attempt :mad:.

These days I tend to use safety glasses that have style like http://www.fuglies.com.au/ and are soft, none glass (I like being able to see) and comfortable to wear and buy (read don't cause an account melt down).