Glasses vs contact lenses?

[phoenixgtr]

I've had contacts for 9 years now. Never had a problem with them when riding. They don't dry out, they don't fall out.

I hate riding with glasses. They're so uncomfortable, especially with some helmets (my current one's not too bad). They fog up too and it takes twice as long to whip your helmet on and off!!

Contacts get my vote, unless of course you can afford Lasik

[imdying]

Tried em both, laser surgery is the way to go though. Perfect vision. Fabulous. Best money I ever spent on my riding.

[jonbuoy]

Contacts all the way, latest ones just get better and better. less drying out, more comfortable. + I found judging distances easier with contacts than glasses- lense is closer to your eye.

[madbikeboy]

Taking this on a related tangent...

I can't wear contacts, my eyes are too dry, and I get eye infections and all sorts of nastiness.

Soooo, glasses for me.

Here's the tangent - the thing to be aware of with glasses is that if you have astigmatism, as you get to the edge of the glass, it can cause distortion, or depth perception differences. Now, if you're sitting in your nice comfy Lexus armchair, who gives a fuck, you've got airbags. But on a bike, especially when you're riding hard on a track, you need to take that into account because even small amounts of distortion, or small mistakes of spatial reasoning (distance to other objects like apexes or other bikes) can be problematic if you're having to spend attention or focus on it. Imagine being leaned over, looking for the apex, using your peripheral vision to keep other bikes in sight - that slight glance down to the curb to judge that may mean you lose perspective on where that other bike is. I mean, loads of other examples when you're on the road and there are a lot of cars around you, and you need your vision to determine if someone is doing a lane change towards you and they are already on the edge of your peripheral vision...

Or is it just me being an egghead about this?

[Katman]

Be aware though that Laser surgery does have it's risks. I had it done about a year and a half ago and all seemed fine until about 24 hours after the operation. I developed a bad inflammation under one cornea that turned into cloudy vision in that eye for six months and then screwed up vision for the next six when the eye healed to a totally different focal length to the other. After 12 months to let the eye settle right down the eye clinic were prepared to have another go at it. Been sweet ever since.

Having said all that, I would always encourage people to consider laser surgery as an option.

[MaxCannon]

I had glasses from age 5 to 15
Changed to contacts for the last 15 years and would never voluntarily go back.
I have no issues with them when riding, but I wear a full face with the visor down all the time. I imagine my lenses would get pretty dry if I rode with the visor up.
I can't get laser surgery - they won't do it on my eyes because my pupils dilate too far. Eye surgeon says I'd get bad halo effects at night.

If you can't wear contacts I'd recommend checking out a helmet like the Givi H401 with an integrated visor. I've tried on mine with glasses and there is plenty of clearance.
When it's bright -flip the sunvisor down, when it's dark flip it back up. Only takes .5 of a second and it's dark enough for bright sunlight.

[rachprice]

Have just recently gone back to contacts after about 4 years away from them. One of the prime reasons for reverting to them was because I found it a real pain not being able to wear decent sunnies due to already having a pair of specs on my nose. (I did buy some polarised clip ons but still found they weren't large enough to cut the glare adequately).
.

When I was still wearing glasses I got prescription sunglasses.... you keep the normal lenses so when I started on contacts I just popped out the prescription lenses and have normal ones now.

I find riding with contacts sweet, no problems with dryness of anything
Glasses suck with helmets and I find my thick arms affect my peripheral vision too much (had them a long time before i started riding)
You might not get the right contacts for your eye the first time, you can try a few different kinds.
The ones I use now are monthly ones that you would normally take out everyday, because they use silicone now instead of that awful acrylic my optometrist actually told me i can leave them in overnight, which I do and every now and then take out if my eyes need a rest!

[Mully]

+ whatever number for LASIK

I had glasses from 9 to 24 - and was using contacts from 14 or thereabouts.

I couldn't ride with glasses - my helmet squeezed them, which changed the focal point and stuffed up my vision completely.

Never had a problem with contacts - but hated them with a passion. Got LASIK at 24 and never looked back.

I wake up with good vision. Don't have to worry about buying cleaning, inserting, removing contacts and buying solution.

I would strongly recommend looking into LASIK to see if you are able to have it. I think there is one with no blade now (haven't looked into it cos I don't need it anymore)

[Mully]

and I find my thick arms affect my peripheral vision too much (had them a long time before i started riding)

Holy moly. How high are the bars on your bike??? And how thick are your arms??

[TOTO]

Contacts are the best solution for me.

I dont use normal daily contacts tho. There is a product called "Night & Day" - it is contacts made from special silicon that allows your eye to breathe and therefore not requiring to be taken out every day. They can stay in your eye up to 30 days, and you dont even know they are there (unlike normal lenses). I have been using them the last 3 years and am Very very Happy with them. When you go to your optometrist ask him for advice on those and also ask for a trial pair which will last you for 30 days. The trial pair is free if you have an eye exam with the optometrist (and you need an eye exam before you start with lenses anyway).

[discotex]

Contacts and tinted visor are by far the best for summer riding. I love having full peripheral vision.

[madbikeboy]

When I was still wearing glasses I got prescription sunglasses.... you keep the normal lenses so when I started on contacts I just popped out the prescription lenses and have normal ones now.

I find riding with contacts sweet, no problems with dryness of anything
Glasses suck with helmets and I find my thick arms affect my peripheral vision too much (had them a long time before i started riding)
You might not get the right contacts for your eye the first time, you can try a few different kinds.
The ones I use now are monthly ones that you would normally take out everyday, because they use silicone now instead of that awful acrylic my optometrist actually told me i can leave them in overnight, which I do and every now and then take out if my eyes need a rest!

Ditto the prescription sunnies, but I find I wear my normal glasses with a tinted visor. I wear sporty glasses with thin arms (Oakleys) on the bike, and I have other glasses for work (posh Italian label basher type ones...) with thicker arms.

Also, choice of lid makes a difference, if you have a tight Arai for example, it kills glasses, but my Shoei and HJC are both very glasses friendly.

[HungusMaximist]

I recommend you guys looking into Orthokeratology if laser surgery is not your thing (as it carries it's risks) and daily contact lens wearing is too much of a bitch (drying out your eyes)

Orthokeratolgy is new type of treatment where you wear special type of contact lens when you sleep and it re-shapes your cornea while you are sleeping by the pressure of your closed eye lids.

After a few sleeps it would have shaped your cornea to the point where you can see without visual aids. Wear it when you sleep and take it off when you wake up. It's a reversible as if you don't wear the lens for a week or so, your cornea will go back it it's usual state. However it does has it's limitation as to how far it can treat your short-sightedness and astigmatism (the lower your prescription the better the results are going to be)

A better alternative to laser surgery I say and my optometrist offers this new treatment so it isn't anything new. It just that it hasn't been marketed that well but I recommend you have a chat with your optometrist.

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/orthok.htm

[wysper]

I would vote contacts too.
The only reason I don't wear them is I can't afford them.

So it is glasses for me.

As for Lasik, I would be too concerned about someone messing with my eyes like that. *shudder*

[NZsarge]

Contacts all the way, latest ones just get better and better. less drying out, more comfortable. + I found judging distances easier with contacts than glasses- lense is closer to your eye.

+1 for me, contacts all the way, wether i'm riding or not.