Photochromic sunglasses

[Saab2000]

i believe in polarized lenses. we ride in the foothills of central california and, we ride from very sunny to shade, and polarized lenses seem to minimize the effect. my glasses are lightly, shaded polarized, with blended tri focals. if you are young, believe me, you'll get there.

Try Serengetis. I use them for flying. They are not polarized but provide the best contrast available for shadow/light (chiaroscuro if my memory of Italian serves me rightly) and work in light and dark. But they are not 'sport' glasses unfortunately.

I don't know if I'm young or not. I'm 42 and still can brag about 20/15. But I love my Serengeti sunglasses. Best ever. Followed by Oakley. Which have equal optics, but are too dark for anyone but an astronaut looking at the sun.

Or a cyclist. I use Oakley when riding.

[YiPsan]

One thing to add with photochromic / Transition lens is that they do not change when you are driving. I wear Transitions full time and so I wish there is a manual override when I am driving.

[pdmtong]

One thing to add with photochromic / Transition lens is that they do not change when you are driving. I wear Transitions full time and so I wish there is a manual override when I am driving.

exactly...my rudy's need UV to change the lens color...inside the car, the uv-blocking glass prevents this

[Watoni]

Jawbones ... I prefer persimmon for riding through the redwoods, but I can ski with these and they work great. My problem with any glasses is sweat (even with vented lenses)

[Gradient]

Had the first gen photograys in the '70s, to dark and stayed dark.

Found a pair of Cat-1 Courchevel glasses on the closeout table at Performance. It included a photochromic lense. They work well in low light Seattle, but when there is full light they do not get dark enough for my light sensitive blue eyes. I would like to try the polarized versions of these lenses. Some people complain about depth perception issues with polarized lenses, but I don't "see" it.

Might be worth a try out with an inexpensive pair from Cat-1, Ryders or Tifosi.

[soupless]

I had some rose lensed photochromatic Tifosi Ventouxs. Just a hair short of doing the job on really bright days in the afternoon, other than that they were very nice.

[toomanybikes]

Had the first gen photograys in the '70s, to dark and stayed dark.

Found a pair of Cat-1 Courchevel glasses on the closeout table at Performance. It included a photochromic lense. They work well in low light Seattle, but when there is full light they do not get dark enough for my light sensitive blue eyes. I would like to try the polarized versions of these lenses. Some people complain about depth perception issues with polarized lenses, but I don't "see" it.

Might be worth a try out with an inexpensive pair from Cat-1, Ryders or Tifosi.

Well, I'm using the Ryders up in the Okanagan and I have yet to find a day this year that they didn't darken enough for me.

I've been wearing these all year and haven't taken the Rudy's out of the drawer since.

[962]

Polarized lenses are NOT suggested

The pros clearly outnumber the cons for me. I've noticed damp asphalt, etc turns dark and less shimmery but it doesn't disappear.

[nobrakes]

I've been using the Tifosi Tyrants, which are both photochromic and polarized.

The photochrimic is good, kind of a bronzy-brownish tint that transitions from sorta dark to very dark in bright sunlight. I like them a lot when descending through tunnels, as they lighten up almost instantly, then darken quickly when back in the sun.

Not so hot is the polarizing feature, as it makes reading my bike computer or cell phone screen difficult, kind of obscures part of the screen enough that I have to lift my glasses up to see the displayed information. Same goes for the screen on my digital camera.

All in all, though nice glasses, excellent value, good looking.

[John M]

I've been using the Tifosi Tyrants, which are both photochromic and polarized.

Do the Tifosis get light enough that you could wear them at night? I see that REI has them on their website and I could go by the store to try them on, but only if they would be clear enough for night/pre-dawn commuting. Basically, I am tired of having to carry an extra pair of glasses when commuting.

Thanks all for the input--very helpful!!

[sailor]

For those who have the rudy impactx lenses how fast do they change, im looking at a set of the red lenses for rainy days (lots of those here) and mountain biking, and debating if the photocromatic is worth the extra cash. I already have the frames and a rudy discount so Im not looking at other companies

[Blue Jays]

"...I've noticed damp asphalt, etc turns dark and less shimmery but it doesn't disappear..."

When riding roadbikes on freezing winter days I prefer to *really* see potentially icy spots.
That is why sunglasses used for cycling, skiing, and motorcycling will always be non-polarized in my case.
If we were talking about fishing, boating, or spectator sports, my suggestion would be different.

[pdmtong]

When riding roadbikes on freezing winter days I prefer to *really* see potentially icy spots.
That is why sunglasses used for cycling, skiing, and motorcycling will always be non-polarized in my case.
If we were talking about fishing, boating, or spectator sports, my suggestion would be different.

blue jays...how are you?!

we dont have snow in hte bay area :-)

[pdmtong]

For those who have the rudy impactx lenses how fast do they change, im looking at a set of the red lenses for rainy days (lots of those here) and mountain biking, and debating if the photocromatic is worth the extra cash. I already have the frames and a rudy discount so Im not looking at other companies

oddly, I can't say since the eye seems to adjust as fast as the lens. the lens darkeing isnt somethgin I can see looking at the lens but can see looking thru the lens. need to ask someone else.

here in norcal we go in/out of shade all the time on dirt, so I just pick a std lens and deal with it. never used the rudy rydon photo chrom on dirt...pull out my kerosenes for that

[Blue Jays]

"...blue jays...how are you?!
we dont have snow in the bay area :-)..."

Yes, you'll totally love other sunglass lens technology for taking boat rides to Sausalito!
Hope things are well for you, too! Keeping enjoying that great bicycle of yours.

[AntLockyer]

I've never noticed the lenses changing so I'm guessing they do it pretty quickly. I know they slow down in the cold weather but only because I read it.

[WadePatton]

Polarized lenses are NOT suggested

wtf? i refuse to wear anything else. glare is worse with astigmatism (the docs tell me-i can't know).

sure, i have to glance under the lens to see the 'puter clearly.

fishing waters is not the only glarish thing out there. there's washed and waxed automobiles, glass windows, chrome bumpers and trim, snow, ice, ditch water, etc...never ever have i said "gee, i didn't see that" wrt the lack of glare caused by polarized lenses.

an override mechanism would probably skyrocket the sales of photochromatics. somebody get to the lab.

[JeffS]

I have been using Tifosi Light Night lenses for a couple of years now. They start out very close to clear, allowing me to wear them year-round commuting, including in the dark.

They never get very dark, but I'm not that light sensitive and wear glasses for the wind, not the sun anyway.

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That said, I have mixed feelings about Tifosi glasses in general. I'm on my third pair in as many years and will need to replace those soon. Buying disposable products bothers me. On the upside, if I buy a fourth pair I will still have spent less than a single Oakley.

I have just started looking at other photochromic options and have yet to find one that gets as light as the Tifosi. I know Transitions makes a light tint, I just don't know how to get it - without going full prescription and REALLY blowing a lot of money.

[John M]

I did some shopping around this week and tried the various brands mentioned here. The Oakleys were too dark at baseline for what I want (night commuting and day riding). The Tifosi night light and Rudy photochromic clear were pretty close to clear. The Tifosis seemed quite flimsy and stepping out into full sun didn't darken them enough, or I was too impatient. I ended up going with the Rudy Projects. They got darker than the Tifosis, but not as dark as a typical glass. Good enough for full sun for me on a short commute home, but maybe for a full day in the sun, I would want something darker. They seemed to be much better made than the Tifosis, but for 3x the cost they should be. Rudy is running a promotion now for a free set of additional lens or a free helmet, which offsets the high cost a little. I did some cross training early this morning in cloudy conditions in the woods and the ImpactX photochromic clear was like a nearly clear lens.

Thanks again to everyone for the input.

[abqhudson]

I am sold on a photochromatic material made by Corning for prescription sunglasses. I have a large pair that I use for both bicycling and motorcycling and I have another pair (smaller lenses) that I use all of the time. The trade name is Corning "Thin and Dark". Thinner and darker than the rest and they will darken behind the windshield of a car so they can be used for driving glasses. For non-photochromatic, it's had to beat Serengetis (also by Corning, I think), but, they are heavier than the Corning "Thin and Dark". Good luck.