Photochromic sunglasses

[Fourflys]

back when I wore glasses (prior LASIK), I tired an pair of photochromatic eyeglasses and didn't like them... always took forever to get dark and never got dark enough, tried a pair of Wiley-X sunglasses when I was riding motorcycles and same thing...

about a month ago, I picked up a set of the Tifosi glasses and they are AWESOME! the tint always seems perfect and they get plenty dark, even here in San Diego...

These are what I got...
Tifosi Tyrant Photochromic Sunglasses at REI.com

[Blue Jays]

"...there's washed and waxed automobiles, glass windows, chrome bumpers and trim, snow, ice, ditch water, etc..."

Can you envision why a cyclist, motorcyclist, or skier might wish to be VERY aware to the presence of ice?
If one pedals exlusively in very warm climates, polarization is fine.
If one might use the sunglasses in subfreezing temps while on bicycles, skis, or motorcycles, polarization is NOT the best technology choice from a safety perspective, atmo.

[AntLockyer]

John glad the Rudy Projects worked out for you. I got a little scared that they may not be dark enough fr people that live in a country where the sun actually shines unlike here.

[John M]

J....people that live in a country where the sun actually shines unlike here.

The climate in Seattle is not that different than the UK. Lots of cloudy days here, particularly between October and May.

[WadePatton]

Can you envision why a cyclist, motorcyclist, or skier might wish to be VERY aware to the presence of ice?
If one pedals exlusively in very warm climates, polarization is fine.
If one might use the sunglasses in subfreezing temps while on bicycles, skis, or motorcycles, polarization is NOT the best technology choice from a safety perspective, atmo.

whatever, it's all i've worn for (many) years and visibility of ice is no effing problem. stop being such a puss.

[Blue Jays]

"...whatever, it's all i've worn for (many) years and visibility of ice is no effing problem. stop being such a puss..."

LOL! Sunglass engineers disagree with that approach for potentially icy conditions.
The sheen provides texture and relief to allow it to be spotted easier and faster.

[WadePatton]

LOL! Sunglass engineers disagree with that approach for potentially icy conditions.
The sheen provides texture and relief to allow it to be spotted easier and faster.

hey, i'm no engineer, but i have seen many clusterflucks designed by those who are.

i've worn serengeti, bolle, and even revo brand sunglasses over the years. effin' fits-over-polarized-i've-got-a-motorhome-out-back-grandpa shades work best for me. (above left)

i've never ever once thought "gee i would have seen that (name your glarish hazard) better if i hadn't had polarization in my shades." that's the word from the street, which means much more to me than any engineerspeak. non-polarized sunglasses are a waste of my time and money.

hey, this was about photochromatics no?

[Blue Jays]

"...i've worn serengeti, bolle, and even revo brand sunglasses over the years. effin' fits-over-polarized-i've-got-a-motorhome-out-back-grandpa shades work best for me..."

Revo sunglasses are not polarized.
Rudy Project is apparently working on a non-polarized, photochromatic lens that should be quite effective for cyclists. Especially if they can get a handle on enhancing the photochromatic effect in broad temperature ranges.
For night or very overcast use, I opt for extremely pale yellow lenses, about 88% visible transmission, non-polarized, with anti-reflective coatings on both front and rear of the lens.

[pdmtong]

Revo sunglasses are not polarized.

most revo's are NOT polarized, but one of my revo's is.

hell, I actually have the first gen blue lens cateye revo from the mid-80's those had pins for the hinges, not screws.

[WadePatton]

i wore revo's in the 80/90's. never effing said anything about the name-brands i mentioned being polarized. it was a btdt statement. nothing but polarized for the last 20 years.

photochromagnon time i say.

[Blue Jays]

Loved the early Revo sunglasses! They were manufactured by CooperVision and were a strking new technology.
They were far brighter than contemporary glasses at the time, yet the profile of light they allowed to pass was remarkably comfortable.
They also removed an enormous amount in the IR/heat spectrum, so that was another revolutionary change.

[nobrakes]

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!!

Sorry for the 4 day reply delay...Yes, I've worn mine at night, the Tifisi's don't lighten up to perfectly clear, but I could see on streetlighted roads. I wouldn't recommend wearing dark glasses at night to everyone-depends on your own nightvision. I'm 20/20 thanks to recent lens replacement surgery, so I might be pushing the vision envelope a bit.
Do you need to always have glasses on? When it's too dark, I pocket my glasses and ride naked-eye. (A new thrill for me, since I used to have to wear glasses just to see!)
My wife is on her 3rd pair of Tyrants-she tends to leave them places. She wouldn't keep buying new ones if she didn't like them.

[ides1056]

I use Bolle's, and they work fine in the woods at dusk, and out on the road in broad daylight. That's all I need.

[akatsuki]

Oakley Jawbone VR50s for me. I got the Jawbones partially because I planned on getting Rx lenses one day for when I didn't want to bother with contacts.

Do any of the Giro's come photochromic? They seem pretty nice.