Photochromic glasses - any good?

Love my 100% Photochromic, look a bit naff when clear, but they work great. Quick to change.
I wear mine pretty much most rides.

I love my Optilab varifocal, photochromatic glasses. I wasn't sure when I was thinking of getting them whether they would work well going from bright sunlight into shady, leafy singletrack... but they do, perfectly.

Another one here that loves my Oakley Radar ones - they work so well I never notice the change. Highly recommend!

Yep, I ride with prescription photochromic glasses, very good if the light levels will change during your ride.

I've got melon photochromics and they're great except in winter with sun. The cold slows the transition and diving from bright to dark means they take too long to catch up. Warmer, above 10°C great they'll cope no problems.

Great for the "shoulder" months. Would highly recommend

Used to only cycle with clear lenses unless out in Spain. Picked up some addidas photochromstics a few years back with a tkmax PSA on here. That's the only thing I wear cycling now any place or time of year.

Rad8 prescription photochromatics here, they are brilliant for everything from summer rides to night riding when they go almost completely clear

I have used several pairs of Endura ones over the years. Great stuff. Until I went to contacts about 28 years ago my normal glasses were photos. I used Julbo glacier glasses with phot lenses.
Currently contemplating chromo bi focals

I had some specialized ones a few years ago which were really good but I unfortunately lost them, replaced with some oakleys which are not so good, too dark in low light conditions IMO.

Oakley Transitions - day or night, for over 10 years.

Pretty pleased with my cheapo prescription photochromic cycling glasses, I'm sure they don't react as fast as posher ones, but it's never actually been a problem on road or off.

I keep meaning to buy some for normal daily wear.

Got some Specialized Singletrack photochromic glasses. Quick to change to the light conditions.

May need to look at prescription lenses soon as I struggle to read the Cat eye read out when I’m on the road bike. Other options are a new bike computer with bigger screen or just stick to mountain biking! 🤓

+1 for Rad8 prescription photochromic lenses. Gave up on contacts many years ago as they are so good.

+1 rad8 prescription day or night , fast to react going from full sun to dark woods too

I fancy some. I can't work out why Melon glasses (regardless of lens type) are so much dearer than the goggles though

I've been wearing melon ones for a couple of years, every ride. Low light December to Feb. Photochromics rest of the year. They've been worth the money but yes the cost difference is a wonder.

One down side is that your phone doesn't know that you are wearing sunglasses so you have to take them off if you want to look at your phone. This is probably more annoying when they are prescription glasses too.

All my riding glasses are photochromic.
They’re more expensive, of course, but they work well and….. why wouldn’t you?

P

I love my Optilab varifocal, photochromatic glasses.

@masterdabber ... how do you find the varifocals for riding? I wear varifocals for day to day, but find the peripheral distortion for mid distance really disorientating (although they are not cycling specific glasses) so I ride without.

I had the Adidas evil eyes that Tk Max had cheap,Never liked them as dropping from open to dense tree was a bit scary when yer almost blind for couple of seconds
I picked up the Madison codebreakers for £30 and have Yellow,Clear and blue mirrored(not used) and the yellow works a treat dropping in to the trees as they keep the vision either way

@hardtailonly, I’ve been thinking the same as you. I use varifocals for day to day, but a bit wary of using them on a trail. Was thinking a pair of reading style lenses might be better?
I can’t see my Garmin without switching to my normal glasses, which when I’m following a route is a nightmare!

@masterdabber … how do you find the varifocals for riding? I wear varifocals for day to day, but find the peripheral distortion for mid distance really disorientating (although they are not cycling specific glasses) so I ride without.

Like you, I wear varifocals all day, every day. When I first switched to varifocals quite a few years ago I never had any trouble at all in getting used to them. When I was speaking with the Optilabs folks before buying my riding glasses they said many cyclists opted for bifocals but I decided I was so comfortable with varifocals that I would go with them. My thinking was that I not only wanted to be able to clearly read my Garmin and see well into the distance but also to be able see see very clearly the detail of the trails a few metres ahead of where I was riding.  The bottom line, for me, is that I find my riding varifocals perfect and never think about it at all. I guess it may come down to personal ability for ones eyes to adapt accordingly.  HTH

+1 for oakley radar photochromic.

I just got some Madison Enigma photochromics, first ride in them today. I was happy with them but I do wonder if they'll go dark enough for a proper sunny day in summer.

@masterdabber … how do you find the varifocals for riding? I wear varifocals for day to day, but find the peripheral distortion for mid distance really disorientating (although they are not cycling specific glasses) so I ride without.

Like you, I wear varifocals all day, every day. When I first switched to varifocals quite a few years ago I never had any trouble at all in getting used to them

I have some oakley framed Transition varifocals but I can’t use them for riding.

I find they make me feel a bit seasick when I’m riding single track, although I’m ok for walking, driving etc.

With regards to the photochromic function of the lenses, in general day to day, the transition from dark to light again takes an absolute age. If I nip out to the shop at lunchtime, it will take around 5 minutes for the lenses to go back to clear, assuming they had been at full darkness. Never again.

I don't use anything else these days. I have some relatively cheap Decathlon ones and a nice pair of Tifosi. My standard sunglasses tend to remain in the draw unless it is high summer and very bright.

Think I'm going to try some Alleycats.

Wore my Diablo pro goggles with low light Zeiss lenses yesterday and they were brilliant. They work with my Bell Super DH, either half shell, or ff, but don't work with my Fox Speedftame Pro, so....

Think I'll go for photocromatics, plus violet chrome for proper sunny days

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I use Carnac Photochromic glasses, with prescription insert, £43 for the glasses and £15 for the insert to have prescription lens fitted, work brilliantly.( from Planet X )

Bear in mind they don't work as sunglasses when you're driving because they're sensitive to UV, which your windscreen blocks. A bit annoying if you want to use them for more than riding.

I used to ride in prescription photochromics (until I snapped the arm...) and the only time they really bugged me was riding on overcast days, where they'd go dark cos there was still a lot of UV about, but I didn't really want them dark as it was, well, overcast and not that bright. Anyone else get the same?

As for varifocals, I'm currently riding in my old pair of normal, non-riding glasses (after snapping the arm on my riding glasses), and they're varifocal, and no issues with blurriness/field of vision.

I wear photochromic lenses on most rides except night rides - I prefer full clear for proper night riding, and (very) occasionally I'll wear proper tinted lenses for the one day of summer.

Bear in mind the working range / amount of light transmission. Road-orientated photochromics have a darker range, whereas other lenses can go lighter. I use the light end of the scale ones. Non-genuine Oakley lenses in my Jawbreakers.

Non-genuine Oakley lenses in my Jawbreakers.

Would you mind providing a link please?

@Kryton57, apologies - memory got it slightly wrong. It's Oakley Jawbone / Racing Jackets I have, but they also do them for Jawbreakers: https://sunglassesrestorer.com/replacement-lenses-for/oakley-jawbreaker-photochromic/. US-based, £25ish before import.

I'e also used Revant lenses in the past plus some from an online optician based in the Canaries (I think - memory). I'm wary of the random aftermarket lenses on eBay/Amazon but those above are more recognised.

Decided to go for some Sungod ones, as I don't really like the Melon frames. I am assuming I will be pedalling as fast as Tom Pidcock, right?

I'm a big fan of photochromic sunnies.

I've used a pair of Rudy Projects for must be 10 years now for mountain biking.  All except full night rides when I'll use the clear glasses.

And on the road I've been using Sunwise Hastings photochromic for about 3 years. Great (I like the rimless design on the road and TT bike as its just easier to see up the road without the frame in the way).  I'll occasionally go to some Oakey radars if I can be guaranteed to be sunny all day. But if not wall to wall blue sky then the photochromic glasses get chosen.

My cheap Rock Bros ones from Amazon are great - I presume if you spend more they'll be even better.

@IHN. - yes mine do this. As they are my day to day glasses, I look a bit shady out and about on overcast days with darkened lenses. For day to day I use, I won’t be going photochromic again.

I’m surprised by all of the responses above that no one else has mentioned the length of time the lenses take getting back to clear again, when out of the sun. I would have thought this would cause a problem riding into heavily wooded areas.

Some work behind a windscreen - like my wife's Tifosi ones - they just don't go as dark.

As for going in and out of wooded areas - this isn't really what they are for. Your eyes adjust quickly enough.  What photochromics do is adjust for the prevailing weather without you having to change lenses, that's all.

Love my Scott Spur’s They are at the lighter end of the spectrum which suits me fine and I only change them to my normal oakleys when it’s proper bright sunshine.

Very comfortable and also come with a clear lens for night riding. Were £50 from Start but I think they have sold out now.

When I lose or break them I will definitely buy another pair of photochromic glasses

How well do they hold up to scratches/ mud.  Know that my cheap glasses get ditched after a while, so don't want to spend loads if they don't last.

Like any glasses, depends on how well you look after them. If you get them covered in mud then smear the mud about with a muddy glove, and toss them in the bottom of a bag with a load of tools then they won't last at all.  But when spending £150 or even £50 on a pair of shades you might be tempted to look after them a bit better?