[Closed] Riding glasses (photochromic)

Stick with Endura.

Oakley.

Shopic. But only your optician will be able to get them.

Rudy Project Rydon.

I got some Julbo Zebra ones while I was in France over the summer. Thoroughly impressed with them.

Light enough to work in Scottish woodland and dark enough for an Alpine summer.

Oakley lenses are lovely but I think their riding glasses are overdesigned and overpriced. The Prizm lenses especially good but dont believe they’ll work as well as photochromic in UK woodland riding.

Just to (not really) help, I bloody love my Oakley EV Range Photochromics

Don't forget you can buy some frames you like and have them reglazed. Might work out more expensive, might work out cheaper, but does give you more options (unless you want a single-lens style).

EBay oakley fit lenses - I can't tell the difference between them and my genuine oakley ones EXCEPT  that the eBay ones are thinner

Tifosi Camrock. Also own a pair of discontinued Endura bins and these are just as great.

I really like my Oakley Clear Black Iridium photochromic lenses for winter riding, but actually the other 3 seasons I prefer the Prizm Trail, which is a superb lens IMO.

I have some BBB Winner photochromics (Tredz sell em) - the actual tint change on the lens is superb, properly dark to clear.

Thing is, I need a new pair as the old ones are so scratched - they really need looking after, which isn't ideal for mtb glasses. So I might look for something different. £50 is a fair price for glasses, imo. So if you're good to them the Winners are a ... you know 🙂

I got some from Decathlon, wern't silly expensive either.

I’d have said Rad-8 a few months ago; however after buying the £25ish Decathlon Photochromic glasses when I forgot to take some glasses with me in a ride (can’t remember the model number) they are about as good as the Rad-8.

£25ish Decathlon Photochromic glasses

£29.99

BUY ONLINE
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🙁

Oakley here I've a pair of jawbreakers bought cheap.ish online. Picked up photochromic lens off eBay £18.99 it's splendid.

After my Specialized Adaptalites retired I've tried several replacements with photochromic lenses on the cheaper end of the scale, including a pair of Rad8, and found a pair of Endura Mullet the best.  think the vents in the lenses help keep them clear too.  I was lucky to get them on sale from Evans, unfortunately they're back to full price.

Endura Mullet here as well, which are my go to glasses for trails and days in the hills..

Also Tifosi, which the Mrs uses and rates highly in a frameless design.

P-X / On-one have some Carnac & Briko photochromics at very reasonable prices too, I was wearing the fluo-yellow, framed, clear to chromic Briko this morning from full darkness to sunrise, quite happily.

I really like my Oakley Clear Black Iridium photochromic lenses for winter riding

Ditto

BBB and Rudy Project are semi-frameless - I prefer enclosed.

Julbo didn’t seem very good quality when i saw them at Ard Rock and expensive with it.

The only current model endura’s with wide range photochromic seem to be the FS260 which arent bad value but have 2 lenses as well as the photochromic, which i’ll Never use.

Tifosi a good tip - the STW review highlights some models to check from their huge range as well. Decathlon also sound good and cheap.  RAD8 504 look good too.

I've got a pair of the Ribble ones; about £25 IIRC.  Work quite well in and out of the trees.  Not the classiest looking though, if that matters.

Endura do good ones, though  if you are getting on (like me) and need to work the gps loads, try BBB with a +1.5 lens set in the base of the lens.

After inevitably losing my Oakleys, I took a punt on the Decathlon ones.

Very good, have now bought another pair to stash in the car.

No noticable lens distortion, which put me off all the other cheaper ones I've tried previously.

They do a minimalist running version and an MTB pair. Slightly different fit so worth trying both IME.

Just bought some Endura Massai glasses a week ago. Still available (eBay store in Spain) arrived swiftly.

I too bought some Decathlon photochromic as a spare pair for the road but seem to use them more than any other sunnies I own on road and mtb

got rad8s here, excellent for full summer & night riding. liked them so much i got the prescription version too. feel so comfy i forget I'm wearing them

Tifosi for me. I have a few pairs and really like them.

Adidas Zonyk Vario. Great lens and goggle-like coverage. And don’t look shit.

The Rad8 photochromics are nice. The new Mud Hugger ones seem very good at not misting up. They're full frames too.

I agree with njee20. I use my Oakley clear/black photochromic in places like Greece but 99% of my technical riding is done year round in prizm trail.

Prizm really does make a difference.

I have the adidas evil eye half rim pro vario, also available as a full lens.  Has the advantage of having small to large frame sizes and the legs are also adjustable for the angle.  Very good glasses.

The are some Rudy Projects on Sport Pursuit at the moment, with both Rydons and some full frame designs available in photochromic.

Another vote for the Oakley EV Photochromics here.

perfect for all U.K. type riding. Only slight niggle is that they don’t go too dark in hotter climates ... although still go dark enough to prevent you squinting at the sun.

i bought a set of eBay copy replacement lenses for my EVs; the actual lenses were fine, but the size was a little smaller than the original .. prob on par with Asian fit sizes.

I have a set of white endura mullets for sale if any use? 22 quid posted.

Rad8 - great on full-sun rides as well as on total-darkness ones (tested recently). They are also very good in preventing misting up, as long as you're moving, even in proper snail pace. When it is very humid (think autumnal night ride after a warm day) the anti-fog coating will eventually give up when you stop or ride up very steep climb, but 2-3 seconds of just slightly faster spin will clear them up imminently.

Worth to mention: not just great glasses, but their customer support is beyond excellent!

Well, I won't be buying BBBs anymore - seen on the website that they don't make the same model anymore.. why discontinue stuff, it's so annoying. And the Winners have replaceable lenses, but you can't buy replacement lenses. So that's just stupid.

I did have Endura ones early on - but IIRC they were dark to quite dark... never went clear enough?

i've got Tifosi Seek FC Sport pretty decent.. they were a bit darker than i expected, but they're ok. they demist when moving fne. but can mist up a little when at a stand still

I have the Adidas Zonyk with the vario lenses and they work well, but are expensive.  However, for steaming up I've found the Muc Off anti-fog works really well so that may help when considering options.

+1 for Rad8.  I have had the 502's for a year and they are good in all conditions.  Great customer service as well.  My case broke, a quick email to them and a replacement is in the post foc.

Endura wide range photochromic “plus”  (inc the Masaii) go very light. Some of the others like I think the mullet don’t go as light.

Picked up some oakley Crossrange for a bargain £83 from  https://www.sunglasses-shop.co.uk/oakley/crossrange/carbon-oo9361-03/53366?tmsb=tay13mz&tmrl=dbzzt&tmsl=4-product-carousel&tmty=w&tmcv=39&tmcs=1jaz5z5

Those Rad8 ones look almost identical to the Evans FWE Helios ones for 35 quid instead of 90.

Have put a few rides on the Oakley Prizm now.  They're great in bright conditions but we've been riding until sunset and for the last few runs they're too dark - makes me appreciate how good Photochromics are in the UK.  The Prizm will be great through summer but I think I'm going to end up wearing the Endura Masai through winter.

However, the Oakleys have made me appreciate the contrast improvement of coloured lenses.  Why is no-one doing photochromic with an orange tint anymore?  What happened to the (excellent) Adaptalight lenses that Specialized were using?

I've been using a paid of Oakley Flakjackets with prescription oakley black photochromic lenses (200 quid or so for the lenses) for about 3 years.

In steady light they're great but they are very slow to adapt if you go from bright sunshine into dark woods, leaving you struggling to see.

Does anyone else suffer this?

Not really. I've been using those lenses for about 10 years. If they are slow to transition then they are still quicker than stopping to change specs every few minutes.

All my photochromics have changed quick enough - shit, your eyes take some time to adapt anyway.

What happened to the (excellent) Adaptalight lenses that Specialized were using?

I loved the ones I had as well, although the yellow frames were a little him.

Best riding glasses I've ever had until I snapped the frame 😥

Another +1 for Rad8. I've got prescription mud huggers and I don't think I'll ever go back to contact lenses now.