Before we talk about prescription cycling glasses, we make things simple and research nonprescription first. Go to prescription glasses for cycling directly.

What should you look for when buying a new pair of cycling sunglasses? How much should you be looking to pay?

Cycling sunglasses seem to be getting bigger and bigger every season because of fashion, but cycling sunglasses are not all about fashion.

As an important equipment of cycling, cycling glasses, like helmets, are a must-have

• In the summer, the importance of cycling glasses is prominent.
• However, cycling glasses are not exclusive to summer. They also provide a barrier to snow or rain, even wind and insects.
• In the windy days, if you accidentally, dust and some small items will blow into the glasses, not only hurt your eyes, but also cause danger.
• In winter in North America, North Europe, snow reflective light may cause the eyes to suffer from "snow blindness"
• So, in either case, you need a pair of cycling glasses that protecting you eye, improving ride experience.

The prices of cycling glasses may be from ten dollars to thousand dollars. But what should you be looking for in a pair of cycling glasses that can be used all year round?

1. Cycling glasses function

• The most important part of cycling glasses is their lenses, as the tint of the lenses will dictate what conditions you can wear them in.
• The selection of cycling glasses requires consideration of the lens's ability to filter harmful light, while different lenses absorb and filter different spectrum of lights. You may also need to consider your riding environment.
• Many expensive glasses are treated with lenses that are suited to a wide range of light conditions. The Oakley Prizm lens, for example, excels across a range of weathers.
• However, you can buy a pair of less expensive cycling glasses with inter-changeable lenses which can be swapped out accordingly.

• Most cycling glasses with inter-changeable lenses will come with three to five lenses.
• Firstly, they should have a standard shaded lens that will provide 100% UV protection and help to dim bright sunshine when riding in the height of summer. However, they shouldn’t be so dark that you find yourself struggling to pick out the road surface.
• The second lens should have a yellow tinge, which will be great for brightening things up when riding in overcast conditions, making it easier to spot rough road surfaces in flat light. And finally
• Thirdly, they should come with a clear lens that is there for when you’re riding after dark.
• They may have mirror lenses which are essential for high-altitude cycling, and are used in areas with strong light and strong ultraviolet light in snow or plateau.
• Sometimes they may also including polarized lenses used in preventing reflective glare from the surface of water, sand road in strong sunny day summer time
• Why you need polarized sunglasses?
• Light reflected from surfaces such as a flat road or smooth water generally is horizontally polarized. This creates an annoying and sometimes dangerous intensity of light that we experience as glare. Polarized lenses contain a special filter that blocks this type of intense reflected light, reducing glare.

2. Cycling glasses lens material

• The material of the cycling glasses must be flexible and also tough to pressure and impact. Even if you fall during cycling, you will not hurt your eyes because of broken glasses.
• In general, acetate based lenses are elastic, strong, light and comfortable to wear. Glass-type lenses are absolutely forbidden in the manufacture of cycling glasses.
• Cycling glasses also need to have the function to filter UV light that is harmful to the eyes.
• This function was realized by casting multilayer films on lenses and different films have different function.

3. Comfort of wearing cycling glasses

• Comfort of wearing is related to the material, size and weight of the glasses.
• The comfortable cycling glasses should cover the eyes more comprehensively, prevent external light from interfering with the line of sight.
• Professional cycling glasses generally use non-slip materials in the nose pads to ensure stability during strenuous exercise.
• In recent years, most of the cycling glasses will add extra vents to reduce lens atomization.

4. Cycling glasses Frame

Basically, there are three different styles of frame design: full frame, half frame, and frameless and all offer similar functions:

The professional cycling glasses frame requires softness, elasticity, and impact resistance.

• The face can be safely protected from damage during sports.
• When you pay for your new cycling glasses, most of the money will be probably be going towards buying the frame rather than the lenses, so you want to make sure that you’re getting good value.
• The most important thing is that the frame fits well. The veneer of the frame allows face to fit snugly against the edge of the frame, preventing the strong wind from irritating eyes during rapid movement.
• The tips of the arms should fit snugly around your temple just above your ears, holding the cycling glasses securely in place.
• When you’re looking down and swinging your head from side to side when sprinting out of the saddle, cycling glasses can still stay on your nose stably, however you don’t want them to be too tight otherwise they will quickly make you feel uncomfortable.
• One feature that a lot of cycling glasses have to hold them securely in place without needing tight arms is little rubber grippers that grip the side of your head.
• There are also a few with adjustable arms to ensure a good fit.
• The other important area to look at to ensure the frame fits properly is the nose pads.
• Most cycling glasses have adjustable rubber nose pads that can be shaped depending on the dimensions of your nose, which is crucial as you don’t want the glasses slipping down your face if the nose pads are too big, or sitting too high and falling off completely if they are too small.

5. Sunglasses are not a substitute for cycling glasses

• Many people think that sunglasses are enough for riding a bike, but in fact, they are totally different. The design of the sunglasses is not for sports.
• Sunglasses may slide even fall in riding
• Most sunglasses are generally not anti-fog, which can cause blurring of the lens in hot and cold weather, which is a risk in riding.
• Sunglasses have no function of preventing wind, dust and some small items from entering the eye while riding bicycle.

6.  How about prescription glasses for cycling?

It is core of this article, here is 4 solutions for you.

1) "High economical" cycling glasses with contact lenses

• If you get used to wearing contact lenses, then you can wear the common cycling glasses which is convenient and economical.
• If you don't have the habit of wearing contact lenses, you can also buy a daily disposable contact lens with cycling glasses for cycling.
• If you want to wear contact lenses and riding glasses during long-distance cycling or competitions, it is best to get used to contact lenses, so as not to affect the safety of riding, because you may need time to get used to contact lenses.

2) "Highly adaptable" cycling glasses with optical lenses

• The optical lens is mounted on the riding glasses lens to overcome the trouble of myopia.
• Dedicated sports optical lens, its curvature and safety performance are compatible with cycling glasses, and it has the coverage of goggles lens.
• For those who are not used to wearing contact lenses, the wearing glasses with optical lenses will be more adaptable and comfortable methods, but the price is expensive, and there are also limitations of myopia.

3) Helmet-goggle combinations

• This is a solution that is favored by myopic riders. The cyclist can wear the glasses directly, and then bring the goggles that come with the helmet.
• However, helmet-goggle combinations are not specially designed for holding the glasses inside, it may not fit cyclists well.

4) The cycling glasses style that can load the myopia inner frame.

• This can also be seen on some big brand, the advantage is the not very expensive, and adaptable to comprehensive prescription glasses.
• However, at the same time bring disadvantages:
• Increase in weight;
• Optical inner frame size limits the size of the field of view;
• Eyelashes are easily ground to the inner frame, staining the lens;
• Endoscopic curvature some tome does not fully meet the requirements of motion optics
• Longer Time to customized made