Hello cyclist! Do you realize how important sport sunglasses for you?
Some of us do not bother to have sport sunglasses which are all to do with safety.
Firstly, there is nothing wrong with wearing fashionable eyewear, the design is made for keeping dirt, dust and other debris out of your eyes while you are cycling. The wrap around frames help to keep the wind from blowing into your eyes, which affecting vision if eyes start to dry out, and also a big problem for those who wear contact lenses like me! hehe. So there a big element here concerned with looking after your eyes.
The next misconception about road cycling glasses is that people use different colored lenses in them. Some think they wear it because they are posers or narcissistic or want to be famous among others! Hrmm, they might be, but that is not necessarily! People wear green lenses or amber or yellow because of ambient lighting conditions, and different colors give riders a better ability to see in the changing conditions they might encounter on long rides.
So in extremely bright conditions, highly effective sunglasses are required. Dark gray lenses will be the perfect choice to block out as much light and glare as possible without interfering cyclist’s vision. In this kind of intense light, and the milder lighting of a moderately sunny day, the amber lenses can play an important role in helping to improve contrast. The better contrast enables cyclist to see obstacles in the road, such as potholes or larger debris. This is important to avoid bike crash.
When light conditions deteriorate, yellow lenses can be worn as there may still be a substantial risk of glare, especially when there is broken cloud, with the sun constantly being hidden and reappearing. Yellow cycle lenses can reduce this type of glare and allow you to see the road clearly. Green lenses also play a similar role if you are constantly riding between alternating bright and overcast conditions; they can help to give a good depth-perception and are anti-glare, so are therefore a good all-rounder.
Finally there are photochromatic lenses or also known as transition lenses which have coatings that react in real time to changes in ambient light. So in bright sunlight they darken, and look like proper sunglasses; whereas in darker lighting, such as early morning and dusk or on overcast days, they become lighter to let more light into the eyes of the wearer.
So as a serious cyclist, now you are realize that it’s a great idea to own at least one pair of cycling eyewear. If you invest in a single pair, it is probably best to go for the photochromatic type. Or if you spend a huge amount of time on the road, then you should either get a pair for bright light and a separate pair for darker conditions. Or there are several types on the market that have easily detachable lenses. Just buy a set of different colored ones, and switch them to the correct ones for the type of light you are about to venture out in. Cycling glasses are not just a fashion statement but they are fashionable though. But they are also an important piece of safety equipment.
