Having received my stipend for coaching, it was time for the Annual Buying Of The Stuff.
Top on the list were new glasses. From 39DollarGlasses I got two pairs, one for reading, one for distance vision.
The centerpiece, since we have no car and I depend on my handcycle for transport/errand running/exercise, was a pair of cycling glasses with Rx lenses. No more Rx inserts behind the outer shield.
I ordered a pair of Tifosi Mast with Drivewear lenses from Sport Rx, a San Diego optical shop that specializes in producing full wrap sport glasses with the prescription ground into the entire lens.
Drivewear is polarized and has a yellow-green base tint intended for low light conditions (fog, rain, heavy overcast).
In the car, it changes to a copper tint and outside it further darkens to a reddish-brown.
Claimed light transmission-37%, 22%, 12%.
My impressions.
Base tint-It’s summer here, overcast and rain is several months away so I can’t say how effective this stage is under those conditions.
In the car- While we don’t have a car, we did need to borrow one for an appointment. I was disapointed to find the lenses failed to change in the car. At most, there was a very faint copper hue in the base tint.
However, this was 11:30am to 1 pm so the sun was directly overhead and my seating position was well back from the windshield(minivan).
On the plus side, the base tint and polarization did a fantastic job of dealing with the glare and sunlight present. I actualy didn’t miss the copper tint in that respect and I think I would have been comfortable driving all day.
I did put the glasses on the dashboard to get some direct sun and they did change to the proper tint. I will say it’s a terrific color for driving based on the brief time before it faded back.
I didn’t have a chance to drive later in the day with the sun lower in the sky but it appears that a lot of light is needed to get the driving tint.
As claimed, traffic signs and lights stood out compared to clear glasses and regular grey sunglasses that I brought with for comparison. Notable was that traffic signs in shadow were much easier to see.
Full sun outdoors- Mid-afternoon rides with temps in the mid to high 90s, no cloud cover. 1-1.5 hours.
Due to the high temps, the lenses probably didn’t reach full darkness and it wasn’t needed.
Street sign recognition/colors-same as the other tints.
This was more of a test of the glasses rather than the tint.
Coverage was full, I could not see any of the frame in my field of view. The lenses are vented so heat and sweat build up was not a problem and no sunlight came in around the frame.
Overall-In all three tints, color distortion was minimal to non-existent. During the drive test, I took off my glasses for a moment and the glare and sunlight was painful and eyestrain was present.
Even the base tint, despite passing a relatively large amount of light, was completely comfortable.
I like the colors but if you like gray, you’re out of luck.
From base tint to full outdoor tint took about 40-50 sec. and clearing was about 1:30-1:35.
These are not suitable for driving at night.
I do think that these lenses and the whole Transitions line need either a full wrap frame or at least a close fitting frame that blocks the side and top from direct sun to be fully effective.
My regular glasses have the standard Transitions(brown) and there’s a noticeable difference in comfort level despite a similar level of tint due to the unblocked sunlight coming in around the frame.
I really like these lenses. Despite the cost, I would buy these again if finances allow it.
For the motorcyclists- Sport Rx has a number of motorcycle specific sunglasses and goggles that are RXable. Only drawback is the styling is very HD/biker but if you ride helmetless/open face they look like a good choice.
Most have removable foam padding that keeps out wind and debris.
For you sport bike riders or full facers, the wraparounds like bicyclists wear will work. Note that most cycling glasses will not have the wind protection at higher speeds and need to be behind a faceshield.
I’m very pleased with the work they did on my glasses, I can look out the corner of my eye and my vision is as crisp as straight ahead.
This is not a budget place. Frames and options are about the same as B&M stores(which this actually is), the main difference is the full wrap Rx capability.
My glasses were $50 for the base frame, $100 to fill the Rx and $135 for the Drivewear option. From order to delivery was 15 days, they state 2-3 weeks depending on what you order. I’ve seen reviews that got their order in as few as 8-10 days.