Eyeglass Issues - Anyone Ride with Progressive Lenses?

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
well, but I still can read without glasses.

In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses", as they
call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
off one's glasses. But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

Vernon's been using such lenses for years now. But he's far-sighted, not
short-sighted.

Quoted message said:

The oculist is offering a deal by which you get a second pair of
sunglasses free. I have the choice of having only the distance
correction in the sunglasses (whose main use will be for cycling in the
summer), or of having the progressive lenses in both the white and the
tinted pair.

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

Vernon uses his for driving, but he's far-sighted anyway. One of the things
he's learnt about this form of lenses is that not all lenses of the same
prescription are the same. The shape of the lens (as in terms of style of
specs) and the manufacturer have an effect on the quality in terms of how
much of the lens area is available for the different uses to which it is
put. As a basic rule, he's found the smaller overall lens area the more
difficult it can be to adapt to using them, and the cheaper lenses are not
always good value - in this case, often more expensive is actually better.

Vernon's problem comes with wearing progressives and wanting to be able to
read a map that's in the map pocket of a bar-bag. He has found that
by-and-large he still requires a separate pair of reading glasses.

He and I are both spec-wearers and what we've found useful is to have
photochromatic lenses.

Cheers, helen s

Quoted message said:

EFR
Ile de France

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 11:56:00 +0100, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email hidden]> wrote:

| I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
| the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
| well, but I still can read without glasses.
|
| In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses", as they
| call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
| where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
| different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
| read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
| off one's glasses.

In the UK they are called varifocals.
It is perfectly legal in the UK to drive cars in varifocals, and I have
driven a car with them for several years, also ridden a bike with them.
So in the UK no problems with riding bikes in varifocals.

| But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

Yes but IMO worth the effort.
--
Dave Fawthrop <[email hidden]>
Subscribe to uk.net.news.announce. A low volume *civilised* newsgroup
with only the essential information about what is happening in the uk.*
newsgroups, Request For Discussions (RFDs) Call For Votes (CFVs) etc.

I agree with this post.
I have used varifocals for several years now and found them ideal.

--
Regards, Kenneth.
www.kmiles.co.uk
"Dave Fawthrop" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 11:56:00 +0100, Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email hidden]> wrote:

| I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
| the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
| well, but I still can read without glasses.
|
| In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses", as they
| call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
| where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
| different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
| read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
| off one's glasses.

In the UK they are called varifocals.
It is perfectly legal in the UK to drive cars in varifocals, and I have
driven a car with them for several years, also ridden a bike with them.
So in the UK no problems with riding bikes in varifocals.

| But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

Yes but IMO worth the effort.
--
Dave Fawthrop <[email hidden]>
Subscribe to uk.net.news.announce. A low volume *civilised* newsgroup
with only the essential information about what is happening in the uk.*
newsgroups, Request For Discussions (RFDs) Call For Votes (CFVs) etc.

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
well, but I still can read without glasses.

snip

Quoted message said:

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

Astigmatic rather than myopic -- but I cycle and drive with varifocals with
no problems.

The problems of getting used to them are fairly minor if the prescription is
correct -- they are very natural and intuitive to use. If, however, they
give you the wrong prescription or make up the glasses with the reading
element slightly misplace you will struggle. If you get used to them
quickly all is fine -- if you feel it is difficult to get used to them then
get them rechecked.

T

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see

in

Quoted message said:

the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up

as

Quoted message said:

well, but I still can read without glasses.

<<SNIP>>
Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

EFR,

I have been riding (and driving!) for many years with progressive
bifocals, and have never had a lick of problems with them. I am
extremely nearsighted, and have been so since the age of 8. Luckily, I
am not highly astigmatic, so my lenses are not of the "Coke Bottle"
variety. You must allow a bit of time for adjustment (especially
walking down stairs!), but suddenly you will realize that you cannot
tell that you are wearing them. Peripheral vision on a well made lense
is no worse than for single vison.

I find the lenses are actually better for driving and riding then
single 'scrip glasses; the upper section of the lenses correct for
distance (look out the windscreen or down the road) and the lower
section corrects for the nearer items (dashboard guages, cue sheets or
cyclocomputer).

The only downfall is if you have a set of cycling-specific eyewear with
"prescription inserts". The lens inserts are usually fairly small and
of a tight radius (to conform to the face). The physics of the issue
dictate that very close attention be paid when making the lenses to
avoid distortion ... many occulists do not have experience with tese
types of applications. Additionally, the smaller size of the lens may
make a progressive bifocal impossible. I have a set of Rudy Projects
where compromise was needed.

Bon Chance!

Johhny Two Pedals said:

I find the lenses are actually better for driving and riding then
single 'scrip glasses; the upper section of the lenses correct for
distance (look out the windscreen or down the road) and the lower
section corrects for the nearer items (dashboard guages, cue sheets or
cyclocomputer).

Thanks. I'm astygmatic as well as myopic and do wear coke bottles. My
distance correction fails about 14 inches from my eyes. To read anything I
have to take my glasses off and approach the page to about 8 inches. It
gets boring in front of the TV to consult the program. Cycling, my main
concern is not to perturb balance which is rather defective on me. Another
concern is that the lenses be well-ventilated because I get terrible
fog-up.

In any case my distance correction has not changed, so I have my two pairs
of current eyeglasses to fall back upon if I'm not happy with the
varifocals. I only wish it were possible to try cycling in the clear
varifocals before following up with the sunglasses. Unfortunately they have
to be ordered and delivered simultaeously.

EFR
Ile de France

Helen C Simmons said:

Vernon's problem comes with wearing progressives and wanting to be able to
read a map that's in the map pocket of a bar-bag. He has found that
by-and-large he still requires a separate pair of reading glasses.

I've had the same thing reported by a friend, but she is far-sighted like
Vernon. She actually needs three pairs: progressive-far, progressive-middle and
glasses for reading. I think the topology for us myopics is somewhat different.

Quoted message said:

He and I are both spec-wearers and what we've found useful is to have
photochromatic lenses.

Are those the ones that darken as the sun comes out?

EFR
Ile de France

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Helen C Simmons said:

Vernon's problem comes with wearing progressives and wanting to be able
to
read a map that's in the map pocket of a bar-bag. He has found that
by-and-large he still requires a separate pair of reading glasses.

I've had the same thing reported by a friend, but she is far-sighted like
Vernon. She actually needs three pairs: progressive-far,
progressive-middle and
glasses for reading. I think the topology for us myopics is somewhat
different.

Quoted message said:

He and I are both spec-wearers and what we've found useful is to have
photochromatic lenses.

Are those the ones that darken as the sun comes out?

EFR
Ile de France

I am astigmatic and myopic but can drive when wearing glasses. I have
varifocals with a very slight tint and use these all the time - including
cycling. I do however have a pair of photochromatic glasses corrected for
driving and other far away stuff I use when it's sunny for cycling, driving
or sailing. Additionally if you are prepared to pay more you can get flatter
lenses for the same prescription so specs are less bulky and lighter - but
so is your wallet.

Julia

in message <[email hidden]>, Elisa Francesca Roselli

(') said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see
in the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up
as well, but I still can read without glasses.

In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses",

Known in the UK as 'varifocal'

Quoted message said:

as they
call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
off one's glasses. But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

The oculist is offering a deal by which you get a second pair of
sunglasses free. I have the choice of having only the distance
correction in the sunglasses (whose main use will be for cycling in
the summer), or of having the progressive lenses in both the white and
the tinted pair.

Quoted message said:

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

I'm not excessively nearsighted but excessively farsighted, but the
issue is much the same. Currently I do wear prescription glasses for
driving (so that I can see the instruments clearly, rather than
anything else) but don't wear them for cycling. The downside of this is
that if I need to consult a map when out cycling I have to take my
sunglasses off, root around in my bag, find my prescription glasses,
put them on... of course if I've forgotten them, which happens more
often than I'd like to admit, I can't see the map anyway.

My advice would be to get the varifocal shades - I'm thinking of having
a set of varifocal inserts made up for my Oakleys.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

The Conservative Party now has the support of a smaller proportion of
the electorate in Scotland than Sinn Fein have in Northern Ireland.

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
well, but I still can read without glasses.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

EFR
Ile de France

If you are used to progressives, then they shouldnt be a problem. It
is taking me forever to get used to them in general (the near/reading
part always seems in the wrong spot for reading or seeing the
monitor).

Depending on your vision, driving with them is actually a /good/ idea.
Late in the day when my eyes are tired, I need the reading/near vision
to read maps or even details on the dashboard.

As yet, I have never bothered with progressive sunglasses simply
because it is not like driving where there are some close up things to
see - most everything is in the far vision arena - the only thing
close up is the computer and the big speed display is large enough to
read.

Perhaps you could cut a deal for the second pair, but tell them you'll
decide whether the sunglasses will be progressive or not after you
'test drive' the regular ones. Then you could take a ride or two with
them to see whether you want or need the sunglasses as bifocals.

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
well, but I still can read without glasses.

In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses", as they
call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
off one's glasses. But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

The oculist is offering a deal by which you get a second pair of
sunglasses free. I have the choice of having only the distance
correction in the sunglasses (whose main use will be for cycling in the
summer), or of having the progressive lenses in both the white and the
tinted pair.

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

Absolutely. You don't want to switch between progressive lenses and
single-strength lenses. That will be disorienting.

You will have trouble, at first, with things like stairs, but you will get
used to it. You would really miss the progressive lenses on a ride, since
you would not be able to read maps, or anything else.

I have progressive-lens Bolle' sunglasses. Very nice. Pricey, but nice.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig... You
_`\(,_ | soon find out the pig likes it!
(_)/ (_) |

JBB said:

I am astigmatic and myopic but can drive when wearing glasses. I have
varifocals with a very slight tint and use these all the time - including
cycling. I do however have a pair of photochromatic glasses corrected for
driving and other far away stuff I use when it's sunny for cycling, driving
or sailing. Additionally if you are prepared to pay more you can get flatter
lenses for the same prescription so specs are less bulky and lighter - but
so is your wallet.

The price they quoted for the two pairs was over 900 Euros. That is for
extra-thin glass with an anti-reflection finish on the clear pair. The oculist
seemed to think that two pairs, one tinted, one clear, were better than one
photochromatic which is never quite as clear or quite as dark. I know it sounds
really bratty to talk this way, but I'm not overly concerned by the lightened
wallet as it seems this is entirely covered by my insurance. Long may it last.

EFR
Ile de France

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 09:06:53 -0600, Michael K <none@> wrote:

| If you are used to progressives, then they shouldnt be a problem. It
| is taking me forever to get used to them in general (the near/reading
| part always seems in the wrong spot for reading or seeing the
| monitor).

I have a web page on VDU Glasses http://tinyurl.com/c3lh and suggest you
read that.

My varifocals work fine for doing anything for a short time.

It really depends on your individual eyesight problems, if you can use
varifocals lenses for continuous use at a monitor, reading etc. I have a
pair of varifocals for general use, and four pairs of single focus for:
VDU use (500mm), Reading (300mm), watching TV (3000mm) and films
(infinity). If any of these causes problems, an extra pair of single
focus would cure the problem. Your optician will be happy to oblige.

If you are employed in a job which requires use of a VDU, in the UK, your
employer should provide special VDU glasses, under the Health and Safety at
Work Act.

My optician rubs his hands in glee when I walk in the door, and then gives
me trade discount ;-)

--
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk>
Killfile and Anti Troll FAQs at
http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk/killfile.

On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 10:56:00 +0000, Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote
(in article <[email hidden]>😉:

Quoted message said:

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

Nope, but my two-penn'orth might still be relevant. I use bifocals and last
year got some terribly cool oval small lens ones that have proved to be
virtually useless as the spot in the lenses where they actually work well for
distance is so small as to render wearing them to go anywhere a fairly
frightening business. I'm going big and round next time - following fashion
made me more of a Mr Magoo instead of less :-(

M.

Matthew Nettle said:

I use bifocals and last
year got some terribly cool oval small lens ones that have proved to be
virtually useless as the spot in the lenses where they actually work well for
distance is so small as to render wearing them to go anywhere a fairly
frightening business. I'm going big and round next time - following fashion
made me more of a Mr Magoo instead of less :-(

The oculist did steer me away from styles with smaller lenses. However, I notice
unfortunately that there are far fewer large-lense glass frames around these days
than when I was younger. They seem to have gone right out of fashion.

EFR
Ile de France

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm very myopic, and since I was 12 have been wearing glasses to see in
the distance. With age, I've started having trouble seeing close up as
well, but I still can read without glasses.

In October I had a prescription made for "progressive lenses", as they
call them here. These are not downright bifocals, but a kind of lense
where there is a range of corrections accessible by peering through
different areas of the lense. This makes it possible, for example, to
read a label in a supermarket or consult a map without having to take
off one's glasses. But I'm told they take some time to get used to.

The oculist is offering a deal by which you get a second pair of
sunglasses free. I have the choice of having only the distance
correction in the sunglasses (whose main use will be for cycling in the
summer), or of having the progressive lenses in both the white and the
tinted pair.

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

EFR
Ile de France

I am short-sighted: -2 and -2.5 dioptre lenses. I cycle in varifocal
glasses but I can't look behind and see clearly because when I turn I am
looking through the wrong.part of the lens - at the side where the
prescription is not right. I uses a mirror and am thinking of getting some
single vision specs for cycling.

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Are those the ones that darken as the sun comes out?

EFR
Ile de France

Indeed they are.

Cheers, helen s

Elisa Francesca Roselli said:

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Opticians here (in the U.S.) usually don't recommend progressive
bifocals for sunglasses. No need, unless you're going to be reading
while wearing sunglasses, though I guess this might not be true at the
beach.

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I thought that I should have distance correction only in the sunglasses
to avoid limiting field of vision. But to my surprise, a colleague who
recently got himself some progressives similar to what I would get tells
me that he uses them to drive!

Any strongly nearsighted person here bike with progressive lenses?

I've had progressives for about 8(?) yrs (glasses in general for 40 yrs).
Driving, cycling, everything. No problems. It does require you to move your
head a little more, to see distance stuff through the right part of the
lens, but it *quickly* becomes second nature, and totally natural.

Stairs are disconcerting for a day or two. Your feet look like they are in
the wrong place.

Taking into account the size and shape of the frame/lens, sometimes they can
alter the sizes of the different focal zones. But it's hard to know exactly
what you want before you try it for a while.

Pete