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Prescription Cycling Glasses

Been looking around the net for some (For use with both cycling and a bit of running) as my normal glasses just don't cut out quite enough of the glare and they slip somewhat when sweating...

A company called KagaOptics has cropped up since the last time I looked for some.

The only reviews I can find are on their own site which is making me a little nervous but they are coming in around £100-£150 cheaper than equivalent from other manufacturers .

Anyone here used them?

Cheers

JimD

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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29 comments

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amazon22 | 4 years ago
1 like

I can recommend www.extreme-eyewear.co.uk for prescription cycling glasses - they can digitally map your prescription to quite extreme lense shapes for haters of inserts. I bought some Rudy Rydons last year with prescription transition lenses - fast turnover and very high quality. They have the advantage that I can easily swap out the lenses for my new prescription. Run by Simon, a dispensing optician. Very pleased with the Rydons also - no more watering eyes no matter how fast!

 

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Durian Rider | 4 years ago
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Never buy prescription cycling glasses from Kaga Optics.

Poor quality & shocking customer service.

I bought 2 pairs of glasses from them and the plastic inserts that hold the prescription lenses have cracked on both pairs. I have gone though 6  inserts within the year.

They ignored my emails & no one answers their phone. I only got a response when I threatened them with legal action. It has been 5 months since my last insert cracked and they have shown no real intent to resolve this. They lack basic knowledge of Consumer Law & have denied me of my statutory right to a refund. Looks like I will be taking them to court.

 

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jbw118 | 4 years ago
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I run and ride and never spend more than £20 for a pair of prescription glasses. For running riding the key is a very light pair with composite frame. For an added bonus I use anti fog spray (Swimming goggles spray)  So I dont steam up at all on these cold misty days we are having  1 Goggles4u always have offers on, if you dont need a complicated prescription you can even get a pair for under a tenner...

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Nat Jas Moe | 4 years ago
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If you just need reading glasses buy bi-focal safety spec.

This is where I get mine from:-  https://www.straightlines.com/  or 

https://www.safetyspecs.co.uk might be worth a punt but haven't used these

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Pilot Pete replied to Nat Jas Moe | 4 years ago
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Nat Jas Moe wrote:

If you just need reading glasses buy bi-focal safety spec.

This is where I get mine from:-  https://www.straightlines.com/  or 

https://www.safetyspecs.co.uk might be worth a punt but haven't used these

Not sure why anyone would want to spend £60+ on safety glasses when they ‘just need readers’ when they could spend £15 on Hydrotac lenses and stick them in their purpose made Oakley sunglasses or the like.

And your first link doesn’t work...

PP

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guidodg | 4 years ago
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if its only for reading your phone or GPS the the small stick on ones work perfectly when cut to size and stuck onto the bottom of the lens of your regular cycling glasses....and cheap to boot!

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bikin | 4 years ago
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If you only need "readers" this company rocks with selection and customer service: https://www.dualeyewear.com/

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nniff | 4 years ago
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Just something that may be helpful - I wear non-prescription sunglasses and, at this time of year, suffer badly from hay fever.  I mostly wear a pair of wrap-around Oakleys and the purpose is two-fold - keep the massive airborne pollen-boulders out of my eyes and dim the lights a bit.  The other day, being disorganised, I couldn't find them and went with a pair of smallish RayBan Wayfarers.  I was greatly surprised to find that there was a lot less buffet around my eyes and it was overall a marked improvement.  They might not have the same aero-speeding-bullet  look, and they will not fit onto my helmet vents, but right now I don't care.  I am embracing my new urban-aero look and am happier for it.

So - to the point - I think you can use a more conventional lens shape and have just as good a result.  Oakley Trilby are a similar shape to Wayfarers.

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JimD666 | 4 years ago
1 like

After a chance meeting in the LBS, and having tried on glasses with inserts.....I'm back to plan X. The inserts sit too close to my eyes and drove me mad. That was after about 30 seconds. Ah well.

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mikewood | 4 years ago
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There are/were some voltx safety glasses on a large online shopping site that were £30 for a set of clear, yellow and tinted that came with a smal bifocal section in 1.0,1.5,2.0 etc. Look like wraparound cycling glasses

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pockstone replied to mikewood | 4 years ago
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mikepridmorewood wrote:

There are/were some voltx safety glasses on a large online shopping site that were £30 for a set of clear, yellow and tinted that came with a smal bifocal section in 1.0,1.5,2.0 etc. Look like wraparound cycling glasses

Got two pairs of these about 18 months ago. Best spend on stuff for the bike (Under 30 quid...) ever. They are getting a bit scratchy now, probably because I treat glasses with no respect whatsoever. I would put a dab of glue under the rubber nose pads and inserts that grip behind the ears. Some of these have disappeared on mine. Great if you only need readers for maps, phone computer etc.

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JohnnyRemo | 4 years ago
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If you're looking at cheap/spare glasses I've found these fine for my mild short-sighted and astigmatic prescription. Works out at less than £60

https://www.selectspecs.com/glasses/infinity/gm-231-aluminium/ss260.83.html

They have other options available.

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mdava replied to JohnnyRemo | 4 years ago
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JohnnyRemo wrote:

If you're looking at cheap/spare glasses I've found these fine for my mild short-sighted and astigmatic prescription. Works out at less than £60

https://www.selectspecs.com/glasses/infinity/gm-231-aluminium/ss260.83.html

They have other options available.

 

Johnny - if you see this - do you find that those frames are curved enough that they don't get in the way when you are on the drops and therefore looking up through the top of the lens?

 

I ask because I bought some other frames from SelectSpecs and while they were an incredible bargain and fine for running etc, the fact that the frame is flat means that the top of it is in the way when you are on the drops and peering upwards.

 

Thanks

David

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ktache | 4 years ago
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Careful, I've been caught out, being quite short sighted, about -7, by trying to get glasses that are too big or too curved.

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srchar | 4 years ago
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Order a pair of replacement Oakley frames (a split frame like the Racing Jacket)  from their warranty phone line (£40) and take them to your optician to get them glazed with reactive lenses.

The best thing I have ever bought for on-bike comfort.

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Jack Osbourne snr replied to srchar | 4 years ago
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srchar wrote:

Order a pair of replacement Oakley frames (a split frame like the Racing Jacket)  from their warranty phone line (£40) and take them to your optician to get them glazed with reactive lenses.

The best thing I have ever bought for on-bike comfort.

Guess what Im doing at 0902 tomorrow!

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janusz0 replied to srchar | 4 years ago
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srchar wrote:

Order a pair of replacement Oakley frames (a split frame like the Racing Jacket)  from their warranty phone line (£40) and take them to your optician to get them glazed with reactive lenses.

Srchar, can you explain further?  What does "split frame" mean here?  Are the lenses held between a pair of front and back mouldings that clip together?  Which Oakley frames are "split frames"?

Do your prescription lenses completely replace the original glazing?

A photograph would be appreciated.

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srchar replied to janusz0 | 4 years ago
1 like

janusz0 wrote:

Srchar, can you explain further?  What does "split frame" mean here?  Are the lenses held between a pair of front and back mouldings that clip together?  Which Oakley frames are "split frames"?

Do your prescription lenses completely replace the original glazing?

A photograph would be appreciated.

Split frame as in two separate lenses (which an optician can grind to shape) rather than a single lens piece (which they can't).  Mine are Racing Jackets which are designed so that lenses can be easily swapped out by unclipping the lower half of the frame from the nosepiece.  Yes, the prescription lenses would have completely replaced the original glazing, if there was any.

https://www.google.com/search?q=oakley+racing+jacket&tbm=isch

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Drinfinity | 4 years ago
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I’ve got prescription Oakleys with photochromic lenses, very useful for riding in the woods. The optician had a fancy fitting gadget and a tablet to make sure the lenses lined up exactly with my pupils. I had an old pair before that was available, where I always felt they only worked through the top half. 

I’m very satisfied with them, and used the ‘second pair free’ option at Vision Express to pay for most of the cost.

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ktache | 4 years ago
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I was gutted to discover, after deciding  to not endure the torment that my use of contact lenses had become and after getting a lovely pair of Oakley perscription frames which the optician put in lenses, that Oakley do not make their lenses powerful enough for my percription.  So no Iridium lenses. 

I did without sunglasses for a while.  Too many years of finding the sun too bright, and several pairs of really bad oakley percription frames, I thought I would get myself a pair of sunglasses that could also be used as my spare pair.  I found to my delight that there is quite a market for second hand oakleys on ebay.  Found the sunglasses version of the glasses that I had loved for many Years, Ti Zeros, and got my optician to make up a set of my shockingly complex and expensive tinted lenses for them.  As I wanted them as emergency spares I went slightly lighter than I may have done for full on sunnys.

The original perscription Zeros frame had had slightly narrower lenses, as my lenses get quite fat at the edges, but since I had them, they have created a coating that reduces distortion towards the edges, and it really works, there's still a little bit of "squeezing" but nothing like without it.  It's so good when looking through the tops to look down the road or the sides when looking behind.  So good that I got the coating rather than the option of a mirrors coating, and I love the mirror thing.

Got my real glasses done all the same way, spare parts.

 

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JimD666 | 4 years ago
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Thanks all  1

Quick couple of thoughts in response to points made:

Optilabs were my original choice but being able to find more or less the same thing for >£100 cheaper made me think.

Looked at the Rudy Project stuff...oh my...I thought Oakley's were expensive!

Need a new eye test but may just have to take the plunge  1

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dooderooni | 4 years ago
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If you want to go down the more conventional sports sunglasses route then Honillesi on AliExpress might be to your liking. I've had everyday glasses from them and the lens and frame quality has been excellent.

My experience of the Jawbreaker clones from eBay or AliExpress is that the ones I've handled and used have been better than my Kaga's.

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Jack Osbourne snr | 4 years ago
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Just had a look at Kaga Optics offerings and they are certainly well priced.

They remind me of some that Planet X used to sell a few years ago, although you had to then take them to an optician for glazing

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ibr17xvii | 4 years ago
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I've used the Rudy Project clip on insert for a fair while now with zero problems.

Took a bit of getting used to but now they are spot on.

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Jack Osbourne snr | 4 years ago
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I've used clipons a few times and the inserts always break. I now just stick to my normal glasses or sunglasses.

They tend only to last one set of lenses (at best) as they, for me at least, usually snap somewhere around the lens.

They're fine if your prescription is stable, but if it's changing frequently, you'll quite likely be on a full set of glasses every time.

Having said that, at potentially less than one third of the cost of eg prescription Oakleys, they do still hold a certain attraction...

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dooderooni | 4 years ago
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I've used Kaga and they use a clipon prescription frame that mounts to the bridge piece of the main sunglasses frame. This clipon cracked in mine after a couple of months and I had to superglue it back together.

You can get similar and cheaper prescription glasses off AliExpress if you have your prescription.

I'll post more details later when I get back from work.

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Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
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If you only need readers, save your money and buy stick on prescription lenses. They cost about £15 and simply stick on with water and work fine. 

PP

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Thump replied to Pilot Pete | 4 years ago
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Pilot Pete wrote:

If you only need readers, save your money and buy stick on prescription lenses. They cost about £15 and simply stick on with water and work fine. 

PP

Agree with this if you can't see your garmin or phone. They are brilliant.

Top tip... leave them in really hot water to soften for a few minutes before applying them. Everyone over 50 in my cycling club are dead jealous of them.

 

Search for HydroTac Stick-On Magnifying Lenses on Amazon.

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janusz0 | 4 years ago
1 like

A quick look at their website suggests that the prescription lenses all sit behind the main eye shield. This can be alright as long as the prescription lens frame doesn't change position as you ride (I'm looking at you, Rudy Project) and the prescription lens doesn't get brushed by your eyelashes (they leave greasy marks). There's another problem. You will get annoying dirt and fluids lodged in the space between the lens and the shield, so make sure it's easy and quick to temporarily remove the prescription lens frame. I've used Optilabs wrap arounds, where the main eyeshields are formed from prescription lenses. They don't wrap around quite as much of your face as real, prescription less wraparounds, but they do a good job of keeping insects out of your eyes and have various photochromic, tinted or partially mirrored options.
Try for fit, before you buy and if you use bifocals or varifocals, bear in mind that you'll be looking down, with your eyes tilted up when cycling, so you need to get the optical centre of the bit that gives you good distance perception, higher than normal.
For people that only need reading glasses, there was a company at the London Bike show with sports glasses with a reading insert at the bottom, allowing you to read the gizmos on your bars.

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