With their essential stylish look, cycling glasses serve above all to protect your eyes from the sun’s rays and harsh terrain: branches, mud, gravel, etc.
Making the right choice is therefore important and involves taking into account your practice, your body type and your budget.
Tint and treatment of lenses, frame, shape, characteristics specific to each cycling discipline: Sport Équipement takes stock to allow you to see more clearly before equipping yourself.
Choosing the best lenses for your cycling glasses
Gone are the old glass panes which have almost injured more than one cyclist in the eye by breaking during a fall.
Today, the velo glasses are designed in polycarbonate or organic glass, with a curved shape ensuring better protection against the sun’s rays and harsh terrain.
Visual comfort, weight and resistance, here’s how to choose the best lenses for your pretty glasses.
What level of protection for cycling glasses?
Driving in the rain or in the bright sun does not imply the same needs in terms of visual protection. This is why glasses come in four categories.
Category 0: rainy weather and practice at night
Category 0 lenses are transparent or very slightly tinted yellow.
They filter between 0% and 19% of the sun’s rays.
These models offer effective protection against the cold, rain and wind without losing brightness.
Perfect if the rain doesn’t discourage you or if you like riding at night.
Category 1: overcast weather
Category 1 glasses are suitable for outings in overcast weather, rain, fog or poor sunlight.
They offer lightly tinted lenses that filter between 20% and 57% of the light while improving contrast.
Category 2: changing weather
Category 2 lenses are a good option in the off-season. With UV filtration between 58% and 82%, they are mainly suitable for outings in changing weather, in periods of partial sunshine.
Category 3: sunny weather
Category 3 lenses are the most worn by cyclists. They filter between 83% and 92% of the brightness, thus offering anti-UV protection suitable for most types of sunlight.
They are mainly used in summer or in the mountains, on snow-covered surfaces (mountain biking on snow for example).
What color lenses for cycling glasses?
There is no room for aesthetic considerations here. The choice is made above all on the characteristics offered by each shade:
Brown: enhances details and contrasts, recommended in cases of visual sensitivity or myopia; Yellow/orange: accentuates relief and contrasts, reduces visual fatigue, reduces glare at night, recommended in overcast weather; Green: suitable for low sunlight; Gray: faithfully restores natural colors, reduces brightness, recommended in cases of hyperopia.
Lens treatments and new technologies: what are the most interesting options?
Glass technologies
Bicycle lenses are no exception to innovation. Far from being gadgets, certain technologies may prove interesting depending on your practice:
Photochromic: photochromic lenses adapt to changes in light. They allow you to maintain optimal visual acuity throughout the journey, without having to change glasses. Polarization: polarized lenses prevent reflections from the sun reflected by the rolling surface. High contrast: high contrast glasses improve the perception of colors without changing that of white, thus providing better perception of the terrain.
Glass treatments
Likewise, certain treatments can significantly improve practice.
When mountain biking or on the road, anti-fog is almost not an option.
The anti-scratch, hydrophobic (water droplet removal) and oleophobic (dirt removal) treatments also prove valuable in the context of committed practice.
Lenses for your vision for your cycling glasses
No need to think about riding with standard cycling glasses if you wear prescription glasses every day. In this case, contact an optician. The latter will be able to inform you about the models compatible with corrective lenses.
Brands like Bollé, Demetz and Julbo offer this type of equipment.
Choosing the best frame for your cycling glasses
The best cycling glasses frames combine flexibility, lightness, solidity and excellent support in order to be forgotten throughout your outing.
To ensure maximum comfort, pay particular attention to the construction of the branches. Temples that are adjustable and covered with a non-slip surface are usually a good place to start.
Likewise, an adjustable, non-slip or interchangeable pad at the nose prevents frequent pain on the bridge of the nose.
In terms of lightness, glasses with half-rimmed frames offer a good weight-strength compromise. Be careful, however, because they are less resistant to shocks than rimmed frames and are therefore less suitable for committed practices (enduro, mountain biking, gravel off-road in particular).
Choosing the best shape for your cycling glasses
Wide or curved glasses, dual-lens or single-lens, straight or curved temples: cycling glasses models are available in all shapes and colors.
In sport, however, comfort takes precedence over style. You will therefore need to find the shape best suited to your face before thinking about your future look.
Don’t hesitate to test several models and try the glasses with your helmet. In particular, check that the branches do not come up against the rear of the hull, otherwise there is a risk of being constantly “pushed” forward.
Choosing the best cycling glasses based on your cycling practice
As you will have understood, choosing the best cycling glasses involves taking into account the shape of your face, but also your practice.
Mountain bikers will opt for a solid rimmed model and reinforced lenses which will offer perfect protection against the aggressions of the terrain. An anti-scratch treatment will be a real plus to extend the life of the equipment. Hydrophobic and/or oleophobic treatments will also be welcome.
Road cyclists will opt for a model with a semi-rimless frame or single lens which will combine lightness and a large field of vision. Photochromic lenses will also be a good option.
Updated by Quentin on: 05/10/2023
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