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Oakley offers cyclists tips to help protect their eyes on the road

  • Ron 

While cyclists understand the need for safety equipment like helmets, lights and proper attire, many forget that protecting eyes is crucial to a safe and comfortable ride. In addition to protecting eyes from dirt, debris and other projectiles, performance sunglasses are the best way to ensure cyclists won’t suffer an eye injury or from the long-term effects of UV rays, which can cause cataracts, macular degeneration and even eye cancers.

A national survey conducted by Oakley found that:

  • 1 in in 10 American adults experience an eye injury annually while participating in outdoor sports and activities. Cyclists are the sports group most likely to sustain eye injuries. The injury rate is higher for men than women and for those age 18-24.
  • A majority of cyclists do not wear sunglasses on the road. Only 29 percent do. Nineteen percent of golfers and 28 percent of runners wore sunglasses while participating in their sport. Walkers (72 percent) were the largest group that consistently protects their eyes with sunglasses.

Sunglasses also make a big difference in both pro and amateur performance. Oakley Stores recently launched a custom eyewear program that offers 21 different lens tints and 28 frames to meet the most demanding performance requirements of any outdoor sport or activity. Not only can athletes now build custom eyewear at Oakley Stores, they can also – for the first time – fill their eyewear prescriptions using a unique and easy fit technology that Oakley helped develop. Also new this spring, Oakley launched its first-ever line of youth eyewear, specifically designed to properly fit smaller faces, while providing the same eye and impact protection that is available for adults and top athletes.

The holder of more than 600 patents and 1100 trademarks, Oakley recommends the following tips to select the right pair of sunglasses for cycling:

  1. Wraparound frames allow better peripheral vision, essential for cyclists who navigate in groups or around traffic. These frames also block wind that can dry eyes, and they won’t fog. Wraparounds that are higher above the eye provide better vision when riding low on the drops.
  2. Select glasses with polycarbonate lenses that are impact resistant, shatter resistant and filter out 100 percent of UV light.
  3. A frame with rubberized grip points keeps eyewear in place during strenuous activity or rapid movements.
  4. Choose a lens with a hydrophobic coating that creates an invisible barrier to easily shed sweat, rain, sunscreen, skin oils, dirt and dust.
  5. Plastic or nylon frames are safer than metal

Here are some great sunglasses for cyclists:

image001Radarlock Path: Oakley’s ingenious interchangeable lens technology allows fast and easy lens changing to easily adapt your vision for any environment. Each Radarlock Path comes standard with two lenses. Neutral grey-blue base tint provides truer color perception. Highly reflective Iridium coating reduces glare while providing a distinctive mirrored finish. Ideal for bright light conditions. $220

image003Racing Jacket: The polarized, neutral lenses of Oakley’s Racing Jacket reduce glare in bright light. Lenses are coated to keep sweat, rain, sunscreen, skin oils, dirt, and dust from interfering with its wide peripheral view. Impact resistant lenses protect eyes from flying debris, and moisture-activated grip points keep the sunglass in place across all terrain. A retaining strap keeps the frames in place. $220

image005Flak Jacket: A favorite among athletes for its lightweight, secure fit and optical clarity, Oakley’s Flak Jacket has a semi-rimless design that allows for unobstructed downward vision. The unique interchangeable lens design lets you match your optics to your environment, like between sunrise and sunset. Impact resistant lenses filter out 100% of the sun’s harsh rays. Also available with Oakley prescription lenses. $150

image007Half Jacket 2.0: Performance, protection and comfort are sculpted into a new dimension of style with Oakley’s Half Jacket 2.0. Its interchangeable lens design keeps you a step ahead of changing light conditions and wraps your vision in the razor-sharp clarity of high definition optics. Lightweight, stress-resistant frame material offers durability and all-day comfort, and even increases grip when you sweat. A wide lens curvature protects against 100% of harsh sunlight, wind and impact. Polarized lenses are available to protect in bright conditions. Also available with Oakley prescription lenses. $120

image009Commit Squared: The women’s Commit Square has an interchangeable lens design that lets you adapt to virtually any environment. Its lens curvature extends peripheral vision and improves side protection, while filtering 100% of the sun’s UV rays. A permanent coating repels dust while maintaining a smudge-resistant barrier against skin oils, finger prints, lotions and sunscreens and even repels water to prevent streaks and sheens. Lightweight, stress-resistant frames firmly, and comfortably wrap around the sides of your head and bridge of your nose with components that increase grip with perspiration. $150

image011Quarter Jacket (Youth): Oakley’s Quarter Jacket offers uncompromising performance, comfort, protection and style. Specially engineered to fit youth faces, its lightweight and flexible frame material gives kids a feel-good fit with high impact resistance that is ideal for baseball, softball, golf, cycling, tennis and water sports. A wide base lens curvature extends peripheral view while improving side protection against sun, wind and impact. Comfortable earsocks increase grip with perspiration so that they stay securely in place. $100

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