High Speed Prescription Glasses?

[DahMurf]

So I've determined the hard way that contact lenses and high speeds don't mix! Not the place you want to have them lift & drift.

Now I'm tasked with getting some glasses for the job. I've run two meets with the run of the mill glasses. First time, older more
stretched out helmet was a little more successful. Last time, newer proper fitting helmet had my glasses going crooked by the
end of the run. I looked silly but could still see through the lenses, but still not the way I want to do it. Ideally I'd like to do the
lasik surgery & get it over with but it's not in this years budget.

Between the two meets I started looking into "sport" glasses & hit a big brick wall. Seems all I could find were goggle type glasses
that had a strap around the head & not arms. That's just not going to work for me with putting the helmet on & off. So I know SSS
has gone this route and there must be others. What have y'all come up with for "sport" glasses? Ideally I'd like shatter resistant,
anti-fog and something that's essentially going to stay where I put it. I'd like a bit of a sport look, more like a sun glass cause I
honestly hate wearing glasses & hate the geeky way they look! LOL (oh the vanity!)

So, any thoughts, suggestions, examples, (web sites) to help me out without spending the cost of a new race suit on glasses alone?
Thanks!
Deb

[stratman59]

http://www.safevision.net/ hope this helps
rob

[wolcottjl]

Jon Wennerberg had an email or a writeup on glasses he used.  They are bifocal but the frame is probably what you are looking for.  I wear a set of wire rimless titanium glasses that seem to work OK with my helmet.  The brand is Silhouette - Be prepared they are expensive - But my frames are 4 years old - Hard to break.

Joel

[DahMurf]

Stratman, killer site, thanks!

I remember SSS's write up, luckily I don't need the bifocals yet!

Deb

[Snal]

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I took my helmet in when I was picking out my current eyeglass frames. Mine have been difficult to put on "after" putting the helmet on, and some have refused to stay in place due to the interior padding configuration of the helmet. You might look silly but who cares...make sure that you tilt your neck in a similar manner to the way it is when racing/riding to see how the frames react, then bump the chin of the helmet with the palm of your hand to see if the frames shift. If you have several helmets that you'll be using the frames with, then take all of them in. I'd also suggest that if there's a general need for bifocals...get a non-bifocal set for racing if you can afford the extra set.

[Stainless1]

LASIK... I got tired of contacts, then contacts with reading glasses, best $3K I ever spent.  Much cheaper now, but now sure I'd go all the way to bargain basement on vision.   
Freud, aren't you the expert here?

[landracing]

I second the Lasik Route. Wife and I had it done a couple years ago, ONE OF THE BEST things I ever did... Only next to marrying my wife....

Jon

[DahMurf]

hehehe Jon, good answer!

Ok, fill me in on the Lasik. Most places do financing, maybe I'll see if I can get a payment plan that will closely equal what I'm putting in my medical savings account monthly instead of waiting till next year when I have the money up front. Would save me from buying more contacts & special glasses too. hmmm....

How long does it take, how long are you down, gorey details, things to watch out for.. ?

Thanks!
Deb

[JackD]

Good question with a good result.
For all it's faults that generate the criticism, it really does pretty good to generate appropriate information. 

[Glen]

They are now doing lens implants and I am looking into that. Lots of new stuff. My problem is I wear tri-focals.

[DahMurf]

Well I guess I'm on the edge of getting old as my issues with seeing distance have not changed in many years but I'm just starting to notice that whole reading thing. I was thinking if I could correct for the distance with Lasik then I can always just use reading glasses as my eyes age. But what do I know, it's just my theory right now! I guess I'll ask the DR lots of questions. Just figured I'd see if there's anything important I should know or ask that others have already learned before I go grill him!

Deb

[JackD]

I tried trifocals once because I needed to focus on a navigation chart on my lap, an instrument panel an arms reach away , and fast moving distant stuff I didn't want to bump into.
That was OK for flying , but I couldn't even get out of the plane without doing a face plant.
I got the implants.
It cost the most, but not crashing is priceless. 

[DahMurf]

Jack, that mental image was funny! (sorry but I couldn't help but laugh "with" you! )

So what's the deal with the implants? Do they cut a tri-focal into the lens and implant it or are they making a lens the way it should be and sticking it in there?

How happy are you with your vision now?

Thanks!
Deb

[Freud]

Well here it comes. I practiced Optometry for 38 years. One of my patients was Phil Hill. Another was Lyndon Johnson.  I also rode a TZ 750 at Bonneville. Maybe those credentials will lend credibility to my answer.
No racer thinks anything of spending money on the proper gear set for B'ville if they plan to run there. It's a spcialized situation and so we step up and buy what we need and only use them on the Salt.
Take the same attitude with vision care.
I rode wearing contact lenses. Seeing small items up close is not a problem on the bike so only solve your seeing needs for far away.
Glasses are the cheapest solution. Look for a small oval or round frame, titanium or stainless are the most durable, with temples that can be STRAIGHTENED. By straightening the temples it is easy to slide them straight on over your ears. I can hear the screaams already. THEY WON'T STAY ON.  Wrong. The Airforce issued glasses for years with temples that went straight back. The temple has to be curved to match the shape of your head behing your ears. When that is done, they stay on just fine. Remember what I said. FASHION DOES NOT COME INTO PLAY. These are glasses for a special situation and so taylor them in that manner. Now, take your helmet with you and see if the lens sits properly for you to see thru them when you are tucked in. If the frame has nose pads it may make it easier to elevate the lens so you can see thru the top portion of the lens when your head is down. This can be determined even w/o lenses in the frame. It's only resolved with the helmet on and tucked in. If the top rim of the glasses cuts across your line of sight, find a different frame. If you can find a plastic frame that matches the bridge of your nose, it too will be adequate but lacks adjustability and is more apt to get broken. New plastic generally in not a problem but don't dig out an old frame and expect it to live. One problem with the SPORT FRAMES is that as they wrap around they are too close to your face or cheeks and this can cause them to FOG.
Don't have bifocals or trifocals in these glasses. If you are long course, Chris or Ed will read your timing slip to you. The progressive type lenses require the lens to be positioned in the frame in a manner that could interfere with seeing far away. A very small flat top bifocal is useable but has a limited benefit. I would suggest polycarbonate lenses if you treat them very gently.These lenses are almost impossible to break but scratching is problem. They require gentle cleaning and somehow I don't see the conditions the very best for that on the Salt. Standard plastic lenses (CR-39) are so much safer than tempered glass and are not as costly as poly. Tempered glass will break and the pieces are small and don't have sharp edges. Plastic lenses that break are even safer. Personally my choice woud be the CR 39 lenses. These can be tinted or even polarized but a dark face shield is the cheapest solution there. Don't spend money on  lenses that darken in the sunlight. A solid tint or dark shield will handle that. Forget about anti reflection coatings. They are soft and scratch too easily.

Now CONTACT LENSES. Once again a special lens will solve this problem. It's no different than changing tire size on a bike. Many different lenses will provide excellent vision. Just because you wear one type on a daily basis doesn't preclude wearing a different type to ride. A lens with a diameter in the 15 mm range will cover all of your cornea and out to the scleral area. This will aid centering when your head is in an abnormal position. They may tend to be slightly drier than your smaller, thinner disposable lenses but a small bottle of comfort drops can take care of that situation even while you wait in line. The thin disposable lens doesn't retain much water and they can dry rapidly also. The larger lenses will tuck up under the upper lid and remain very stable. These large lenses are considered sport contacts and are very comfortable even though they are large. In this case....size doesn't matter. If they allow you to ride w/o glasses, use them and then go back to your daily wear lenses. Even disposable lenses will seem dry with the low humidity on the salt. Carry comfort drops and use them if needed. Remember, this is a very special set of conditions.

Refractive surgery is modern and desirable but it does have drawbacks. When the corneal tissue is ablated the normal tear layer is compromised.Lubrication is not as efficient as before the surgery. Dry eye can be a huge problem and if you have trouble in an airplane on a long flight you can expect problems on the Salt. Younger people have more latitude that older people but for everyone that "does just fine" there are others that have bad problems from dry eyes. Besides, if you are whining about the cost of a pair of riding glasses you will really piss and moan when you pay for refractive surgery. This is another place where you don't look for bargains. Sorta like a sky diver buying his chute at the old military surplus store. If your eye surgeon says. " don't do it," don't go looking until you find one that will willingly take your money. The more tissue that is removed to make you see, assuming you are nearsighted, the greater problem with pulsation in your vision every time your heart beats and I assure you, your pulse will accelerate as you approach the starting line.

Glen mentioned "lens implants." This reminds me of renting a stretched limo to go to the store to buy bread. If you need the lens replaced because of cataracts, that is the solution. Anything short of cataracts, lens replacement is out of the question. It is easy to correct for far or near sightedness with lens implants and most people that have that surgery end up seeing quite well w/o glasses to see far away. It is now possible to get implants that allow you to see both far away and up close w/o glasses. It adds about $1500 per eye to the cost of cataract surgery. Unless a person has experienced an electrical shock or a severe blow on the area of the orbit, cataracts are seldom seen in young people, so generally we are addressing a problem in a person more than 50 years of age. Lens replacement is like any other surgery. Don't get your body cut on unless it's the only solution.

I will do anything I can to help you thru this problem. If you bend your glasses, need some repair or just want to "read me off over this discussion", look me up on the Salt. We stay at Motel 6, Treit and Freud, and u are welcome to search me out.The Amo kids always know where I am so ask them if I'm too elusive.  They are about 4 doors down from us in the budget rooms.
You can do everything possible to keep your costs down but in this case, spend enough to solve a life threatening situation.

You can PM me or send an e-mail.
Old enough to know better but unable to stay under control,
FREUD

[DahMurf]

Wow Freud, that was a REALLY AWESOME write up! Thank you so much!

Let me digress a little and give you the actual scenario that sent me on this quest for vision at speed.
It's a funny little story that I should have already told in the hopes that it would forewarn the next contact wearer who's outcome may not be as entertaining as mine.

It happened during the first Maxton meet this year. It was my first time riding my stock busa at maximum speed. I commute to work daily on a bike for the last 5 or so years and have been riding for 8 years almost daily. Occasionally I will have issues with my contacts drying out. Usually at the end of the day when I'm tired and if I become a bit dehydrated.

Coming into the meet my top speed was a 153. My first two runs went well. 169, 179, on my way to the high 180's that the bike should do. Only problem being that the lines were SO long at this meet. They had never been this long and we were not totally prepared. Running back & forth pushing 4 team bikes up the line in the heat. Not Bonneville heat, but for the end of March, high 80's was a tad more then normal. 3 hours had passed from my 11am run until I was ready to run again at 2pm. I thought I had been keeping hydrated but the fact that the cooler was in the pits & I hadn't seen the pits since 11am was complicating things. At this point you know there's very few runs left & you need to give it all you've got each time you run. So away I go, pass the 1/4 mile, somewhere around the 1/2 mile my right contact lifts, things get fuzzy, I'm still twisting the throttle, then the left contact lifts, things get real fuzzy, I close one eye, I switch eyes, fuzzy, focus, fuzzy, focus, I just can't keep them seated. I'm still twisting the throttle cause gosh darn it I waited 3 hours in the sun for this run!!!! I give a hefty two eye blink and for a second both eyes focus. I've got it! blink, I see two cones on either side, blink two cones, blink two cones, I'm not backing down, I want this dang run!!!!! And so that's how I finished the run blink two cones blink two cones! I managed to pull a 168 out of the run. I didn't back down I just couldn't give it all I had with the little visual issue. Got back to my rightful place in the waiting to run line and "explained" why this run was slower! We all had a good laugh & I switched to my glasses. The remainder of the even worked well with the glasses and they did fine with the old helmet.

I've never had both contacts lift at the same time so it never occurred to me that this could ever happen. So when I got home I started the search for sport glasses. I'm really not comfortable wearing glasses, it's really not about the vanity of wearing glasses, they are just not comfortable for me. Usually by the end of the day they give me a headache from being on my head! With only a month between our first two meets I wasn't able to secure a safety/sport pair of glasses so I used the old standbys this meet. As I said when I started this thread the old glasses & new helmet proved to be incompatible and the glasses kept ending crooked on my head. I was lucky in the fact that when I went down there were no issues with the glasses and in fact they did not break or get damaged in the least. But the fact remains, I protected my behind with adequate gear but didn't give my eyes their do protection.

I'm honestly not trying to go cheep with eye-wear I'm merely trying to balance the cost of an entire new set of protective gear to get as much protections for all body parts as I can afford.

And so here we are. I'll have to re-read Freud's text a few times over as I'm sure there's more I want to know as I try to determine what is the best course of action for my quest for sight & speed.

Thanks everyone for their input so far and for anyone that's chosen any of these options I'd still love to hear your account of what it was like & what you think of the outcome even though I know every ones outcome will be very individual.

Deb