Ask the experts

My 10 plus years old Smith something or other sunglasses with rose lenses are end of life. I’m of the age where my eyes don’t adjust well to the deep shade darkness and I need something to bring out the details. I’d say enough of my riding is in the trees that if I have a big ridgeline planned as part of the ride I may have to bring a second pair and have my primary pair for the shade.

I’m hesitant to do a photochromic lens as my experience tells me that they tend to stay towards the darker end of the spectrum. My Julbo’s for spring skiing do anyway. So long way to ask what people are using for low light situations. Smith has a low light Rose Blue Mirror that is 51% light transmission. I wish I knew what light transmission % my current rose lenses are sine they work for me more than 90% of the time.

I finally picked up a photochromic lens for my Wildcats this spring and I can’t believe I haven’t been using these before. For the last few years I’ve mostly been wearing clear lenses unless I was up the high country. I hate calling things game changers, but these are game changers. I haven’t swapped lenses in months.
No issues with dark woods, they get plenty light IMO. I’ve been using them in shady side sunset rides, no problem.


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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

My 10 plus years old Smith something or other sunglasses with rose lenses are end of life. I’m of the age where my eyes don’t adjust well to the deep shade darkness and I need something to bring out the details. I’d say enough of my riding is in the trees that if I have a big ridgeline planned as part of the ride I may have to bring a second pair and have my primary pair for the shade.

I’m hesitant to do a photochromic lens as my experience tells me that they tend to stay towards the darker end of the spectrum. My Julbo’s for spring skiing do anyway. So long way to ask what people are using for low light situations. Smith has a low light Rose Blue Mirror that is 51% light transmission. I wish I knew what light transmission % my current rose lenses are sine they work for me more than 90% of the time.

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Rather than bringing two pairs of glasses wouldn't it make more sense to get something with swappable lenses? The Attack Mag comes with a ~15% VLT and a 65% VLT. I love my Smiths, but there are lots of other options out there that don't cost ~$300 too.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

My 10 plus years old Smith something or other sunglasses with rose lenses are end of life. I’m of the age where my eyes don’t adjust well to the deep shade darkness and I need something to bring out the details. I’d say enough of my riding is in the trees that if I have a big ridgeline planned as part of the ride I may have to bring a second pair and have my primary pair for the shade.

I’m hesitant to do a photochromic lens as my experience tells me that they tend to stay towards the darker end of the spectrum. My Julbo’s for spring skiing do anyway. So long way to ask what people are using for low light situations. Smith has a low light Rose Blue Mirror that is 51% light transmission. I wish I knew what light transmission % my current rose lenses are sine they work for me more than 90% of the time.

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I've got some photocromics from 100% (picked up with the good discount codes that were floating around this spring). They go from completely clear to dark-ish. They're great for any kind of low to moderate light situation. If I'm doing a ride that's primarily bright, I still go with my older, darker glasses. I ride the photocromics 90% of the time though.

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Originally Posted by toast2266

I've got some photocromics from 100% (picked up with the good discount codes that were floating around this spring). They go from completely clear to dark-ish. They're great for any kind of low to moderate light situation. If I'm doing a ride that's primarily bright, I still go with my older, darker glasses. I ride the photocromics 90% of the time though.

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Shoot, I wish I had gotten some glasses in that sale, I ordered knee pads and the sunglass issue wasn't on my radar yet.

Most brands will tell you the VLT of their lenses these days, so you have some idea of what you’re getting. I bought a pair of Smith Shift XL Mags with the photochromic lens last summer. Their range is 12-67%. That doesn’t sound that high, but indoors the only way to tell the clear lens from the photochromic is the stamp on the bottom. They work great in dark woods, and adjust fairly quickly. They’ve become my only riding glasses.

I had (have) a pair of photochromic Pursuits but since they’re intended for on-snow use the VLT is less ((7-45%) and they’re darker than I wanted for in the woods or late fall riding.

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Originally Posted by joetron

100% do not run a non-tubeless road tire without a tube.

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10-4, thanks. Ended up with a set of Roubaix Pro 2Bliss.

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Originally Posted by sfotex

I had tubeless tires on my tubeless rim road wheels (700x25) and went back to tubes, they would hold air for a few days at high pressure then go flat. I imagine it would be worse with non tubeless tires.
On my gravel bike (700x38) I'm running tubeless at moderate pressure and it works well, I'm not sure if there's a magic pressure range or size range or what.

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Puncture flats are my big motivator now that I'm riding 15 miles each way. There are so many goatheads around and my new commute utilizes a couple of pedestrian pass-throughs and short sidewalk sections where I know they're lying in wait.

+1 for Smith Shifts with photochromatic lenses. I got them super on sale, because no, I would not pay $300 for glasses to mtb with. I've been using them for a few weeks now for both mtb and road riding and as said above, they'll go from all but completely transparent to pretty dark. If I was riding out west on ridgelines or high alpine terrain I'd probably want something darker, but for my use case they're awesome.

Interesting. I was not impressed with Smith Photochromic lenses (sunglasses & goggles) ~10 years ago, but I wouldn't be surprised if the tech has gotten better. I mostly just run the low light lenses which are fine for for my riding since it's all in the trees. The only time I deal with direct sun is certain times of the year when the sun is either rising or setting, in which case it's full on dazzle in the eyes when you go around certain corners.

I have some Rudy Project Defenders that I use for BC, nordic, and biking, they’re photochromatic with a 9-73% range. I still use clear lenses at night but these work for everything else. They’re stupid expensive (they were a gift) but worth a look if you see some on sale.

I have the Smith Optics Attack MAG MTB Sunglasses, have mostly used the rose lens(mine also came with low light amber). Also have the photo-chromatic lens but have not tried them out yet. I also have issues seeing in the shadows these days.

Thanx to the mother corp I have rx everything, sunglasses/ yellow lense/ and photo chromic

Photo don't work well ski-touring IME

I also enjoy photocromic lenses for cycling in variable conditions. They don't change fast enough for sun-to-shade riding, more for changing cloud cover.

They don't work at all when it's near or below freezing. I've had multiple Smiths, Julbos, and others and they all just go full dark and stay that way when it's cold.

FWIW Smith just denied a warranty claim on some that have a spot in the middle of one lens that won't change along with the rest of the lens. So buyer beware on the spendy ones.

The $25 RockBros ones we have work perfectly fine too.

Another thumbs up for the Smith photochromatic lenses. Bought a pair of photochromatic Wildcats about two years ago. Picked up a low light lens and a low VLT mirrored lens as well figuring I would be swapping around pretty often. I have not. I throw the dark mirror lenses on for spring skiing and rock the photochromatic the rest of the time.

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Originally Posted by climberevan

The $25 RockBros ones we have work perfectly fine too.

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For whatever it's worth, the cheap photocromic rock bros I got for cheap on Amazon are utter shit. Not even worth the ~$20 I paid for them.

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Like $80 for tifosis would probably be the best cheapish photochromic lens. Some of their glasses don't look that terrible...

Ha, my Lady loves her photochromic Rockbros. I bought her some just to try cause cheap but she bought a second pair on her own. If I didn't need prescription I'd buy a pair for sure, at least to try. Maybe I'd hate them. They stay really light to clear in overcast and shadows and seem to get dark enough. She's real sensitive to the sun.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

My 10 plus years old Smith something or other sunglasses with rose lenses are end of life. I’m of the age where my eyes don’t adjust well to the deep shade darkness and I need something to bring out the details. I’d say enough of my riding is in the trees that if I have a big ridgeline planned as part of the ride I may have to bring a second pair and have my primary pair for the shade.

I’m hesitant to do a photochromic lens as my experience tells me that they tend to stay towards the darker end of the spectrum. My Julbo’s for spring skiing do anyway. So long way to ask what people are using for low light situations. Smith has a low light Rose Blue Mirror that is 51% light transmission. I wish I knew what light transmission % my current rose lenses are sine they work for me more than 90% of the time.

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ZZZ have you ever tried just clear? I went clear for MTB years ago because I couldn't see in the shadows. Photochromics of the time were really bad in that regard. Now I ride all the time in clear prescription Smiths. Never been a problem for me. It does help a lot to have a functional visor on your helmet. My Bell Super DH and previous gens of Supers have generous visors and I dremel out the slot so I can put it down further. Gotta flip it all the way up for the descent of course.

I don't feel like I actually *need* sunglasses unless I'm driving or on snow. Bringing extra lenses or glasses and switching mid ride sounds for the birds to me. If you really need them I bet you'd be fine with a modern photochromic with high VLT but nothing beats clear for shadows and low light.

Kapvoe $20-30 clear/gray photochromics on Amazon are surprisingly great in PNW low light forests. I used to run clear year round because our forests are so thick, and these work fine. Much more comfy than the UVEX/Honeywell Hypershock safety glasses I used for years until Honeywell gradually kept raising the price on them, and honestly these clear fog a little better than the Honeywells too due to being further from my eyes. I have not tried the Kapvoe photochromic ones with flash tint.

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Kapvoe $20-30 clear/gray photochromics on Amazon are surprisingly great in PNW low light forests. I used to run clear year round because our forests are so thick, and these work fine. Much more comfy than the UVEX/Honeywell Hypershock safety glasses I used for years until Honeywell gradually kept raising the price on them, and honestly these clear fog a little better than the Honeywells too due to being further from my eyes. I have not tried the Kapvoe photochromic ones with flash tint.

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Are these the ones you are using? 15% on the dark end seems so dark. I’ve not yet had a good experience with photochromic lenses for dirt or snow but am sure you know our dank PNW forests well. I’ve seen friends struggle when they ride into a clearing, their photochromic lenses get dark, then they turn the corner into dim forest and the lenses take ages to become clear again.

https://a.co/d/09be199o

I left my Rx pair on the window sill in bright sun behind the bug screen, in the AM the bug screen pattern was left on the lense which freaked me out, it dissapeared in about 30sec but it was funny

I'm normally a sunglasses snob, but bought these Kapvoe ones last year. Currently $30.

At first I didn't think they were dimming at all, but the tint was light and pleasant. On a recent ride with a buddy, he noticed the tinting change as we rode. I don't notice a problem with slow tint change in the woods, but maybe I'm not paying attention. For $30, I'd buy again. It's nice but worrying about killing them.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e9dad39d57.jpg

Since we're talking about glasses, anyone come across modern cycling-style glasses that are prescription and cost less than a two-night slopeside Airbnb? I bought a pair from Optical Factor ("Luke" model) because they have the coverage I was looking for and were relatively inexpensive, but the Rx inserts sit far enough inside the lenses I feel like I've either got them too far down my nose (and the edges of the inserts are in my vision) or they're pretty much touching my eyeballs.

I have Smith Guides that I like for general use, but they don't offer any of the real cycling designs in Rx (I'm guessing because doing Rx lenses with that kind of curve and coverage isn't easy).

I haven't used them(yet), but local company that sponsors the local mtb association:
https://www.sportrx.com/shopby/best_...&is_eligible=1

good thing to spend FSA money on, if you have one.

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Originally Posted by anotherVTskibum

Since we're talking about glasses, anyone come across modern cycling-style glasses that are prescription and cost less than a two-night slopeside Airbnb?

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Have you checked Zenni? https://www.zennioptical.com/

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Kapvoe $20-30 clear/gray photochromics on Amazon are surprisingly great in PNW low light forests. I used to run clear year round because our forests are so thick, and these work fine. Much more comfy than the UVEX/Honeywell Hypershock safety glasses I used for years until Honeywell gradually kept raising the price on them, and honestly these clear fog a little better than the Honeywells too due to being further from my eyes. I have not tried the Kapvoe photochromic ones with flash tint.

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For $19 and delivered tomorrow, I couldn't pass up trying these. We'll see if I like photochromic.