Tip for those who wear glasses

[adouglas]

I prefer a sportier riding position (leaned forward, tucked when on the highway, etc.).

Since I wear glasses full-time, this position has literally been a pain in the neck. When tucked my helmet does not block the view ahead, but I find myself looking over the top edge of my glasses. I'm sure those who wear glasses have experienced the same thing.

Since I'm pretty much blind without my glasses, this is not a good thing. I have to tuck less, or crane my neck more, to see through the lenses.

Recently I came up with a simple solution and confirmed that it works yesterday.

I put a Breathe-Right strip over the bridge of my nose, high up (not as designed... I position it so the nose pads on my glasses rest on the strip).

It holds the glasses up so that the top of the frames are against the rim of my eye sockets. Problem SOLVED and I can now tuck down all the way and still see ahead.

As a side bonus, the strips have plastic pieces in them that form a slight ridge in the surface. These help to keep the glasses from sliding down my nose.

[Panda]

Are your lenses shatter proof?

(also nice tip)

[Live2ride]

great idea!

[nan0bite]

Why didn't I think about this before, or lasik or contact lenses. I prefer to poor mans way

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Panda

Are your lenses shatter proof?

(also nice tip)

Yes, but why should that matter? I wear a full-face helmet with a polycarbonate shield and I never ride with the shield up.

I've done contacts before in my life, but I'm now old enough that I actually look better with glasses. Contacts also dry out...

I'm not a candidate for corrective surgery. My correction is +6.5 in one eye and +7.0 in the other... BEFORE you add in the bifocals. Those who know their prescription understand how extreme that is.

[alex.s]

bring your helmet into the optometrist and find a second pair of cheap glasses that work well with the helmet. also the newer contact lenses are great. you can wear them for a month without touching them. (which means you can actually wear them for like 3 months... but lets not go there :P) also even if you have crazy bad vision they can do lasik to bring it down to a much more reasonable range. maybe you could get lasik then get a visor that is matched to your vision

[adouglas]

My glasses cost $500. Minimum. Perhaps you don't realize just how radical my prescription is..... there are no "cheap" glasses.

Lasik is not an option, period. I'm not a candidate even if I wanted it. LASIK works well for nearsighted people. I'm extremely farsighted.

[alex.s]

have you thought about eyeball transplants? i hear the newest cybernetics are getting pretty good. plus when you walk into department stores you can get recognized as "Mr. Wong"

[ai4px]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Great tip. My script is not as severe as yours.... I'm at +2.25 or so. My glasses are shatterproof (@Panda), but they come with non detachable side shields.

Sometimes I wonder if that is more dangerous than not having my glasses on! The side shields kill any chance of looking out the side and my head will only rotate so far. Couple that with them fogging up on cold mornings.... Often I ride with my glasses just rolled up in a rag in the saddle bags. I just can't see up close, my distance vision is still great, so driving sans glasses is not a real issue (tell that to the DMV).

You gotta wonder just how "cool" ya look when you roll up to a place and have to take your glasses off before peeling out of helmet! snicker.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by alex.s

have you thought about eyeball transplants? i hear the newest cybernetics are getting pretty good. plus when you walk into department stores you can get recognized as "Mr. Wong"

I've always wanted to stick an X-Acto knife into my eye like Arnold did.

[b.miller123]

Neat solution. Most people that I've know with glasses have a set that have larger lenses than their normal pair just for riding.

I've been using contacts on and off for a while now and prefer them to glasses. I use the daily throw away ones. 10x better than the kind you can wear for months. I get a new lens every day and don't have to worry about cleaning them or carrying solution with me everywhere. I just toss a couple sets in a bag when I'm making a trip, and keep some spares in my desk at work.

Years ago, I realized that it really isn't necessary to ride in a tuck on the street at all. I'll lean forward a little on the freeway, but not much. I always get a good chuckle at the guys who go full tuck before they are through the intersection.

[Panda]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Yes, but why should that matter? I wear a full-face helmet with a polycarbonate shield and I never ride with the shield up.

Just wondering, I sometimes ride with my glasses on but they're not shatterproof. I ride with my helmet up pretty frequently in the city if I'm going under 25 or so. I always worry about my glasses though.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by b.miller123

Years ago, I realized that it really isn't necessary to ride in a tuck on the street at all. I'll lean forward a little on the freeway, but not much. I always get a good chuckle at the guys who go full tuck before they are through the intersection.

Helps hold the front end down.

Now, if you're accelerating hard enough on the street to require that, then it's a safe bet you're riding like an a$$hat. But that's a different discussion.

To me the aggressive position is mostly about comfort and ergonomics. On my bike sitting up puts too much weight on your hands. Leaning forward allows me to relax my arms and also takes weight off of my butt. I NEVER get a sore butt because I rarely sit on it. Tucking on the freeway also lets me use the windscreen for its designed purpose... less buffeting, less noise, more comfort. On the Ninjette it also made a noticeable difference in acceleration at highway speeds due to the reduction in aero drag. With the GSXR not so much... all that horsepower overcomes it.

[b.miller123]

Have you tried putting something like stomp grip or tech spec pads on the tank? That takes a lot of weight off your hands too. Sounds funny, but by squeezing the tank with your legs, you're able to hold your upper body upright without putting any weight on your hands. It uses your core muscles more than your arms.

Another trick is to only squeeze the grips with your outer two fingers, and not the index and middle. Leave those two on the levers. When I am twisting the throttle, I'm pinching it between my fingers, and not wrapping my hand around it. Pretend you are holding onto a taco shell. Riders with smaller hands will have a harder time with this.

[DaBlue1]

The breathe right strip is a great idea. I'll have to try it. @adouglas, you and I are almost in the same boat. I run into the same issue of looking over my glasses some times when I ride. I have slightly thick lenses in my glasses and I've worn contacts (Toric) lenses too. Just barely a candidate for lasik, and a prime candidate for bi-focals, but I've been wearing glasses since I was a kid, so I feel naked without them sometimes.

What I've found is that a larger, rounder eyeglass frame increases the area in which I see thru, so I'm not looking over the top of them. So I have a cheap pair (i.e. frames) for riding, yard work, sports etc, and a pair for everything else. The pair for riding is minus some of the perks. (cool factor & shatter proof lenses) They do have anti-glare and transition lenses. I feel you, I do understand how expensive glasses are, and $500 a pop is nothing to sneeze at. I'm so glad I get mine at a greatly discounted price.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by b.miller123

Have you tried putting something like stomp grip or tech spec pads on the tank?

Yeah, done all that... light grip with the hands, squeezing with the knees, etc. etc. etc. All the proper form stuff.

I've posted extensively about ergonomics on the forum so I won't repeat myself here.

Aside from the other benefits already mentioned above, leaning forward allows me to rest some weight on the tank. That's huge for comfort over the long term.

[Nemesis]

Here's my tip: Lasik!!!

Best thing you could ever do for yourself! No side effects or anything. Trust me...I've worn glasses all my life and was always afraid of the surgery but I'm telling you it's worth every penny!

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by Nemesis

Here's my tip: Lasik!!!

Best thing you could ever do for yourself! No side effects or anything. Trust me...I've worn glasses all my life and was always afraid of the surgery but I'm telling you it's worth every penny!

If doc says it's a no-go then it's off the table. At 6.5 & 7.0, his glasses must be as thick as Inspector Clouseau's magnifying glass...

I would have recommended Oakleys, but they're not able to make wrap around lenses beyond +/- 4.0 total. I can go flat to the tank & still see through the Splinter's lenses, the FOV is just like wearing contacts.

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

If doc says it's a no-go then it's off the table. At 6.5 & 7.0, his glasses must be as thick as Inspector Clouseau's magnifying glass...

I would have recommended Oakleys, but they're not able to make wrap around lenses beyond +/- 4.0 total. I can go flat to the tank & still see through the Splinter's lenses, the FOV is just like wearing contacts.

My bad...I didn't read everyone's post. If his eyes are that bad then yeah obviously it's no-go. I have a friend who's a -12.xx He is literally blind without his contacts/glasses. He inquired about Lasik and Doc told him even if he got them he'd still be blind.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by adouglas

I'm not a candidate for corrective surgery. My correction is +6.5 in one eye and +7.0 in the other... BEFORE you add in the bifocals. Those who know their prescription understand how extreme that is.

I thought my -4.25 and -3.75 was bad for a 20 year old... daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammn

alex.s, I wish I could have continued wearing the fancy long-use ones, but I'm stuck with dailies. My eyes react really badly to the proteins that build up on lenses, and I get ridges/bumps (basically mini-hives) on the inside of my eyelids after about 2 days. Hurts like the dickens and makes wearing lenses impossible, as every time I blinked, the ridges would snag the lens and pull it out of my eye, don't forget the watering/eye goop 24/7. Fresh lenses every morning solved the issue.

Doc tells me I'm a good candidate for Lasik, so once I get to 25 or so, I'll look into that. I've heard some great things about how non-invasive it is since they're all laser now, no knife involved anymore.

[NevadaWolf]

Great tip, thanks! I have narrow lenses just because I like the look but yeah, the whole kink in my neck from trying to tuck while not looking over the frame has been annoying.

I'm annoyingly nearsighted so riding without my glasses is a serious no. I have contacts but for some reason they get stuck in my eyes and I've had problems with them before so it's just easier to put the glasses on than fuss with it.

I'll give anything a shot to improve being able to see while riding.

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

I thought my -4.25 and -3.75 was bad for a 20 year old... daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammn

alex.s, I wish I could have continued wearing the fancy long-use ones, but I'm stuck with dailies. My eyes react really badly to the proteins that build up on lenses, and I get ridges/bumps (basically mini-hives) on the inside of my eyelids after about 2 days. Hurts like the dickens and makes wearing lenses impossible, as every time I blinked, the ridges would snag the lens and pull it out of my eye, don't forget the watering/eye goop 24/7. Fresh lenses every morning solved the issue.

Doc tells me I'm a good candidate for Lasik, so once I get to 25 or so, I'll look into that. I've heard some great things about how non-invasive it is since they're all laser now, no knife involved anymore.

have you compared it to PRK?

[LittleRedNinjette]

I just switched to contacts myself. I use the acuvue oasys daily lenses without to much drying out.
you could always keep a pair of non-prescription glasses to put on when you get off the bike to look good.

[tooblekain]

Another alternative recommended by an older guy I met is to actually get prescription billiard glasses.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by lgk

have you compared it to PRK?

Never looked into it. I knew there was a second method of correcting vision, just didn't know the name. What's the difference between Lasik and PRK?

[lgk]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Never looked into it. I knew there was a second method of correcting vision, just didn't know the name. What's the difference between Lasik and PRK?

if remember right PRK reshapes the surface of the cornea, and Lasik cuts a flap and reshapes the middle.

PRK seems to have a longer recovery time but seems to be a safer procedure.