Reading glasses
 

I've now got to the point in life where I always have to use my reading glasses, the problem is reading my GPS (GPS60map).
I was thinking about bifocal with the perscription in the lower part and clear glass above.
Any thoughts guys? And can anybody recommend a good frame for wearing with a helmet? Oakley are favourite at the moment but $$$$

Cheers
Pete

How about something like

Magnifico (The Magnifier Company) Page & Sheet Magnifiers

Might do the trick nicely. Not a lot of pennies to give them a try

Pete, Hi.
I long ago passed that point !
I have always used/needed distance glasses. Oddly, my eyes need them less these days but for close reading (and GPS) they do need assistance.

I use varifocal lenses (instead of straight bifocal) which has the advantage of a small 'transition' zone between the two areas, so by slightly tilting my head I can adjust to differering intermediate distances from my eyes. Bifocals are one or the other.

The problem I had with a closed face helmet (or flip front when down) was you have to tilt your head up to utilise the lower bifocal part of lenses and that can bring the faceguard section up and in the line of vision down to the GPS if fitted low down on handlebars.

If that is OK - consider plastic sooner than glass lenses for motorcycling. More expensive, more prone to surface scratching but safer for your eyes in the event of being struck by flying road dirt and stones!

Hi Pete,

I fitted these :-

Optx 20/20 HydroTac Lenses Stick-on Reading Bifocal


..to the lower inside of my visor, they slide on with moisture (as you would with transfers), must admit they take trial and error to find the best position.

I bought mine on fleebay from the States for about £20 - could not locate cheaper in UK.

I purchased the same strength as my reading glasses.

As a trial (before purchase), I taped a pair of old lenses on the inside of visor.

To view my G660 I just tilt my head a little backwards.


Maybe an answer - Alec

An idea
 

Hey, i don't know if this will help, but www.gogglemans.com.au might give you abit of choice. I don't wear prescription lens' thus dont know much about them. Worth a look though its a aussie company, outside melbourne.
jessedylan

Bifocal in "lens" tab section thing of page.

I have worn a few different frames for glasses with a helmet; when getting a new pair of glasses I just get the thinnest frame that I can find and "force" them down the side of the helmet lining; currently I am using vari-focal lens. Certainly, bi-focal are an option.
I also use contact lens, which you don't mention - they are ideal for me. Well, the ideal would be 20/20 eyesight but that is not going to happen. I use the 30 day type but take them out after about 2 weeks for cleaning. One eye is good for distance vision and the other is used for reading - it works!! My brain makes the adjustment, according to the optician :D

Cheers guys, I'm off to do practical homework :thumbup1:

I have had this probelm for the last 10 years and it is getting progressively worse. There are no easy answers I am afraid.

1. Magnifying sheets need to be held above the item to be magnified - therefore no good.
2. Bifocals are a struggle and I really only use them for watching TV in bed (long distance section to see the pictures and reading section to read the subtitles - weird isn't it?)
3. I don't use a visor so that won't work either.

Even if I could see the GPS screen properly withour assistance it becomes irrelevant in bright sunlit conditons as the screen completely washes out. The only real answer for me is to use a GPS with an headset jack and plug in my helmet mounted speakers to hear the spoken instructions - either that or stop regularly and pull out the reading glasses to see where you are / how far to the next turn, etc..

I agree totally, this is a new problem for me and it's already driving me insane, the headset is no use i'm affaid as I don't have satnav it's just line of site and compass readings, I can see the compass (sort of) but when I stop to add the next town/city or read what's on the screen on the move I can't.
It's something I need to get my head around obviously but no less frustrating.

I'm pretty fit in my mid 40's, cycle 150 miles a week (London to Brighton last week), eat well and look after myself but the eyes I have to live with it seems!

Cheers for the replies

Pete

having the same troubles myself, Pete. :(
I almost have too sit on the top-box, to see any detail on the satnav.

I have seen these RamMount attachments, and they look the business ... maybe ?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...bL._SL160_.jpg

here in £
RAM Mount UK

or here in $
Gps Magnifier For Ram Mounts P/n Ram-mag-1u - Sport and Outdoor - Shopping.com

looks like a fancy magnifying glass, but just might do the job.

Maybe you could go for a larger sat nav?

TRUCK SAT NAV 7.0" SCREEN LORRY CARAVAN CAR BUS GPS | eBay UK

Liking this set up but not the price, i'll try and cobble something together to see if it works for me before I shell out £35!
Some of the perspex sheet mentioned in previous post at a couple of quid and some gaffer tape should get me a similar setup to try for a few miles.

Nice one chaps :)

Pete

I want to see clearly but also to have both sun and wind protection.

Have a look on eBay for bifocal sunglasses such as these. I've bought a couple of pairs from eBay at less than £20 including p&p. Cheap as chips, wrap around sports glass style.

The other alternative is to use expensive prescription bifocal/varifocal glasses but mount flip-up sunglasses on the front (from Decathlon). Not the most stylish solution but effective.

However... depending upon where the SatNav is mounted you probably won't want a reading glass prescription. I need +2.5 for reading but my Zumo is mounted above the dials and I only need +1.5 for that distance.

Tim

I recently bought a pair of bifocal shades from boots, very light tint and 2+ for reading my zumo. worked really well on a rcecent 3wk trip. £13:thumbup1:

How do you find the sunglasses work Tim? My experience is that in poor light conditions (such as when wearing sunglasses) my close range vision becomes even worse due to the lack of contrast.

If they worked for you I may well invest in a pair.

McG,
Yep, for me it started at age 45 and it does not go away, ever; of course the reality is that your eyes will continue to slowly deteriorate no matter how many miles of exercise etc are completed! The only full solution appears to be death which is a tad extreme really. The contact lens solution is worth a go - opticians generally allow trials for free to see if it works for you; one for distance and one for near-vision in each eye doesn't work for everyone:( but I understand that there are bi-focal contact lens on the market as well - I have never tried them! I have just taken out my contacts after two full weeks of wear; I give the eyes a rest for a couple of days and then pop them back in - you can get used to poking yourself in the eye!! In the meantime I am back on the vari-focals which is a PITA after the convenience of lens.

Reading glasses
 

I have been riding and wearing normal glasses for most of my time on a bike. I now wear glasses that are Varifocal, have light reactive (plastic) lenses and have scratch resistant coating. It might be a good idea to wear varifocal lenses when walking around for a few days, as they can feel a bit 'strange', and not jump straight on to the bike!

Fasteddie

Eye surgery
 

my long distance sight was getting progressively worse last year in March that I finally decided to get bifocals . Except the optometrist could not get the prescription set right. Turns put I had cataracts in both eyes,but of two different types (due to too much sunlight sailing and skiing when I was young). turns out I would be blind by October! Got silicon implants to replace my lenses and now have perfect long distance vision! Brilliant for riding.

Ye gads we are all old folkies here, my eyes went crap a few years ago and I have the same problem - I do not use a gps so its maps etc. Generally I just live with it and carry a pair of reading glasses in a tank bag so when I stop I can read its really a problem and annoying. However I ended up going to a very good optician and now sport some very dashing four eyes!!!. I had tried those variofocals but A ) found they made me feel sick, B) the reading areas were very small and took a lot of eye training to try to use - I failed on this count. C) on the bike they were very dangerous as peripheral vision is distorted quite a bit and there are large blurred areas so looking around gives you lots of blind spots - just no good for the bike.
I have ended up with Tri Focals (go give it the mr Magoo thing - Im ready). The Tri focols give a big area for normal vision, a mid section for intermediate vision ie to your clocks/instruments and the bottom section is for reading close up and detail. They do have lines in the lenses but after a few days use you hardly notice them. the lenses are plastic and coated with anti glare and anti scratch stuff - the frames very well fitted have lightly sprung arms and grip well without giving pressure to your head - so they do not move around or fall off the optician did a proper fitting and adjusted the frames and made sure they were fine under the crash hat - with no pressure spots behind the ears. They were available as tinted or reactolite but I just stayed clear on this pair but may get a second pair in reactolite now I know these work. Yet again you pay for what you get I suppose - these were not cheap no buy one get one free or anything but are totally comfortable, work and fit properly. But the tri focal bit gives us sad buggers a chance to keep pottering along as we slowly deteriorate and fall apart at the seams.

The ones I bought were a variable tint, dark at the top fading to clear in the reading section. Wrap around means less wind in the eyes if you have the visor up, or an open face helmet.

EDIT: I found a new listing of the type I bought. Not the most stylish (!) but perfect for my needs.

Tim

Hi, well my partner works as a OT (Ophthalmic Tech, aka lady in the shop who fits glasses), I am long sighted but now of the age where i need glasses for close work reading.
Apparently depending why your eyes where like as a kid, (lone or short sighted) as you get older your eyes, mussels will get weaker and eventually you will come to a stage of needing 2 prescriptions.

I would suggest you go see the opticians get a full eye test, & discuss your options for glasses, I personalty use Dirty Dog Glasses, Polorised lenses only, not all are.
but in essence her advice is get professional advice, to assist you with your prescription, note if bi focal or verifocal the reading section of the lens is always at the bottom half of the glasses.