It has now passed the point where I need to wear glasses whilst out on bike now,,,lamp oil starting to dim !!! At the moment I wear executive bifocals,,the reading part goes all the way across the bottom of the lens,,,i dont think these will be any good on bike and may go for just a distance pair or does any one ride using varifocals ????or would they be dangerous ???? I dont know so just looking for advice !! Looking at a few options but dont fancy contacts !!! also got the problem of misting up to get round too !!!! Any one had same issues and are you now sorted ????? cheers...craig                                                                                                                                                                               

i have a pair of varifocals but would never wear them while riding cos i want to be able to trust my distance vision whatever angle i'm looking from. So i always use a pair of distance specs. But i haven't yet been on a ride where i've been navigating myself using a map/ written instructions, and i've wondered what i'll do cos i wouldn't be able to read a map with my distance specs on. Would have to stop, take gloves off and at very least pull specs down to end of hooter and peer over the top of em to be able to read. . . Not ideal at all, so i'm interested in knowing how others cope too

Tim prefers his contacts for riding .... better all round visibility. carries reading specs in pocket!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I guess you would need some reading specs in your pocket that were just right for compensating for your distance vision lenses???
I did discuss this with my optician last year and she really understood the issues, and suggested various options but I can't recall the conclusion we came too!....I think this maybe another symptom of advancing age lol. But one thing she said was if you're going for distance specs to wear on the bike, bring your lid in & they can help you choose the best ones for ramming on with a lid on!                                                                                                                                                                             

ooh and misting up....my current pair were relatively inexpensive cos I just don't have the dosh these days. They mist up much much worse than the specs I used when I was riding a few years ago, which were the more expensive coated plastic type of lenses   Misting is a really bad problem with these cheap glass lenses actually. On a cold day they don't clear till I've got to the end of my road. They also mist up really bad when I stop at a junction & pull the visor up...Hmmm deffo got to get some new specs before the autumn. Thanks for reminding me! lol                                                                                                                                                                             

I had a trial with varifocals a few years back and just couldn't settle with them either on the bike or driving the car. i know some folk think they're wonderful, so maybe it was just me.
I'm pretty good at solo navigation, but when I do have to use a map I have to squint over the top of them. Cruel people say i look like a vicar about to deliver a sermon!
I've done contacts i  the past and wish i'd tried a bit harder, as once I'd got the things in after a 15-minute struggle they were brilliant.

                                                                                                                                                                             

Craig I wear contact lenses and found they really improve peripheral vision over glasses only went for them so I could do my bike test n see the bloody number plate ,like Wills took me ages to get them in and get use to them but do the trick now.... hope you find something that suits you and your happy with...                                                                                                                                                                             

Not been riding long but I wear varifocals, (the ones with the widest vision field not just in the middle). However I wear them all the time so don't know any different really, all I do know is that I wouldn't be able to see to go anywhere without them 


                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm like HRC and wear varifocals all the time, I found that using just distance lenses that I couldn't even see the speedo it was just a blur, if your not used to them then they will feel strange to start with but having worn them for over ten years it's just natural for me, misting up is a pain in the backside, on a cold morning the visor mists up so I open it slightly this makes the glasses mist, open visor a bit more and the mist gets to the lenses, I've never found a cure other than to take the car on those sort of days.

if you think thats bad   try wearing an open face lid dont get any problem with misting   but over 60 mph your eyes water so much you cannot see   even had contacts blow out of one eye solved the problem easy   slower bike   ski gogles worked for me  i cannot wear full face lids i dont like the closed in feeling i get with them                                                                                                                                                                              

depending on whether you need the reading bit to see your speedo really mate personally think its best to see where your going as you can guess at your speed
As for the misting problem Plastic lenses are less affected but you could try taking some "fog tech" wipes which can be used a number of times while they're still damp to keep the misting at bay

I wear varifocals all the time, its only a very slight moment of the head, so you do it without thinking! you move your head to check your mirrors, so it less moment than that looking straight ahead. the only problem i have had with varifocals, was when I went on a welding course, field of vision through a welding mask is small.

Some great advice folks,,,but still have not got a clue which way to go......so i'm going to make appointment with optician to discuss all points mentioned by you all,,,,,even taking print out of replys... cheers ,,,,craig                                                                                                                                                                             

Al only needs glasses for reading close up(ish)...& it's come to the point where he needs (well dosn't actually NEED...but it makes it clearer!) them to read the sat nag!! sooooooo, he's got some plain glass lenses, but with the button varifocal for reading at the bottom of the lenses. He went to a family run opticians who were brilliant - he even went on the bike & they took measurements from the satnag to his eyes, so they could get the angle correct for the varifocal (it helped that this family are also bikers so understand the probs we have!)

Thanks stella,,,was also talking to bill at squires on sunday and he was wearing part bifocals,,,middle to inwards along bottom of lens so to keep his side vision normal as distance lens,,,plus like you say,,,it all depends on optician knowing there job and my needs !!!! Think i'll go for this option as still dont fancy contacts,,,,plus the part bi-focal will help with speedo and map reading,,,might even help me see those bl~~dy speed camera's which like me picture !!!   Thanks again everyone for info and advice,,,hopefully get sorted next week..                                                                                                                                                                             

The way u ride Craig, specs wont make a blind bit of difference                                                                                                                                                                             

Craig    I only need glasses for reading, luckily I can rad my speedo. I don't have a sat nav on my bikes buthave on ein the car, which is OK without glasses. If I ever need glasses for distance I will go for laser treatment. I know so many people who have had that done and have never looked back. No pun intended. Its worth checking out and if you are suitable for the treatment it will be cheaper in the long run.

i have a pair of curved sports glass's with straight arms which fit brilliantly with a crash helmet, from Dollond & Altchison the model is Sting by De Rigo model number XSI 806, these are fitted with bifocal lens
                                                                                                                                                                             

I've been wearing varifocals for at least 10 yrs, before that wondered why I couldn't read map on tank properly. Had no problems at all, put them on in shop and rode off without a thought. Only when it comes to maintenance looking under something is it hard. Davidneale I was going to go laser way but didn't and just as well, my eyes have changed to weaker prescription a full stop over last 2 years, so think would have been f---ed.

I take your point there harry worth. I am not sure what I will do when I need to take the plunge!   If you went laser and it worked OK, you would have to change your user name