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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on October 13, 2011 at 6:09am

OTG is the designation for "over the glasses" goggles.

 

Goggles are something you really need to try on first - especially if you wear glasses and/or a helmet. Some OTG goggles will work worse than regular goggles. It's really trial and error process.

 

Clear lenses are nice for night riding. But I've used amber tinted lenses for a couple winters and they worked out okay.

 

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Permalink Reply by Justin B Newman on October 13, 2011 at 6:13am

I've bought several pairs of prescription eyeglasses over the years from Zenni Optical. So far, I've only purchased "regular" glasses and sunglasses (all prescription), but they do sell ski-goggle-ish-looking glasses. They appear to have 44 different goggles at the moment, all under $40. (That includes the prescription).

My wife has an exceptionally strong prescription (12+), which does limit her selection some and also results in about a $10 surcharge on the glasses from them. I try to order several pairs at once, because (last time I checked) they only charged the $4.95 shipping fee on the order, rather than per pair. Finally, they do take a few weeks, but ... they've always shown up.

I found Zenni when we both needed glasses and we really didn't have the $250 per pair that the local eyeglass shop wanted. I came home and Googled "eyeglasses" and was astounded at what I found. There are a lot of places that are also cheap, but that are a little more than Zenni. (At the time Zenni's web site looked like something straight out of 1996). I ultimately took the risk on Zenni because (at the time) they were the cheapest out there ... $7 a pair. I figured I only had about $10 invested if it was somehow a scam, rip off, etc. It turned out to be a good expenditure.

I generally feel like the frames aren't as high a quality as what you see in optical shops for $200-$400, although my wife tried one of those pairs about 2 years ago and they recently broke. Her $7 Zenni ones are still going strong. Now and then I lose a screw from one, and Sam's Club repairs them for me. (Sams - and Costco, I think - will repair glasses no matter where you bought them).

Hope this helps,

-jbn

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on October 13, 2011 at 6:18am

Extra lenses can get expensive, not sure of your price range. I used amber lenses for night riding for two winters and clear lenses last year. It was a wash really, they both worked fine. Amber really isn't too dark for night riding in the city. 

 

For me, my eyes are more sensitive to bright sun, so if was to only have one pair, I would choose the amber lenses

 

And - Zenni ROCKS! I have had many pairs of glasses i used for work, camp, and motorcycling.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on October 13, 2011 at 6:22am

I have been using Zenni for years and love them. Great for sport glasses and I ordered a smallish pair last year for winter that fit in standard goggles.

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on October 13, 2011 at 7:09am

As a lifelong downhill skiier, I've been using ski goggles forever.  The darkest lenses are intended for skiing in bright sunlight--they filter out the harmful ultraviolet rays which, in the worst cases, can cause a condition called "snow blindness", where you literally go blind for hours or days, as the UV, bouncing up from the snow, literally toasts your retinas. 

Probably not as much a problem while bicycling, but know that amber lenses probably will give you little if any UV protection.  They are intended for cloudy, overcast days.  Amber lenses darken the shadows, creating contrast, letting you know that what looks to the naked eye like a smooth mountain slope in front of you is actually a bump which is about to launch you three feet in the air--fun if you're expecting it, but if it's a total surprise that you've just gone airborne, not so much.  Again, I don't think the amber lenses will do much to actually protect your eyesight in bright sunlight, so check with the manufacturer to determine use. 

Ski shops often have pre-season sales about this time of year, but you won't go wrong by going into REI and having someone assist you in choosing or fitting.  Actually trying goggles on over your particular glasses and over your particular helmet in a store would be worthwhile, rather than trying and rejecting a dozen non-fitting versions through the mail.

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on October 13, 2011 at 7:38am

 I have a pair of these: Performance Radial II paired with Performance's Radial II Rx Inserts.

 

You'll have to print off Performance's order form and fill it out then fax it in along with a copy of your glasses prescription from your doctor.

 

I think turn around on these is about a month.

 

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on October 13, 2011 at 7:45am

Those Performance Radials look like they'd give you better peripheral vision than the Scott Voltage above.

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Permalink Reply by SmilingBob on October 13, 2011 at 7:59am

I would suggest going to a couple of different store, REI, Viking Ski,...etc, with your glasses and helmet to find a pair that you like the fit of. There is such a difference between brands and models, even ones that look alike have big differences in the way they fit. I would also suggest an extra lens, a darker tint for during the day and I use an amber tint for very overcast days and at night. The glare from the snow gets really bad on sunny days and can "blind" you for a second or two just when need to see what around you. The tints are not what protect you from the UVA/UVB rays; you can get clear lenses that have that protection in them. There are some models that make the changing of lens very easy and it can be done quite quickly while others take a bit to change the lens. The other thing I would recommend is getting a good coating for the lens interior of the lens so they don't fog up. While many will claim that their lenses are made not fog up it is better to error on the side of caution than end up not being able to see or trying to see through the fog.

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Permalink Reply by Poptart on October 13, 2011 at 8:10am

whiskeymilitia.com

sign up for the emails , you can score the best fog proof comfy snowboard goggles out there under 40 bucks 

you just have to watch 

 

if you dont have time to play around with bargin websites

www.dogfunk.com

www.departmentofgoods.com

 

any snowboard goggle is large enough to house glasses (also tent to have wider lenses for less blind spots) 

 

also 

www.chainlove.com

a bicycle bargin site (they dump one item at a time) mostly mountian stuff but you just have to watch they have everything 

 

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Permalink Reply by BritBoy on October 13, 2011 at 8:32am

I use these over my glasses - seem to work just fine:

 

http://www.amazon.com/10397-SWAT-Single-Tactical-Goggle/dp/B00273W2...

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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on October 13, 2011 at 12:39pm

I use a cheap pair of safety classes they won't fog up like goggles and fit over glasses while protecting your eyes.

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Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on October 13, 2011 at 12:50pm

I've found that amber tinted lenses can make it difficult for me to perceive how deep a pothole it at night. I still use them at night but I'm more careful on rough pavement.

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