spec wearers on long trips

What do others wear when cycling..
specs, contacts or prescription cycle glasses. i'm looking for a solution for long day rides in spains heat this summer especially with a gps type navigator on the handlebars. Optician says contacts (which i've never tried ) could be a problem.....any thoughts folks?.

i love wearing contacts, but I find I need sunglasses even on non sunny days to stop wind potentially drying them out so I have cycling glasses with lenses you can change but normally im fine. When you first have contacts put in by the optician there will be a moment of it feeling awkward in your eye followed by a eureka kind of these are great. The optician normally sits you in front of a mirror and asks you to practice putting them in and taking them out yourself for which they will show you the technique. It took me a couple of days to master getting them off my eye first time. I use monthly disposables. Daily lenses are the best for hygiene but in theory its about good practice with cleaning them and not over wearing them. They will sting and make your eyes water/red the next time you put them in if you have/had contaminants on your fingers such as salt or nicotine,soap etc. Opticians like to put you on a sheme where they supply 3 months or so lenses and bottles of solution at a time however once youre more experienced you can save money using supermarket all in one cleaning solutions and buying lenses online as long as the lenses are suitable and you get a check up periodically.

I wear contacts when I cycle but I have a bit of a dilemma if I camp because they're a bastard to take in/out with limited facilities.

I tend to just cycle tour in my glasses - I got some of those reactions lenses for the sunnier days although they can be a pain in the arse sometimes.

I hate glasses when cycling.

This thing of non glasses wearers going out and buying glasses to cycle in is about the most baffling thing in the world to me!

I don't seem to suffer with the wind drying my contacts out for some reason and though I have occasionally gotten a bit of mud in my eye I find that preferable by far to getting muddy splashes on my specs and the fogging etc.

Camping can be a bit of an issue as I wear dailies but so long as I can get my hands clean(ish) and I take my time I can take them in and out away from home.

I'm glad of my glasses while cycling. I've looked into prescription sports/cycling glasses - thinking they might be lighter, less likely to fog, better angle of view etc - but my prescription's too strong for them not to be painfully expensive and almost no choice.

I feel so ridiculously vulnerable with the wind in my eyes, and had some awkward moments with contact lenses in the past where a small fly or something has got in, blink like mad, lens dislodges or moves out of position*. Haven't worn lenses in decades but I did try both hard (gas permeable) and soft dailies.

*I have some weirdness with the viscosity of my tears, apparently, so this may not be normal.

I wear contacts most days but still use non-scrip cycling glasses/sunglasses as wind/grit protection. I've been using extended wear lenses for the past 5 years or so. They are designed for sleeping in, so in theory, I could use a pair for 30 days then replace. In reality, I've managed 3 consecutive nights at a push before my eyes get drier. On cycling holidays I wear my glasses in the evenings and carry a small bottle of solution during the day.

As schnelly said above, eye hygiene is very important when wearing contacts.

Give them a try and see how you get on.

I agree with @M_V : cycling with glasses on is a massive pain, in my experience.

They are always fogging up, or getting covered in mud, or covered in drops of water (which will then diffract light from headlights at night, rendering my vision close to useless).

Sadly I have a prism in my prescription so using contacts isn't possible, and I can't see without the glasses. Long term I am on a waiting list for some eye surgery or other intervention to mend my squint.

I'm waiting for bionic eyes. I now have to make a choice whilst wearing gloves. Wipe glasses or nose with thumb pad. The two don't mix very well....

glasses! always. but I don't particularly suffer from a runny nose while cycling. or one for each and remember which side is which?

What am I, some kind of goddamned wizard?1 How am I supposed to remember that, I've got skidding to do.

Time to get a prescription visor added to your wizard hat. Problem solved...

I've been using extended wear lenses for the past 5 years or so. They are designed for sleeping in, so in theory, I could use a pair for 30 days then replace. In reality, I've managed 3 consecutive nights at a push before my eyes get drier.

Noticed yesterday in in need of more contacts. Think I'll ask if there's something like this available rather than dailies.

I take it you don't get the sticky goo glueing your eyes shut in the morning like you do if you forget to remove a pair of dailies?

Can anyone recommend some good prescription cycling glasses? My vision isn't really bad so I don't normally wear anything when riding but coming to realise I probably should

I do sometimes. It's more noticeable if I've not drunk enough fluids the previous day. Regardless, I always take them out and give them a quick rinse then put them back in.

I spoke to my optician and she is ordering in a trial of some different lenses for me to try.

Not entirely sure what they are but she said that if I were to sleep with them in occasionally (she pushed the occasionally as she didn't really want to encourage this) it should be ok.

She said sleeping in dailies is basically a massive no-no as they just suck all the moisture out of your eyes.

Oakley do prescription models I think.

I toured / camped in contacts and it was horrible. Glasses and cap definitely for the next one, with a Buff / headband if going in hot weather.

Why not contacts during the day and glasses in the evening? Admittedly my cycling holiday was a week long, so this method was doable.

Camping. Not always places to wash hands etc. Fortnightly, not daily ones (which always seemed to break anyway).

...I am glad to wear glasses.

Got my trial contacts. They are monthlies that are made to be extra breathable.

So far, seem to be so much easier to get in and out than dailies and more comfortable once in.

I used to wear monthly contact lenses but I ran out about six months ago and never bought any more - just been wearing cheapy cheap glasses since then.

However I do get tired eyes on really sunny days.. after a recent 5-day hiking trip I was practically crying by the end from the constant battering from NZ's harsh summer sun (thank you hole-in-the-ozone-layer) combined with freak snowfall.

I don't like the idea of carrying solution and tablets and other heavy stuff that can get lost/broken out in the wilderness, so I just bought 30 pairs of dailies to try out - they were only thirty quid (and probably will be cheaper in the UK than they are here).