Rx Sunglasses Help

My take on the best Rx Sunglasses for doing triathlons...

I use Rudy Project Kabrio. You can have a clear Rx lense made and the sunglass is an attachment that is removable or can be flipped up.

I am near sighted... this design is narrow... as a result, I can look under the lens and see my watch while I ride in an aero position.

I specially like these for IM distance races... the flip sunglass section can be removed as it gets darker OR if shade shows up during the bike. They are very versitile.

The down side is that the hinge that holds up the sunglass attachment wears out very easily and will not stay up while running (the jarring makes them drop sometimes). At that point, I take the attachment off and put it in a pocket... and, I have a clear lens, nice looking sport eye glass. BTW, they have a life replacement for the sunglass attachment... when it wears out, you simple send it in for a new set... best to have two sunglass attachements... so that you will have one pair to use while the other attachment is being replaced.

This is the best (but not the cheapest) Rx sunglasses/glasses combination I've have found in 22 yrs. of searching for the perfect pair of Rx sunglasses while doing triathlons.

FWIW Joe Moya

Side note: I do not suggest the expensive polarized sunglass lens... the glare from some Polar HRM watch faces (and other HRM watches) with not let you look at your HRM/watch.

Edited by Joe M 2006-02-10 1:58 PM

One place to check is www.rx-spex.com. The owner is Jim Albright, and he deals heavily with Rudy Project eyewear. He shows up at many expos each year, and I've encountered him at Eagleman, Columbia, and Chicago (I think he was also at Boston Marathon '04). He ground lenses for me that fit directly into my Rudy Project Graal frames, and these have worked really well. HOWEVER, I do not use these glasses in races, as my astigmatism is not so severe as to require prescription lenses. (For what it's worth, I use R.P. Ekynox and Kerosene for racing and training.)

The www.rx-spex.com site has a section on prescriptions, and this might be a good place to check out. Jim, by the way, is extremely helpful, and he answers e-mails quickly; I'm sure he would be more than happy to talk to you by phone as well.

The updated Rudy Project site has a good section on prescription lenses, and all this info is at www.rudyprojectusa.com/products/sunglasses/rxinfo.htm. None of their Direct-In-Frame RX options are from their line of serious technical sunglasses, but I suspect that several of the models could be used during racing and training. Rudy Project has very responsive customer service who could help you with this, and Jim Albright could also tell you which of the models might work well in racing and training.

I don't know if you have considered it, but I gave up on Rx sunglasses altogether. I now wear contact lenses with regular sunglasses and find that it works quite well. By the way, I have not had a problem swimming with contacts and a good pair of goggles.

Anyway, that set up has worked for me pretty well.