I was in the middle of the Wine Country Century Saturday, happily rolling along on a country road under overhanging oaks. The midday full sun and o-hanging trees had combined to create a dappled effect on the road with lots of alternating spots of sun and shade. I hit a pothole that was approximately 4 in. deep by 8 or 9 inches in diameter at about 18 mph. Never saw it coming, before I went down hard on my left shoulder, cracking a rib, my bars, and my helmet. I believe a number of things contributed to my crash, but one item that I think could help me in preventing a recurrence is a pair of sunglasses that improves one's ability to "see into shadows." One motorcyclist friend told me that he always wears glasses w/ an amber tint, and he swears by 'em. Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, they've also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice on glasses to minimize problems in that kind of light. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. Dennis

In article <40o0i.13582$3P3.13341@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>, dcathey <dcathey@ix.netcom.com> wrote: >I was in the middle of the Wine Country Century Saturday, happily rolling >along on a country road under overhanging oaks. The midday full sun and >o-hanging trees had combined to create a dappled effect on the road with >lots of alternating spots of sun and shade. I hit a pothole that was >approximately 4 in. deep by 8 or 9 inches in diameter at about 18 mph. Never >saw it coming, before I went down hard on my left shoulder, cracking a rib, >my bars, and my helmet. >I believe a number of things contributed to my crash, but one item that I >think could help me in preventing a recurrence is a pair of sunglasses that >improves one's ability to "see into shadows." One motorcyclist friend told >me that he always wears glasses w/ an amber tint, and he swears by 'em. > >Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, they've >also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice on glasses >to minimize problems in that kind of light. > >Any suggestions? > _ Personally, I like rose tinted lenses for the sun/shade problem. Basically, any lenses that's really nice for bright sun is going to be too dark for shady roads. You have to pick the least amount of shading that you can accept in sunny conditions. _ Booker C. Bense

Gentlemen, Thanks very much for your input. I sincerely appreciate it, and I'm going shopping right away. DC "Daniel" <i_canfeelyourwings@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1178748616.803372.139920@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com... >I really like the lenses that change with the lighting conditions. I > have only tried oakley's and specialized and I really prefer the > specialized. They hasve two different lens options..one for road and > one for mountain biking. I got the mountain biking ones and they work > great on the road...the only difference is the road ones get a little > more shaded, I have not found this to be necessary... > > I have never had mine fog either! EVER! >

> Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, > they've also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice on > glasses to minimize problems in that kind of light. > > Any suggestions? I use Oakleys with VR28 lenses (yellow-ish) year-round. Great on gray days, and I don't lose details in shadows. Not as dark as some might prefer, and on a super-bright day I could see the point to something a bit less transparent. But I don't recall ever thinking that I needed something darker while riding. I'm spoiled rotten; I haven't found anything else that's as easy on the eyes as the Oakleys (I seem pretty sensitive to even minor distortions in eyewear, and haven't found other lenses to be anywhere near the quality of Oakleys... my guess is that others are spending 25 cents/lens, and Oakley 37 cents or thereabouts). I've never been happy with transitions; seems they don't change quickly enough for me, and when you need them to change (moving into and out of shaded areas on a descent), you need them to change FAST. --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA "dcathey" <dcathey@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:40o0i.13582$3P3.13341@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net... >I was in the middle of the Wine Country Century Saturday, happily rolling >along on a country road under overhanging oaks. The midday full sun and >o-hanging trees had combined to create a dappled effect on the road with >lots of alternating spots of sun and shade. I hit a pothole that was >approximately 4 in. deep by 8 or 9 inches in diameter at about 18 mph. >Never saw it coming, before I went down hard on my left shoulder, cracking >a rib, my bars, and my helmet. > I believe a number of things contributed to my crash, but one item that I > think could help me in preventing a recurrence is a pair of sunglasses > that improves one's ability to "see into shadows." One motorcyclist friend > told me that he always wears glasses w/ an amber tint, and he swears by > 'em. > > Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, > they've also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice on > glasses to minimize problems in that kind of light. > > Any suggestions? > > Thanks in advance. > Dennis >

"dcathey" <dcathey@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:40o0i.13582$3P3.13341@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net... >I was in the middle of the Wine Country Century Saturday, happily rolling >along on a country road under overhanging oaks. The midday full sun and >o-hanging trees had combined to create a dappled effect on the road with >lots of alternating spots of sun and shade. I hit a pothole that was >approximately 4 in. deep by 8 or 9 inches in diameter at about 18 mph. >Never saw it coming, before I went down hard on my left shoulder, cracking >a rib, my bars, and my helmet. > I believe a number of things contributed to my crash, but one item that I > think could help me in preventing a recurrence is a pair of sunglasses > that improves one's ability to "see into shadows." One motorcyclist friend > told me that he always wears glasses w/ an amber tint, and he swears by > 'em. > > Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, > they've also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice on > glasses to minimize problems in that kind of light. > > Any suggestions? > > Thanks in advance. > Dennis I use Rudy Project flip ups. I know I look a bit funny but it helps. I mention to someone on Sat during Davis brevets about how shade seems to attract potholes. He replied with a response that I didn't get all of but something to effect of trees and shade do have an impact on pavement. I think that water could gather and wash acid on the road or something. I will have to go back and asked. The guy I was talking with is an expert in the area. I wasn't thinking about that when I asked. My point being that shade does for whatever reason leads to more potholes. The reason for the flip up was on descents that get technical, you seem to go in and out of shady parts. No time for transition lens to work. Going down places like the Trinty Grade in the Terrible Two, I wanted to be able easily adjust to circumstances. I use clear prescription inserts so I have eye protection at all times. Not necessary but helpful. I also use these type of classes because on doubles or brevets, you frequently ride in the dark. I have cheap glasses with clear lens but it meant either carrying another set of glasses or additional lens. With flip ups, I only have to carry one set that stays on my head.

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote in message news:Pus0i.3023$RX.2796@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net... >> Two of the riders in our club told me this week that, in years past, >> they've also crashed under similar circumstances but neither had advice >> on glasses to minimize problems in that kind of light. >> >> Any suggestions? > > I use Oakleys with VR28 lenses (yellow-ish) year-round. Great on gray > days, and I don't lose details in shadows. Not as dark as some might > prefer, and on a super-bright day I could see the point to something a bit > less transparent. But I don't recall ever thinking that I needed something > darker while riding. > > I'm spoiled rotten; I haven't found anything else that's as easy on the > eyes as the Oakleys (I seem pretty sensitive to even minor distortions in > eyewear, and haven't found other lenses to be anywhere near the quality of > Oakleys... my guess is that others are spending 25 cents/lens, and Oakley > 37 cents or thereabouts). > > I've never been happy with transitions; seems they don't change quickly > enough for me, and when you need them to change (moving into and out of > shaded areas on a descent), you need them to change FAST. > > --Mike Jacoubowsky > Chain Reaction Bicycles > www.ChainReaction.com > Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA > I also got spoiled by wearing the Oakley's, now it's hard to use anything else. -tom