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Regardless of if you are biking downhill or uphill in the mountain, you must sport the best protective eyewear.
Are photochromic lenses good for mountain biking? is often the question which comes to everyone’s mind.
Short answer to the question above is “YES”. Photochromic lenses are good for mountain biking.
Eyeglasses that include photochromic features will help riders adapt to light changes throughout the day. Also, prescription photochromic lenses will stop you from packing an additional pair of glasses during the ride.
The photochromic glasses will help you see more clearly and then shield the eyes from dust, debris, insects, and the harmful UV rays of the sun that would otherwise impair your vision.
What is a photochromic lens?
These lenses are clear or almost transparent when inside and naturally obscure when presented to daylight.
The benefit: Photochromic lenses are two glasses in one — ordinary glasses and shades. No compelling reason to change to conceals before riding your bike in the sun.
The photochromic lenses progress from clear to dull. The change happens as an aftereffect of a synthetic reaction of millions of atoms (generally silver chloride or silver halide) responding to daylight.
What you see: The lenses obscure in the day and afterward become clear again after returning inside.
Two types of photochromic lenses for MTB glasses:
When talking about photochromic lenses for MTB, it is essential to determine the diverse specialized attributes the glasses have for the various disciplines.
Although the development of the casing and lenses materials is very similar, the mountain biking glasses contrast from those for street cycling in little subtleties.
Two types of photochromic lenses used for mountain biking are mentioned below.
These lenses start from Category 1 color, which is a veiled color in the beginning, and darkens till it progresses to the Category 3 color, which is the darkness offered by typical sunglasses.
These lenses are ideal for long rides with subtle variations. However, for night rides, I would not recommend this.
The coloring of photochromic smoke lenses is transparent, i.e., category 1. The lenses darken until category 2.5 is achieved.
These lenses make it easier for the eyes to adapt more efficiently from light to shades.
This feature makes the lenses versatile, and hence you don’t have to remove your glasses when you enter a shaded area of the trail.
Using these lens will be easy and they will seamlessly protect the riders from air, leaves, and branches in extremely thick lush regions.
These lenses can be utilized for evening-time rides as they will ensure protection from the harsh atmosphere.
Comparing Best Photochromic MTB Glasses:(My Top 2 Choices)
| Budget Friendly | Premium Choice | |
|---|---|---|
| Preview |
 
|
 
|
| Product | ROCK BROS Photochromic Glasses | Julbo Fury Sunglasses |
| Feature | Ergonomic design | Stylish design |
| Lens | Photochromic | Non-polarized |
| Frame | TR90 | TR90 |
| PRICE | CHECK ON AMAZON | CHECK ON AMAZON |
This photochromic lens is based on sunlight’s intensity. The lens thus becomes dark in the sun, and indoors they lighten shortly.
You do not have to interchange the lens for various brightness conditions. These polycarbonate lens is not only lightweight and unbreakable but also scratch-resistant and can be cleaned easily.
The sunglass will adjust automatically, reducing glare light. They block 100% harmful UVB and UVA rays and protect the eyes from all long-term damage.
They will stop the sun’s dazzling effect when you are biking.
You will feel nothing on the nose as this glass weighs only 28 grams. The frames and temples are made of TR90 material that is of high durability.
They reduce the pressure created by the frame and protect the nose bridge.
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable.
- 400 UV rating.
- Elimination of glare light.
- Perfect fit for all face shapes.
Cons
- Color choice is limited.
- Slightly expensive.
These sunglass comes with a highly vented and wide view field, offering the highest vision field.
These reactive lens will transition between clear and dark as the outdoor light will change, without switching the lenses or glasses.
They offer perfect fit as the system of air link temple is light with shock absorber insert that offers excellent ear grip and comfort.
Additionally they offer great impact resistance. These lenses are appropriate for use in low light conditions.
Pros
- Non-Polarized.
- Reliable UV protection coating.
- Amazing nose and ear grip.
Cons
- Comes in plastic frame.
- Expensive compared to other similar products.
4 Things To Consider Before Buying Photochromic Glasses
In order to get the best bang for your buck, do consider following four things before buying photochromic glasses for mountain biking.
1. Pick your type of lens: Photochromic or Polarized
Two lenses can serve mountain bikers exceptionally well: photochromic and polarized.
The latter ones are incredible for mountain biking because they sift through the extreme glare you’re probably going to see on the water, snow, and metallic items.
Photochromic lenses, in the interim, lose profundity discernment. That being said, photochromic lenses are incredible for mountain biking because they acclimate to changes in your current circumstance.
The decision among photochromic and polarized lenses will eventually descend to your inclinations. Set aside the effort to comprehend the advantages of both so you can settle on an educated choice.
2. Go for a good fit:
The impact on your shades will affect your comfort level when you’re on your bike. You need to ensure that you are satisfied with how you feel once you put your glasses on while riding your bike.
Additionally, ensure your shades cover your whole range of view. You don’t need parts of your vision left presented to strong lights and glare.
That doesn’t mean you need to agree to large, massive edges. Many frames come with a premium fit and good styling while giving sufficient inclusion and wrap to monitor everything.
3. Beware of red flags:
At the point when you’re utilizing your shades on a trailblazing bike, there are a few kinds of casings and lenses you don’t need.
Stay away from dim lenses so you can see all that is in your way when you’re riding. Likewise, stay away from lenses that sit extremely near your eyes.
Cushioning on the button of your shades keeps them from sneaking off your face because of sweat.
Take a stab at changing course if an edge comes up short on that component. Metal casings are off-limits since they twist effectively on sway.
4. Remember your prescription:
Assuming you utilize remedy lenses to assist you with seeing better in regular day-to-day life, you can (and ought to) use that solution in your mountain trekking shades too.
Several glasses are ideal for incorporating prescription glasses to cover all your visual needs while riding on the trails.
Common FAQs About Photochromic Glasses
1. Why photochromic lenses are extraordinary for mountain biking?
Mountain bikers will generally search for eyewear that covers a greater amount of their face and offers better security, and harder lenses.
Glasses with photochromic lenses can undoubtedly look at each of the three prerequisites.
Photochromic lenses come in all shapes and sizes to give the inclusion you really want, just as keep your eyes secured, regardless of whether the day is cloudy or washed in brilliant daylight.
Photochromic lenses offer 100% assurance from both UVA and UVB beams.
All things considered, photochromic lenses aren’t the best thing in the world for everybody. The progress time between clear to colored can take somewhere in the range of 35 seconds to a few minutes.
This may be excessively long assuming that you are riding between extended lengths of shadow and serious daylight.
For instance, you don’t need your glasses clearing up as you ride through a passage just to arise into an impact of splendid daylight.
2. Do I require polarized lenses for mountain biking?
It’s normal to mistake photochromic innovation for polarized lens coating. In any case, they, in reality, accomplish different objectives.
If your bike is on light-hued asphalt or close to water, then, at that point, you know about the glare and how it can make it harder so that you could see path changes, bends, or different risks in your way.
Polarized glass lenses have a synthetic channel to decrease that occasionally perilous glare.
All in all, would you be able to have the most innovative possible solution — photochromic lenses that likewise are polarized? In a word, “YES“.
Photochromic lenses can be treated with a polarized covering to decrease glare and progress from light to dim and back again as you ride your bike.
3.Do photochromic lenses give protection against UV rays?
The science behind light-to-dim photochromic lenses additionally clarifies how photochromic lenses block UV rays.
An extraordinary light-touchy photochromic covering is applied to eyeglasses and shades with polycarbonate lenses.
When the cover is applied to the lenses, it’s warmed, and the synthetic enters through minuscule openings in the lenses that get greater with heat.
The openings recoil down when the lens cools, and the synthetic settles, becoming one with the lens.
The synthetic arrangement included is straightforward, so it very well may be applied to clear eyeglasses and dim shades. However, at the point when UV radiation comes into contact with a lens treated with this compound, it can’t go through.
Subsequently, a photochromic lens securely reflects UV beams from the eyes. It’s critical to take note of that because a lens is more obscure, that doesn’t mean it impedes more UV.
Very dull lenses that don’t hinder bright light put your eyes at a lot more danger than clear, UV-secured eyeglasses.
Obscured lenses make the eyes’ understudies open more extensively, which means the absence of UV assurance permits more radiation to enter the weak eyesight.
Be that as it may, with legitimate UV assurance — quite often included with photochromic lenses — you can venture into the sun and unwind, realizing your eyes are entirely ensured.
4. How do photochromic lenses work?
The covering on the photochromic lens comprises trillions of tiny atoms of silver halide and chloride, which respond to the bright (UV) radiation in daylight.
When uncovered, the particles in photochromic lenses change the construction and move, attempting to obscure, ingest the light and shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful beams.
5. What is the difference between photochromic and transition lenses?
Photochromic lenses are also called transition lenses since they change from the light inside to outside and the other way around.
6. How do photochromic lenses assist with riding mountain bike?
Photochromic lenses make riding bike more secure and more straightforward. At the point when you’re riding with your bike, your vision must be clear and positive.
If you have visual impedance, for example, near-sightedness, hyperopia, or astigmatism, you’ll need restorative lenses to drive.
And still, after all that, cruel daylight can impede your vision and bike riding capacities as you snatch and change to a different pair of shades.
With photochromic lenses, you get vision rectification alongside insurance from the sun’s risky UV beams across the board pair of glasses.
7. Do mountain biking glasses require a high-contrast lens?
A high-contrast lens is an absolute necessity for mountain bikers. They permit you to ride all through shadows without being diverted by irregularities in light.
High-contrast lens enables the riders to zero in on the landscape that lies ahead. We suggest picking a lighter lens rather than a more obscure one.
This is because a more obscure lens might shut out an excess of light and keep the rider from seeing every one of the obstructions in their way.
Most lenses in mountain biking are intended to expand contrast, so the riders can respond all the more rapidly to their environmental factors and partake in a protected ride.
Most Effective Method To Test Photochromic Lenses
Eye specialists don’t usually have photochromic lenses for you to test in their workplaces.
In uncommon cases, you might have the option to test a couple of photochromic lenses; be that as it may, you will not be allowed to leave the store with them, which implies you will not get an opportunity to test in direct daylight before buying them.
So how might you perceive how photochromic lenses conform to brilliant and diminish light?
Glance through a companion’s photochromic glasses. One more method for doing your examination about photochromic lenses? Look at the internet-based surveys for the brand of photochromic lenses you are thinking about.
In Conclusion
The passion for mountain biking is standard worldwide. With many enthusiasts who spend long hours each week riding their mountain bikes.
Many factors will unite amateurs and professionals. MTB glasses are a must-have accessory that is essential for each ride.
If you are still wondering are photochromic lenses good for mountain biking, think no more, as their use has been increasing constantly due to the easiness it provides to rider in terms of vision.
When it comes to MTB glasses give a thought to also review our resources on pit viper glasses, polarized glasses and difference between photochromic and polarized glasses.
P.S. As you ride with your mtb glasses on, chances are that they might turn foggy. Consider checking out our guide on how to prevent mtb glasses from fogging.
This was really helpful! Thanks for researching these sunglasses so thoroughly, it saved me a lot of time.