Mountain Biking with or with out sunglasses? What's your call?

[Flowrider]

I'm in between riding with or without sunglasses.

I wiped out the other day, and thinking back, I think I missed the best line and slipped on a wet root.

Don't think it was my technical ability. Think my glasses shaded the line of the root I was about to go over, and I needed to lift my front wheel.

As a result, I've lost confidence riding with sunglasses.

I've tried orange-shaded ones but still not sure.

Any recommendations or thoughts on this?

[SPINMAN]

I learned a lot about wearing glasses both on and off road over the years. First, I used to always wear polarized sunglasses on the road with different gradients of darkness. Before a race I visited the vendor hall and spoke to several glasses sellers and all told me not to wear the polarized. They can eliminate potential hazards on the road. They are great for fishing and boating or high glare, but not for cycling. I think that holds true off road too. Now, as vision has deteriorated over the years, I have prescription(distance) glasses. Off road my concern was not the sun, but the clarity. Even more important was eye protection! It was almost always low light because of canopy cover so amber tinted kept everything sharp. Hardly ever wore dark glass unless direct sunlight heading into sunrise/sunset when the road opened up. As far as the eye protection part, at the very minimum, wear clear glass. The danger of a branch or limb, and definitely bugs can not only change your line and crash, but can damage your eyes. I switch to clear or amber on the road sometimes, but usually I only ride in nice weather! ☀️

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, I am glad you are not self-doubting your technical ability.

My issue has always been that glasses (of any kind) hinder a rider's ability to fully appreciate the colors and beauty of nature, as well as spot potential dangers in time.

I ride with a baseball cap under my helmet, which usually offers some physical distance between a hazard (like a branch) and my eyes. Eyelids provide a surprising amount of natural protection, and since trail riding involves dappled light and shifting shadows from leaves and branches, you really need clear, unobstructed vision—something glasses just don't deliver in my experience.

It all comes down to how much risk you are willing to take. Personally, over my riding career, I have had very few instances of bugs hitting my eyes. I am in the "no glasses" camp.

Even in Ladakh and the Himalayas, I avoided glasses because my cap visor was usually enough to shield my eyes.

Ladakh experiences sandstorms, and while I got caught in a couple, my eyelids (combined with simply turning my face away from the blast) did the job.

   

When I lived in Boston, I worked in biotech, where we wore clear safety glasses in the lab to protect against splashes of harmful chemicals or biological agents. I used to commute with such a pair because Boston threw a lot of grit, sand, and salt at you.

However, in South America, India, and Nepal, I dumped the glasses completely.

Personally, clearer, natural vision means one less worry on your mind..

[Flowrider]

My issue has always been that glasses (of any kind) hinder a rider's ability to fully appreciate the colors and beauty of nature, as well as spot potential dangers in time.

This hits the spot for me!

My mate uses workers' clear safety glasses which I'm still not comfortable with