I’ve been getting back into cycling lately, and a few days ago when I was out on a particularly windy ride I was reminded of one thing I don’t look forward to when riding: dealing with my contacts. I wear Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP or just “GP”) contact lenses, which are better optically than soft contacts or glasses, but they can make a little wind or dust feel like you’ve got a rock scratching the inside of your eyeball. On this ride I was barreling down a busy road and right as I was getting passed by a truck some dust flew into my eye, my eyes teared up and I had to slam on the brakes for fear I was going to hit something. Not fun.
So I did searching around the internets and learned about motorcycle sunglasses. I went to a local motorcycle gear store and picked up a cheap pair of sunglasses that have a foam gasket around the inside. They’re awesome! I push them into my face and they form a complete seal around my eyes. I don’t feel the wind on my eyes at all. I just completed a ride with them and had no issues at all with wind or dust.
It seems obvious in retrospect, but I’m much happier on my bike now! They’re a little warm when you’re not moving but it was no worse than working up a sweat with ski goggles on. The trade-off is definitely worth it.