Earlier this 12 months I wrote about how arduous it’s to seek out good prescription biking glasses. Particularly, I wanted for a corporation that designs efficiency glasses for prescription lenses from the bottom up. Whereas I’ve but to come across this actual situation, I’ve since made an effort to hunt out high-quality prescription glasses to check out.
Considered one of these is the French firm Julbo, headquartered within the Jura area close to the Swiss border, which has developed a proprietary prescription system that makes use of a “baked-in prescription insert that’s cohesive with the lens.” The corporate is finest recognized for its climbing and mountaineering merchandise, but additionally has a full vary of biking glasses and sponsors the Groupama-FDJ WorldTour staff in addition to a number of World Cup XC athletes.
To start the ordering course of right here in North America, I acquired in contact with Julbo’s U.S. headquarters in Vermont, the place the customer support staff requested me for my most up-to-date prescription and MPD (monocular pupillary distance) values for each eyes. They had been in a position to then decide which fashions my prescription was suitable with: initially, I used to be within the Ultimates, however they had been dominated out because of the power of my prescription, so I as a substitute opted for the Fury mannequin. Julbo doesn’t checklist prescription limitations on its web site, so that you’ll want to talk with somebody to establish what is going to be just right for you.
As soon as we sorted by this, the Julbo staff submitted the order to the lab in France, the place the lenses had been made particularly for my eyes. The finished glasses had been then despatched to Vermont for a checkover, earlier than arriving at my doorstep. This complete course of took roughly three and a half weeks, and based on Buyer Service Supervisor Molly Carolan at Julbo, the vast majority of that point was spent shifting by US customs. Julbo quotes a 3-6 week turnaround for many Rx orders.
On the highway
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
I used to be enthusiastic about testing out these glasses. Although I get the chance to check high-end bikes and equipment regularly, there’s one thing about sun shades that feels totally different. They modify the best way you look and the best way you are feeling. Good ones disappear in your face comfortably, whereas ill-fitting ones appear to make the whole lot else worse. My final pair of prescription sun shades, which I wore till lately, are from 2014. It was clearly time for an replace.
Out of the field, the Julbo Fury glasses are slick. I opted for the considerably flashy Gentle Inexperienced/Pink color, which Julbo paired with Spectron 3 Gold/Pink lenses, as I requested one thing appropriate for low-light situations. Julbo additionally affords a light-changing photochromic lens that it calls Reactiv, in a number of color variations, that’s out there on some fashions, however not the Fury.
Even with my (considerably thick) prescription lenses, the Furys are impressively gentle at 34 grams. This goes a good distance in direction of making them sit comfortably and unobtrusively in your face. The prescription a part of the lens is just discernible from the skin as a skinny overlayer within the shield-style lens, as the majority of it sits behind the lens on the within. These inserts cowl a major a part of the general lens, making for a pleasant clear visible expertise.
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
The optics are unimaginable: Bar not one of the finest I’ve ever skilled. Additionally, that is the primary time I’ve ever worn shield-style glasses with a single, ski-goggle-type lens, and I’m a fan. The sight view is obvious and broad, and the flat profile of the lens helps preserve distortion to a minimal. The massive lens additionally does an excellent job defending your eyes from wind and highway detritus.
Air flow is stable—each ends of the lens protect sit away from the frames to permit moisture out. There isn’t any venting within the center, nonetheless. For the reason that lenses are made with the prescription inset, lens swapping for differing situations isn’t an choice (until you had been to buy a number of prescription lenses). As such, selecting a body that’s suitable with Julbo’s photochromic lenses could be prudent (I didn’t do that).
My solely qualm with these glasses is the shortage of adjustability. Julbo classifies the Fury as medium-width, which works properly with my face form and the arms are designed to be quick in order to not intrude with helmet straps. The frames sit near the face, which helps preserve them from shifting round, however the nostril piece is only a rubber pad constructed into the frames, not two separate items that may be tweaked to suit your anatomy. For very bumpy using, i.e. gravel and cyclocross, this added safety and adjustability could be useful. Due to this design aspect, these frames is not going to match as many individuals as they may. Different fashions supplied by the corporate appear to have extra adjustability inbuilt.
Worth and conclusion
(Picture credit score: Tyler Boucher)
In case your eyes are something like mine, it’s not attainable to journey a motorbike with out assistance from glasses. OK, I suppose technically, it’s attainable, however the journey could be shorter than the following journey to the hospital. So, for me, good prescription using glasses are a justifiable value.
For non-prescription lenses, these identical glasses can be found from $139 USD ($229 with photochromic lenses). This prescription model is considerably costlier at $425. That’s some huge cash, however contemplating that every lens is made to order in France, particularly for every particular person’s eyes, it’s comprehensible. This value can also be offset considerably with some medical insurance plans, relying on the place you reside. And with the ability to see is useful, regardless of the associated fee.
