Winter Sunglasses

I have found that choosing sunglasses for summer is fairly easy, as the light is bright and most normal shades will work, they will not be to dark in open sunshine conditions. I wear Bolle Anacondas as they fit and do not mess with the colours.

Winter time gets a bit trickier 'cause the light can still get in your eyes but does not have the same strength. So lighter shades are required, and shades that do not mess with colour. You still want to be able to differentiate between a leaf and a stone on the road !

I have bought a few pairs over the years, but nothing that works quite as well as the latest effort at solving the problem - enter Maui Jim - Waimea Canyon with Maui HT lenses.

They are not too dark and boost the colour saturation it seems - everything looks amazing ! (especially red Honda VFRs !). The lenses are slight green but designed for this kind of low light glare, and even direct sun. They are not massively expensive - cheaper than Oakleys, but mine are not as sports fitting as I would like. Maybe another model with the same lenses would be better.

But great for that awkward time of year that we get here with sun low in the sky, and patchy bright sun and shadow and shade. Awkward time, and summer shades are just way too dark.

Any one else recommend shades for this time of year ?

[image: MauiJimWaimeaCanyon_zpsb79493f2.jpg]

I use these year round http://www.amazon.co...i=SS115&simLd=1

I've been a huge fan of Rudy Project.  My wife and I have purchased several.  They aren't cheap but a pair can last a few years of everyday use with a bit of care.  All parts are replaceable.  As long as the frames are still reasonably current they will replace your lenses for $25 no matter what happened to them.  Depending on your frame choice they have a huge selection of lens options.  I'm currently using the multi-laser red which works well on sunny and cloudy days.  E-Rudy.com

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I got myself a pair of Oakleys recently, with the bronze lenses, I like them for snowy and low light conditions.

I have 2 pairs of Costa Del Mars.  Dark and bronze lenses.  Bronze one had a rubber liner on the temple cover areas but it eventually wore down to the plastic and low and behold it is a sharp edge so I can't wear them.  The lenses are still fine but with the sharp edges they are not useable.  So, I got myself a cheap pair of Oakley's (bottle rockets) and got the bronze lenses.  Solves my problems here in the UK with overcast.  They are high contrast and polarised.  Makes a huge difference especially when driving in rainy mist on the roads.  Clears up everything.  

I would highly recommend Maui's or Costas.  Maui's are expensive but once you go to one of these higher end pair of glasses it is hard to go back to the glasses rack at your local department store.  Once the dark Costa's wear out I may go to Maui's from here on out as I don't see Costa's sold many places anymore.  Oakley's are too plasticky and the lenses scratch easily.  

Never heard of Costa Del Mars before, they look the bizz !

I had a pair of Rudy Projects before that I originally used for running. I remember the end of the arms being bendy and cutting a bit of the ends with a Leatherman as sometimes the tips would bend when I slid them into the helmet - somehow the ends would dig in ! so got the Leatherman out and snipped the ends off a bit !

They had changeable lenses i remember and I still have the case, they might still be around somewhere but I cannot find them. If I do I could try those red lenses and have a spare pair for winter.

The Bolle Anacondas have interchangeable lens. If you don't have different lens, you can probably buy them. The winter sun can be more intense than summer sun when there's glare off of snow or ice. Polarized lens are a must. Serengetti glasses with the Driver lens are my absolute favorites for over 20 years. I'd pay the retail price if I had to.....and that says alot! The Maui Jims are nice glasses!
The temples on the Waimea Canyon might be a little too tall to feel great inside a helmet but, they do look pretty keen.

I prefer a wrap style frame that fits tight against my face all the way around and a frame with straight arms that doesn't have the "ear hooks" so they go on/come off easily when wearing a helmet. This is my third pair of WileyX glasses. These are actually no-line bifocals so that runs the price up to about $450 but they are durable, I've dropped them a dozen times or so with no issues. The tinting is light enough that I can wear them with my dark tinted face shield and not black out the whole world in the midday sun and I can flip the shield up and still wear these glasses long after the sun has gone down. + being prescription lenses, I can actually SEE! Unlike the Stig, the mailman has been unmasked....

[image: The Mailman above all]
The Mailman above all
4th of July 2013. Summit of Mt. Evans Colorado