Photochromic sunglasses - yes or no?

Interesting thread (and I don't find the term 'necro' to be snarky, just descriptive in this situation, where we have a precise use-case scenario.)

I do have a visor on my helmet, but unfortunately, it's so scratched that it is annoying. I wonder how polywatch of some similar product would do for eliminating the scratches, but in the worst situations-- at sunset in summer-- I do add these to either clear progressives or transition progressives. Even have added them to sunglasses in the most extreme situations.

I was wearing my medium-grade transitions (good but not the best, hydrophobic, reflection-reducing and other coatings) when I was admitted from the ER to the ICU and stayed there for five weeks. They got lost in the confusion, but I knew that somehow, my wife had probably managed to take them home.

In the interim, I tried an experiment and ordered cheap-o transition lenses with no coating at all (I always ride with progressives and have about a half dozen pairs) from a Chinese company that shall go nameless. (It was Zenni.) Just last week, the mid-grade progressives turned up, weirdly, in a bag with oil paintings in it! (Man, it was utter chaos over here while I was recovering, I'll tell ya!) I discovered some really interesting things.

First of all, on balance, I don't like coated lenses because they scratch too easily. I tried so hard to baby my mid-grade progressive transitions (let's call them the Kaisers), but they scratched immediately. The scratching is very fine, and looks like a smudge, and I think cleaning with a pristine microfiber cloth and water or eyeglass cleaning solution literally made the problem worse. The cheap-o progressive transitions have NOT scratched at all, and have had harder use, though I've only had them a few months.

I find that the Kaisers are not-quite-enough on a bright SoCal day, but I can live with them in most situations. Opening the window in the car solves the UV transition trigger issue, and I like to have the window open whenever possible. However, I do find that both pairs of glasses do get a LITTLE darker even with the car windows closed, so between that and the super-mild tint built into the windshield, they're okay for running errands around town on hot days with the AC blasting. Driving more than 10 minutes, yeah-- I'd bring my dedicated sunglasses. For travel longer than one or two overnights, I bring dedicated sunglasses just in case, but they usually stay in my suitcase.

The Kaisers are ideal for medium-bright conditions when I'm looking at things far away. I focus through the scratches, don't notice them, and the lack of reflections is really nice-- for an afternoon ride when I'll be home around sunset, they are my choice.

For returning after dark, I prefer the Zennis. I do see the reflections, but they are not distracting, and the lack of any scratches gives me more detail. They are also nearly clear at night, where the Kaisers are a shade darker.

Another benefit of the Zennis is that the reflections sometimes allow you to see behind you. In a dodgy street situation, that is helpful. I already use reflections a lot when riding-- I look for reflections on car windows to let me know if a car is coming around a blind turn, etc., and on the street I always used store windows to check for people coming up on me from behind. Been doing that since I was eight years old.

To the original point, I find that the transition lenses in both glasses are fast enough for me, even going from a light environment to a dark one. They start getting lighter very quickly in shade, it feels like there's a noticeable difference in even 15 to 20 seconds, so I can see just enough to avoid obstacles. I rarely ride through tunnels, I'll try that.

What I need is a taller lens. The Zennis, in particular, are not big enough-- I find myself looking over the top of the lens on fast descents, and having to remind myself to crane my neck upward in a way that is distracting. So I'd love to find a company that made reasonably-priced prescription/progressive transitions in a sport-glasses-for-cyclist shape. I'll check out some of the links above.
 
why are you scratching them up? Most decent lenses have a scratch coating and I haven't seen scratches in years. I also putthem in a case now while riding. Plus now with the water repellant I just wash them in warm water and some soap and tap them on the edge on a sleeve to get the water off. never have to wipe the lens anymore.
 
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