March 7, 2010
Sunglasses For Motorcycles
Riding a bike wearing motorcycle sunglasses and no helmet is definitely the cool Terminator style that has made Arnold Schwarzenegger famous. Definitely dark shades look great on motorcycles, but what about real life usage? Well, we have to be critical here and say that the Terminator-style is not relevant or practical for motor riding but rather for casual wear. Motorcycle sunglasses are meant to withstand high speeds on the road and be compatible with the use of a helmet. Durability, quality and rigorous protection represent the criteria for the design for quality motorcycle sunglasses. They have to be durable because of the high speed impact with road debris that often hits the biker in the face.
Even if we are talking about contact with very small pebbles, low quality motorcycle sunglasses will not resist the impact and will chip or shatter. Glass lenses are a no-no for bike riding because of the risk to break and injure the biker. The best lenses for motorcycle sunglasses are made of polycarbonate that is resistant and very lightweight matching extreme travel conditions. All the manufacturers that design eyewear for motorcycle use have special testing procedures to check the resistance of motorcycle sunglasses to impact and temperature variations.
Polarization is another key feature of motorcycle sunglasses. The glare as well as the bounces off from the pavement have to be solved by the anti-glare coating. The vibration of light waves is an element that poses no kind of problem with other types of eyewear, but in the case of motorcycle sunglasses the shock has to be absorbed by the polarized coating. The relevance of such features is very high given the fact that it is unacceptable to ride the bike when the road is too bright or you have to squint against the sun. From this point of view motorcycle sunglasses are important for health protection and road safety given the eye damage that the glare may cause.
As for the ultraviolet protection in the entire light spectrum, motorcycle sunglasses should have a filer UV level of 400. This means that polarization should combine with ultraviolet protection. Although the anti-glare feature is only useful on sunny days, the ultraviolets affect you no matter whether if the weather is fine or overcast. Consequently, eye protection require the use of motorcycle sunglasses even on low brightness. Eye disorders and the risk of getting cataract or macular degeneration have a reduced incidence if the eyewear is adequate and of good quality.
—————————–
When the author isn't motorcycle riding, he also enjoys psychic readings, the BMW Z3 windscreen windblocker wind deflector, and follows the Seattle HCG Diet.
Filed under Whale Watching Tours by jenny