is there an Eye Doctor in the house

[gsjay]

Having reached mid 40's the topic of bi focals has come up at a recent eye exam.

I'm concerned with my vision when I ride. I hear horror stories about bi focals.

Any professional opinions out here on the forum?

Ok, how about non professional opinions.

thanks,
jason

[barryg]

First to go is the eyes, then the legs ; after that it only gets worse. I'm 55 an wear tri-focals. U will learn to adapt and do ok. This a non professional opinion from someone who has been wearing corrective lens since I was 8 years old and am now 55. :brow

[jdubick]

I am a 68 year old professional pilot and do not wear glasses for near or far vision. The necessary thing to do is excercise your eyes as they get harder to focus the older you get. If you are lazy you can get bifocals or cheaters for reading. You excercise them by reading small print then focusing on something across the room and then back and forth. You can do it.

[gsjay]

I am a 68 year old professional pilot and do not wear glasses for near or far vision. The necessary thing to do is excercise your eyes as they get harder to focus the older you get. If you are lazy you can get bifocals or cheaters for reading. You excercise them by reading small print then focusing on something across the room and then back and forth. You can do it.

Really!
You can excerise your eyes?
j

[rinty]

Jay:

Adjusting to bi focals is not a big deal for most people. Most eye surgeons (ophthalmologists) deal primarily with pathological eye problems. Most Optometrists deal primarily with eye glass (refractive) issues.

Get the advice of your eye care professional, and you should be fine.

I have two different pairs of bi focals (progressives, actually), and i really like them. The adjustment process was minimal.

Also, there are numerous threads here on the topic, if you want to check up on other members' experiences with them.

[lkchris]

I need bifocals for riding/driving so I can see the speedo/tach, etc.

"Transistions" bifocals eliminate the obvious outine of the lower presription section and are IMHO mandatory if you get Photogray glass.

[stkmkt1]

I wear tri-focals. Have for about a year. I have not experienced any problems with them. I started wearing glasses in 1982 after a bike trip out west where I decided I could no longer see road signs until I was right upon them. Went to bi-focals in mid-90's. I use the "no-line" type glasses. Don't be so afraid of the glasses. Just give yourself some time to adjust.

My eye doctor ask me to do the eye exercises mentioned above. I do them, but probably not nearly enough.

[CaptainR12C]

You excercise them by reading small print then focusing on something across the room and then back and forth. You can do it. sounds like an exercise in Nausea if you ask me.

[shire2000]

Talk about nausea. When I was mid 40s I was prescribed progressive bifocals. I nearly killed myself just trying to walk around the room. Constantly trying to find just the right spot to be able to clearly see the furniture around the room so that I did not bump into it. Started to get dizzy and nearly coughed my cookies. I went back to the eye doctor and had him prescribe distance lenses for driving and some reading glasses for close up work. I don't need them for anything from 2 feet to 10 feet away. Got some quality glasses that change to sunglasses in bright light and go totally clear at night. Work great for riding.

I can see the instruments on my bike well enough with the glasses on. I am usually just scanning for any problems like oil light, etc., and to make sure the speedo needle isn't pinned to the end. Other than that, I don't need to look down when riding.
My hathelmet is off to anyone who can use bi or tri focals. I just can't seem to do it.

[GeoffMiller]

My first experience with bifocals was terrible. I went to a different optomitrist who said that my first prescription was completely wrong. The second guy hit it right on and I haven't had any problems since. Pop for lineless and get yourself a pair of prescription lineless dark glasses too. Rayban Daddy O's give decent eye protection. I tried a pair of wrap-around "motorcycle" glasses with foam seals. What a waste of 500 bucks! Way too much distortion in my periferal vision.:brow

[dbrick]

shire2000 makes a good point: what works for one won't necessarily work for another.

My wife loves her bi-focal contacts (one lens for distance, one for close-up). That seemed a good plan, and similar lenses worked fine for me when I could get them in, but after persistent attempts I was unable to consistently insert the left lens. So I wear glasses with progessive lenses, which work fine for me in most daily situations (desk, computer, big room, outside).

There are two uses, however, when progressives don't work for me at all. The first is riding: because head movement -> change in focus, I find riding with progressive lenses very uncomfortable. I wear American Optical "Original Pilot" with straight temples (so I can insert them easily in my fixed-front full face helmet); the lenses are ground as fixed focus for my distance prescription, with a smaller-than-normal segment at the extreme bottom so I can read the bike's instruments.

The other situation were progressives don't work for me is at the movies. It's nicer to have a broader field in focus, and (if I remember) I take a old pair of fixed-focus bifocals with me.

[KGT1200]

Wow. Look at all us old geezers coming out of the woodwork to answer this thread...

Trifocls for 5 years. 51 going on 90. No problems, can't do without them either long or short. Mine are transitions between the different lenses. I had no prob adjusting, and am very happy.

This year, I got transition lenses that darken when outside or on the BMW, so I can throw away the clip on's that I previously used!

Yea!

The only sad part is they don't work well in cars, and in a really sunny room, they darken ever so slightly so you look like your trying to be "joe cool"

[awagnon]

At 61, like many of the others, I transitioned to bifocals and then trifocals. Sure they're a PIA, but I like to see. In my experience, the lineless bi- and tri-focals are better tolerated if you start with them rather than change to them from bifocals. YMMV. Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative. As mentioned above, the eyes are just the first to go. Do what you can to prevent other system failures by living a healthy life style, maintaining your weight, exercise, and avoid dangerous activities like motorcycles. Oops. Forget the last part.

[aaaaaa]

I can't use the progressives. I like the split segments in my tri focals. I got mine at costco.
$70 for a pair of lenses. Cheap enough for me to experiment with line placement and prescriptions. You've gotta go with what works for you.
:buds Robert

[henzilla]

got my first set of transitions a few years back...can see that road sign a mile up the road,couldn't see my map or GPS worth a flip
The eye guy asked where to make the transition,I set the map in front of me like in the tankbag. Works great unless I want to use that set on the computer however...have to lean head way back

[moose738]

I had problems with bifocals when it came to golf. I now use what I think are called progressive, or perhaps transitional lens. The prescription change is gradual over the lens, and you intuitively position your head to use the appropriate part of the lens. I make it sound more complicated than it is. Anyways, it works great for golf and likewise for motorcycle riding. Get a pair, you will like them I'm sure. Regards, John

[tourunigo]

.... the vision starts blurring.... oh so slowly.... like watching an inevitable accident that you are part of. You try your new reading glasses on and catch your reflection in a window as you pass. "OMG!.... it's my father!" you think, all teary eyed like. Then the ears (me anyway). Lost a lot of the high tones. You know .... female voices. Then the aches here and there.....

Prostate.... now there's another lighthearted subject:D No hijack intent but, you know, at our age, one thing links to another. -Bob

[BuddingGeezer]

I had problems with bifocals when it came to golf. I now use what I think are called progressive, or perhaps transitional lens. The prescription change is gradual over the lens, and you intuitively position your head to use the appropriate part of the lens. I make it sound more complicated than it is. Anyways, it works great for golf and likewise for motorcycle riding. Get a pair, you will like them I'm sure. Regards, John

+10. I never know when I change the part of the lens I look through like you do with bifocals.

Ralph Sims

[jdubick]

Eye doctors want to sell you glasses and dentists want to sell you crowns, that's how they make money. Do your eye exercises and brush your teeth and save money and enjoy life. Yes you can excercise your eyes and every other muscle in your body.:D

[hlothery]

Yes you can excercise your eyes and every other muscle in your body.:D

While there is some credence to this method, it is not all muscle weakness that causes presbyopia (old eyes, or diminished near vision). It also involves a stiffening of the lens, inside the eye (which the muscles stretch and distort to change focal length), which may not respond to exercise, and is worse in some, better in others. Just like I am 59 and have titanium knees and some 80 year olds are still jogging, there is not a "one size fits all" solution. I love my progressive bifocal lenses, and have adapted quite will to riding and golfing with them. Get your eyes evaluated......they do quite a bit more than just sell glasses.

[kgadley01]

I've wore no-line Bifocals for years with no problems. If I remember, it took a day or two to get used to them. I also wear contacts, but hate having to carry around reading glasses. Last week I started wearing one near and one far Contact. Now that takes getting used to. I just returned from a ride a few minutes ago, and it went pretty well. I'll probley always carry a set of Eye glasses just in case. :brow

[tommcgee]

Having reached mid 40's the topic of bi focals has come up at a recent eye exam.

When I had this discussion with my eye doctor at age 40, her comment to me was "You don't have to do bifocals just yet, but you're only delaying the inevitable."

I first tried the kind with the line and I had major problems with them because of the sudden shift in focal lengths. My brain wasn't following along.

Anyway, I traded those in on progressive lenses and haven been wearing them for 18 years without any issues.

[gfspencer]

I hear horror stories about bifocals.

What kind of horror stories have you heard?

I started wearing glasses in my 40's. I went to bifocals when I was in my mid 40's. I'm 62. I still wear bifocals. I've only had one problem . . . and that was when riding a sport bike my head was in such a position that I was looking over my lenses. I corrected that with bigger lenses. (Contacts would have been the best answer but I can't get used to them.)

Glasses in general are a little difficult to use if you wear a full faced helmet. Make sure you get stiff temples.

[jpberens43639]

Have you tried contacts?

I use a lighter prescription in my left eye, and a stronger in my right. I am near sighted.
This balance allows me to read or work on a computer, yet when I need to see far away my right eye which is dominant takes over and I can see great!

Glasses can be comfortable, but I was always having them fog up or get rain on them. Always getting them dirty or something.
I also use the extended wear contacts, 30 days in, then change them,no problems. But I always travel with a spare pair of glasses and an extra set of contacts, JIC.
My vision went doing very close up work with a magnifing glass all day long in my late 30's. Glasses first, then contacts about 6 years ago, and the dual strenth contacts for the last couple of years. I turn 50 this year.

[AKBeemer]

Had lasik done and I have 20/25 vision. My distance vision did not improve as much as some, but the benefit is that my close in vision did not diminish as much as most others. I seldom wear glasses and I am legal to drive without them, but since I am 20/10 with my glasses on I wear them when riding. I can read without glasses as well. I'm very happy that I had the procedure done. Also, I went from being a horrendous golfer to being simply miserable at the game.

[tghsmith]

first pair of progressives were measured wrong(terrible) 5 years later have had three great sets, make sure the tech that measures your lense heigth is pupil to pupil at the level as you!!!! make sure they take the time to get this correct, this can be the biggest thing in the wearabilty in your glasses, ps transititions on bright day blasting into an unlit tunnel can be testing...

[35634]

I am not a professional, but pretend to know what I'm talking about. Getting old
sucks, but the alternative sucks worse. Be glad there are solutions to some problems
(albeit not perfect, like bi focals) and keep your mind youg.

[Rpbump]

I have glaucoma and worn lineless bi-focals while driving for over 30 years with no problems. I also shoot black powder rifles with iron sights at distances from 200m to 1,000yds using the same glasses. Transition lens are used for everyday wear and now yellow tinted lineless bi-focals for driving at night. My brother wore glasses for 50 years before having laser surgery on his eyes. The only glasses he used after the surgery were non-perscription sunglasses. Talk to your eye doctor about the many options available to you.
Ride Safe :usa :usa

[LTrider]

I went with a contact for reading in my left eye, and a contact for distance in my right (dominant) eye. Works great! The only negative is that it takes a few days to get used to.

[ljjohns]

Last year, had a lot of dental problems so I put extra money in my MediFlex account and thus had no dental problems this year. So to get some of that money into play (they take it if you don't use it) I invested in some progressive lenses, having used traditional bifocals for the last 9 years after an unsatisfactory experience with earlier progressives.

The problem that I was having with the traditional bifocals was that the dashboard display was just far enough away to not really be clear in either the upper or the lower portion of the bifocals (too far away for a book, too close for a deer).

The optometrist suggested that I try progressives again, and so I used the funny money for that purpose.

I'll let you know what happens: apparently I have to worry about peripheral vision (you have to point your nose at what you want to see) and so I'll probably have to work a bit more on "head checks."

Keeps life interesting.

[MCMXCIVRS]

Wow, reading all those responses with my still 20/20 vision at nearly 45 makes me feel lucky. I suppose in another decade I made have to get some sort of glasses since I've deteriorated from my 20/13 I had when I was a lad. You folks don't make the prospect seem all too inviting.

If you need me I'll be excercising my eyes.

[Funride]

Lots of great inputs. I used to wear contacts, one set for distance and one for close-up but found I lost my depth perception (NOT GOOD), but now do best with progressive lenses. If you go with progressive lenses make sure they adjust where the lenses change correctly. It took two tries for me but now they work great.

I have my GPS mounted lower using one of those fork stem mounts from the guy up in Canada. That way I do not have to move my head when reading the GPS or changing radio stations.

I switched to a Shoei Multec helmet (modular type) works much better for me rather than trying to get my regular full face helmet over the glasses.

Looks like I am not the only 60 year old kid riding a BMW.....

[calmil]

This thread sounds a lot like the oil, aftermarket seats, windshield, vented jacket, etc threads.

I guess if there were only one "best" way, the question would be a rhetorical one.

My professional opinion (35 years an ophthalmologist) is that plus lens power (reading glasses or bifocals or contact lenses with near vision help) is inevitably essential for all but a few people. The majority of folks who can successfully delay their use for several years are under/uncorrected myopes (nearsighted) and this gives them some reading power without lenses. Exercises for reading without reading aids are for the most part unproductive. I think when they are said to be of benefit, it is usually as mentioned above. If you think they work for you, by all means try them.

My 64 year old eyes see 20/20 at distance after cataract surgery. I can read the speedometer and the GPS without glasses, but I can see them more quickly and more sharply with bifocal reading glasses (progressive lenses) which have no distance power. I believe that translates into safer riding. Bifocal style or the use of a reading contact lens are matters of personal preference. Use what works for you and ply your eye specialist with your concerns. It helps him/her tailor the product for your needs.

EyeBiker ;)
______________________
2007 R1200RT