“The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”

Iris Murdoch, Author

Are you tired of paying the extortionate prices for fuel? Or are you through with waiting in traffic, when all you want to do is get home after a hard day at the office? If so, ask yourself, have you ever considered cycling to work?

Increasing numbers of us are opting for two wheels rather than four for the daily commute, even more so with companies adopting Cycle to Work schemes. Even the government are encouraging commuters in the capital to switch to cycling in the build up to the Olympic games next year. This does, however, replace petrol prices and road rage with a whole new set of bumps in the road to tackle.

We believe that our brand new range of cycle helmets and Transition lens sunglasses will offer a little help this Autumn, if you are considering joining the growing ranks of cycle commuters. Brands such as Oakley, Rudy Project, Adidas, Nike and Giro offer a wide variety of products to keep up with you and your lifestyle.

Check out www.rxsport.co.uk to view our collection of cycle sunglasses, cycle helmets and many other products that will complement your active, healthy lifestyle.

Transitions: The Perfect Solution for Cycling Commuters

At this time of year, cycling to work can be a visual minefield. Cycle commuters can expect to face changing light conditions, a combination of intermittent cloud cover and the shortening hours of daylight, which seem to be most prevalent at those times when we are on the move. As we head towards Autumn, the sun sits lower in the sky during commuting hours and glare can become a greater issue. Without a windscreen to protect us we can expect to face the wind and all the things that come with it, predominantly bugs and grit, as well as exposure to UV.

By wearing a pair of wraparound glasses you can make the journey to work much more comfortable and it can certainly solve most of these problems. The high wrap on sports sunglasses will shield your eyes from the elements, foreign bodies and both UVA and UVB rays. Flexibility is the key, because we simply can’t predict the conditions from day to day or from morning to night. One option is to make sure that you choose sunglasses that utilise interchangeable lenses such as the Oakley Jawbone and Oakley Fast Jacket XL, or almost any from the Adidas and Rudy Project ranges.

These brands offer a wide range of spare lenses to suit almost any conditions, however changing between lenses is not ideal at the end of a day’s work, when all you want is to reach home as fast as possible. For this, the solution would be a single pair of lenses that can adapt, without you having to do a thing.

Almost all of the main sports eyewear brands will have a version of photochromic (light-adjusting/Transitions/Reactolite) lens tints, which adjust to the light – darkening in brighter conditions and lightening as the light fades. Transitions react to UV, in natural light only, which causes a chemical reaction within the lenses. Due to the lenses reacting to the intensity of the UV, the lenses will adjust to allow just the right amount of light through, to reduce eye fatigue that can result in headaches.

There are numerous variations of photochromic lenses, with the main difference being between those that start completely clear and go dark, and those that start off as a light tint and simply darken with the weather.

Non Prescription Photochromic Specialists

Adidas frames, such as the Adivista, feature the LST Vario lens. This is a rose based tint that varies between a lighter Cat. 2 shade and a darker Cat. 3. Therefore, it is ideal for dealing with intermittent cloud cover, due to its contrast enhancing properties. This lens is ideal for people who will always cycle during the day, and only use the glasses outdoors.

Rudy Project offer perhaps the widest range of photochromic lens options. The Impact X Photochromic Clear is particularly popular. This lens starts completely clear, which makes it ideal for those who start their commute in the dark in winter. Equally, photochromic lenses will help those commuters whose routes involve tunnels, underpasses or even just a stop at the local shop for an early morning energy boost (well that’s our excuse for eating chocolate at 8am!). The Impact X lenses can be found on numerous Rudy glasses, from the legendary Rydon to the brand new Swifty.

Oakley’s range of non-prescription photochromic lenses are growing all the time. Whilst not available on every model, they offer both clear to dark and light to dark options. For example, the Flak Jacket XLJ is available with a Clear Black Iridium photochromic lens; whilst the Jawbone is available with the VR50 Transitions lens, which is a rose based photochromic lens.

Prescription Possibilities

Both Adidas and Rudy Project can provide prescription capabilities through the use of clip-on optical adaptors, but when it comes to directly glazed prescription sunglasses, Oakley prescription sunglasses are hard to beat on quality, price and turn-around time.

An impressive range of lens tints to begin with, Oakley can boast 5 different Transition tints, including three Iridium (mirrored) based tints. A tint such as Gold Iridium Transitions would be a great choice for the commuter. The brown base tint enhances contrast, to help see all the bumps and edges on the road; whilst the Iridium coating will help to reduce the glare bouncing of wet road surfaces.

Whilst you can choose Transition tints in any Oakley frame (except Radar and M-Frame), the Oakley Fast Jacket is worth considering. Its semi-rimless design makes it lighter than its competitors, and you won’t lose the option of having a 2nd set of lenses later on (even in prescription format).

To order Oakley prescription sunglasses with Transitions, use the Custom Build option. This will allow you to choose your preferred frame and lens combination (free of charge). If you want to go one step further with changing icon or ear sock colours, please contact us to order. There is a £40 surcharge for this fully customised Oakley service.

Cycle Helmets

Would you get in a car without buckling up? Would you disregard the seatbelt icon on an aircraft? Would you ever dream of riding a motorcycle without a helmet? If you’ve said no to these, ask yourself; do you ride a bike without a helmet?

According to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) statistics, between 2007-2010, of 1,953 incidents resulting in injury on the road, 10% were cyclists.

There is much debate about the use of cycle helmets, with new studies being published each year. Cycle helmets may or may not reduce the likelihood of a fatality in an incident. Equally, it is likely that the majority of us will live our lives never suffering from a serious road traffic accident, whether on two wheels or four. Chances are, we won’t need it…but what if..? It’s the “what if” that really makes it worth while wearing either a seatbelt or a crash helmet. We never know what’s round the corner…

Nowhere is this more true than when commuting to work in urban areas. Whether it is kamikaze bus drivers, drivers wildly swinging their doors open, or simply the humble pot hole, dangers lurk at every street corner. With growing numbers of great looking helmets now available, there is no need to fear the jibes from kids at the bus stop as you sail past! Equally, the lightweight designs of modern day helmets (the Giro Prolight weighs just 172g!) mean that you don’t have to worry about lugging a dead weight around all day either.

RxSport Picks

For the ultimate in commuter cycle helmet safety, you can’t go wrong with the Bell Muni helmet, which even features integrated rear flashing lights.

Alternatively, the Giro Indicator is perfect for the daily ride around town and is available at a price of £31.49 for a limited time only!

Finally, if you’re fed up with the standard cycle helmet look, why not switch to one of the uber trendy Bern helmets? As seen on a whole host of Hollywood A listers, these will surely convince even the most ardent fashionista to put a lid on it. To top it off, the Bern Watts w/EPS Thin Shell foam is priced at an attractive £49.99.

All our cycle helmets pass CE EN 1078 certification so you can guarantee maximum protection and peace of mind when riding to the office.

We are currently offering 10% off all cycle helmets to celebrate the addition of helmets to our range of products, but this won’t last forever so hurry! NB. Prices on the website include this discount.

Contact us on 01733 270771 to discuss any of our cycle helmets or to place an order.