Test Ride

I know what you're thinking with this blog post title, but it's not what you think. We're talking eyeglasses, not a new bike. Yes...cycling specific, partial wrap-around prescription sunglasses! I've worn eyeglasses since high school and although I've had various forms of prescription sunglasses, I never did pull the trigger on cycling-specific shades. When you're young and poor with an ever changing Rx, you can always find better ways to spend your $$. Now that I'm older with a more stable Rx and a little discretionary money to spend, I decided to stop lusting at the catalog pages and take some action. This led me to SportRx.com and Rob their cycling optician. Rob presented me with some options that would or might work with my very strong prescription...needless to say, the options were not many. He encouraged me to partake in their "test ride" program wherein they send me the frames I'm interested in trying on without any obligations. I selected for my first choice the Rudy Project Horus despite knowing that they were very borderline for my Rx.

However, Rob suggested I try them under their excellent exchange policy knowing that my 2nd choice frames would not be an Rx issue. He assured me that a few folks with a stronger Rx were happy with the Horus, while being honest and also informing me that others with a similar Rx could not live with the distortions introduced by the partial wrap-around lenses. So last night was my test ride with my, for now anyway, new Rudy Project Horus single vision, polarized, Gray No. 3, silver flash mirror super cool cycling sunglasses. :)

I planned a 23 mile early evening ride on a loop where I knew the setting sun would be in my eyes. Here are the test ride results:

• I rode the entire 23 miles without having to return home for the regular glasses


• The Horus lenses did introduce some minor distortions to my vision but the longer I had them on the more I got use to it.


• Did not get a headache


• Did not get dizzy


• Near field vision makes objects seem a bit closer


• Intermediate field vision was nearly perfect


• Distant vision makes objects seem a bit elongated


• The ability to see fine detail on the road surface was enhanced.


• Peripheral vision was blurry, but that happens to me now with my regular progressive glasses.

I think they'll be keepers...but I won't make the final decision until I try them on a couple of mid-day rides.

A quick update on last week's blog post. I never did get into that training groove thanks to a few days of relentless rain and pent up yard work from the last few weekends of yard neglect! Of course, there's always this week!!

Monday Night Ride!

I'm hoping this week to have a breakthough with my riding and to hit a training groove I can sustain. If tonight's ride is any indication, I might be there.
Monday would normally be a recovery day (non-riding), but I didn't ride this weekend (spent 3 days down the Cape for my sister's wedding). So with fresh legs and a beautiful early evening, I figured I'd get in at least 20 miles. My mindset when I set out was just to spin and not to push it. But as seems to be the case at some point in each riding season, my easy ride turned into a ride with an easy to maintain pace faster than my rides the past few weeks...and on the loop I've primarily been riding over the same period. My breakthrough ride? We'll see.
Ride stats: 22.1 miles at 17.1 mph (1 hr - 17 min - 45 sec ride time)

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Tis the question I need to answer if my blog posts are going to be more than a month apart!

Some of my favorite cycling bloggers have apparently walked away from a presence on the web...others clearly struggle like I do with issues of time, interest, topics and audience. This was mainly meant to be a training journal...open to the public for comment...an attempt to add some accountability. It's not like I lack for topics as it's my journal and I continue to ride...and I have dozens of post ideas jotted down on multiple pieces of paper floating around my office, home and backpack. I guess it's time and interest.

Speaking of riding, my miles as shown in the side-bar are meager so far this year but I keep plugging away. In fact, last week I hit a milestone of sorts...I surpassed my meager total from all of last year. Not a huge accomplishment but one I truly hope to build on.

I think I'll keep blogging. This year still holds a lot of potential for some great riding. I want to document that if it comes to fruition! :)