Eyesight gets worse with time, but that doesn't mean you have to stop doing the things you love. MTB free-ride pioneer, Richie Schley, faced deteriorating eyesight with age, and it was inhibiting his riding experience. Sunglass Rob talks with Richie about his eyesight and transition into riding with prescription mountain bike glasses.

Why Does Eyesight Get Worse As You Get Older?

There is no getting older without needing glasses. There is a muscle in the eyes called the ciliary muscle. When you get to about 40 years old, the ciliary muscle begins to lose elasticity, causing the eyes to lose the ability to adjust properly from far vision to near vision. The only solution is a magnifying glass. Most people end up needing about a +2.50 power reader eventually.

Fun fact: taller people usually need reading glasses later in life because their arms are longer so they hold objects farther away.

Richie's Experience with Prescription Lenses

Richie diminishing eyesight became clear when he was struggling to see while working on his bike. He found out he had a light distance astigmatism correction. It was affecting his riding experience so Richie's solution was looking into prescription MTB sunglasses. His first pair was the Nike Fleet with photochromatic bifocals lenses before grabbing a pair of Oakleys with PRIZM Trail progressive lenses. Unless you've had progressive lenses for most of your life, Richie nor Rob recommend running progressives while mountain biking. It requires an added level of concentration to navigate seeing through the progressive and tracking the minute details of the terrain. Not impossible, just added effort. Richie prefers line bifocals anyways, but his next journey will be getting distance glasses.

Get Prescription MTB Sunglasses at SportRx

If you are looking to buy prescription MTB sunglasses, SportRx can help. We specialize in prescription lenses and you can custom build your very own tailored to your specific needs. Contact Us to speak to one of our certified in-house opticians to learn more. See better while doing what you love.