Eyewear
Used road cycling eyewear on Cranxs is listed by private sellers across the UK, including photochromic models and multi-lens sets. Sunglasses tend to get replaced long before they are worn out, so second-hand pairs often arrive with the spare lenses and the original case still in the box.
Photochromic or interchangeable lenses?
Photochromic lenses darken and clear on their own as the light changes, which suits long rides that start in the dark or run in and out of tree cover. Interchangeable sets give you two or three fixed lenses to swap by hand, usually a dark tint, a clear or low-light lens, and sometimes a contrast-boosting rose or amber. Photochromic is less faff on the road; interchangeable gives you a cleaner extreme at each end, plus a spare if one lens picks up a scratch.
Which lens tint do I need?
Lenses are graded from category 0 to category 4 under the EN ISO 12312-1 standard, describing how much light they let through. Category 3 is the normal bright-sun choice, category 1 or 2 suits British overcast days, and category 0 is effectively clear for riding at night. Category 4 is very dark and aimed at high glare, and it is not legal to drive in, which is worth knowing if the same glasses live in the car between rides.
What should I check buying used?
Scratches are the main risk, and where they sit matters more than how many there are: marks at the edge of a wraparound lens fall outside your field of view, whereas anything central will nag at you every ride. Check mirrored and anti-fog coatings for hazing or peeling, which cleaning with the wrong cloth causes and no amount of polishing will fix. Ask whether the case, spare lenses and nose pads are included, as perished rubber pads and worn arm tips are the usual signs of age.
Will they work with my helmet?
The arms need to sit cleanly over or under your helmet straps without pressing into your temples, and taller frames can foul the front of a low-fitting helmet when you are down on the drops. If you stow your glasses in the helmet vents on climbs, check the arms are slim enough to slot in. Try the two together before committing where you can, because fit is the one thing photographs will not tell you.
What else helps on dark roads?
Clear or category 1 lenses keep spray and insects out of your eyes at night without cutting the light you have left, which matters more on unlit lanes than any tint does. Pair them with reflective gear so you can see and be seen, and look through the rest of the road protection listings for the kit that sits alongside.