Oakley lens tint

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devinci
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Location: Canada

by devinci

I have some jawbones with fire iridium and while they are great lens for sunny days, they are too dark for riding in the woods/trails. I ride/race MTB so I need a good overall lens that will work well in the trails and protect my eyes from the sun when out of the wood or training on the road.

I bought some radars and they came with the basic grey lens which are 18% light transmission if my info is accurate. They seem to lack sun protection and I dont know if they will work great in the trails, can't test just yet.

Now I want another lens for my radar to alternate with the grey lens. Im not sure if I should go darker, lighter or a mix of dark and contrast. For now I think I'd go with blue iridium, which offers 15% light transmission and a contrast enhancing lens.

My question: is there some special protection from getting and iridium lens or is it simply a mirror lens? Any suggestions as to which lens to buy? The choices are:

fire iridium
positive red iridium
blue iridium
ice iridium
G26 iridium
VR28
G30

thanks

by Weenie


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ultyguy
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Location: Geneva

by ultyguy

G30 is a great compliment to a darker lense and works well on all but really sunny days.

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micky
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by micky

G26 is supposed not to exist anymore, and being replaced by Jade.

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ALAN Carbon+
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Location: Canberra, Australia

by ALAN Carbon+

G30 is a good all rounder, have you had a look at the light red iridium?

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devinci
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by devinci

yeah did look at them.

G26 is still available on oakley's website. The options I listed are the only ones available on oakley's website as replacement lenses option.

Anyone has experience with blue iridium? The website says it enhances contrast and transmits 15% light BUT the oakley paper I received with my jawbones says the blue iridium transmits 26% light, contracditory infos.

sanddancer
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 7:36 am

by sanddancer

Love my G30s. Can wear them in everything from darkness to bright sunshine and they just seem to work.

record
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by record

G26 is a shooting specific lense as it was designed for target shooting and Oakley doesn't recommend it for general use. If the fire iridium is too dark for you I would go with the G30, as the difference between fire and blue iridium probably won't be as big as you would want. IMHO G30 is excellent lens for trail riding and with the fire in you jawbones for road riding you're going to have lenses for 98% of the conditions.
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ultyguy
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by ultyguy

blud iridium will def be too dark for what you want. As we all say, G30 (mine has a light blue-ish mirror to it fwiw).

Don
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Location: Atlantic Canada

by Don

The VR 28 has about the same light transmission as the G30 and for that reason is a good alternative. The G30 lens has a rose base whereas the VR28 seems to have a brown base. Both lenses offer "contrast" but they are different in the color of the scene viewed through the lens. The lens tint simulator on the Oakley website demonstrates the difference. Given the earth tone colors of a forest trail, the VR28 lens offers excellent color separation. It is like a darker version of the persimmon (orange) lens.

If any of Oakley's transition lenses are available for your frame, these would be a possibility as they alter their light transmission with changes in light.

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devinci
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Location: Canada

by devinci

Interesting point Don

The blue iridium are a vr28 base lens with an iridium coating. Not to be mistaken with the ice iridium which as quite dark. I think I like the blue iridium effect on the simulator. Now need to wait for women frogskins to be available to order a pair for the mrs :p

boots2000
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Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:28 pm

by boots2000

Like other have said- G30 is a great lens. I think they also have G40 that is less dark.
That said, you may want to consider the clear to black iridium photochromic lens. This is a great lens for mtb because it works well if you are going in and out of trees.

billysan
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Location: Wiltshire, UK

by billysan

VR28 Black Iridium is a really nice tint for riding. I like it as its light enough to be useful under trees, yet is still good in bright sunshine.

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743power
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by 743power

light red iridium is my favorite trail lens. It handles changes in sunlight well too, for when you pop out of the dark woods onto a fire road in a race for instance.
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MattSoutherden
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by MattSoutherden

Not that I use them for MTB, but strike me up as another fan of the light +red iridium.
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by Weenie


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Max Gravity
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by Max Gravity

I like the Transition lenses, goes from clear to black iridium.
One lens goes all the way.
I have some older transition lenses that are more orange tinted and they are good when
it is clouded but I do not feel to comfortable in bright sun with them.
Max Gravity, unfairly treated by gravity!

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