Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Price: $29.95
Magnifications available: +1.5, +2.0, +2.5
Optics: full-lens magnification with anti-reflective (AR) coating for clear, glare-free vision
Protection: 100% UVA/UVB protection with scratch-resistant lenses
Frame styles: Tifosi Swank & Smirk (see note in article)
Frame construction: Sustainable, plant-based Thrive frames
Colors: Swank: Crystal Clear, Radiant Rose, and Brown Fade; Smirk: Crystal Denim
Online: https://tifosioptics.com/products/swank-reader
Functional Cycling Fashion
I actually reviewed a pair of Tifosi readers a while ago. They’re cycling glasses that have small readers built into the bottom of the lens so that you can see fine while riding and can also read your cycle computer display or see to find a piece of glass in a tire when fixing a flat, etc.
Tifosi’s new Swank Readers aren’t that type of reader. They’re dedicated full-lens readers, in other words reading glasses. They’re available in three magnifications and include many of the features that have made Tifosis so popular with cyclists.
For example, they only weigh 26 grams so you barely feel them, they protect you from glare and UV rays, they lessen blue light exposure from computers and mobile devices and they provide crystal-clear full lens magnification.
You also get 100% UVA/UVB protection and scratch-resistant lenses while the frames are made of a sustainable, plant based material. Tifosi’s hydrophilic ear and nose pads mean a secure, no-slip fit, no matter how long you’re using them. I’m wearing them as I write this and I’ve used them in my bike shop.
The Swank Readers are available in three colors, Crystal Clear, Radiant Rose, and Brown Fade. If you look at the photo with several pairs of glasses, you’ll see that there’s a blue pair with a different frame. That’s Tifosi’s Smirk frame which is the other model of their new readers. The Smirk frames are the last three frames shown on the webpage – the nose bridge is a keyhole shape, unlike the Swank, that’s how to tell the difference. The name Smirk won’t show anywhere when you select them so go by the shape of the frames when choosing.
Call me vain, but what I like best about Tifosi’s new readers is having glasses that obviously come from a cycling company – because they say “Tifosi” big and bold on the temples and have the Tifosi “T” logo on one lens. With these Swanks I can now work on bikes with glasses that scream “cyclist” just as much as the clothing I wear does. Plus, they fit great and don’t fall off when you’re leaning over to adjust a derailleur or install wheels – like what happens with the readers you get at department stores. And, they’re just as stylish when you’re checking email or reading.
I enjoy wearing Tifosi Swank sunglasses and I’m already appreciating having these new Swank Readers a lot too. If you depend on reading glasses, I think you’ll enjoy them too.
Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. A pro mechanic & cycling writer for more than 40 years, he’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Tune in to Jim’s popular YouTube channel for wheel building & bike repair how-to’s. Jim’s also known for his cycling streak that ended in February 2022 with a total of 10,269 consecutive daily rides (28 years, 1 month and 11 days of never missing a ride). Click to read Jim’s full bio.
As an (aging) Rando this is an issue. You have to read your computer and the route sheet, as well as decipher distant street signs and watch the road and other vehicles without slowing down!
My solution was to pay the big bucks for a pair of photochromic, progressive lenses with light titanium frames. But the photochromic part fails over time, so I also use clip-on sun lenses which have the benefit of being polarized to reduce glare.
Wearing a baseball hat to keep rain off your glasses is also a good idea (I am in BC!).
For those happy with their glasses, stick-on reader lenses are aalos available, e.g., https://rx-safety.com/2016/03/stickon-bifocals-discover-many-benefits-of-bifocal-lenses-that-stick-on-water/#:~:text=Advantages%20of%20Stick%2Don%20Bifocals,any%20sticky%20residue%20or%20glue.
Safetyglassesusa.com has the “cheaters” in dark, yellow and clear for about 1/3 the cost.
I’ve been happy with mine.
The best cycling specific reader sunglasses I ever had and still wear was by Dual Eyewear. The Dual SL2 photochromic sunglasses featured adjustable nose bridge and temples for the perfect custom fit. The SL-2 Pro lenses offered more coverage and better wind protection. Unfortunately they are no longer in business. I wish someone would make cycling specific reader sunglasses again like those that aren’t so dang expensive.
Thanks Jim for recognizing the importance of a review like this, and the significance of this issue.
My eyes have always been very light senstive, and I benefit from sunglasses even on cloudy days. On sunny days I can hardly see at all without sunglasses. It’s only been a couple years since the need for cheaters hit me, but it hit pretty hard, and I now have them everywhere… Of course all the usual reading locations at home, but also all of the “stations” in my shop: benches, workstand, machines, etc. They’ve been replacing my standard safety glasses, and now even need them to see what I’m doing on the bike itself (cables, tape, etc. instead of just tiny bearings on the bench).
On a recent long road trip (driving) I was frequently swapping glasses so that I could read a map (yes, I use GPS occasionally, but I still like paper maps, the same way I like a finely tuned steel frame), and I certainly can’t comfortably read a book or tablet in the sun anymore. Trying to repair a roadside puncture on my bike without cheaters would be very difficult now.
I too will be exploring some of these product offerings, so thank you again for bringing them up.