Are yellow tinted lenses safe for cycling during night hours?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 151
Bikes: 2018 Electra Townie Commute GO! 8i, 2019 Electra Townie GO! 7d, 2023 Cannondale Adventure Neo Allroad Speed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times
in
7 Posts
Are yellow tinted lenses safe for cycling during night hours?
I am using prescription glasses for cycling, and the ones with swappable filters do not fit in my budget. I am planning to pick up new pair of cycling glasses, and I was thinking to get either clear lenses, or with yellow tint. During night hours I do have sufficient lighting system for bike, with a couple of strong light in front. Will yellow tint be safe for evening rides?
#2
Cycleway town
Yellow are good for poor light, but i don't find them beneficial over clear once it's dark.
#3
Senior Member
I've had a little experience down this road. As I understand it, yellow lenses increase contrast, and are usually used in foggy, or overcast or otherwise murky visibility conditions. Night riding with artificial lighting is contrasty on it's own....the blacks are BLACK and the Lighted areas are BRIGHT. It's not necessary to add contrast to that. Years ago the Ohio State Highway Patrol made some public service ads, one of which said they discourage the use of any colored lenses for night driving application, even yellow. I'd go with clear. Your choice, though.
Likes For North Coast Joe:
#4
well hello there
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Point Loma, CA
Posts: 15,430
Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 336 Times
in
206 Posts
I agree that clear would be better for pure night riding, but I've always used yellow shades (mainly because I'm usually riding at dusk or dawn).
__________________
.
.
Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
.
.
Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
#5
Senior Member
Right. Amber lenses only come into their own with fog, dust, haze and stuff like that. I've never seen any disadvantage to them for night driving, but also no special advantage.
__________________
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,484
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7650 Post(s)
Liked 3,472 Times
in
1,833 Posts
I have tested yellow lenses at night and find that they do filter out some light. I could still see well enough---they don't filter much---but they are darker than clear, so vision through them is darker than through clear lenses.
I think you could use them with complete safety, though.
I think you could use them with complete safety, though.
#7
Full Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: NW Florida
Posts: 389
Bikes: A Few
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 156 Post(s)
Liked 63 Times
in
27 Posts
If you use prescription glasses, then you can get them with an anti-glare lens coating - No tint, just the coating.
My wife has them for night driving, and finds that they help with headlight flare.
She also says they're a little fussier to keep clean, but worth it.
My wife has them for night driving, and finds that they help with headlight flare.
She also says they're a little fussier to keep clean, but worth it.
#8
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,355
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6215 Post(s)
Liked 4,213 Times
in
2,362 Posts
I've had a little experience down this road. As I understand it, yellow lenses increase contrast, and are usually used in foggy, or overcast or otherwise murky visibility conditions. Night riding with artificial lighting is contrasty on it's own....the blacks are BLACK and the Lighted areas are BRIGHT. It's not necessary to add contrast to that. Years ago the Ohio State Highway Patrol made some public service ads, one of which said they discourage the use of any colored lenses for night driving application, even yellow. I'd go with clear. Your choice, though.
+1. When I used yellow lenses at night, the lights were very bright but the blacks are even inkier than with clear lenses.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 1,993
Bikes: Argon 18 Gallium, BH G7, Rocky Mountain Instinct C70
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 512 Times
in
306 Posts
I have a set of yellow lenses and I use them whenever I'm riding in cloudy or overcast days. They really help brighten up an otherwise dull day. So much so that I'm surprised at exactly how dark the day looks when take them off.
#10
Senior Member
Go to Harbor Freight and get some cheap yellow tinted safety glasses and try it out.
After this experiment, I ended up going clear transition lenses. The yellow lens only cut the light level at night and there was no added value.
After this experiment, I ended up going clear transition lenses. The yellow lens only cut the light level at night and there was no added value.
#11
Dirty Heathen
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MC-778, 6250 fsw
Posts: 2,182
Bikes: 1997 Cannondale, 1976 Bridgestone, 1998 SoftRide, 1989 Klein, 1989 Black Lightning #0033
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 889 Post(s)
Liked 906 Times
in
534 Posts
I ride a lot at night, both velo and moto, and yellow / amber lenses are not bad, but I much prefer clear lenses after it gets dark. Everyone's eyes are a little different, so YMMV, but my vision goes very monochrome at night, especially when there's 'orange' streetlights around, so tints dont do much for me.
I usually use sport-style safety glasses, since they're inexpensive, and my amber tints usually spend a lot of time in a pack / saddle bag, (compared to clears and regular sunglasses) and it's no big deal if they get broken / scratched.
I really like Amber lenses in low light / overcast / fog conditions for cutting through the 'blue haze' Also good if you're on a trail with really heavy brush / tree cover.
I try to stay away from Yellow lenses, since, at least on a moto, you have to deal with traffic lights, and i've had a pair of Yellows that were exactly the same tint as the yellow light on the traffic signal. I could see the red and green lights, but the yellow light had no color.
Kinda unnerving when you're approaching an intersection and the red light seems to come out of nowhere.
I usually use sport-style safety glasses, since they're inexpensive, and my amber tints usually spend a lot of time in a pack / saddle bag, (compared to clears and regular sunglasses) and it's no big deal if they get broken / scratched.
I really like Amber lenses in low light / overcast / fog conditions for cutting through the 'blue haze' Also good if you're on a trail with really heavy brush / tree cover.
I try to stay away from Yellow lenses, since, at least on a moto, you have to deal with traffic lights, and i've had a pair of Yellows that were exactly the same tint as the yellow light on the traffic signal. I could see the red and green lights, but the yellow light had no color.
Kinda unnerving when you're approaching an intersection and the red light seems to come out of nowhere.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,624
Bikes: iele Latina, Miele Suprema, Miele Uno LS, Miele Miele Beta, MMTB, Bianchi Model Unknown, Fiori Venezia, Fiori Napoli, VeloSport Adamas AX
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1324 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times
in
640 Posts
I have YELLOW tinted (NOT dark amber) glasses that fit over my eyeglasses. I use them at night because it REALLY helps me see past those cars with the super bright blue-light front lights that'd blind me otherwise.
Cheers
Cheers
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 58
Bikes: 2016 Charge Plug 2, Citizen Miami folding bike
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times
in
9 Posts
Like others here, I ride with yellow tinted glasses early in the morning and at dusk as they really enhance my vision. The first early morning ride I wore them, I was surprised and shocked how dull the world appeared when I took them off.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 119
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yellow tint safety glasses and yellow tint prescription for night time driving and riding.
Same reason as above with all the jackA$$ with super bright led bulbs as head light, plus a light bar, plus fog lights, and uncarriage light on a clear night.
Same reason as above with all the jackA$$ with super bright led bulbs as head light, plus a light bar, plus fog lights, and uncarriage light on a clear night.
#15
Senior Member
I wore yellow for a while commuting. I wanted eye protection from rocks being thrown up on the highway but also keep headlight glare minimal. After a few weeks went back to a clear lense while riding in the dark. I found enough light reduction that it made it difficult to spot small road hazards, even with a good headlight. As a note, I wear glasses, close to medium range is fuzzy, good on anything past 2 metres away.
#16
Just another bike nut
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 10
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I wear Oakley’s because they have easy to change lenses, I tried yellow lenses for night riding, the just seemed a little dark to see everything on the road, they’re great for dusk and dawn, but I went to clear lenses for night riding
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,871
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6957 Post(s)
Liked 10,959 Times
in
4,686 Posts
I ride a lot at night, both velo and moto, and yellow / amber lenses are not bad, but I much prefer clear lenses after it gets dark. Everyone's eyes are a little different, so YMMV, but my vision goes very monochrome at night, especially when there's 'orange' streetlights around, so tints dont do much for me.
In other words, yellow lenses at night will simply make it harder to see.
#18
don't try this at home.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,936
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 973 Post(s)
Liked 511 Times
in
351 Posts
If it's in your budget, photochromic lenses work great for riding from daytime into the evening.
I have Rudy Project photochromic riding glasses. The lens goes from a very slight gray tint to very dark. They list it as ranging from 9% blocking to 74% blocking. (they have other photochromic that cover 20% to 80%, so it depends on the materials, I guess.) I always have sunglasses on outside during the day, I don't like bright light. These are dark enough for me.
It does stay pretty dark until right near sunset -- even very cloudy days darken it most of the way. It takes maybe 4-6 minutes to get to clear, for instance when inside a store. It darkens in 20 or 30 seconds.
Other lens light blocking percentages:
Their yellow lens is 13%.
Their clear lens is 8%! some light must be lost on any lens, I guess.
The dark gray lens is 88%, they also have a "high altitude" very dark 92% lens.
I have Rudy Project photochromic riding glasses. The lens goes from a very slight gray tint to very dark. They list it as ranging from 9% blocking to 74% blocking. (they have other photochromic that cover 20% to 80%, so it depends on the materials, I guess.) I always have sunglasses on outside during the day, I don't like bright light. These are dark enough for me.
It does stay pretty dark until right near sunset -- even very cloudy days darken it most of the way. It takes maybe 4-6 minutes to get to clear, for instance when inside a store. It darkens in 20 or 30 seconds.
Other lens light blocking percentages:
Their yellow lens is 13%.
Their clear lens is 8%! some light must be lost on any lens, I guess.
The dark gray lens is 88%, they also have a "high altitude" very dark 92% lens.