{"id":57833,"date":"2023-12-28T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ebf95519-3fe5-48df-82ac-d43a94125d40"},"modified":"2024-01-02T14:07:03","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T13:07:03","slug":"jack-lukes-gear-of-the-year-2023-why-corrected-vision-a-dirt-cheap-down-jacket-and-an-aliexpress-torch-improved-my-life","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/jack-lukes-gear-of-the-year-2023-why-corrected-vision-a-dirt-cheap-down-jacket-and-an-aliexpress-torch-improved-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Luke\u2019s Gear of the Year 2023 | Why corrected vision, a dirt-cheap down jacket and an AliExpress torch improved my life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plus Lidl\u2019s finest screwdrivers and the performance musette I never expected to love <\/p>

By Jack Luke\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 28 December 2023 at 16:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

When I used to teach photography, I would often tell students that if something felt as though it was taking too long in Photoshop, then it was taking too long \u2013 somebody else would have faced the same issue and worked out a way to do it more efficiently, or better. A hassle-free life is, almost always, but a small change in mindset and a little bit of research away!<\/p>

I have since tried to apply this approach to other areas of my life. With that in mind, my round-up of the best cycling products<\/a> I used in 2023 revolves around practical purchases that have improved my quality of life.\u00a0<\/p>

\u2018Quality of life\u2019 may sound like a stretch, but I\u2019m not exaggerating. Fixing stuff and cycle touring<\/a> (and being able to see, apparently) makes me truly happy. Even small investments have made these things more enjoyable, which has an outsize impact on my well-being.\u00a0<\/p>

Oakley prescription lenses<\/h2>
They may look dorky but, guess what, being able to see is bloody great. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

My name is Jack Luke and I am an idiot.<\/p>

Despite the fact I wear spectacles all day, every day, 2023 was the first year I invested in a pair of prescription cycling glasses<\/a> and\u2026 I haven\u2019t looked back since (haw haw haw).\u00a0<\/p>

It should come as no surprise that being able to see clearly on the bike has been a revelation \u2013 it\u2019s not as though I was blindly grumbling along bike paths like a star-nosed mole before, but now I can see all of the pretty leaves in HD!<\/p>

\"Oakley
The stick-on (‘direct glaze’) lenses are a bit darker than the surrounding edge. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I retrofitted a pair of direct glaze Oakley<\/a> OEM lenses to my oh-so-fashionable Radar Path EV frames and have been mostly satisfied with the combo.\u00a0<\/p>

The optics are excellent \u2013 there\u2019s no distortion to speak of and they\u2019re every bit as clear as my regular spectacles.\u00a0<\/p>

However, the central \u2018corrected\u2019 (prescription) section is darker than the periphery, which is a bit annoying in direct sunlight.<\/p>

There\u2019s also no denying they look a bit dorky, but it\u2019s a price I\u2019m willing to pay for being able, well, to see.<\/p>

Now, before you tell me I should just use contacts, I was long ago put off for life by grand fromage George Scott<\/a> when he revealed a contact lens had blown out of his eye while ripping down a road descent. To that, I say \u2018no thanks\u2019.<\/p>

Convoy S9 torch<\/h2>
\"Convoy
If you don’t own one already, I implore you to buy a cheap rechargeable torch. – Scott Windsor \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>