Cycling sunglasses are a big help.

My wife gave me a pair of Polaroid sunglasses for my daily cycle to the train station and back It’s part of her job to spread the word about Polaroid sunglasses, so I just said thank you and wandered off to read the paper. I wasn’t in the mood to be a guinea pig. But she’s not so easily put off. In the space of three days, she asked me seven times if I’d had a chance to try them. That’s her counting, not me. I explained that it had been cloudy. But my wife is nothing if not evangelical. So she launched into an explanation of low light and glare, and how glare can be just as bad on overcast days as when the sun shines. Arguing seemed pointless. So I tried the sunglasses.

And I was surprised what a difference they made. I leave pretty early in the morning. About 7:15. But on a bright day in the summer, the glare reflected from the road is intense. On cloudy days, it just seems hazy and thick. The Polaroid sunglasses seem to cut right through the glare – which helps me see the road more clearly – whether there’s direct sun or just a haze. We live in a rural area, and the roads are pretty pitted and narrow. Seeing more clearly makes a difference- and so does having sunglasses that don’t slip down my nose. Also, I’m a commuter and I use a Brompton . I can’t carry a lot of extra stuff. I have to be able to wear my sunglasses to a meeting or during my lunch break. So I don’t want a massive pair of goggles that make me look like, well… an insect. A big insect. I need a pair of sunglasses that will last the whole day. The Polaroid sunglasses are good for cycling because they cover my eyes completely and I feel protected. But they’re also good for walking around town in.

Actually, I may ask my wife for a pair of sunglasses to leave at my desk. I have my eye on Milano.   I wonder how many times I’ll have to ask…