Wearing glasses whilst riding - what do you do about fogging?

[HondaLad]

An unfortunate part of aging is the deterioration of one's vision. I've recently succumbed and started wearing glasses and will need to do so when riding. Early morning starts, colder weather etc. haven't been an issue until now as the pin lock visor does a great job of preventing any fogging. Sadly this doesn't help when one has a set of spectacles perched on your nose that are misting up... wearing contacts isn't an option, I'm keen to hear how others get around this problem?

[swarfie]

You say contact lens's aren't an option but I use just one 'One Day Acuvue Lens' (in other words only one eye is long vision while the other is short vision) while I ride. They're very cost effective (less than $1 /lens)as I only use them while riding/racing and means I can still read (or work on the bike up close) whilst being able to see clearly long distance, believe it or not the brain just sorts it all out (but apparently about 30% of the populations brains can't do this) and it solves the fogging of glasses in wet conditions. You can buy them on-line. I also use them for trail riding without risk of scratching my expensive glasses. :2thumbsup

[Metastable]

For street riding I have usually worn clear Rx glasses and never had a problem. Mine are "kids" size and had a very small lens compared to an adult size.... I wonder if that helped? The other nice thing about kids glasses is that they fit in the helmet better. Another option may be to add an anti-fog spray to your glasses to see how you make out. Maybe you can even have a more permanent coating added that helps with fogging. Good luck.

At the track I have always used contacts.... unless I forgot to bring them. :D

[Bass]

I'm interested in this too as it's almost certain that when my licence comes up again I will be obliged to wear corrective lenses. It doesn't worry me too much as I have prescription sunglasses that I usually wear anyway. However in the pissing rain, with the visor cracked open to stop everything fogging up, I end up with both sides of the visor and glasses wet. Four wet layers tends to screw with the view quite a bit.

Contact lenses are problematical cos I'm astigmatic and so the orientation of the lenses is critical and contacts rotate

[swarfie]

I'm interested in this too as it's almost certain that when my licence comes up again I will be obliged to wear corrective lenses. It doesn't worry me too much as I have prescription sunglasses that I usually wear anyway. However in the pissing rain, with the visor cracked open to stop everything fogging up, I end up with both sides of the visor and glasses wet. Four wet layers tends to screw with the view quite a bit.

Contact lenses are problematical cos I'm astigmatic and so the orientation of the lenses is critical and contacts rotate

I'm astigmatic also and the prescription I use is "close" to my normal prescription. Dunno how but it still works for me. Apparently a one use lens is available for correcting astigmatism although I've not tried them yet. Go here http://www.discountcontactlenses.com/displaylens.asp?LensID=479

[Bass]

Good info, thanks
I note that they ask for the prescription which includes the axis angle and so they must be weighted somehow so that they rotate to the correct position. That means they will take a little time after insertion to get to there, I guess.

[Moi]

An unfortunate part of aging is the deterioration of one's vision. I've recently succumbed and started wearing glasses and will need to do so when riding. Early morning starts, colder weather etc. haven't been an issue until now as the pin lock visor does a great job of preventing any fogging. Sadly this doesn't help when one has a set of spectacles perched on your nose that are misting up... wearing contacts isn't an option, I'm keen to hear how others get around this problem?

The helmet I wear - Nolan flipup - has vents in the chin bar which, I have found, lessen the chances of fogging of specs in winter.


... Contact lenses are problematical cos I'm astigmatic and so the orientation of the lenses is critical and contacts rotate


I'm astigmatic also and the prescription I use is "close" to my normal prescription. Dunno how but it still works for me. Apparently a one use lens is available for correcting astigmatism although I've not tried them yet. Go here http://www.discountcontactlenses.com/displaylens.asp?LensID=479

My understanding is that the contact lenses are 'weighted' to overcome astigmatism - I too have astigmatism - and I used such lenses for about six months. However, you need to make sure that contacts, whether soft or hard, will fit your eye correctly.

After having surgery to save the sight in my right eye I was no longer wearing my specs for driving - the new lens put in the right eye corrected the focal length as best it could and the astigmatism. Even though the contacts were soft they were still problematic at times due to the shape of my eye - I blame my genes... - and after having the cataract affected lens in the left eye replaced was quite glad to go back to specs for driving and riding.

Whatever you do, talk to your optometrist and if need be get a referral to an ophthalmologist so you get the very best deal.

Hope this helps...

[R650R]

I tried contacts years ago to avoid the hassle of removing glasses everytime to wear/remove helmet. On longer journeys I found the airflow inside helmet caused eyes to dry out to much and ,made the contacts unbearable.
Recently was going to try contacts again for career change that needed them but apparently my eyes are very dry and its just not going to work for me at all says optometrist.
For the annoyance they are, glasses are quite reliable and wont give you an eye infection if you get drunk and forget to remove them. I've founf glasses to be handy eye protection at opportune moments to when visor been open.

Theres no magic antifog fix apart from good helmet wqith decent vents and being very careful with wearing of scarves. I usually wash mine with warm water just before I depart, that helps and in cold weather resist the urge to open your visor on the move unless really needed.

[boman]

Fog X. The same brand as Rain X. Works well. But needs reapplying all the time you use it.

[Oakie]

I ride with the visor on my cheap old HJC helmet cracked a little in the rain and never have any problems with condensation

[varminter]

Ocular lens replacement, costs heaps but is the best money I've ever spent. I only have to use reading glasses now at $15 a pop.

[Old Steve]

I wear glasses all the time, astigmatism and long sight. I wear a modular/flip front helmet to make putting the helmet on and taking it off easier. I leave my glasses on when taking my helmet off, just take care that I catch my glasses the odd time they come off too.

Haven't had any problem with glasses fogging - get that usually when I go from the cold outside in to the warm and slightly higher humidity inside, BANG, vison gone!

Around town I wear the visor one click open, that provides enough air flow to be cooling and keep the glasses unfogged.

Once on the motorway or open road I close the visor completely. It has enough venting and clearance around the neck to provide air flow at those higher speeds. On really cold mornings I wear a snood/neck warmer, I have a light polyester one and a heavier merino one, they stop that exposed strip of your neck getting cold.

[caspernz]

I wear glasses all the time, astigmatism and long sight. I wear a modular/flip front helmet to make putting the helmet on and taking it off easier. I leave my glasses on when taking my helmet off, just take care that I catch my glasses the odd time they come off too.

Haven't had any problem with glasses fogging - get that usually when I go from the cold outside in to the warm and slightly higher humidity inside, BANG, vison gone!

Around town I wear the visor one click open, that provides enough air flow to be cooling and keep the glasses unfogged.

Once on the motorway or open road I close the visor completely. It has enough venting and clearance around the neck to provide air flow at those higher speeds. On really cold mornings I wear a snood/neck warmer, I have a light polyester one and a heavier merino one, they stop that exposed strip of your neck getting cold.

Ditto for me. Well, in the last 30 years it's gotten easier with improvements to helmet venting etc. The only fancy thing I do still do nowadays is to polish my visor with a good quality car polish once in a while, helps with the rain beading off nicely. As for glasses, beyond keeping them clean, no need for anything that claims to have "no fogging/misting" superpowers.

The OP mentioned contacts not an option for him, well I sympathise for I'm in that category as well.

[russd7]

Ditto for me. Well, in the last 30 years it's gotten easier with improvements to helmet venting etc. The only fancy thing I do still do nowadays is to polish my visor with a good quality car polish once in a while, helps with the rain beading off nicely. As for glasses, beyond keeping them clean, no need for anything that claims to have "no fogging/misting" superpowers.

The OP mentioned contacts not an option for him, well I sympathise for I'm in that category as well.

yup, totally agree, was great when i could wear contacts but no longer an option for me but have very little issue with fogging these days anyway and i wear a full face helmet and do generally put visor down completely in the rain and do try to put helmet on in the dry somewhere as i have to take glasses off to put helmet on.
often makes me chuckle when people ask the question about glasses or worse go on about not being able to use such an such helmet or ride in such an such weather because they have started wearing glasses, i been wearing glasses longer than i have been riding and i have always ridden in all weather and just dealt with issues as they come up.
first world problems i guess

as a side note, i spend close to $1000.00 every two years on a pair of spectacles with fancy coatings so am very reluctant to put anything on them that isn't specifically designed for them as some stuff can damage the coatings

[awayatc]

as a side note, i spend close to $1000.00 every two years on a pair of spectacles with fancy coatings so am very reluctant to put anything on them that isn't specifically designed for them as some stuff can damage the coatings

Got eyes tested, and got a $1000.00 + quote from optician for glasses....

took home the prescription and ordered glasses online fron Zenni....

same glasses, titanium, progressive, darken in the sun, special coatings bla bla for $150 delivered to my door within 10 days......

Opticians prices bit of a rip off here....

[Ulsterkiwi]

agree with a whole heap that has been said here, specsavers are definitely MUCH more expensive here than the parent company in UK.

I also scuba dive and fogging is a problem there, saliva rubbed over the mask pre-dive and then rinsed in salt water remains the most reliable anti-fogging treatment bar none. I can imagine that raises a number of problems in your mind already! I do fondly remember the day I was explaining this to a very attractive relatively new female diver, she looked at me with a very playful expression and said "ok, so if you spit, I am happy to rub" Its a sign of just how much of a simpleton I can be that my reply was "hmfrrrrwarghhhssttmmmfrrr........sorry what?"

anyway, I wear glasses for short sightedness and the day I need progressives is not far off as computer work requires another set of glasses. I hate fogging and my experience is thus....

breath guards are good, as are helmets with actual chin bar venting that can be directed over the face
anti fogging treatments for glasses have not been successful in my experience
any cracking of a visor lets in more water than air if its raining
even if you think you cant do contacts, try them anyway. Maybe you have already but Specsavers will do a free trial of them for you and train you how to put them in etc.
I can get by with one lens as others have posted, so I dont need glasses for close up stuff so much (the one lens thing was suggested by my optometrist and saves on the disposable lenses)
If I use contacts I MUST have my visor down or else my eye gets dry
No matter what solution I use I always carry a back up, so my tank bang will always have: glasses, spare contacts and a bottle of contact lens fluid
No solution is perfect and we haven't even mentioned sun visors which steam up yet!

[kiwi-on-wheels]

I have a fairly bad astigmatisim, but their latest run of weightedlenses are fantastic. I find it takes a while to get them to settle, so not really any use for the ride to work in the morning as they keep moving in my eye for the first half hour or so. I usually have the bottom edge of my visor cracked slightly and have found that helps a lot. But good quality lenses with the fancy coatings and a well kept helmet visor seems to be the best thing i've found so far

[granstar]

Depends on lens, my are also megabucks around 1200 ( eyes are astigmatic) and glass is ground in Germany, can't be done any cheaper in N.Z. Frames alone are 150 so someone is getting a good deal.

Bad fogging this morning :blink: but it was outside my visor ... in pea soup fog...I just took it slowly (ride to the conditions).

Fogging inside visor rarely occurs on my glasses as I usually keep the visor cracked open a little, if I do get fog up ( which can be a PIA at traffic lights) it's simply a matter of getting going and it soon clears.
I have a pinlock visor that was factory fitted to the Shoei and it sometimes gets a layer of fog in between the plastics, cracking open it gets rid of it.

[Saarg]

Shaving cream. I use shaving cream on mine. Apply a little on the glass and lather it up with out water, then wipe off dry with a towel, it will leave a thin layer of soap on the lens that moisture can't stick to.


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[Old Steve]

Shaving cream. I use shaving cream on mine. Apply a little on the glass and lather it up with out water, then wipe off dry with a towel, it will leave a thin layer of soap on the lens that moisture can't stick to.


And I bet you don't get that annoying five o'clock shadow on the inside of your visor either.

[Metastable]

Bad fogging this morning :blink: but it was outside my visor ... in pea soup fog...I just took it slowly (ride to the conditions).



Riding in fog is miserable..... it doesn't matter if it is a push bike or motorcycle....you can't just turn your head and have everything run off like you can when it is raining. At least on a push bike you can take the glasses off..... if your Rx isn't too bad.

[granstar]

Riding in fog is miserable..... it doesn't matter if it is a push bike or motorcycle....you can't just turn your head and have everything run off like you can when it is raining. At least on a push bike you can take the glasses off..... if your Rx isn't too bad.

It's worstest in the dark but only 20 k's of it to work for me. :woohoo:

Worst ride in pea soup fog was to a Brass Monkey Rally some years ago on a Friday. Invercargill to Alexandra all clear then heavy fog from Alexandra to near Ranfurly was very slow going (missed the brass turn off :facepalm: but never mind as the fog cleared a wee ride further and a good night to be had around the pub fire at Naesby).

[Swoop]

Riding in fog is miserable..... it doesn't matter if it is a push bike or motorcycle....

Yes it does.
You still appear to be a sweaty faggot wearing lycra, on a pushbike.:oi-grr: