View Full Version : Glasses and riding?
marioc
14th August 2007, 21:05
Having problems with my glasses fogging up when I am riding :angry:
Any one have any good ideas to help with this..
I am hoping in summer it will not be so much of a problem.
My helmet does have vents on it but they seem to make bugger all difference.
Its hard enough being a noob without not being able to see as well :yes:
Also with my helmet there is a bit inside that is removable that covers ya nose,when I take that out it is a little better,but are you supposed to keep it in there or does it not matter/
Madness
14th August 2007, 21:29
Having problems with my glasses fogging up when I am riding...
You're not going fast enough.
Seriously though, mine fog up when I stop for gas, as soon as I get moving again they clear up.
Also with my helmet there is a bit inside that is removable that covers ya nose,when I take that out it is a little better,but are you supposed to keep it in there or does it not matter/Take the breathgiard off, it serves no safety purpose and you'll probably find the problem reduces.
My new Shark helmet fogs up like a bastard, even worse in the rain. My old Shoei was much better, something I realised months after buying the new one. I think the difference is the "length"of the chin part of the helmet, the Shoei is shorter in this area and allows for better airflow.
Yes, it will be better in summer.
Toaster
14th August 2007, 21:35
Is it possible to move them a little further down your nose just enough to get a bit more air between the lenses and your eye sockets.... that gap makes quite a difference, especially with sunglasses.
trumpy
14th August 2007, 21:37
Go your local motorcycle shop and buy some "catcrap". Use yer finger and rub a little on the inside of your lenses, leave for a minute or two then buff off with a tissue or soft cloth. Do the same to the inside of your visor and voila! no more fog. Works a treat. Small container for $10 but should last you a year or two.
discotex
14th August 2007, 21:58
Keeping the visor cracked stops my sunnies or glasses from fogging too much unless I'm stopped.
I'm slightly short sighted (not enough to fail the eye test yet) and at night I find wearing my seeing glasses helps. The problem is I'm not that keen on having glass inside my helmet so close to my eyes. Hate to think what might happen should I bin wearing them.
Plan to get contacts some time soon so I've got optimum vision all the time. No fogging with contacts and you can still wear sunnies when it's bright :)
Shadows
14th August 2007, 23:16
I highly recommend contact lenses. Glasses are nothing but a liability for many reasons, not the least of which being that it's far too easy to miss stuff in one's peripheral vision otherwise, particularly if one's vision is as fucked as mine.
Also, contacts will never fog up unless you get really really out of it, in which case you probably shouldn't be riding any way.
marioc
15th August 2007, 09:03
Ok cheers guys,yeah I dont actually have to wear them,but I find especially at night I can see much better with them on,will investigate this catcrap
Chickadee
15th August 2007, 09:34
Thanks for the catcrap tip, I'll be investigating too!
I have been thinking about getting the eyes lasered when we can afford it. I broke a pair of glasses getting them on and off with a helmet on. Had to invest in some super bendy frames so they could take the punishment.
I usually have to ride with a visor gap to allow air in or it's fog arama. Nose guard on a new helmet also was a cause of problems, blew my breath up into my glasses!
I've decided one helmets my summer one as it's a bitch for steaming up in colder weather. Not being able to see the road direction or surface is sheer suicide.
Aa7
15th August 2007, 09:47
i dont wear glasses but have an excessive sized nose which likes to fog my visor while it exhales and i have just strted to use catcrap and sofar it seems to work good. it will need to be applied quiet often to stay working and i think on your glasses you will need just the excess that you get when doing your main visor. the pot is small but lasts ages and you need sod all of the stuff for it to work. also available are many home made anti-fog agents but the catcrap is handy sized and fits in your jacket pocket ready for anytime you need it. good luck and clear vision.
KATWYN
15th August 2007, 10:52
Having problems with my glasses fogging up when I am riding :angry:
Any one have any good ideas to help with this..
I am hoping in summer it will not be so much of a problem.
My helmet does have vents on it but they seem to make bugger all difference.
Its hard enough being a noob without not being able to see as well :yes:
Also with my helmet there is a bit inside that is removable that covers ya nose,when I take that out it is a little better,but are you supposed to keep it in there or does it not matter/
I ended up getting contact lenses for riding.
Shadows
15th August 2007, 12:50
I have been thinking about getting the eyes lasered when we can afford it.
I've heard that laser surgery can adversely affect night vision.
Pancakes
15th August 2007, 16:38
I was gonna get it done and then was advised by the surgeon that at lower than normal atmospheric pressure ( I go mountain climbing etc every now and then ) nitrogen bubbles can form on the join where the two halves go back together again and fog your vision which will be worse than your pre-surgery sight and can happen more than once. Find contacts can get a bit tacky with the visor up at open road speeds but does let you wear sunnies :sunny:.
I wear my glasses normally and have crashed w/ a full-face on BMX'ing and in the forest with no problems. The fog nose thing you have is to keep the breath away from the visor but directs it all onto your glasses instead, ditch it and crack your visor. Will be fine. Clean glasses and visor fog less too IMO.
Freakshow
15th August 2007, 16:44
Go your local motorcycle shop and buy some "catcrap". Use yer finger and rub a little on the inside of your lenses, leave for a minute or two then buff off with a tissue or soft cloth. Do the same to the inside of your visor and voila! no more fog. Works a treat. Small container for $10 but should last you a year or two.
Seriously how much do you put on??
I brought some and used "just a touch" and spread it around which did nothing. What is the art to this?
imdying
15th August 2007, 16:46
Had glasses, used to keep the visor open a crack which sorted that out, that and learning to breath down :yes:
Now have had laser surgery, nothing is a problem anymore :yes:
TRAINING WHEELS
17th August 2007, 01:46
I Had the same issue, I then went to NZ safety and purchased some not so sexy safety glasses....They dont look great but do the job with no fog issues but helps to take helmet along with you and try and find the right fit....I have since purchased 3 different shades (clear for night, Yellow for low light, Dark for sun).... not badly priced but not hot (only wear them when riding):whocares::whocares:
MacD
17th August 2007, 22:46
The problem is I'm not that keen on having glass inside my helmet so close to my eyes. Hate to think what might happen should I bin wearing them.
Plan to get contacts some time soon so I've got optimum vision all the time. No fogging with contacts and you can still wear sunnies when it's bright :)
Are your lenses really made of glass? Glass lenses are pretty rare these days and not of any benefit except in really high prescriptions, and even then the benefit is fairly dubious given modern high index plastic materials.
If your lenses are plastic, then even the cheapest plastic material is pretty impact resistant. The main issue is injury from the frame if it breaks and again there are a lot of impact resistant frames ranging from plastic through to titanium frames.
Contacts are a good plan, they can dry out with the airflow inside a helmet, but everybody is different with their response to contacts so they're worth trying.
Refractive surgery by LASIK shouldn't cause night vision problems these days, but there is a very small complication rate, which can lead to night (and day) vision problems. Previous techniques often left a residual haze in the cornea which was noticeable at night, and/or the correction area was smaller than the pupil size at night.
Mully
17th August 2007, 23:11
I hated, hated with the fire of ten thousand suns, riding with my glasses. It bent the glasses slightly out of shape, meaning I ended up with wall-eye vision. And worse peripheral vision.
I've heard that laser surgery can adversely affect night vision.
Can, in the same way a bus "can" come crashing into your living room. Unlikely, but possible. I've had no problems. Was warned to be careful at night (i.e. don't drive if I had the choice) for 6 weeks, but was fine after 4 or so. You mainly get "stars" around lights and bastards high-beaming you stings a bit.
I have been thinking about getting the eyes lasered when we can afford it.
Chickadee do it. Seriously, best money I ever spent. You know the TV ad where they say your only regret will be not doing it sooner? They are right.
I went from eyes being -4.5 and -5 to slightly better than 20/20.
They will make you watch a DVD (I think they will send you a free copy of you ring them) about it, but if you want to know my experience, let me know.
Cheers,
Mully
Matt_TG
17th August 2007, 23:16
I wore glasses / contacts for 25 years and had Lasik 2 weeks ago. I was -5.5 and -5.75. It's heaven on the bike now, but I still go to take my glasses off before taking off or putting on the helmet, doh if not wearing sunnies. I can't get over the feeling that I have left my contacts in when I go to bed, can't wait till I get into the surf in summer.
The night vision thing (halos) was real bad for the first few days, and is still present to a certain degree, it's caused by the pupil expanding over the area where they lasered, but as it heals properly it will disappear, I'm noticing its better on a daily basis. I can ride / drive at night no worries, in fact I drove from Taupo to Tauranga last Saturday at midnight - in the rain and wind, with no feeling of 'not seeing'.
I was 6/6 at my check up last week and have no problems with close up vision. I still can't believe I don't need glasses, but it's $4600 I couldn't put towards a bike!
imdying
18th August 2007, 09:15
I hated, hated with the fire of ten thousand suns, riding with my glasses. It bent the glasses slightly out of shape, meaning I ended up with wall-eye vision. And worse peripheral vision.Shit you think you had it bad! I had an astigmatism in both eyes, going different ways! In other words, if the glasses weren't straight relative to the eye, and each lens straight relative to the other, they weren't really helping!
Chickadee do it. Seriously, best money I ever spent. You know the TV ad where they say your only regret will be not doing it sooner? They are right.
I went from eyes being -4.5 and -5 to slightly better than 20/20.They are soo right.
I was 6/6 at my check up last week and have no problems with close up vision. I still can't believe I don't need glasses, but it's $4600 I couldn't put towards a bike!Yep, totally kicks arse. Like you guys, they improved mine substantially, better than 7/6 2 weeks after it was done, and only got better after that!
The most bizzare thing was getting up out of the operating chair, walking into the dimly lit post op room, and finding that I could see every single minor detail of the window sill, at 2 metres away, unassisted, in a dimly lit room, literally 30 seconds after the op. I will remember that moment till I die... it truly astounded me.
Best money I have ever ever spent. Ever. Period...
Stella
18th August 2007, 14:23
I would love to get the laser surgery.... one day when I can afford it. I just hope I will not be too old by then!
Anyway, yes glasses suck with fogging while riding. I find once I am going over 20kmph-ish there is no problem with the visor closed. The vents keep me fog-free. But you do need to get into a habit of flicking up the visor a bit when coming up to an intersection etc where you need to crawl or stop. I find it can help my vision a bit without all the extra reflections going on. Or not breathe if you know it is going to be brief.....
Rain plus cold is a bitch for fogging though.... my first real rain ride was at night through the center of town (slow) then out of town through a 70km road I was a little nervous on and had only ridden once before. Ok so it was a rather silly thing to do anyway.... I cleverly left the visor up all the way through town so I could see, then flicked it down once we were traveling more steadily..... then I realized my glasses were all wet!!! Visor wet, glasses wet, slight fogging, double halos around every light, wet road, dark night, unfamiliar territory.... :gob: And I couldn't do anything about it as I had to follow my friend in her car as I didn't know where we were going to.
Just don't.....
discotex
18th August 2007, 14:44
Are your lenses really made of glass? Glass lenses are pretty rare these days and not of any benefit except in really high prescriptions, and even then the benefit is fairly dubious given modern high index plastic materials.
99% sure.. They're 10+ years old. I'm only like -1.5 or something small enough to pass the LTNZ vision test so they rarely get worn.
I've thought about getting new ones but it's just such a hassle when you're used to not wearing glasses.
MacD
19th August 2007, 12:46
99% sure.. They're 10+ years old.
OK, well they may well be glass at 10+ years old. You're right, I wouldn't wear glass lenses either under a helmet.
Keep an eye out for deals at places like OPSM (http://www.opsm.co.nz/), or check out the Auckland University Optometry Clinic (http://www.optometry.auckland.ac.nz/clinic.html) as they have cheap frames available (limited range and changes all the time), but you'd have to have an eye test first ($40).
BigRed2007
19th August 2007, 14:54
I know how you feel mate, Best thing i did was like others said open the visor up just a tiny bit... because if you have your visor open in the rain your glasses get rained on which is worse when its fogged up too..
Um i know how it feels in the morning riding withyour glasses, and the cold air in your eyes.. and your eyes start to water.... really annoying feeling
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