Winter Cycling - Ski goggles or what???

I'm trying to round stuff up for this winter commute to work. My ride is 4.1 miles to work - in the morning I have a hill that I can get speeds up to 20mph easily. It's a bit slower going home, but for a short hill I can get the same speeds. I'm located in Omaha, NE - Any suggestions for goggles?

I tired to get a nice pair, but they do not seem to make them without a tint. It is dark in Alaska when it is cold. The only clear ones I could get were cheap Bell goggles from Walmart, which work great by the way.

Why do you find them necessary? Do your eyes hurt or are you just worried about them?

I've never worn goggles and can't even wear glasses or they'll fog up. I don't recall it ever being an issue. Maybe I should be wearing goggles. I don't know.

btw, I sometimes ride in pretty cold temps with substantial wind chill.

Also, what's going on here? It's August and this is my second reply to a winter cycling post!:)

Why do you find them necessary? Do your eyes hurt or are you just worried about them?


During the summer, I wear sunglasses - have some coming with changeable lens so I can have clear at night to keep the bugs getting into my eyes. Reason for considering is that I've had my eyes really water up in the cold with a breeze, so I'm just looking at this point and just planning on it. I don't think I'll buy just yet until I know that I'll need them.

The problem I have had with prescription eyeglasses and goggles is to provide enough windscreen protection over the eyeglasses with adequate ventilation so the moisture you exhale doesn't fog up the goggles and the eyeglasses. If they frost up, then it’s a really bad situation. An inescapable condition occurs when you're going uphill, or stopped and you are breathing hard yet moving slowly with less airflow to carry away the extra moisture.

I find that ski goggles are not up to cycling's demands due to insufficient ventilation, even with lens coatings. Also, one needs clear lenses since the early mornings and evenings are usually dark, yet most ski goggles are tinted. I wear an eyeglass rearview mirror, and it has to be mounted securely on the goggles, and still remain in my field of peripheral vision, but ski goggles have an elastic headband.

After years of experimenting, I have, IMO, a satisfactory solution as illustrated in the photos.
I wear a simple pair of clear safety glasses as you might buy at Home Depot. They are roomy enough to accommodate my eyeglasses. Because I wear a balaclava and a woolen cap under my helmet, along with the earpieces of the safety glasses and eyeglasses inside the helmet straps, my eyeglasses are pushed down uncomfortably onto my nose.

So I have sewn a strip of Velcro on my woolen cap, extending beyond the edge, and wrapped a piece of Velcro around the bridge of the safety glasses. After I have my balaclava, hat and helmet on and fastened, I insert the earpieces of the safety glasses beneath the helmet straps and attach the nosepiece with Velcro to the Velcro extending from beyond my cap and arrange it so the safety glasses are suspended from my cap and they don’t have to rest on my nose. Finally I attach the rearview eyeglass mirror securely on the rigid earpiece of the safety glasses.

Even though the safety glasses are widely open on the sides, I find the windscreen to be sufficient and the ventilation excellent, and my eyeglasses sit comfortably on my nose. My usual winter riding conditions are about 14 miles in the teens to 20’s Fahrenheit.

I have goggles made for night skiing. They're a yellowish tint that seems to kill glare and brighten shadows.

Yeah, when I get cruising(like 20ish+?) My eyes water pretty bad. I have ski goggles that work great. They look kind of rediculous on the 5 minute trip to school though.

I have a pair of pink tinted goggles. Handy for most light conditions. I also have a clear pair for riding home at night. My eyes tear up like crazy in cold windy conditions and I wear contact lenses. I find the goggles are more comfortable in cold windy weather than my sunglasses. I bought both pairs on sale after ski season -- I think they were $10 or $15 a piece.

I use goggles too, with a nice rosy tint. I find them indispensable for cold, winter rides for keeping warm and comfortable (my eyes tear in the cold, too). The additional benefits of rose tinted eyewear should be obvious!

Whereas I'm sure they literally reduce the amount of light getting to my eyes, I don't find that they are an impediment to my nighttime, urban commute. It's a well lighted route, but even if I take the secondary backroads, my 10 watt NiteRider is sufficiently bright.

Like Jim, I wear glasses, and finding a pair of goggles to fit comfortably is a problem, as is the fogging issue. I've had good luck with anti-fog treatments, but I suspect that's more to do with the fact that I don't get really heated on my short ride.

I've often thought that a helmet mounted windscreen (or, a face guard) would be a nice thing to have, as I imagine it would be far enough from the face to allow air circulation and prevent fogging. Maybe someday I'll get around to fabbing something...

Below about 35F, I use double lensed ski goggles. Mine have a very light gray tint to them, but riding in the dark is no problem.

I have to wear goggles. My eyes water like crazy when it is cold. Frozen together eyelashes does not work very well!

These have worked for me down to -15F. They had a tiny bit of frost on part of them, but not bad!

You have to adjust your breathing so you blow out straight and a little down while riding.

Above 35F I can get away with my clear safety glasses that I drilled vent holes across the top of. They fog slightly at stoplights.

My eyes hurt when cycling below -5C. I got a pair from MEC a while ago. They worked well - keeping my eyes comfortable and didn't fog up.

If you are worried about goggles fogging up, there are models you can buy that have a powered fan built into the frame for ventilation. Smith has at least one pair, and there may be other companies that make something similar.

I spotted a couple of clear ATV goggles recently at Cabela's, which seem like they might be of interest to some of us. Mind you, I haven't actually used either... will likely acquire one over the weekend, however.


Scott Standard (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006050512820a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&nyr=1&Ne=3&Ntt=goggle&N=4644+4294960096&_D%3Asort=+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1)
Scott High Voltage-Six (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006050521749a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&nyr=1&Ne=3&Ntt=goggle&N=4644+4294960096&_D%3Asort=+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1)

Smith Turbos...they are double-paned and have a little fan to prevent fog-ups even in pretty extreme conditions, have many varieties of lens color, including clear and have OTG models too.

ski goggles or any other goggles interchangeable lenses would be a good choice.

if you need to use prescription glasses, you can get goggles that will work them. They have a bigger compartment. usually cost a bit more.

During the summer, I wear sunglasses - have some coming with changeable lens so I can have clear at night to keep the bugs getting into my eyes. Reason for considering is that I've had my eyes really water up in the cold with a breeze, so I'm just looking at this point and just planning on it. I don't think I'll buy just yet until I know that I'll need them.

Often a single pair of glasses are enough to keep the cold wind from making your eyes water. But it can happen at higher speeds. Or if you sustain higher speeds for a long time. It's no big deal as long as the watering does not go on for a long time.

Goggles can work for some people but generally once they fog up they are harder to defog than glasses. Generally, the hotter your head and face get during a ride the harder it is to keep goggles from fogging up. If you need to wear prescription glasses I would try Jim from Boston's method. Several others have tried it with success.

I spotted a couple of clear ATV goggles recently at Cabela's, which seem like they might be of interest to some of us. Mind you, I haven't actually used either... will likely acquire one over the weekend, however.


Scott Standard (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006050512820a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&nyr=1&Ne=3&Ntt=goggle&N=4644+4294960096&_D%3Asort=+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1)
Scott High Voltage-Six (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0006050521749a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&nyr=1&Ne=3&Ntt=goggle&N=4644+4294960096&_D%3Asort=+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1)

Unfortunately, neither pair was a good fit with my helmet, so I ended up with the clear Mad Dog (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0040941522124a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=goggle&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&Ne=2510&nyr=1&N=4644&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1) goggles instead. I'll report back in a week or two, once they've seen some use...

The turbofan goggles cost $120+

For $45 Smith's Option LST motorcycle goggles work great. The integrated anti-fog process works well. They have a transitions photochromic lens which is untinted in gray winter daytime and at night, and gray tinted in bright sunlight. I use them at below-20 temps, when frigid air flowing over my glasses and into my eyes is irritating. They fit over prescription glasses too, however I don't know if the glasses will fog up, as I don't wear them.

The turbofan goggles cost $120+

I've seen them in the $80 range this season, usually through the motorcycle outlets.

For day time winter cycling, I wear a pair of Oakley ski goggles that I got off either steepandcheap.com/wiskymilitia.com/tramdock.com for cheap, and for night time/dark days, I wear some crappy clear goggles I got from a sports department store in the mall for like $12. They look dorky, but work fine.

Below about 35F, I use double lensed ski goggles. Mine have a very light gray tint to them, but riding in the dark is no problem.

I have to wear goggles. My eyes water like crazy when it is cold. Frozen together eyelashes does not work very well!.

+1 below 25F it's a must. My eyes tear up badly in the cold, and frozen tears are are very dangerous.

I use Oakley A frames. Light colored, double lenses and good ventilation, no fog problem.

They do reduce your peripheral vision slightly. That's the one downside.

I bought some ski goggles from a sporting goods stores for less than $40. They have a tint designed for seeing in the dark.

I only wear them when it's below 15F or so. I wear glasses, and if I'm pushing hard, the glasses will fog up. The goggles stay clear.

I'm going to find some of the "cat crap" stuff to prevent fogging, but I'm not hopeful it'll work well. If it doesn't work, I'll probably get contacts again.

I found a way to improve the anti-fog characteristics of ski goggles the other day. Most ski goggles that I have seen use a thin breathable foam around the perimeter of the vents to keep snow out. If a large snowflake gets in and hits the lens it will cause it to fog up. However, I have found that if you remove that foam the goggles stay fog free much better. Since most of us are wearing a helmet that will cover the top part of the goggle it should keep snow out of the goggle in most situations. After removing the foam you can feel a slight breeze of air on your eyes that is very mild when there is a cross wind. This air movement should help keep the goggles more fog free.

Also, the bottom and side foam could be removed without removing the top foam to keep the goggles from getting snow in them if they are being used in heavy snow conditions.

I wear riding glasses all year. There are 3 interchangeable lens for sun and clear lens for dark hours.
They do tend to fog up in the winter when slowing down on a hill, or if I wear my balaclava with a full
nose and mouth cover. Overall, I prefer the riding glasses, and they are off the shelf.

I use Scott nighttime dual-pane goggles; they never fog up at all and have perfect visibility. I think they were $30 at Dicks Sporting Goods.

For cheap quality googles. Go here. http://www.labsafety.com/store/Safety_Supplies/Eyewear/Goggles/

My eyes hurt when cycling below -5C. I got a pair from MEC a while ago. They worked well - keeping my eyes comfortable and didn't fog up.



where's your helmet? You protect your eyes, but not your brain?

+1 for ski googles
(when it's below -5C and/or snowing)

It was snowing on the ride in this morning so I decided to try ski goggles. The loss of peripheral vision makes it extremely difficult to check for cars behind you (I don't use mirrors) so I probably won't be using them again. Clear safety glasses seem like a good option

It was snowing on the ride in this morning so I decided to try ski goggles. The loss of peripheral vision makes it extremely difficult to check for cars behind you (I don't use mirrors) so I probably won't be using them again. Clear safety glasses seem like a good option

If you are inclined to reply, why don't you use mirrors? I use safety glasses over my prescription eyeglasses for winter riding without fogging as a problem, and I can clip my don't-leave-home-without-it mirror on the rigid eypiece.

Not sure really, most likely is that I've just never felt the need for them. I move around in traffic pretty well and am comfortable crossing over to whichever lane is appropriate and I've never had a problem with turning my head to do a visual check. I'm a bit attracted to simple and rugged design principles when setting up my bikes as well, so both my bikes are gearless and don't have much on them other than brakes and lights (and fenders for my winter bike).

where's your helmet? You protect your eyes, but not your brain?

The nanny nagging room is down the hall, nancy.

Not sure really, most likely is that I've just never felt the need for them. I move around in traffic pretty well and am comfortable crossing over to whichever lane is appropriate and I've never had a problem with turning my head to do a visual check. I'm a bit attracted to simple and rugged design principles when setting up my bikes as well, so both my bikes are gearless and don't have much on them other than brakes and lights (and fenders for my winter bike).

Thanks for the favour of a reply. I live by Jim's Law of the Road: "No matter how lightly traveled or well paved the road, a car will likely be passing you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right." So a mirror lets me quickly assess the situation, but as Chipcom notes:


The nanny nagging room is down the hall, nancy.

Thanks for the favour of a reply. I live by Jim's Law of the Road: "No matter how lightly traveled or well paved the road, a car will likely be passing you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right." So a mirror lets me quickly assess the situation, but as Chipcom notes:

Oh no nagging taken, it's all good ;)

Toronto Traffic get's pretty heavy in the downtown core but through some combination of anticipation and awareness I get by all right. We all do what works for us so whatever gets you home safe at the end of the day is fine by me :thumb:

So I've tried using my ski goggles a couple times this season. They are tinted, and probably polarized. During the day they work wonderfully - pure bliss. At night - it's a different story. I find that they seem to block out a lot of the light coming from oncoming cars - so I no longer get blinded by cars as much. However, they seem to block out most of the light coming from my own headlight. They really render my headlight about 95% useless. But if there's overhead lighting that doesn't matter. So these are my impressions:

when I'm alone in the dark with no overhead lighting: better without the goggles
when there is oncoming traffic with bright headlights and no overhead lighting: probably a bit better with goggles
when there is oncoming traffic with bright headlights and overhead lighting: wayyyyy better with goggles
when I'm alone and there's overhead lighting: about the same either way

Does that make sense to anybody? I'm thinking if I get a really bright headlight then my problems will go away and my ski goggles will be glorious. Or maybe I need to get a headlight in a different color?

So I've tried using my ski goggles a couple times this season. They are tinted, and probably polarized. During the day they work wonderfully - pure bliss. At night - it's a different story. I find that they seem to block out a lot of the light coming from oncoming cars - so I no longer get blinded by cars as much... when I'm alone in the dark with no overhead lighting: better without the goggles

I use clear safety glasses that fit over my prescription glasses and I've not had a problem with lighting. My entire route has decent overhead lighting so I only use a blinking Cateye. I have rarely ridden in rural Dover in the early morning darkness, and an oncoming car will blind me very briefly after it passes, but that situation is a rare occurence, since I don't ride in Dover in the dark very much (only in September). I'm surprised that if you commute in Cambridge and environs you encounter any really dark roads.

My eyes hurt when cycling below -5C. I got a pair from MEC a while ago. They worked well - keeping my eyes comfortable and didn't fog up.



I have these exact same goggles, and I wear them sans-helmet too.

I don't have problems with my eyes watering like some of you, but after riding home with 20+ mph headwinds while sleet was coming down, I've decided that ski goggles were probably a good investment. They have proven to be an especially good investment now that we've had a cold snap and it's really ****ing cold out... -16F with the windchill approaching -40F. I know for you Canadian folks that's probably not especially noteworthy, but it's plenty cold for most of us in the continental US.

I have made some of the same observations as one of the previous posters... the orange tint on my goggles is a mixed blessing... they really seem to do a great job cutting down on glare and and seem to really enhance the available lighting at night... but they also seem to dampen my head lights (I run dual Dinotte 200Ls). I don't know if it would be an issue in a lesser lit area, but my ride is pretty well lit so it works out just fine.

I use clear safety glasses that fit over my prescription glasses and I've not had a problem with lighting. My entire route has decent overhead lighting so I only use a blinking Cateye. I have rarely ridden in rural Dover in the early morning darkness, and an oncoming car will blind me very briefly after it passes, but that situation is a rare occurence, since I don't ride in Dover in the dark very much (only in September). I'm surprised that if you commute in Cambridge and environs you encounter any really dark roads.

My commute is between Allston and Waltham. Allston is very well lit, but Waltham is not.

I tried your safety glasses technique on my last ride. They worked pretty well - not quite as protective as my ski goggles - but no tint/polarization so I could actually see!

I'm working on building up a super bright headlight, so this may all be moot soon...

Visorgogs. Available online at pretty much any safety supply company. +10

Been using them over my glasses in the winter for ~15 years.

My eyes hurt when cycling below -5C. I got a pair from MEC a while ago. They worked well - keeping my eyes comfortable and didn't fog up.



I have older Smiths & they work well as long as I am not exerting myself too much ... then they fog up...

Hi, new here. I live in Boston and have a 4-mile each way commute every day. Below -5 C the cold was bothering my eyes so I got some ski goggles, but they were a pain with the fogging up and limited visibility at night. Recently though, I tried vaseline and found it to be much more comfortable. You don't put it on your eyeballs, obviously, but putting it on our cheeks, nose and forehead keeps your face warm, and that warm blood warms up your eyes too. Last week we had three days -11 C or below, and the vaseline really made my ride more comfortable than goggles. When I get to work, I just wipe it off with a paper towel -- takes about five seconds.

Check our WileyX glasses - I carry contactlenses so I need wind, sand, snow, hail and all that are kept away. Work great. No fogging up - there is a detachable rubbery part between the frame and your face. That'll keep away all nastyness. Included are dark glasses and a set of normal glasses. And they look great - when not riding; I detach the rubbers and use it as normal sun glasses.