General Cycling Discussion - Oh god I'm blind!

Situation: Riding along, sweat pouring down my face, concentrated sweat gets into my eyes, it stings like no other, and now I'm going down a hill at 35mph, blind, can't see, somehow I manage to get to the bottom safely, slow down, stop.
I still can't open my eyes it stings so bad. My water bottle is empty, what should I do?

I've never had this happen while I'm out but it did happen just as I got back home one day and basically had to feel my way to the door.

Looks like time for a new eye.

surely you jest! ;)

Well, I'd first question why you had to wait for the bottom of the hill to slow down and stop... Have you got Flintstone brakes? :)

Well, I'd first question why you had to wait for the bottom of the hill to slow down and stop... Have you got Flintstone brakes? :)

Hehe, or to the side of the road. The reason why I'm asking is cause after I managed to feel my way through 4 sets of doors into the bathroom, it took almost a minute to wash out the sting (NYC water's got chlorine in it, doesn't do eyes good either). Which means even after I got to a source of water, it took almost a minute to regain my vision. On the road, I imagine I'd be screwed. :(

Stop shaving your eyebrows?

Come on people, real tips, no I don't shave my eyebrows, hehehe. :p

skullcap

Skullcaps help. Halo sweatbands are even better. In Dallas, the heat and humidity make stinging eyes a regular part of riding. Keep water in your bottle, and wash the salt out of your skullcap/sweatband while you're in a restroom. Nothing better than a cool wet do-rag on a hot day anyway. Ahhhhhaaaa!

The one I have is the one from performancebike, thin coolmax fabric. I'm trying to find one with a thick terry cloth type fabric.

rinse your eye out with urine...

no... don't do that... that would be gross. nevermind.

I don't see the humor in that...

rinse your eye out with urine...

no... don't do that... that would be gross. nevermind.
Not to mention probably more painful than the sweat :)

I hate to say it but the real answer is probably to toughen up, dude :)

I've had it happen to me and I just keep my eyes open and let 'em burn, kind of like swimming in a strongly clorinated pool -- it ain't comfortable but it beats heck out of running into a tree at 35MPH! If you want to train for it just let a little shampoo into your eyes each time you shower (just kidding).

Sweat bands help, but in heavy heat and humidity you've just gotta accept that sometimes a big-ole drop of sweat is going to get in there and sting like the dickens. Happened to me two or three times yesterday, in fact.

John

Skullcap./bandana is the best thing I can think off. Sunglasses help surprisingly well in such a situation. However, I have to ask just how you got so much sweat into your eyes. Most of my riding is done here in Queensland, where sweating is a national pastime due to the climate. Even then, I can't say I've ever had such a problem as that one.

My eye got slashed by a twig today, and I was surprised that it didn't do too much damage.

Then earlier before that another one hanging in the air got my face. That was the 3rd time at the same spot, so I twisted it and got rid of it. Maybe it was the revenge of the twigs!!!

Skullcap./bandana is the best thing I can think off. Sunglasses help surprisingly well in such a situation. However, I have to ask just how you got so much sweat into your eyes. Most of my riding is done here in Queensland, where sweating is a national pastime due to the climate. Even then, I can't say I've ever had such a problem as that one.

It's not a lot into my eyes, my sunglasses are vented. So as I'm riding, it's drying off before it gets to my eyes and so there's like a layer of salt, so everyonce in a while, a single drop makes it right into my eye through that salt layer and it's extra salty. It doesn't happen often, just everyonce in a while.

Were you wearing some type of sunscreen or lotion? I cant imagine sweat alone would be so painful. I personally use full advantage to the 4 square inches of terry cloth on each and every pair of my cycling gloves.

Were you wearing some type of sunscreen or lotion? I cant imagine sweat alone would be so painful. I personally use full advantage to the 4 square inches of terry cloth on each and every pair of my cycling gloves.

Yeah, banana boat spf 30 sunblock.

That may be the problem. The sweat picks up the sunscreen and gets it into your eyes. It's happened to me before.

Sweat alone is not a big deal... a little sting, close your eye tight, rub and you're good to go.

It was the Sunblock that got you...

of course that begs asking... if you had a helmet and/or skullcap on why would you have sunblock on your forehead? Maybe you have a large slopping forehead? :D Me, I don't have a lot of forehead showing when wearing a helmet so I don't no stinking sunblock there.

it was the sunscreen. take it off above the cheeks, you don't need it above your eyes anyway since your head is angled down enough so that your helmet shadows your forehead.

sd

you can find sweatproof\waterproof sunscreen that claims not to sting the eyes. probably a few dollars more per bottle, but it may help.

it was the sunscreen. take it off above the cheeks, you don't need it above your eyes anyway since your head is angled down enough so that your helmet shadows your forehead.

That's not quite true. You can actually get sunburned from reflection off other objects, too. I know because it's happened to me countless times. Admittedly, I live on the coast, which explains a lot, but even the lines painted on the road can give you problems if you're out for long enough.

Well the odd thing is, I have sunblock on my lower face but I don't put any above my nose. Can it be possible the sweat's running UP my face?
I'm starting to think maybe my eyes are just overly sensitive.

This is an "old runner's trick": Take some Aquaphor (http://www.eucerinus.com/) and rub some just above your eyebrows. This will prevent sweat from dripping into your eyes.

Dan

I don't think it's abnormal for sweat to get in your eyes while riding. It could be that your sweat is concentrated because you're dehydrated. Lick your upper lip sometime while out on the bike. I've noticed a correlation between low hydration level and an increase in the salinity of my sweat. The simple solution is to hydrate. See if it helps.

-mark

This is an "old runner's trick": Take some Aquaphor (http://www.eucerinus.com/) and rub some just above your eyebrows. This will prevent sweat from dripping into your eyes.

Dan

Isn't that a moisturizer?

Sort of, it's a mixture of mineral oil, and moisturizers. It behaves much like vaseline. It will channel the sweat away from your eyes.

Dan

Well the odd thing is, I have sunblock on my lower face but I don't put any above my nose. Can it be possible the sweat's running UP my face?
I'm starting to think maybe my eyes are just overly sensitive.

It's the salt in the sweat.

Situation: Riding along, sweat pouring down my face, concentrated sweat gets into my eyes, it stings like no other, and now I'm going down a hill at 35mph, blind, can't see, somehow I manage to get to the bottom safely, slow down, stop.
I still can't open my eyes it stings so bad. My water bottle is empty, what should I do?

I've never had this happen while I'm out but it did happen just as I got back home one day and basically had to feel my way to the door.


how about a sweatband and some cycling goggles????
like these
http://www.sporteyes.com/wilmagna.htm#XL4


kern

I had that problem with banana boat, it stings like hell. I have never had sweat sting my eyes. If its not applied above your eyes perhaps it could have gotten in your eyes from wiping away sweat or rubbing your eyes.

I have had lots and lots of experience with sweat stinging my eyes while not wearing sunscreen. My theory is that as you sweat, a lot of the water evaporates and leaves behind salt. By the time the sweat reaches you eyes it's picked up this extra salt and has a higher salinity that regular sweat which makes it sting worse.

I have had lots and lots of experience with sweat stinging my eyes while not wearing sunscreen. My theory is that as you sweat, a lot of the water evaporates and leaves behind salt. By the time the sweat reaches you eyes it's picked up this extra salt and has a higher salinity that regular sweat which makes it sting worse.

Yeah that's exactly what's happening, doesn't help that my sunglasses vent a lot so much of it evaporates above my eyes and form a layer of salt there.

Cycling cap, do-rag or sweatband under the helmet!
If you do not have water, wipe eyes with bottom of t-shirt/jersey/cycling cap.
Been there, done that!

it was the sunscreen. take it off above the cheeks, you don't need it above your eyes anyway since your head is angled down enough so that your helmet shadows your forehead.

sd
That's not necessarily true. I rode 6 hours Saturday and if you look closely at my hairline (fairly high above my forehead :( ) you can actually see the tan line where my helmet was.

John