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Solutions: Rain, sniffles, etc

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Solutions: Rain, sniffles, etc

Old 01-03-06, 02:19 PM
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Da Big Kahuna
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Solutions: Rain, sniffles, etc

As mentioned in another thread, when the temperature drops to the low 70's at night (when I ride), I have trouble with eyes watering and the sniffles. During the time I was trying to find solutions, another thread talked about advantages of wearing a cap - including cutting down how much wind gets in your eyes. Since one of my theories was that the cool air blowing into my eyes (mostly over the top of my glasses, it seemed to me), I thought a cap may help.

Today was my first chance to try it.

The temperature when I left was 72.4 - just a hair higher than what causes me a lot of trouble so I will post again when I have a colder day.

However, wearing the headsweat (with a bill like a cap) under my helmet did seem to cut a lot of wind out. My eyes didn't water the whole ride (56 miles while around 72 degrees and 17 more after sunrise when the air is warmer - and me riding slower by then - usually isn't an issue anyway.

No sniffles either. I did blow my nose once when stopped for a water break anyway, but it wasn't a major urge.

I also happened to get a fair amount of rain and the cap helped for that too. Normally I really don't like getting rained on, even though the rains here are generally pretty light. But I guess what bothers me the most must be rain in my face because, with the brim providing some protection, it really didn't bug me much at all, even though I was pretty well soaked.

While my glasses got wet, they did not get as spotty as is usually the case plus the brim cut down on the light hitting the glasses from streetlights, etc, so that even what spottiness was there was less obvious. In addition, my eyeglass mirror seemed to stay completely dry.

Of course, the brim also helped deal with headlights and later, the sun. I suppose it would help with insects too, but I rarely have issues with them.

That's a lot of benefits from simply having a cap or headsweat with a brim on it! Hopefully, even when it gets cooler, it will minimize my main problem (watering eyes and sniffles). I'm pretty much convinced it will at least help. Also nice is that anyone probably has a cap laying around they can try this with. A regular cap may be hotter, but for a test, it doesn't matter so much.

Only negative is that it seems to leave my hair wetter than it got when I used a normal headsweat. Can't understand why as, except for the bill, it seems to be about the same material.
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Old 01-03-06, 03:35 PM
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I find this amusing, because I have the same problem when it drops below 30/40deg. However, best thing for the eyes is plenty of eye protection, something a bit oversized is best, a lot even use safety goggles. The sniffles, well, I think thats just something you have to deal with more or less, and is best aleviated by applying the terry cloth patch on the back of your glove to the underside of your nose.
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Old 01-03-06, 04:49 PM
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Originally Posted by seely
I find this amusing, because I have the same problem when it drops below 30/40deg. However, best thing for the eyes is plenty of eye protection, something a bit oversized is best, a lot even use safety goggles. The sniffles, well, I think thats just something you have to deal with more or less, and is best aleviated by applying the terry cloth patch on the back of your glove to the underside of your nose.
A lot of it will vary from individual to individual as to how cold it needs to be before they are affected - as well as the weather they are used to. First winter riding here I don't ever recall having the sniffles problem. Last two years I have. I'm sure a large part of that is just adjusting to things here and since they are generally warm, even a little coolness affects me now.

I just have regular glasses, though they are bigger lenses than average. But on a road bike, the head position fairly easily lets too much air over the top. That wind, especially when cool (it seems), makes the eyes water. There is a direct connection between the eyes and nose so that when your eyes water or you cry, some of it goes into the nose, causing sniffles. So it seemed logical that rather than deal directly with the sniffles, go to what may be the ultimate cause - the eyes watering.

I'm looking forward to trying this when it is back down to normal temps for this time of year to see how well it works then. Perhaps it can't deal with problems down where your temps are (but might help), but it will help some people at least and the brim has those other advantages.

Now that I have found some advantage to this, it also seems natural that there should be some sort of clip-on device for regular glasses just to direct the air so it doesn't enter the top of them.
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Old 01-04-06, 11:06 AM
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The test today was more typical for this time of year - the temp was a couple degrees cooler than yesterday and it dropped another two degrees during the ride.

With the cap, still no problem with eyes watering and not too much of a problem with sniffles, though I did have some. I managed to catch a cold which showed up yesterday afternoon which, if anything, I would expect to make it worse, so I'm pleased with the results.
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Old 01-04-06, 07:05 PM
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yeah when it gets down to 20 degrees i'll put a hat on or something. are you being serious, RCF?
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Old 01-04-06, 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by the homealien
yeah when it gets down to 20 degrees i'll put a hat on or something. are you being serious, RCF?
Of course I'm serious. The hat (actually headsweat with a bill on it) is mainly to restrict how much wind comes in over the top of my glasses, though it has some other benefits as I mentioned. More wind, at least when cool, causes my eyes to water. Watering eyes partly drain into the nose. Water getting into the nose causes the sniffles. I avoid or at least reduce all that by wearing something with a bill on front.

If your eyes don't water in these situations, then it probably won't do you much good. But for some of us, it can really make a ride more enjoyable.

I got into wearing the ordinary headsweat some time ago, in an effort to keep my hair from looking so bad after a ride. The headsweat accomplished that and kept it drier too. All plusses in my book.
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Old 01-04-06, 08:47 PM
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uh... move to someplace warmer?

j/k

If you're really having problems, how bout some glasses or googles? Or just riding more in the cold. The first few times its below 50, my eyes will water a little, but that goes away soon.
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