legot73

My sunglasses with mutliple lenses have been great, but my eyes get really dry in sub 30F temps. For consistent riding in colder temps, I'm considering ski or motorcycle goggles, but would want them with a lens that lets through enough light in the dark, but still cuts glare from headlights.

Does anyone know of a pair for $30 or so that do this? Anti-fogging design is important, too.

CastIron

My ski goggles (bought cheap at SierraTradingPost.com ) have yellow lenses. They work ok at night, but the loss of light is noticeable.

BIGPAKO

No goggles.

I do use Smith shades w/yellow lenses throughout the dark winter.

DataJunkie

I tried goggles but did not enjoy riding with them on.
I found I could stand a 15F commute of 10-15 miles without goggles.

feethanddooth

anyone every try swimming goggles?

v1k1ng1001

Swimming goggles would be a disaster.

On a lot of ski goggles you can get a replaceable lens. I usually go for a clear lens at night and Amber during the day.

I have a pair of old Briko shades I can't say enough good things about. I know they're hard to find in the U.S. but their lightest lens works well in all lighting conditions and the optics are better than oakley. If I were to buy another pair of goggles, I'd look at some Brikos.

ChillGrean

I've been wearing orange-tinted sunglasses so far this year in MN. Like shooting glasses almost. So far they work good, and I can see about as well as w/o them. Only had them down to about 32 degrees so far however, and may have to switch to full goggles in a month or so.

Daily Commute

I got my double paned amber goggles at a ski shop. CastIron is right, "they work OK at night, but the loss of light is noticable." I only use them <10F now. I splurged on some Oakley M-Frame Heaters (clear/amber/polarized lenses), and they do a great job of keeping cold air out of my eyes (down to about 10F).

ghettocruiser

Below freezing I usually go with clear (no tint) night-skiing goggles, generally the cheapest model I can find that still has a double-lens setup to minimize fogging. Yellow does cost some light transmission.

Keeping the goggles clean and relatively scratch-free is probably more important to minimize headlight glare than tint. That said, when I wipe off the salt spay mid-ride they sometimes get scratched, so I don't want to splurge too much on them. If you wanted to throw more money at the project you could maybe get moto goggles with tear-offs, but I'm not sure there are too many double-lens models of these.

If replacement main lenses are actually available, that's another option, but eventually sweat will start to break down the foam part that us against your face as well.

Once I got goggles with double lenses they have almost never fogged, but people with warmer (circulation-enabled) faces have had different experiences, to say the least.

legot73

All very helpful, thanks. I like the idea of motorcycle goggles and found some good ones, but they dont have double lenses, so I've ruled them out due to risk of fogging. Ski goggles are hard to find in clear unless you get the goggles + replacement lenses. I'll keep searching for the cheap, clear lens type (night ski goggles).

On a bit of a tangent, does anyone ride in ski/snowboard helmets? Do they offer the same protection as a bicycle helmet in terms of impact and "slipperiness" so your neck isn't torqued in an impact? Just curious.

cyccommute 

That would be interesting to investigate. I'd be concerned that the ski helmet is heavier than a bike helmet, however. The best winter bicycle helmet I've run across is the Bell Metro. With half of the cold kit inside (just the vent plugs not the ear muffs), the helmet is almost too hot for me even at subfreezing temperatures.

TRaffic Jammer

970 grams Pryme AL ridden in -30 temps, with paper thin balaclava. Generally didn't wear anything other than the helmet over the winter, occasionally my cap. Ski goggles will save your eyes in the cold, as the eyes water from the wind the wet eye lids get windburn. Clear lenses at night unless you are on a ski hill with mad crazy lighting. The tinted lenses are for cutting glare AND creating contrast on the snow so you don't ski/ride/board into a hole and/or go snow blind. I'm looking into the Oakley hockey or football shields to see if they can be adapted, as with my glasses I still get fogging issues at lights.

ghettocruiser

^^^^ Word. I used my snowboard helmet for a few winters, but once I got the Pryme DH lid I went with that for full-time winter riding, as per TJ.

I wear a neoprene face mask pulled down a bit, with the nose loop over my mouth to blow by breath down out the bottom of the helmet, as long as I keep my breath away from the ski goggles they stay fog-free.

TRaffic Jammer

^^^and it gives drivers the willies as well, they tend to think there is a motor cycle 6 inches from their door.

Ritehsedad

I wear clear lens ski goggles below 30F. My only problem is that I my glasses don't fit under them.

TRaffic Jammer

You can get over glasses goggles, i still have fogging difficulties though. We are generating more heat then skiers I think, and stopping more often, because when I ride away on green the fogging goes away.

vrkelley

+1 on the fogging even with RainX. All is OK, until, I pull up to a light.

TRaffic Jammer

That's why I wanted to try those shields and leave gaps in the lower face area for air flow. Maybe dremmel some holes up top... as long as the cold air isn't hitting you right on the eyelid.