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Any tricks for fogging lenses?

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Old 09-13-06 | 09:38 AM
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Any tricks for fogging lenses?

I've been enjoying commutes in downpouring rain, but have one weak spot, my eyewear. I have several different lenses, and ususally wear the gold or clear lenses, but they fog up. It gets worse when I stop, and clears up a bit when I'm moving, but I end up looking over the tops to make sure I can see. This only tends to be a problem when its below 60f.

Any tips or tricks to keep the fogging under control? Keeping the rain beaded on the outer lens vs. smearing would be a plus, too. I thought of RainX, but wonder if anyone has tried it.
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Old 09-13-06 | 09:45 AM
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A very small amount of liquid soap applied to the surface, which is then wiped and polished will help prevent moisture fogging a lens.

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Old 09-13-06 | 09:45 AM
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Move the glasses away from your face a little. This creates a little room for airflow around the glasses. It doesn't take much for me. Just move them from the brige of my nose to just a little beyond the bridge and my glasses clear right up. Then I push them back snug on the bridge until I have the next fogging problem. It works so well for me that I've not looked for a better solution.
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Old 09-13-06 | 09:53 AM
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cat crap
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Old 09-13-06 | 09:55 AM
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I was meaning to post this earlier, but darn work got in the way...

I wore sunglasses (just some Dollar store junkers that had a nice wrap around) this summer, but now that we're getting into the rain season and later on snow/winter, I was wondering how effective cycling glasses are at keeping moisture/rain/crap away from your field of vision?

I don't mind riding in the rain, but it's a ***** when the stuff is getting in your eyes and you've traffic to watch - so I will be looking for a solution to get around this...

Also, how about when it's been really pouring, and the rain is seeping from your hair/head down? Maybe a sweatband or something might be a good idea... hmm, I may've just answered that myself..
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Old 09-13-06 | 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by CrosseyedCrickt
cat crap
+1

This stuff is great. I use it for my glacier glasses that I wear while mountaineering, and it even keeps those things from fogging up.
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Old 09-13-06 | 10:21 AM
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Cat crap? That's hillarious. I'd like to hear the story behind that product name.
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Old 09-13-06 | 10:25 AM
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Spit on em. Works for motocross, SCUBA diving, and eyewear of all sorts. Rain X works pretty well. I used it on my car years ago and it helped alot. Not sure how long it lasts, maybe a month or so.
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Old 09-13-06 | 10:27 AM
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Cat Crap is great but you can get the same effect with a little dishwashing soap and water. Just put some water in a bowl, put a squirt of dish liquid in, mix it up. Wipe your glasses clean, then dip the lenses in the bowl and set aside to dry.
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Old 09-13-06 | 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by caloso
Cat Crap is great but you can get the same effect with a little dishwashing soap and water. Just put some water in a bowl, put a squirt of dish liquid in, mix it up. Wipe your glasses clean, then dip the lenses in the bowl and set aside to dry.
+1

You can also use baby shampoo (the tearless kind)
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Old 09-13-06 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by mister
Spit on em. Works for motocross, SCUBA diving, and eyewear of all sorts. Rain X works pretty well. I used it on my car years ago and it helped alot. Not sure how long it lasts, maybe a month or so.
+1. Spit and nose grease can fix damn near anything.
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Old 09-13-06 | 01:02 PM
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Doesn't the smell of the cat crap detract from using the stuff?

Thanks for the tips. I too have been having a fogging issue the past few days...
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Old 09-13-06 | 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by xB_Nutt
Doesn't the smell of the cat crap detract from using the stuff?
If you ride fast enough, you can barely even smell it...

Just make sure to get all the litter off it first, or you'll scratch your lenses.
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Old 09-13-06 | 02:14 PM
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Commute daily here in SW Florida....heavy rain/tstorms high % of the time on evening trips home during this time of year....use a sweat band to keep rainwater from washing salt/perspiration into my eyes.....use a velcro-attached plastic visor/winshield ($12+/-) onto helmet when it rains
(https://www.louisgarneau.com/usa/cata...yle_no=1405007)
....prevents rain from hitting eyes and with rainex, keeps more than clear enough to ride in .....actually love the rain....cools me down!
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Old 09-13-06 | 02:26 PM
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My glasses fogged for the first time this morning. Must be fall. I'll try the dish detergent trick when I get home.
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Old 09-13-06 | 02:51 PM
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Thanks for all the great feedback. I'm going to try the dishsoap approach on all my riding lenses, and pick up a sample RainX wipe or small bottle for the outside.

I really like riding in the rain, so I'm looking forward to clear vision.
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Old 09-13-06 | 07:19 PM
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Soap is the cheapest solution. I use it to stop goggles fogging up when I swim as well and it works a whole lot better than any of the "anti-fog" coatings that come on swimming goggles.
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Old 09-13-06 | 07:29 PM
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Just got in from my commute... in the POURING rain. Got to figure out how to keep the water off the glasses.
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Old 09-13-06 | 07:38 PM
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It's only like 60 degrees in the morning but that's cold enough my eyes tear all up. Then it's super foggy outside so in addition to the tears and the fog on the lenses there's water beading up from the fog in the air. Any tips on dealing with watery eyes and actual atmospheric fog of the dense kind?
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Old 09-13-06 | 11:10 PM
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Do any of these suggestions work below minus 20 C to prevent ice formation on glasses/goggles? It;s no fun to ride with your eyelashes frozen shut, nor is it any fun to try and see through a sheet of ice formed from your own eyesweat...

Just wondering
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Old 09-13-06 | 11:32 PM
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Originally Posted by rajman
Do any of these suggestions work below minus 20 C to prevent ice formation on glasses/goggles? It;s no fun to ride with your eyelashes frozen shut, nor is it any fun to try and see through a sheet of ice formed from your own eyesweat...

Just wondering
Holy crap. That's freaking cold. I'd worry more about problems with my bike due to temps that low than frozen sweat.
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Old 09-14-06 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by rajman
Do any of these suggestions work below minus 20 C to prevent ice formation on glasses/goggles? It;s no fun to ride with your eyelashes frozen shut, nor is it any fun to try and see through a sheet of ice formed from your own eyesweat...

Just wondering
I don't know about riding at -20C, but back when I was x-c ski racing in temps like that I used Cat Crap defogger and it worked well.
Another skiing trick is to get a little bit of Vaseline on your fingertips and rub your eyelashes with it. It will keep sweat from gathering there and freezing. Smear a little on your eyebrows, too, and it will make the sweat run off to the sides of your face.

The worst was seeing the guys with full beards coming across the finish line of a 50K race with about 3 pounds of ice hanging off their face.
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Old 09-14-06 | 02:26 PM
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I tried everything and nothing worked. Finally got contact lenses and problem is completely solved. Don't know why i waited so long.
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Old 09-14-06 | 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by rajman
Do any of these suggestions work below minus 20 C to prevent ice formation on glasses/goggles? It;s no fun to ride with your eyelashes frozen shut, nor is it any fun to try and see through a sheet of ice formed from your own eyesweat...

Just wondering
Ski Goggles
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