Ski Goggles
 

I was curious as to why people where these? Is it the fact they dont fog up or???

I have been wearing clear glasses in the AM and non sunny days. The bad thing is that they fog up.

Just spit on them like you would with a set of swimming goggles. I wore sunglasses or clear glasses when I rode last winter. The days I forgot them it made for a long somewhat painful ride. I guess if it's windy or snowing then you don't have to worry about snow still being able to get behind them.

I am not sure how cold it gets in NJ, but here in Minneapolis, it gets cold in the winter...I wear the Oakley O-frame goggles http://www.amazon.com/Oakley--Frame-...5376304&sr=8-2 ...they are cheap and don't fog up...and they keep the cold wind out of your eyes...not just helpful, but necessary on the -20º F day...and when it is pouring down rain, they can be helpful too...no more need to blink the rain drops away...

just don't spit on a good goggle or you will ruin it...and never ever touch the inside lens unless you absolutely have to...and then only with a lint-free cloth...otherwise they will fog up like nobody's business...if you feel like you need anti-fog, then you are blocking the vents.

as for the clear glasses fogging...try Cat Crap® anti-fog lens cleaner...I use it a lot when I ski, and it works like a charm.

Cheers,

Josh

Love my goggles. They help keep my face warm (at least the upper part) and are rather less expensive than sunglasses. I broke 2 pairs of cycling glasses last year but I haven't managed to hurt either pair of goggles. I have a clear pair for overcast days and night rides, and an amber pair for sunny days. The clear,'sadly, is used much more than the amber. I think the clear pair cost $10-15 and the amber $20 and they are both very sturdy. I wear a ski helmet and it's made with goggle strap holders.

You're right, good goggles have double lenses with a thermal barrier in between along with other features to help keep them from fogging. I've had problems with cheap goggles not only fogging but icing up on the inside.

"Jim From Boston" is somebody who still posts here once in a while and he's had good luck with plain old safety glasses over his regular glasses, - didn't work for me though.

Aside from the fogging problem, when it gets really cold I don't want any skin exposed so sun glasses don't quite cut it.

Ski Goggles

Thanks for your reference, tjspiel. To the OP, it seems riders vary in their tolerance to a cold wind on their eyeballs, but when you get into temperatures below say about 20 degrees F and zipping downhill, your eyes will naturally start tearing and dangerously obstructing vision. But even if just for comfort's sake, it's nice to keep your eyes warm by screening them from the cold. Regular eyeglasses, and I wear them constantly for vision, just are not large enough and too open for effective protection.

The problem with eyewear in the cold though, is that it easily fogs up with the exhaled moist breath, and if you cover your face, the vapor is directed upwards to the glasses, again obstructing vision. That’s been probably the most dangerous situation for me with winter cycling. I've found, IMO, a most satisfactory solution for my situation in Boston, and I am almost evangelical about spreading the word. See my post, with pictures:

In any discussion about winter gear, I emphasize stating the conditions in which one rides. In Boston I commute 14 miles one way, down to my coldest temperatures of (rarely) about 0 degrees, with a few hills that cause harder breathing at slower speeds, reducing ventilation. This is not as bad I'm sure as riding in Minneapolis. In particular, I'm dubious about the use of anti-fogging agents in extremes of temperatures because I think they can be overcome by heavy breathing.

My own tolerance for cold is to start using safety glasses at about 35 degrees.

Thanks everyone.

Jim: I wear safety glasses a lot but still find that they fog up really bad when I am stopped at a light.

Thanks everyone.

Jim: I wear safety glasses a lot but still find that they fog up really bad when I am stopped at a light.

For me, clear lens ski goggles are a must in winter. With contacts exposed to the cold I can't see anything. Tight seal. No wind leakage. No fogging.

Just don't stop. :rolleyes:

Seriously though, the advantage of safety glasses is that they are wide-open with extensive ventilation as you ride, but with a wide windscreen for protection. Besides an antifogging agent, the other main strategy to prevent fogging is sealed goggles, usually with double panes, to prevent moist exhaled air from fogging. I have used such goggles, but found that if I breathe hard enough, for example going up hills, exhaled air does get into the goggles and fogs, particularly my eyeglasses, but then it's hard to get the moist air out.

I think that since these goggles are designed for (downhill) skiing, they are not sealed tightly enough for the increased exhalation due to this more strenuous activity of cycling. Since most of the time on the bike is riding rather than stopping, the safety glasses are more effective for me. Also, the safety glasses are more comfortable when wearing my prescription eyeglasses, and the rigid earpieces support my Take-a-Look mirrors (right and left).

When encountering a stop, I will slow down enough to keep moving and minimize the stopping time. I'm also one of those cyclists who will run a red light when traffic is clear. If a stop needs to be prolonged, I’ll lower my face mask and try to exhale downward. Finally I try to anticipate the road conditions immediately before me, and as I start riding, if the fogging is light, it usually clears within about 20 to 30 feet even with the slow start-up speed. I don't bother wiping it out.

The important thing in particularly cold weather is that the fog not be allowed to ice up.

http://www.c-clearantifog.com/?gclid...FWg0QgodkzzalQ

"Rain-X" company makes something similar you can get at your local auto parts store, youre fog issues will be history no matter what goggles you use.

& if it hasnt been mentioned, SWIMMING GOGGLES, the little ones that just cover ea. eye ball work great, are cheap & suction down tight so nothing gets in & because they are ea. independently sealed, you can wrap your face w/ a scarf & not worry about your breath foggin them up + they are easy to store when your not using em since decent ones come w/ a case.

http://www.speedousa.com/product/ind...2&locale=en_US

Rain-X antifog stuff is good, but don't make the mistake I did and use regular Rain-X (anti-rain stuff), that stuff makes glass fog up like nobody's business!

Out of curiousity, have you actually tried this? I ask because I tried it and found the moisture from your eyes and skin around your eyes saturate the space in the swimming goggle, and with no vents, it will start to fog pretty quickly. My experiment was at 15 F.

When it is below 20F I wear Oakley A frame goggles. They vent very well and never fog. But most importantly they keep my eyes from watering and then freezing up which causes a real problem and is down right dangerous.

The down side is they knock down peripheral vision a little bit compared to sunglasses. The tradeoff is well worth it.