Eyeglasses and rain
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Eyeglasses and rain
Does anyone on here have a good solution to increasing visibility during rain storms for someone who wears eyeglasses? Once my lenses get covered in beads of water, it gets really hard to see clearly. Contact lenses aren't an option for me, unfortunately.
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,647
Likes: 6
From: Sudbury, ON, CA
Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike
I've been thinking of trying Rain-X on my glasses but they are just plastic "sunglasses" (lightly tinted for lower light conditions) but even if that worked, I don't know that anyone would want to treat their prescription lenses with the same stuff.
#3
Warrior
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: White Plains
Bikes: Specialized
I'm interested in this as well. Right now I will just deal with it or take my glasses off. I'm fortunate enough to still be able to see well enough without them, but I'd still prefer to wear them if possible.
Rain-X sounds like an interesting option, but I'm not spraying that on my glasses.
Rain-X sounds like an interesting option, but I'm not spraying that on my glasses.
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 703
From: Layton, UT
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
For Glass glasses, use Rain-X. It will work fine, and if you put it on the night before, even if you have sensitive eyes, there won't be any vapors that will irritate you.
For plastic lenses, I recommend Blaze anti-fog or Nikwax Visor proof. The Nikwax works better. I use it on my eyeglasses and my motorcycle visors (both plastic) and it is almost as good as Rain-X on glass. The Visor proof you will usually have to order from a motorcycle shop (I like Rider's Warehouse for online.) the Blaze Anti-fog you can order direct from them (google it).
For plastic lenses, I recommend Blaze anti-fog or Nikwax Visor proof. The Nikwax works better. I use it on my eyeglasses and my motorcycle visors (both plastic) and it is almost as good as Rain-X on glass. The Visor proof you will usually have to order from a motorcycle shop (I like Rider's Warehouse for online.) the Blaze Anti-fog you can order direct from them (google it).
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,647
Likes: 6
From: Sudbury, ON, CA
Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike
#8
Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 9,685
Likes: 2,603
From: northern Deep South
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Clean terrycloth on the back of your gloves. Not ideal, but wipes most of the water off so you can see through it.
"Mountain bike" helmets with a visor help in light rain.
"Mountain bike" helmets with a visor help in light rain.
#9
A baseball hat or sun visor under the helmet and reduced speed has worked for me. Toyed with the idea of a Walz for the longest time, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
__________________
Community guidelines
Community guidelines
#10
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,324
Likes: 3
From: UK
I've started removing my clear glasses during rain as I can see better just by blinking away the rain than I can with drops all over my lenses! However if you require prescription glasses to see then I guess some form of application like Rain-X would be your best bet.
#11
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 1
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: 2012 Specialized Sirrus
#12
ride for a change
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 2
From: Minneapolis, MN
Bikes: Surly Cross-check & Moonlander, Pivot Mach 429, Ted Wojcik Sof-Trac, Ridley Orion. Santa Cruz Stigmata
#13
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,982
Likes: 11
From: Puget Sound
Bikes: 2007 Rocky Mountain Sherpa 30 (bionx), 2015 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra
Fortunately, I only where glasses to ride for protection... not to see. My glasses are there mostly to protect my eyes from flying bees or other flying bugs. When it rains, I don't seem to see any bees or bugs so I can take the glasses off. I would find it irritating to ride with glasses and water all over the lenses. Hopefully the suggestions above solve the problem. I'm sure the day is coming when I'll have to wear glasses all the time (hopefully, that happens after the day I um unable to turn the pedals anymore.)
#16
I just take them off. I'm not going that fast in the rain anyway.
__________________
"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London
#17
Thread Killer

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 13,140
Likes: 2,162
From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
I'll second the hat with a visor comments; I prefer a lightweight, synthetic fabric runner's cap, both for the quick drying, non-absorbent fabric and the form fit, but also for the fact they seem to have longer brims than the typical baseball cap.
Also, if you can pop for a new helmet and your glasses fit underneath, the retractable visor Dux Helm (www.duxhelm.com) is great for protecting and keeping clean your glasses. I wore mine in the rain last night, and besides being able to see a lot better, it's much more comfy not having your face getting pelted and soaked. And with the built-in visor, it saves me from having to remember to bring, or wish I'd brought, my cap.
Also, if you can pop for a new helmet and your glasses fit underneath, the retractable visor Dux Helm (www.duxhelm.com) is great for protecting and keeping clean your glasses. I wore mine in the rain last night, and besides being able to see a lot better, it's much more comfy not having your face getting pelted and soaked. And with the built-in visor, it saves me from having to remember to bring, or wish I'd brought, my cap.
#18
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,647
Likes: 6
From: Sudbury, ON, CA
Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike
I have a cap similar to the Marmot PreCip Baseball Cap that is great under a helmet because of the peak and the waterproofing of the cap.
#19
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,647
Likes: 6
From: Sudbury, ON, CA
Bikes: 2012 Kona Sutra, 2002 Look AL 384, 2018 Moose Fat bike
#20
Thread Killer

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 13,140
Likes: 2,162
From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
#22
I tried rain-x on my prescription glasses and it didn't work out at all, so I modified an old baseball cap by cutting the rim off and leaving a bit of the forehead section above the rim which attaches to the velcro on the helmet (rather loosely, but is held in place by my head). This worked great since the ventilation wasn't affected at all, and in heavy rain, I would cover the helmet with my rain-gear hood.
Unfortunately, I lost the rim so I can't show you how it looks/works.
Unfortunately, I lost the rim so I can't show you how it looks/works.
#23
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,896
Likes: 7
From: Raleigh, NC
Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia
This is one of the main reasons why I generally don't ride on rainy days. A lot of times I can avoid the rain by timing, but I won't ride if it's raining enough to make seeing difficult. That can pose a problem with afternoon storms that pop up, and when that happens I usually just to wait out the storm and leave work late. If it's really bad, I'll try to catch a ride home with someone. If the weather is warm and it's not raining too hard, I'll just suck it up and ride without my glasses on. I can see well enough to ride without glasses, altho I like them for protection against bugs, rocks and debris.
#24
Banned
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 43,586
Likes: 1,380
From: NW,Oregon Coast
Bikes: 8
My Grundens Sou-Wester hat does a very effective job of keeping a lot of water out of my face..
Of Note: the fold in the front edge, gutters water to the sides,
rather than drip off the low point, in front, like a flat brim. ala the usual Bike hats..
Of Note: the fold in the front edge, gutters water to the sides,
rather than drip off the low point, in front, like a flat brim. ala the usual Bike hats..
Last edited by fietsbob; 04-18-13 at 02:19 PM.
#25




