rachel120

As the title says. To make it even worse, there was a cop nearby.

I'm cycling into work today. Good day today, yesterday I had upped the speed by a notch and today I had GPS going and found my 12-14 average turned into 14-17 just from that little increase.

The light before work, I glanced in my mirror. Heavy traffic, ugh. That's going to make getting into the left turn lane difficult. And does the car behind me have a light bar on top? Um, sure enough does, that's a cop behind me.

So I'm getting closer and closer to work and the traffic to my left is just not letting up. I was literally within a second or two of signaling a right turn (since going right and turning around to go straight through the intersection would be my only other option) when a car behind the police officer that had changed lanes from behind us into the left lane continued going my speed two car lengths back. My only guess is I'm so familiar of a figure now he knew I wanted to turn left.

So a very quick signal and a quick veer across the left straight lane into the left turn lane. And something went wrong in my veer while I was in the left straight lane, I over-compensated, and for a moment there I was sure I was about to fall on my right side. The day was a little cool so nearly all of my skin was covered. The vehicle in the left was still far back, so no concerns about getting run over. It just would have been massively embarrassing.

I guess my balance is better than I thought though, I don't think I even showed I had a few seconds of difficulty, only my own sense of "gravity just isn't feeling right". I recovered from my over-compensation immediately and continued my path to the left turn lane.

Maybe it's time to try balancing while standing on the pedals. I've had 4 months of practicing my balance.

On a completely unrelated note, does anyone have advice for rain and eyeglasses? During the day it's not so bad, but tonight was the first time it was raining hard well after dark and I had a hard time seeing, between the raindrops on the glasses and the fogging effect. Polycarbonate lenses. And I can't take my glasses off to clean them without taking my helmet off first.

Nermal

Maybe a cycling cap with the bill pulled low would help a little. Those I've used do fit under a helmet. Not a cure, but a possible aid.

Troul 

Did you fall? Not reading clearly what was the potential as to what might have been the end result.

alias5000

Take your glasses off. If you have a helmet visor, keep your head a bit down and the visor will take most rain.

rachel120

No, I didn't fall, I managed to recover quickly, but there were a couple of seconds there I honestly thought I was going to fall. And that would have been highly embarrassing.

Problem is that I'm nearsighted. At night I would easily miss someone or something that is not lit up because it would be just a blur mixed in with other blurs. Heck, I'm not so sure about seeing something during the day in rain if the color is gray. And I cannot see the painted lines that separate the lanes at night in the rain without my glasses.

Plus I have a driving restriction. I am unsure as to the legality of cycling without my glasses. If the restriction is for operating motor vehicles, then skipping the glasses would be legal. If the restriction is for operating vehicles, then I'm in trouble. And even if it's legal, I really don't want to have to explain to the cop why I'm not wearing my glasses if I'm in an accident.

BobbyG

Been wearing glasses since age 4...I'm now 55. I used to be able to see well enough without them, but not for many years...especially at night.

I will share a tip I learned here on bikeforums (i think). For the last few years I have been cleaning my glasses with warm water and soap. Hand soap, hard or soft. Then I blow dry my glasses. At first I used an empty pen tube, or a drinking straw with the end slightly pinched, but now I just purse my lips. What this does is leave a thin, unnoticable layer of soap film that acts as a surfactant, a layer that repells water and causes it to bead and run off. This is the basis for rain-X and similar windshield products.

On a bike I don't usually go fast enough for the water to be blown off, but it does run-off, and it does seem to bead, which gives me enough clear areas to see.

I can't remember the last time I rode in the rain in the dark, but I have ridden in the rain during the day and heavy snow in the dark and it does seem to help.

When I compare my helmet cam to what I saw through my glasses, the "untreated" helmet cam always looks much worse.

alias5000

Rachel120: You are correct. I'm sorry, I totally forgot to think of the obvious reason for wearing glasses (I'm lucky enough not having to and did not think of others).

berner

When you get older and after cataract surgery, you won't need glasses.

rachel120

I'm jealous. I hate glasses.

Ugh. No thanks. My father in law paid extra for special lenses when he needed cataract surgery. He still needed glasses afterwards because one was put in slightly crooked, making him see double of everything, up and down not left and right.

Troul 

Thanks for the clarity!



I've never found a motorized vehicle law that requires those with such restrictions with Rx eyeglasses to be applicable for a cyclist.

kevindsingleton 

+1

This will probably work, until the water washes the soap off. You might try using actual Rain-X, or the stuff we use for scuba masks, which might be a little more water-resistant. If you apply the soap, regularly, though, it will do the trick. The vibrations of riding on the road will cause the water beads to move down your glasses, making it easier to see.


Vision is one of those things that "science" should be able to fix, once and for all. Forget flying cars, I want to see like I did at 21, again!

BobbyG

My concern would be that Rain-X or something similar might harm any coatings on glasses, but I have no experience with those products. Also, soap is available in almost any bathroom.

...Here is the first "Rain-X on Glasses" discussion I googled...
Rain-X on glasses?

DrIsotope

Don't use Rain-X on polycarbonate-- it can ruin them. For polycarbonate lenses, I recommend a plastic-specific product like Novus. If your glasses are older and not as pristine as they once were, you can do #2 followed by #1. If they're in better shape than my glasses, then just the #1 will do.

Another option is to do what I did-- go to an online vendor and buy a pair of prescription safety glasses. I got a pair of indestructible frames and high-index lenses with anti-fog, anti-glare, and hydrophobic coatings for less than 80 bucks. They're not the sexiest pair of glasses out there, but they don't give a crap about the weather.

rumrunn6

glad you got lucky & you can thank your catlike reflexes

luck = when preparation meets opportunity

Maelochs

One thing this proves is that you are a better rider than you thought.