It seems to me that an anal individual would get pinkeye with contact use.

Fwiw, upthread I mentioned going blind on a high glacier in Peru once. This was at night and in a windstorm and our glacier glasses were too dark to wear. My eyes got beat by millions of ice crystals and hit by wind. My friend who got me down, had no such problem. He was wearing contacts. They may be helpful.

Have you tried Rain-X Anti-fog on your goggles (inside and out)?

Have you looked at Nordic skiing shields or eyewear? Shields provide the coverage and protection of goggles but don't seal against the face so they don't fog, and several can be flipped up to a visor position when you don't want them, like when climbing. Nordic specific eyewear tends to be oversized to protect the face and the eyes from snow. Casco is the most popular shield style around here, but I actually like the Bliz Max a little better. Bliz also makes many glasses style ski glasses that provide more coverage.

Personally I don't need anything extreme to protect my eyes when I ski or fat bike in the cold. I'm usually good with standard cycling glasses down to about -5F. Below that I'll probably use goggles for skin protection rather than eye protection. If you do go with goggles either find styles that have replaceable foam or plan on tossing them after a few months, particularly if you use them in slightly cool conditions like 45F. Your sweat pulls in oils from your face and saturate the foam. It quickly becomes a stinky mess. If fogging is an issue get double pane lenses and use a good anti-fog compound like Cat Crap.

Thanks to all of you out there and the awesome suggestions.. Overall, it sounds like "ski goggles" or something similar is the ticket.. The helmets with visors would not work I'm certain since my eyes apparently need to be sealed from any cold air flying past.. I will proceed from here with your suggestions in mind! Thanks again....

Definitely take your helmet with you when you go to try on ski goggles-- some of them are fairly large, and most bike helmets sit a bit lower than snow helmets-- heck, some ski goggles aren't designed with a helmet in mind at all.

there are other brands but those all have only dark visors. just ordered this brand's clear visor to see if I can adapt it to one of my existing helmets (for future blizzard rides). any pics of you wearing yours?

You are most likely experiencing some mild dry eye symptoms. They maybe worse in cold temperatures with lower humidity. The excessive tearing is reflex tearing. Your eyes may not be producing enough of the oil component of our tear layer exposing the surface to the wind combined with the coldness. You may want to try using some oil based artificial tears like Refresh Mega 3, Retaine MGD, or Systane Complete prior to going out. Wrap style glasses are also an excellent solution. We usually recommend Wylie X to most of our motorcyclist patient who complain of this issue. We do not see it as much in bicyclist. A lot of times the selection of the glasses is trial and error until you find what works best. The other solution is to have your eye doctor evaluate your tear function for dryness or allergy(which can also produce this type of complaint)

I will say that I'm glad you asked this, it's something I deal with all the time in the winter and I haven't found a satisfying solution yet, though admittedly I haven't been trying too hard.

It seems like any cold air causes my eyes to tear up when I'm riding. It's not usually so bad as to interfere with my vision while riding, but any time I come to a stop I'm wiping the tears away and having to wipe down the inside of my riding glasses. I may experiment with some ski googles or wraparound glasses and see if that improves things.

I tried Oakleys EVO Strides and EVO Paths. On windy cool days, my eyes still tear up. Only thing I like about these sunglasses is that they are frameless.

+1 for ski goggles.

Look out for one's with anti-mist. no need to spend a fortune on them either - check ebay (or the US equivalent).

I suffer from the same problems and found some smallish paint-ball goggles at Academy Sports. They fit okay with my helmet and head cover and with a little anti-fog spray that my wife uses on her swim goggles, not too much fogging up in winter. Of course, that is a Georgia winter

Try dry eye drops. Your eye lids get dry so tear ducts kick in. If it persists, see your MD for a better formula.

I have dry eyes too, my Optometrist recommended I use over the counter eye drops like dry eyes. I haven't started using the eye drops yet but I will now, this thread is very informative, I have the "teary eyes" too when riding in cold weather. Didn't realize that it might be worse because of my dry eyes.

just got this. couldn't stop laughing but add a balaclava & helmet cover, I'm psyched for the next blizzard. got a clear lens too

this thread was helpful to me. My eyes don't tear up but come very irritated due to cold(below 50F) and wind, as I have pinguecula. I tried a pair of safety goggles similar to these:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Clear-Chemical-Splash-and-Impact-Resistant-Safety-Goggles-91252-8002S/203030336
they worked great, and fit over my glasses fine, but I'm going to try out some sleeker and more comfortable options like you shared above.
this was for temps of 32F this morning.

I tend to use ski goggles at temperatures less than about 50F (10C) if I expect to ride fast.
Ski goggles don't fog up because they use a double-pane lens and have dry nitrogen inside them. Just like frost-free windows for homes work.
The catch is that if you bend them enough to crack them, then they are ruined. They might work enough for the rest of the day, but after atmospheric humidity gets inside the crack (and it will) they will fog up internally and be useless in the cold.

The good news is that you can find cheaper ski goggles for only like $20 US. And you can get them dark (for normal daytime use in snowy conditions), yellow (for night / lighted use) or clear (for daytime use when there is no snow).

Ski goggles are made of fairly soft plastic, to avoid cracking when bending a little. So they scuff up REALLY easily if you don't store them in the little cloth bag that they come with. You have to clean them carefully to avoid scuffing them from dirt on the lens.
And do not buy any ski goggles that don't come with a cloth storage bag--return them and get some other brand. That is totally unacceptable for ski goggles. The bag is a storage requirement.

Be that as it may, even the most anal individual has issues with contacts from time to time. To suggest otherwise is being disingenuous. Anybody that's ever worn contacts knows that.[/QUOTE]

Not meaning to start a war.
i have been wearing contacts daily since 1980, starting with hard lenses, then gas permeable, and soft since 1989. I have never had a problem, and have not gone a day without wearing them since I first got them.

Also, I bike and ski with regular sunglasses. My eyes don't bother me, but my nose does run in cold weather.

I think you should consult a doctor in order to cure this ailment as soon as possible.

I wear eye protection pretty much all the time - the only exception is short transpo rides when it's warm and dark.

I've had good luck with my Tifosi Rumor cycling glasses down to the low/mid 20s F. They're designed to look like big goofy women's sunglasses, which I like. Clear lenses for the dark, of course.

Otherwise, ski goggles in cold weather. I've been using ski goggles for winter cycling (and extreme cold weather walks) for about a decade, and it's made a huge difference.

You might try something like these for cooler temps; K180+ Mirror Swim Goggles | MP Michael Phelps - MP Michael Phelps - US
And, when it gets cold, go to ski goggles; https://www.rei.com/product/890809/s...mmc=PLA_Google 404_29176 8908090005 none 2ae6f9e9-2ab6-419b-b3f2-603476a4a1d4 pla-277247923403&lsft=cm_mmcLA_Google_LIA 404_29176 8908090005 none 2ae6f9e9-2ab6-419b-b3f2-603476a4a1d4&kclid=2ae6f9e9-2ab6-419b-b3f2-603476a4a1d4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3P6ZhLzN3gIVBKtpCh3DzAnZEAQYASABEgIKcvD_BwE

I have cold/wind eye sensitivity also. For me, wrap around glasses work for me in the cold until I switch to my ski helmet and goggles.

I usually don't need to go full goggle when I'm on the (velo) bike, unless it's near-freezing. I always wear eyewear of one stripe or another though; I prefer 'sport' style safety glasses, since they have good, close coverage, and I can get the same frame style in multiple shades / tints without spending a whole lot of money. I usually have multiple pairs with me on the commute since I come home after dark.
You can also find smaller (than ski goggle) goggles with the safety glasses at larger DIY stores and online safety vendors.
There are also 'motorcycle' sunglasses, that have foam gaskets along the brow and cheek, so not quite as fully sealed as goggles, but does a good job of blocking gusts.

I'm a contact lens wearer, so I usually will refresh with my saline drops right before I head out; It's lessens the 'shock' on cool / windy days.

I havent read all responses but Id like to entertain a motorcycle 3/4 helmet or full helmet. Some 1/2 helmets have bubble visors. Check online before or after visiting a store then, write down the ones you like, size the brands in store and buy online. Most helmets have a venting system for head and breath vapors. The high end full helmets are a little heavier due to sound insulation. Buy only new for safety and cooties. There are anti fog sprays.

1) motorcycle helmets are a LOT heavier than bike helmets
2) motorcycle helmets that are full face will fog up in a heartbeat with the breathing and sweating you'll do cycling
3) motorcycle helmets with vent systems work when you are moving at 50MPH, not 5MPH
4) motorcycle helmets aren't really designed to deal with cold weather anyhow, you'd want a snowmobile helmet (likely with all the same issues as above still)
5) it is bad juju to use a local shop as your showroom for Amazon purchases.


Problem with tight fitting sport glasses in the winter is they don't allow a lot of airflow and fog easily. I actually use pretty open, wire frame type sunglasses that allow a lot of airflow. Keeps the cold air from hitting my eyes directly, but allows enough airflow that they don't fog unless I am sitting still. Even still, dealing with a bit of teary eye in the cold is something that one has to do.

+1. The tell-tale symptom of dry eye syndrome if the overproduction of tears, especially in cold weather.

In other news, chronic constipation is the tell-tale sign of chronic diarrhea.