Goggles to protect glasses

Goomba Fletch

On my first trip out to Dalby Forest I encountered some problems with my spectacles getting mud-splattered and/or misted up. As I got further round and it got a bit foggier this became a problem, and I'd go so far to say that it damaged my confidence for the last third of the ride (it's hard to cycle with confidence with zero visibility!), and to alleviate this I was considering getting some goggles.
One of my friends suggested sports glasses, but the problem with that is I would need prescription lenses which are expensive, or getting something like a hydrophobic treatment for my regular glasses. What about goggles though? Goggles would fit over my everyday glasses allowing me to retain visibility, and would be easier to wipe clean of mud or whatever.

Are there any other bespectacled MTBers who have had this problem? How have you got around it, and what are your thoughts on wearing goggles on wet/muddy rides?

saltyman

i used to have this problem until i gave in and tried contact lenses.

monthlys were not for me but daily disposables are a godsend.......totally transformed my life.

takes a couple of weeks to get used to them but are well worth it.

Goomba Fletch

I tried contacts when I was younger but the optician politely described by eyes as 'rugby-ball shaped' which seemingly made it more difficult for me to wear them. At the time my only option was the 'hard' lenses which caused me so much pain and discomfort I gave in after a week. I know that the technology has moved along in nearly a decade since then, but I've been apprehensive ever since.

dave_hill

Goomba Fletch wrote:

I tried contacts when I was younger but the optician politely described by eyes as 'rugby-ball shaped' which seemingly made it more difficult for me to wear them.

Which roughly translated means your optician couldn't be bothered. Flexible, gas permeable contact are the way forward. I have a severe astigmatism in my left eye and I've been wearing soft lenses for nealy 15 years now. I have 19/20 vision with them in (which is near perfect). It might be worth looking at again.

If you really can't wear lenses, then prescription lenses in sports frames are the way forward. I know they're expensive but look at it as an investment.

Finally, if you really MUST have goggles (and for XC riding they're a bit overkill and it wont stop your gegs from steaming up) - check out Oakley L Frames (LINK)

As a final tip, to stop your lenses steaming up, polish them with a bit of washing up liquid before you go for a ride (literally one or two drops on a soft cloth and give them a really good buffing).

chubby666

I have the same problem , even worse now the winter is near . a work pal has recommended SafteySpecs.co.uk , they do an online prescription riding glasses at a reasonable price well worth checking out maybe even do a goggle version .

sniper68

Try optilabs.You can get a pair of prescription riding glasses for around £150 There was an offer on when i bought my last pair i only paid £115

clodhoppa74

dave_hill wrote:

If you really can't wear lenses, then prescription lenses in sports frames are the way forward. I know they're expensive but look at it as an investment.

Finally, if you really MUST have goggles (and for XC riding they're a bit overkill and it wont stop your gegs from steaming up) - check out Oakley L Frames (LINK)

As a final tip, to stop your lenses steaming up, polish them with a bit of washing up liquid before you go for a ride (literally one or two drops on a soft cloth and give them a really good buffing).

or vinegar. a spot of vinegar can stop them misting up too.

i ride with glasses, until reading dave's post i was under the impression, as i have bad astigmatism, that i could only use hard lenses, so i might well look into getting contacts. that'll freak folk out, i'vebeen wearing glasses for 28 years!

back on topic - i use an old spare pair of glasses, keep my current ones in the car. i don't find that mud is that much of an issue, if i need to clean some mud off i do it when i stop. i don't wear goggles, because they're overkill on the moors really.

just keep moving and they don't mist up

dave_hill

clodhoppa74 wrote:

i ride with glasses, until reading dave's post i was under the impression, as i have bad astigmatism, that i could only use hard lenses, so i might well look into getting contacts. that'll freak folk out, i'vebeen wearing glasses for 28 years!

Don't get your hopes up too high! There's a lot more to it that just the shape of your eyeballs! There's also the issue of how much tearage you produce and the general state of your own lenses too - as you get older your eyes start to dry out, which is one thing that your optician will check for, alongside any scarring or other tissue damage.

It is immensely liberating though, I wore specs from the age of eight until I was 22 or 23.

clodhoppa74

i never get my hopes too high mate, but if i can wear them now and again, that'd be enough. i could (perhaps) once again go outside in the rain!

Steve_F

Goomba Fletch wrote:

I tried contacts when I was younger but the optician politely described by eyes as 'rugby-ball shaped' which seemingly made it more difficult for me to wear them. At the time my only option was the 'hard' lenses which caused me so much pain and discomfort I gave in after a week. I know that the technology has moved along in nearly a decade since then, but I've been apprehensive ever since.

I was told exactly the same thing around 10 years ago and have dailies now.

I don't wear them enough for them to be a comfortable full-time alternative to glasses but they are always there if I need them for golfing on a wet day, nights out or biking. To be honest though I don't really need them on the bike and only wear old prescription sunnies if it's bright.

Taking your glasss off as soon as you stop and putting them back on when you're about to move should limit the amount of steam build up as well.

afcbian

Think I am going to have to go back to this too.
I wear glasses too and find them a pain when it is either, cold, wet, muddy or all three.
The real pain for me though is the amount of sweat I find running down my face on a ride. I have bought a well ventilated good quality helmet which helps a little but when the internal front pad reaches saturation point the sweat just pours down and drips all over my bins !!
It's not a good combination when you are riding at full tilt across the New Forest at 10pm and you can't see anything...........a true leap of faith if ever there was one.

clodhoppa74

Steve_F wrote:

Taking your glasss off as soon as you stop and putting them back on when you're about to move should limit the amount of steam build up as well.

true, but if i took my glasses off, i don't think i'd find my bike again!

MacAndCheese

I have this problem,tryed and disliked contact lenses, I saved up and was ready to spend a small fortune on the Adidas Evil Eye sunglasses that have an "optical insert" behind the lens. but it turns out I'm too blind (or too long sighted to be exact) they only go up to +4 and I'm +5! so I'm just carrying on with glasses for most rides. If I'm wearing a Full Face I wear my Oakley O-frame googles which can fit over my glasses, but they tend to push my glasses lenses toward my face which is annoying.

sniper68

MacAndCheese wrote:

I have this problem,tryed and disliked contact lenses, I saved up and was ready to spend a small fortune on the Adidas Evil Eye sunglasses that have an "optical insert" behind the lens. but it turns out I'm too blind (or too long sighted to be exact) they only go up to +4 and I'm +5! so I'm just carrying on with glasses for most rides. If I'm wearing a Full Face I wear my Oakley O-frame googles which can fit over my glasses, but they tend to push my glasses lenses toward my face which is annoying.

Try optilabs,im +4.75 and they've done my glasses 8)
http://www.optilabs.com/site/prods.php?pfid=0,8,11,18

MacAndCheese

Cheers, will look into it.

Goomba Fletch

Thanks for the replies everyone, given me plenty of food for thought!

dave_hill, I think I am going to go back to the opticians and give contacts a second go. I'd been thinking about it anyways, but now there's a practical excuse.

If however, there's an issue with me and contacts still, I'm going to go all-in and get some prescription Oakleys. A hell of a lot more expensive, but as you say, they're an investment so I might as well go for it.


Thanks.

sniper68

Goomba Fletch wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone, given me plenty of food for thought!

dave_hill, I think I am going to go back to the opticians and give contacts a second go. I'd been thinking about it anyways, but now there's a practical excuse.

If however, there's an issue with me and contacts still, I'm going to go all-in and get some prescription Oakleys. A hell of a lot more expensive, but as you say, they're an investment so I might as well go for it.


Thanks.

Oakleys only do up to +2.75 for sunglasses,i've just bought some prescition oakley glasses with ultrathin lenses....£440

drabfurs

I have been wearing daily lenses for 8 years now after giving up with hard ones.

Dailly lenses - after a week or so you wont even feel them.

I pay around £20 a month for 30 pairs.....

I still use my glasses evry now and again but lenses are great for any sporting activity.

However on my ride home last night i did lose one due to wind and grit etc....so make sure you carry spares on you like I do.

yoohoo999

i went for my first ever eye test the other day since i noticed that my vision at distance wasn't as great as I thought it should be, but only really noticeable when i was doing sport (MTB, climbing and snowboarding).

Turns out my prescription is -0.75 & - 0.5, which as I was let to believe, is barely worth even spending money on contact/glasses for!

However, I asked for some daily contacts anyway to try for when i'm doing sport (despite my optometrist telling me that I would not notice much of a difference).

It's made an amazing difference! I don't really notice much of a change when i'm just going about my daily business, but when I get on my bike and start charging downhill through a forest.......it's transformed my confidence.

I now notice a huge difference looking at the trail ahead of me, the rocks, roots and differing shades of terrain are all now crystal clear where they were often a bit blurred in the past. I find it much easier to spot undulations etc.

For someone who has never used glasses or contact before, I thought that the contacts would take a bit of getting used to. Yeah, they are a bit fiddly at first and you need to build up to wearing them for long periods, but they are no hassle at all in the grand scheme of things. And once they are in I don't notice they are there after about 20 seconds.

For anyone considering the pros/cons of daily contacts for sport, I can wholeheartely recommend them. If you only use them for sport it also works out very cheap (less than £1 per day you wear them)