Keeping Glasses Clear

meanredspider

Any recommendations for keeping cycling glasses (Oakleys in this case) clear in cold & foggy weather? I've just ordered the Oakley NanoClear which is designed for the specs though the reviews aren't fantastic. I couldn't see anything this morning after about 15 mins into the ride.

I'm going to try the racing visor trick of a very thin film of washing up liquid just to get me home.

Recommendations welcome, please.

W1

Spo[o]ky, I was just about to post the same topic....

Must be that time of year.

bails87

What from? Steam? Or condensation forming on the lenses?

Gussio

double post

bails87

For moisture condensing on the outside of the glasses, try the rain repellant stuff perhaps? I think it's called RainX, for car windscreens. That said, I'm not sure I'd want to put it on expensive Oakley lenses!

Gussio

Somebody will suggest not breathing

It is a problem that I only encounter when stopped. Have a habit of sliding glasses down the bridge of my nose while waiting at lights, then pushing them back up when about to move off.

Crappy mist in West London this morning meant no glasses. Wore a cycle cap instead, which keeps the worst of the breeze / water out of the eyes.

SimonAH

I use some Frank Thomas spray stuff (designed for motorcycle visors). Does an excellent job.

Gallywomack

On a more simple level, what do other speccy four-eyes do about rain? I've always just put up with not being able to see that well and wiping my bins at lights where possible. Is this pretty much standard?

MonkeyMonster

contact lenses.
had to take my clear bolle safety specs off this morning as the fog was causing issues.

veronese68

Rain X is good, we sell it here for just shy of £8 at retail. Drops just bead up and roll off. I could do a bit of discount but that would be more than undone by postage costs. Halfords may well do it. Rain X also do an anti mist thing for the inside, not tried it though. I expect you could use the original stuff inside and out.
Motorbike shops will have stuff to prevent misting of the inside. Bob Heath do a good one as I recall.

bails87

Yep, Halfords sell RainX, our local one does anyway.

veronese68

I find a crash helmet with a peak, or a cap, keeps most of the water off my glasses. They only mist up if I stop. Weather is a lot more temperate down here than the frozen tundra of the north of course.

graham.

A tiny dab of vaseline on each surface and wipe with kitchen roll 'till clear, you could use a bit of shampoo/shower gell. that sort of thing, but vaseline will keep them clear for longer.
Iv'e been an *optical technician for the last 34 years and that's what I always do.
Graham.



* Ok, I work in a glasses factory!

asprilla

I wear a cap it keep a lot of the rain off and then I use RainX on the outside and anti mister on the inside. Does a reasonable job.

Gallywomack

Is there a specific type of RainX for specs? Google seems to suggest it's primarily designed for windscreens, presumably it's OK to use on glasses too?

May try this vaseline trick. On really bad days I resort to taking my glasses off, I'm not that shortsighted and my vision sans glasses is a lot better than with a pair of totally rained-up lenses.

Glad to see nobody suggested the obvious answer, ie take PT instead..!

asprilla

Gallywomack wrote:

Is there a specific type of RainX for specs? Google seems to suggest it's primarily designed for windscreens, presumably it's OK to use on glasses too?

AFAIK its for cars. Works on all glass though. Hasn't harmed my glasses or their transition coating.

W1

Gallywomack wrote:

Is there a specific type of RainX for specs? Google seems to suggest it's primarily designed for windscreens, presumably it's OK to use on glasses too?

May try this vaseline trick. On really bad days I resort to taking my glasses off, I'm not that shortsighted and my vision sans glasses is a lot better than with a pair of totally rained-up lenses.

Glad to see nobody suggested the obvious answer, ie take PT instead..!

Use RainX very sparingly indeed - otherwise it creates a terrible smear.

A small drop on a piece of cloth should be sufficient.

I'm not aware of different types.

Clever Pun

Gallywomack wrote:

Is there a specific type of RainX for specs? Google seems to suggest it's primarily designed for windscreens, presumably it's OK to use on glasses too?

May try this vaseline trick. On really bad days I resort to taking my glasses off, I'm not that shortsighted and my vision sans glasses is a lot better than with a pair of totally rained-up lenses.

Glad to see nobody suggested the obvious answer, ie take PT instead..!

what??? only a quitter and someone lacking in moral fibre would suggest that on a cycling forum.

like ddd for example... he barely cycles anymore/ever

veronese68

Asprilla wrote:

Gallywomack wrote:

Is there a specific type of RainX for specs? Google seems to suggest it's primarily designed for windscreens, presumably it's OK to use on glasses too?

AFAIK its for cars. Works on all glass though. Hasn't harmed my glasses or their transition coating.

Yes, sold for cars. That's what we do here. I don't think it'll harm most lens materials. It's basically a polish, smooths over most of the microscopic lumps and bumps so the water rolls off more easily. I should think Vaseline does pretty much the same thing.

meanredspider

Hmm - I have loads of Rain-X and Rain-X antifog at home but it specifically excludes use on plastics! Not sure I fancy experimenting on my M-Frames. Washing up liquid worked pretty well - kept the insides clear but was somewhat overwhelmed by the fog itself towards the end of my ride home.

Bizarre weather. On top of the hill at Mt Eagle it was lovely and warm and clear. Drop down 200ft - horrible cold pea soup fog - big wet droplets of water. My lid light was actually a hinderance - reflecting off the fog a few feet in front of my nose.

meanredspider

Gallywomack wrote:

Glad to see nobody suggested the obvious answer, ie take PT instead..!

ROFL - what PT is that?

rideslikeagirl

I was wondering about similar actually - was looking in general for clear/yellow safety/shooty type glasses and came across mesh goggles..! Really? Well they wouldn't steam up and you'd look like a nutter (good for not getting squashed) but can you see out at all?!

mtb-idle

Gallywomack wrote:

On a more simple level, what do other speccy four-eyes do about rain? I've always just put up with not being able to see that well and wiping my bins at lights where possible. Is this pretty much standard?

yup that's been me too for most of my commutes over the last two weeks

KonaMike

Im sure I read somewhere that smearing Washing up liqiud on a lense and then wiping it away does the trick !

Gussio

KonaMike wrote:

Im sure I read somewhere that smearing Washing up liqiud on a lense and then wiping it away does the trick !

You might have read it earlier in the thread

MonkeyMonster

I'm getting some of these later as I have some blue tint ones but want clear too.
http://www.safetydirect.co.uk/product_silium.htm

KonaMike

Gussio wrote:

KonaMike wrote:

Im sure I read somewhere that smearing Washing up liqiud on a lense and then wiping it away does the trick !

You might have read it earlier in the thread

:oops: :oops: :oops: Must learn to read the WHOLE thread before posting :roll:

fenboy369

MonkeyMonster wrote:

I'm getting some of these later as I have some blue tint ones but want clear too.
http://www.safetydirect.co.uk/product_silium.htm

Stores at work do these now. Lovely for summer night rides, but they do fog up in the winter. I'm using my Choakley Jawbones with yellow lenses and find the cooling/vent holes to work very well. They do fog up at the lights but 10 yards down the road, with some airflow they clear up well.

meanredspider

I'm hoping to get home to find the Oakley Nano-stuff has arrived then I can try that tomorrow morning in the freezing fog... I've also ordered a specific anti-fog solution from a company that specialises in these treatments. So, in another MRS back-to-back product test I'll be able to compare

1. Fairy Liquid vs
2. Uber-expensive Oakley treatment vs
3. Specialist stuff at 1/4 price of Oakley

...all part of the service

meanredspider

Well I did the initial test on the Oakley product.....

....hmmmmm. It's too early to say that it's complete rubbish but I'd say Fairy Liquid is giving it a good run for its money right now.

trooperk

[/quote]

Use RainX very sparingly indeed - otherwise it creates a terrible smear.

[/quote]
You suppose to cover the whole area with it and then polish it off, that’s why I don’t use it on my Oakley’s in fear of scratching the soft plastic lenses and only use on my car windows, a little known fact that Rain-x was first developed to treat sky scraper windows so to keep it clear and clean longer between washes.
I find that wearing a baseball cap under the helmet when raining keeps the top half of the glasses clear.