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Stopping my glasses steaming up

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34K views 40 replies 20 participants last post by  Bolty 
#1 ·
Has anyone any suggestions on how to stop my specs steaming up when riding off road? I used to wear contacts but due to the eyes getting worse they aren't so good these days. On the road its not so much of a problem as I can look over the top of my specs till I've been moving for a couple of yards and then they clear but when I'm off road I can't afford these 2 or 3 yards of poor sight as I need to see where the front wheel is going.

So what do other spectacle wearers do when clear vision is required even when stationary?
 
#4 ·
Polycarbonate lenses,

They do fog up a bit but clear really quickly
I may already have these as mine clear really quickly 5-10 mph at most. It's just off road these early seconds are vital to see where I'm going. :)

visor up and if its very cold breathe very slowly. The other way is keep the specs warm so breath won't steam them up. You will need a chin curtain to seal the chin bar and dont open the visor at all but you need a pinlock and it doesnt always work.
I've tried all those things and they just don't work for me. Anyone tried goggles over glasses. Do they work?
 
#3 ·
visor up and if its very cold breathe very slowly. The other way is keep the specs warm so breath won't steam them up. You will need a chin curtain to seal the chin bar and dont open the visor at all but you need a pinlock and it doesnt always work.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I am with Austin on this one plus
Are you wearing a 'road' helmet? They are much more enclosed make you hotter and sweat more. The offroad open fronted ones where you wear goggles help as they stop the build up warm wet air which condenses on your lenses.
If you go down the over goggle route make sure the lens is a double skin type (bit like a pin lock) there are ones which are designed for spex wearers, they are deeper and have more vents.

It's true that polycarbonate doesn't steam up as much as standard plastic lenses. This is due, in part , to it always having a hard coating on the surface (think like Teflon)
I assume you are not wanting to purchase new spex so an alternative is to add q coating to your existing spex- everyone seems to have their own favourite. The Muc off antifog is a damn good one. Need fairy liquid concentrate is also effective (very small amount on your lens surface and then with a cloth 'polish' and work in the liquid until you have removed the smearing.
The key to any of these 'magic' solutions is constant use - you need to build up the coating over a few applications for it to work

When you do go to get some new spex then ask them to put one of the newer anti reflective coatings, they have a hydrophobic coating which resists steaming up and make any water on the lens form large droplets and not the fine ones which are responsible for the steaming up effect.

Frame selection is also important. A plastic type frame has no toggle pads on the bridge and instead sits flush on the nose this reduces the air flow and leads to condensation. A metal frame with pads is best but ensure that the pads are adjusted far enough to stop it from touching you eyebrows.
 
#5 ·
Probably not the response you were looking for but, Lazer eye surgery. I had it over two years ago and its threads like this that remind me how much hastle glasses are.A major driver for having it done was riding the bike.
 
#7 ·
I would if I could but I need varifocals as both my near and distance sight is going hence why contacts aren't really the best option any more.. I can use them for distance but I then have to wear glasses on top of them when I stop to read maps etc. I've tried these multifocal contacts and the just didn't work for me. Everything was out of focus it was worse then when I don't wear my glasses in the first place.
 
#9 ·
drop your screen a bit, more air flow to your helmets venting system will help clear both glasses and visor , when i used to run naked bikes i never had to much of an issue , but in the quest for wind protection my glasses have always been a feckin pain:thumbup:
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the replies.

As I say when moving over a couple of mph its not a problem. The problem occurs when I have to stop to look at a section everything just steams up. I usually end up taking the glasses off and waving them around and then when I'm ready to go put them back on and quickly move off before they steam up again. Of course if it's raining they get wet when I'm waving them around so that doesn't help.

As for another helmet. That's a possibility but I really like my road helmet as its comfy and very quiet and while another helmet would be ok when close to home I don't have the space to take two helmets away with me.
 
#13 ·
It's very annoying, but 30 years ago, walking through A&N, there was a lady demonstrating a tube of liquid that stopped your glasses steaming up. At a £1 I thought I'd try it on my visor; ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Now the bad news, I haven't the foggiest, pardon the pun, idea what it was called.
I've asked about it, but no one knows. It's probably carceogenic:rolleyes:, that's probably why it has dissapeared.
It was clearish blue and I applied it about weekly.
I'd love to find it again.
 
#14 ·
Boris, Don't I know the problem too.
Try making up a 50:50 mix of Washing-up liquid and Meths, wipe on to specs and visor but leave damp. Are you using an open-face helmet, I do because of wearing specs (bifocal), mostly I also use a Bob Heath Flip Visor (fits on the press-studs) unless doing very heroic off-road-----------it is nice to be able to see. Mind you I've a damm cataract in one eye at present, cocks up distance judgement a bit!
Good luck with the quest.
 
#15 ·
I've forgotten about this. Well I used up my last 2 pairs of contacts at the weekend so Monday and Tuesday have resorted to a trick I heard off a while back.

Take some washing up liquid and put it in a lid or other small container. Allow to evaporate till you are left with almost a waxy lump. Rub this gently onto the lenses and buff off using a soft cloth or tissue.

It seemed to have worked well and today I was puffing a bit trying to turn the bike round on a rutted slope and so far the glasses remained clear. I'm sure they will steam up eventually but today was definitely the best results so far.
 
#18 ·
Right this is really annoying me now.

With the cold damp weather and the fact that I'm getting braver on the XR than I ever was on the GS I'm working harder and getting more puffed out is just makes things worse.

So I'm now thinking about buying a pair of specs just for offroad bike use and I've seen these wrap around things that extreme sports folk wear. They almost look like swimming goggles or bugs eyes. I know they look crap but are they any good at resisting steaming up and can anyone recommend a particular brand? I would need prescription lenses fitted so that needs to be a consideration but the main requirement is they resist steaming up.
 
#19 ·
you need to talk to Gary Ackackflack.

I solved the problem by getting some daily wear contact lenses. Put 'em in, wear them, chuck 'em out when done. Just wear them when you need to. About £1 per pair but you will probably have to buy 30 at a time plus a consultation.
 
#20 ·
That's how I used to do it but my sight has got so bad I can't read a map without putting reading glasses over the top of my lenses. I've also tried these multifocal contacts but I can't get on with them. Everything is out of focus with them.

On reflection daily contacts and a cheap pair of readers may be the best bet but I really think (and hope) there are some spectacles out there that can fix my close and distance sight and not steam up when I start puffing and panting.
 
#26 ·
Tried all these and some snake oil. They work well for a while but inevitibly at some point my specs get water on them and I have to dry them and from that point on they steam up like mad.

Hi Boris, What type of Helmet/Visor setup are you using?
Standard road helmet. I could get an offroad helmet for the closer to home stuff but I hate them at speed and I don't have the space to bring 2 lids with me. Open face is a non starter as I face planted last week and going by the state of the visor and chin bar had I had an open face on I would be wearing my nose all over my face.
 
#27 ·
Eagle 6. What type of spud you using?
 
#29 ·
Reflecting on your recent "Face Plant" I guess this won't be much use, but after many years commuting and having to wear bi-focals the only way for me was (is) an open face helmet with a Bob Heath Flip Visor, still needs spud or wash-up liquid when it's really very cold.--Roll On Summer!!
Does anyone know if Laser Surgery can "cure" the need for both reading and distance correction.
Perhaps I should have asked that sort of question before I had Cataract Surgery last Nov.--which was a really brilliant!! experience.
 
#32 ·
I had lazer about a fortnight before the longest day five capitols ride. I am absolutly delighted with the results.
There are various options including forming one eye for driving and one for reading. Apparantly your brain works out how to deal with the difference.
I needed bi focal glasses and opted for driving / distance correction and just using cheap readers as needed. Works fine for me.

No more faffing with glasses taking your helmet on and off.
 
#30 ·
Gary Ackackflack is our optician in residence. But I think he is on holiday or something. I would have thought for something as serious as laser surgery you really do need to speak one of the clinics and be seen. The hyperbole would have it that they can fix anything.


Sent from my iPhone with a smile :)
 
#34 ·
I've tried a Respro foggy mask but found that it made no difference at all, I'm going to try it again but this time I'm going to remove the chin curtain from the helmet in the hope that the warm air from my face holes has an easier path out from the inside of the helmet. (Helmet is a Shoei Hornet BTW)
 
#37 ·
#40 ·
I used to race speedway years ago and there was a product then called Bob Moore which was fantastic. I haven't seen it for a long time but I saw this the other day, but I haven't tried it:

Shift It Anti Fog Visor Spray - Biker Stocking Fillers - Ghostbikes.com

I think muc-off do one as well
I have a bottle of this Shift it stuff that came as a freebie with my helmet and it doesn't work for me (nothing does for me, maybe I've got very humid breath!)

Just a thought but would smart phone screen protector film work, as it's a plastic it might just work as a thermal barrier and reduce misting .
Oh and there is anti mist/fog stuff for diving masks on fleabay as well to try.
I think that you might have trouble applying this to the lens if it weren't completely flat and if you did manage it there would be some pretty bad distortion (I've used them on my phone screens for years and they are great but when I used something which was like a screen protector that covered the whole of the iPhone 3gs body it was a right sod to get it to fit without bubbles)

But give it a try and report back because I'd love to hear of something that actually works!
 
#41 ·
Re my comments above about the Respro foggy mask above, the one that I had and subsequently gave away did not work for me at all, however when I was in the Preston HG store when they were in receivership I saw another Respro Foggy which was different to the one I gave away, this one has a plastic bit which goes over the bridge of the nose so seeing as it was 50% off I'd take another punt on one and see if this was any different. My experience with this for the past 6 weeks or so hasn't been good but today I spent some time adjusting the mask and, And, HUZZAH! it worked, 30 odd miles in torrential rain with my visor down and absolutely minimal steaming up of the specs.
I just have to be careful now to not lose that sweet spot!
 
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