Rain and Spectacles...

[DCBassman]

Another basic question...

As a specs wearer, I try never to ride in the rain. I don't particularly like riding in the rain anyway.
But it must be asked: there must be plenty of you who go out in all weathers who wear specs, so how do maintain visibility?

And no, contact lenses are not an option for me...

 

[Dave Davenport]

A cap helps a lot.

 

[NorthernDave]

Go faster.
If you go fast enough the aerodynamic effect stops most of the rain hitting the lenses and pushes whatever does land off.

Seiously though, I had my specs permanently treated to disperse water when they were made, or you can get water dispersers to coat the lenses with - like Rain-X for car windscreens. I think Muc-off do one.

 

[DCBassman]

Ah, OK, heard of Rain-X, will check that out...

 

[DCBassman]

...And I should have used Search first!

 

[ianrauk]

Cycling cap or baseball cap helps

 

[buzzy-beans]

I don't know if anyone ever continued with the research into these, but I can well recall watching the late great Graham Hill competing at Brands Hatch in the early 60's.

The track was awash and for anyone wearing normal goggles it was impossible to see where you were going, but the always adventurous Graham Hill was wearing a 'turbo visor' as photographed here https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=g...i=3yCsWa6YG-aYgAbU67TgAw#imgrc=oxDslRj19LeixM:

I wonder if anyone make such a device these days?

BB

 

[RoubaixCube]

I used to wear specs (im short sighted, though not by a huge margin) for most rides unless it was ridiculously sunny then i would don a pair of sunglasses... That all came to an end when i faceplanted on the tarmac one day after loosing my balance when my chain broke in the middle of pulling away at a set of lights.

Since my glasses frame was a designer frame. I was chunked to the tune of almost £200 for a replacement. Now i wear Tifosi Tyrant glasses which have a photochromic lenses for most of my rides unless its really sunny then i do have a pair of dedicated sunglasses.

Probably not the answer you were looking for but its something to take into consideration if you pay a lot for your specs

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I wear a running cap with a longer peak. That keeps most of it off. The mention of rain X has reminded me i meant to get some of that as well else anti misting stuff for ski goggles works well.

 

[johnnyb47]

I wear a running cap with a longer peak. That keeps most of it off. The mention of rain X has reminded me i meant to get some of that as well else anti misting stuff for ski goggles works well.

I bought a nice running cap with an extra long peak (Karrimor)from Sports Direct just the other week. It's realty quite effective whilst on the bike in the rain

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Ah, OK, heard of Rain-X, will check that out...

It doesn't work. Rain-X does work on car windscreens but it doesn't translate to working on specs. Reason being is that the windscreen collects much more water due to its larger surface area and the drops which then combine are bigger and overcome gravity and the small attractive Van der Waals force that acts between glass and water, to then roll the drop off. On specs the drops remain small. Yes, smearing is slightly (only slightly) improved but not worth the effort.

 

[vickster]

I used to wear specs (im short sighted, though not by a huge margin) for most rides unless it was ridiculously sunny then i would don a pair of sunglasses... That all came to an end when i faceplanted on the tarmac one day after loosing my balance when my chain broke in the middle of pulling away at a set of lights.

Since my glasses frame was a designer frame. I was chunked to the tune of almost £200 for a replacement. Now i wear Tifosi Tyrant glasses which have a photochromic lenses for most of my rides unless its really sunny then i do have a pair of dedicated sunglasses.

Probably not the answer you were looking for but its something to take into consideration if you pay a lot for your specs

Do those new glasses not get wet then? I'm struggling to understand the benefit of wearing expensive glasses in the rain? My Oakleys still get wet and they were £300

 

[the snail]

Do those new glasses not get wet then? I'm struggling to understand the benefit of wearing expensive glasses in the rain? My Oakleys still get wet and they were £300

They don't cost £200 to replace if you do a faceplant?

 

[Flying Dodo]

I always remember an episode from How?, the informative children's TV program about 40 years ago, when Fred Dinage demonstrated a pair of glasses with built-in wipers.

Still a market for them!

 

[freiston]

I think the benefit is financial in (the risk of) smashing up relatively cheap specs instead of expensive ones - the Tifosi are about £50.

Personally, having one eye short-sighted and one eye long-sighted (due to cataract operation), I can sometimes get away without corrective lenses and if I'm not wearing corrective lenses, I wear safety specs from Amazon or Ebay (like Bolle or that ilk) - even cheaper (about a tenner or less), they come with clear or tinted lenses (including v. dark sunglass) and are made to protect. I have used the special coating on lenses for rain in the past and it was very good, but now if the rain gets too much, I take the specs off.