MTB Eyewear / Less Fogging

[SchralphMacchio]

If you want to test how a pair of glasses handles fog, wear them while climbing trails in redwood forests at night. Humid! I am currently using 3M clear cheapo glasses with "anti fog caotings," and guess what ... they fog! I've found Uvex Genesis series to vent a little better.

But really, you don't want a pair of glasses that vents *too well* because that also means dust in your eyes from the dude in front of you.

For daytime riding I've been loving these guys:
http://www.fullsource.com/uvex-ignite-safety-glasses/

Lightweight, cheap, adjustable temples, spring loaded hinges. Indoor/Outdoor mirror lenses still let you see decently in broken shadows in the woods/trees but are dark enough for exposed areas. I use the Silver mirror for brighter light conditions. They don't fog during the day but I drip sweat all over them and wipe with my jersey before every downhill. Never tried clear lenses at night.

[nickwm21]

+3 for safety glasses. I run Uvex Astrospec's. Under $9. They don't fog any worse than your $200 glasses and are ANSI Z87 certified for protecting your eyes....

Get them with the red white and blue Patriot frame and the indoor/outdoor mid gray lens.

[muted]

A few of these cheap glasses recommended by you guys have no UVB protection. Some have UVA protection, but you need UVB according to this: http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/sunglasses.htm

-UVA has longer wavelengths and passes through glass easily; experts disagree about whether or not UVA damages the eyes.
-UVB rays are the most dangerous, making sunglasses and sunscreen a must; they don't go through glass.

[TahoeJ]

Safety glasses are awesome when it's overcast, though. Or for night riding with friends.

[mcski]

A few of these cheap glasses recommended by you guys have no UVB protection. Some have UVA protection, but you need UVB according to this: http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/sunglasses.htm

-UVA has longer wavelengths and passes through glass easily; experts disagree about whether or not UVA damages the eyes.
-UVB rays are the most dangerous, making sunglasses and sunscreen a must; they don't go through glass.

People didn't even wear sunglasses until
last century. As opposed to skin, which people have always protected one way or another. I'm more concerned w shadows and missing a turn than uv anything

[jamal]

A few of these cheap glasses recommended by you guys have no UVB protection..

Which ones?

Also contacts block uv.

[strawjack]

These Edge ones protect UVB, A, and C. They come in clear, yellow, smoke, blue. 99% of my riding is in thick woods, so I've always used a yellow, but I'm liking the clear lately. It gets pretty dark with that canopy of leaves.

[muted]

People didn't even wear sunglasses until
last century. As opposed to skin, which people have always protected one way or another. I'm more concerned w shadows and missing a turn than uv anything

Interesting logic, but hey it's your choice. And people didn't have sunscreen with UVB until 1980 btw.

[muted]

Which ones?

Also contacts block uv.

I think everyone mentioned, including mine.

Do most or just some contacts block UV? I don't think they all do.

[Dantheman]

A few of these cheap glasses recommended by you guys have no UVB protection. Some have UVA protection, but you need UVB according to this: http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/sunglasses.htm

-UVA has longer wavelengths and passes through glass easily; experts disagree about whether or not UVA damages the eyes.
-UVB rays are the most dangerous, making sunglasses and sunscreen a must; they don't go through glass.

It would seem that most people using them otherwise have to ditch their sunglasses completely on climbs. Lack of UV protection doesn't matter much in that context. Personally, I sweat like crazy and if it's over ~65* my shades come off on the up.

+3 for safety glasses. I run Uvex Astrospec's. Under $9. They don't fog any worse than your $200 glasses and are ANSI Z87 certified for protecting your eyes....

Get them with the red white and blue Patriot frame and the indoor/outdoor mid gray lens.

Those are KIR as fuck. I should buy a pair for a buddy who normally rides in jorts and thrift store rayon shirts that he cuts the sleeves off of.

[muted]

It would seem that most people using them otherwise have to ditch their sunglasses completely on climbs. Lack of UV protection doesn't matter much in that context. Personally, I sweat like crazy and if it's over ~65* my shades come off on the up.

I'm just being the forum dad wondering if people are aware of the lack of UVB protection in cheapo glasses. Dowatchagottado, sonny.

[jamal]

Well, from actually checking, all these cheap safety glasses mentioned appear to offer full uv protection.

[muted]

Well, from actually checking, all these cheap safety glasses mentioned appear to offer full uv protection.

I just double checked, and they still don't, so feel free to post proof of Shralp and Nicks glasses, it may be buried but usually that's something the manufacturer wants people to know right away. My Smith and Wesson only has UVA protection, which is useless.

The dewalts Kidwoo post does have full AVA/UVB protection. he's so smart!

[jamal]

Uvex says all their lenses block all UV. (page 17, bottom right)

The s&w are the only ones I wasn't sure about, but sites selling them claim 99% uv protection. I don't see how that could mean only "A" and not "B," they are just different ranges of wavelengths.

[muted]

Uvex says all their lenses block all UV. (page 17, bottom right)

The s&w are the only ones I wasn't sure about, but sites selling them claim 99% uv protection. I don't see how that could mean only "A" and not "B," they are just different ranges of wavelengths.

You are right about Uvex, i definitely didn't read that brochure. S+W is only A, according to the packaging. It is weird they don't offer both, a lot of people shoot outside.

OK, enough UV talk. My fault.

[TahoeJ]

I used the sweat buster on my ride this morning and it worked really well. Highly recommended! I had to to do some cutting of my helmet's padding so I still had the top and sides in there, but after that it all fit together nicely and it's easy to pop in and out. I'm kind of surprised some helmet maker hasn't bought the rights to the product so they could integrate them into their helmets.

[SchralphMacchio]

Uvex says all their lenses block all UV. (page 17, bottom right)

Holy crap, I had no idea that their brand is named after the concept of a lens that excludes all forms of ultraviolet!

It says, "UV-EX = ultraviolet excluded"

Filing that as my one new thing learned for today.

[gravitylover]

A bit pricey but the Shred Provocator No Weight Airflow is a great piece of riding eyewear. There are a bunch of different lenses available from nearly clear to too dark and they pop in/out in seconds. http://shredoptics.com/product/provo...photo/?cid=624

[grinch]

+3 for safety glasses. I run Uvex Astrospec's. Under $9. They don't fog any worse than your $200 glasses and are ANSI Z87 certified for protecting your eyes....

Get them with the red white and blue Patriot frame and the indoor/outdoor mid gray lens.

Somewhere Rod Stewart is pooping his pants while looking around the inside of his Lincoln Mark iv for his shades. Think we've found them

[grskier]

If you're going to go old school, do it with class...
https://pitvipersunglasses.com/colle...1993-polarized
https://pitvipersunglasses.com/colle...1993-polarized

[grinch]

Oooohhh yaaaaa!

[jono]

I ride in a set of 10-year old Smith Gallegos sunglasses with prescription lenses. Removal is not an option, yet somehow I don't think I have as big a problem as you guys describe. Good coverage but no fogging, just the occasional sweat drip which is best avoided by keeping the eyebrows from getting saturated. These are much more evenly curved than the above stylin safety glasses, so no single big gaps (like at the corners on those Pit Vipers).

Zoic shorts used to come with a lens rag sown into one pocket and I love that--always a clean cloth when needed!

FWIW, 3M brochure says polycarbonate lenses block 99% of UVA/UVB, so I'd think most things meeting ANSI Z71 are good to go.

[SchralphMacchio]

Bump.

Lately I've been digging the UVEX Hypershock series, as the earpiece is more comfy than the UVEX Ignite I used to ride.

Clear for forest / night riding, and gray for mixed sunny/shady riding - both have the extreme antifog coating that works pretty dang well. They also make a brown lens with the same antifog coating but I haven't tried it. They also make sick mirror lens options but those don't have the extreme antifog coating so I won't bother, since I sweat a ton and ride when it's cold out.

Durable as hell and $10 per pair on Amazon. Brown one is $7.

[babybear]

The smith forefront helmet has an amazing glasses holding system (basically upside down in the main open groove of the helmet) It works so amazingly well https://www.smithoptics.com/us/forefront
And while not specifically eyewear rec- it helps solve the problem for me, so wanted to pass on.
it's weird that smith doesn't market that feature more bc for me it is a huge helper that never existed prior. (maybe croakies would be the closest thing but constantly covered in salty sweat drip)
the system also works pretty darn well with other glasses brands too that I have tried (ie free sunglasses you get from beer co's)
Flicking them up on the helmet when I get too foggy hot- then easy access back to the eyes and fogging gone bc they got air flow

[jackstraw]

I just got more of these in for my friends. The vapor proof just does not fog at all. It's nuts. Everyone that has tried a pair wants another in a different flavor. ...and they're inexpensive