Glasses and Sweat

[velotrack]

Normally I'm a contacts guy. So when I wear glasses instead of the contacts, on the bike my face (particularly nose and forehead) get considerably sweater. This doesn't happen with sunglasses, either, which is the surprising part. Contacts and no sunglasses feel fine.

Even off the bike, I find more sweat on my face as well, though not as profound of a change as when I'm riding. But very noticeable and very uncomfortable.

Any insight, tips from glasses wearers? Should I just brave it out, get used to it?

[carpediemracing]

Get smaller glasses?

I wear glasses virtually all the time so I don't have with/without A-B-A experiences. The only place where I do have some ABA experience is on the trainer - I'll take off my glasses every now and then. At that point - 70 degrees, indoors, big fan blowing, sweat dripping - glasses or no glasses doesn't make a difference. I just take them off to wipe my face or to avoid having to push my glasses back up every minute or whatever.

[Black Dog]

Try one of these. Great on all but the very hottest of days.

http://images.mec.ca/fluid/customers/c822/5024-463/generated/5024-463_WHT08_view1_1000x1000.jpg

[Raffy]

Not to be blunt but I would suggest just wearing contacts all the time on the bike. I'm a glasses and contacts guys but I have never even tried to use glasses on the bike as I know I would get it dirty in no time. Field of vision is way better on contacts anyway so I don't really see any advantage of using glasses not unless contacts bother you.

[deechee]

For me its the spacing between the bottom of the lenses and the cheeks and the weight. I don't train with my glasses too much unless its a lower intensity.

I picked up a pair of Oakley Crosslinks a bit over a year ago and they're great. I can pretty much do everything in them except bike outdoors since I find they don't work with my helmet too well.

[11.4]

Glass here too. I have the problem with both cycling shades (which are prescription Oakleys for me) and regular eyeglasses.

Regular eyeglasses are made to fit close to your face but don't necessarily have much ventilation or air flow under them -- just the way they weren't designed. But I have the issue with Oakleys as well.

Part of it has to do with your helmet. Some helmets are designed to capture all the air and flow it up over the top of your skull. They actually keep most of the draft off of your upper face. I guess this keeps them from channeling bees and wasps into your eyes, but it's rather counterproductive. I recently got a POC Octal -- ugliest helmet in existence but it sure does cool you properly in addition to being hands down the best built. I started to understand how many helmets aren't really made properly for face cooling or with glasses frames in mind.

Part of it has to do with the sweat band on the forehead of your helmet. It gathers perspiration until you press it or bounce it and it squeezes a big splash of the stuff all over your glasses. End of story. You should have this happen with cycling shades as well, unless your shades are out of the line of fire or other reasons.

I've generally had much less difficulty with sweat on my glasses with Lazer, Specialized, and POC helmets, and more with Giros, LAS, Kask, and Bell. I've had more problems with certain cycling shade designs such as Rudy's and with a couple of the Oakleys, and the best experience with some other Oakleys. I'm sure it's quite dependent on facial shape so your experience may differ from mine.

I've tried headbands, head socks, cycling caps, you name it. a basic thin cotton cycling cap actually tends to work best because it evaporates the fastest and doesn't have much ability to accumulate perspiration. However, none of them really help significantly, at least for me. (Again, YMMV.)

I realize that's very unspecific help. When you have different experiences between regular frames and cycling glasses, it sounds like you need to find some different frames for riding. Even with prescriptions I do have clear, yellow (persimmon in Oakley-speak) and iridium lenses. Since I need to race track with them and that's mostly evenings under the lights, I can't have much tint because the general light level is still much lower than daytime. I've gotten it all to work -- and I can't use contacts because of old eye injuries. Hope you find a solution.

[eddief]

https://store.haloheadband.com/default.asp?Click=42950&gclid=CKCaj5u-1cUCFdBlfgodzIsALA

[staggerwing]

Plus one on the Halo headband, but I'm much happier now that I've made in life switch to contacts. Never helped that I perspire profusely. Still wear it with contacts to keep the salt out of my eyes and off of my sunglasses.

[Lewis Moon]

I've pretty much worn glasses every waking hour since I was in Jr. High. I tried contacts but they drove me absolutely nuts. I have since been warned off of them by both my optometrist and ophthalmologist. Both said I wouldn't be satisfied with visual acuity with contacts.
I am now wearing a set of Oakley Yard Dogs with progressive photogray lenses. I love them. Riding, computer, whatever. There seems to be plenty of ventilation and, so far, the only sweat issues I have (here in AZ) seem to come from my temples. The weird thing is, with all that open space, I really don't have any issues with wind on descents.

[azrider]

Contacts and no sunglasses feel fine

Rule #39

[eippo1]

I have a pair of Racing Jackets in my prescription that are awesome to have on hand. I got them particularly for allergy season when I really don't want to wear contacts. The other nice thing is that I can take the lenses out and use them with regular lenses too.

[staggerwing]

I've pretty much worn glasses every waking hour since I was in Jr. High. I tried contacts but they drove me absolutely nuts. I have since been warned off of them by both my optometrist and ophthalmologist. Both said I wouldn't be satisfied with visual acuity with contacts.
I am now wearing a set of Oakley Yard Dogs with progressive photogray lenses. I love them. Riding, computer, whatever. There seems to be plenty of ventilation and, so far, the only sweat issues I have (here in AZ) seem to come from my temples. The weird thing is, with all that open space, I really don't have any issues with wind on descents.

As a primary contact wearer, I'm in 100% agreement on the visual acuity comment. My glasses are much better, in that regard. With progressive lenses, I also have great close vision. Problem is, my base prescription is in the -5 to -6 range, with another -1 to -2 in astigmatism correction. I can't even read the large digit alarm clock right next to my bed. Also, that makes for a thick, cumbersome pair of glasses, although modern, higher index plastics have helped. Have to stick with small lens areas too.

For my situation, the loss in acuity with contacts is more than offset by better peripheral vision, and ability to wear better quality sunglasses. Helped with ski goggles too. For those considering, it took me about 6 months to become totally comfortable with contacts.

As for sweat management, living in dry, dry, dry Arizona, you are going to be a bit biased. Come spend a little time in the generally humid, Ohio River Valley, or almost any place in the South to Midwest, and then we can talk.

Better not jinx it though, we have been having a run of cool dry weather, an it looks like it will hold through the holiday.

[Mzilliox]

Have you tried or considered prescription sunnies? Sunglasses are often designed with sports in mind, so they allow the wearer some measure of breathability, not so much with eye glasses. maybe a set of sunglasses with scripts would help.

[Plum Hill]

What type of contacts are you talking about?

I started with hard back in 1971, then went to gas permeable. Issue with dry eye last year had me shuck contacts. Am now trying to get accustomed to soft lenses. Trying.

Blind as a bat, I've been riding with Wiley X prescription sunglasses, the only ones I found that could handle my script.

Managed to get a cinder in my eye last week. As soon as the scratch is healed, I hope to get back to contacts and my Smith Optic Otis shades.

As for the initial question, I'd say just get used to the difference.

[staggerwing]

Yeah, I have a couple pair of prescription sunglasses. Even with small lens areas, the lenses are over 7mm thick at the lateral margins. I've been told my prescription is too strong to work well in a more sporting pair of frames. They do have anti-reflection coatings, which help. but polarization, which I prefer, is a 'no go.'

Also, the dyed tints for prescription sunglasses aren't even in the same ballpark as those that Smith, Oakley and the like currently have on offer in non-prescription. For example, I have a pair of Smith Orcas, which are glass lensed, photochromic, coated, polarized sunglasses, that blow me away with how they increase visual contrast in almost every light condition, from cloudy to full sun. My expensive prescription sunglasses tend to flatten contrast a bit.

[shovelhd]

Yeah, I have a couple pair of prescription sunglasses. Even with small lens areas, the lenses are over 7mm thick at the lateral margins. I've been told my prescription is too strong to work well in a more sporting pair of frames. They do have anti-reflection coatings, which help. but polarization, which I prefer, is a 'no go.'

Also, the dyed tints for prescription sunglasses aren't even in the same ballpark as those that Smith, Oakley and the like currently have on offer in non-prescription. For example, I have a pair of Smith Orcas, which are glass lensed, photochromic, coated, polarized sunglasses, that blow me away with how they increase visual contrast in almost every light condition, from cloudy to full sun. My expensive prescription sunglasses tend to flatten contrast a bit.

I have a pair of Rudy Project prescription sunglasses. Photochromic, polarized, progressive bifocal. Outstanding.

[notsew]

On the rare occasions I've been forced to wear my glasses to ride (or exercise in general) I feel way sweatier. I think its mostly psychological. The glasses aren't made for activity and so are apt to slide all over the place. I think it happens less with sport sunglasses and contacts because the sunglasses are meant to stay put and if they slide it isn't as noticeable. As a result, I (and maybe you) don't notice it and feel less sweaty. That's my theory anyways.

I'm a blind, sweaty bastard, so I generally don't even consider something that will make me sweat without my contacts. And I don't love them, so that's about all the use they get.

[Steve in SLO]

Contact lens wearer and occasional glasses wearer here.
Two additional things spring to mind:
First, the frame material at the contact points for eyeglasses is not generally designed to stick on sweaty skin, unlike active sunglasses. Perhaps self stick rubber pads or moleskin might help.
Second, your glasses are no doubt much heavier than most active sports eyewear. That means with every bump, gravity is working harder against you. Croakies or similar can help them from sliding down your nose.
I have bad eyes, so gas permeable soft contact lenses have been my biggest savior for active sports – good vision and nothing getting underneath them to cause pain like in the old days with my hard plastic contacts.

[Seramount]

have worn glasses for 62 of 63 years...

best cycling gear I own is my Rudy Project (progressive bifocal, polarized lenses) sunglasses.

cost an arm, but worth every penny.

dreading the day I need to update the prescription...

[shovelhd]

They definitely cost an arm.

[Seramount]

They definitely cost an arm.

scored the frame on ebay for a reasonable price, but with the eye exam, total cost was still just under 6 bills.

but, zero regrets.