# visor for riding in the rain



## stevevw (24 Oct 2008)

I wear glasses and would like a helmet that has a visor to keep the rain off my glasses. Any ideas?


----------



## jimboalee (25 Oct 2008)

I wear specs. I have Rudy Project Rydon with clip-ins.
Just as a BTW, they steam up on very cold mornings when the breeze is faster than I am.
When it rains, I just have to let the rain run off the outer shields.
If the rain is really heavy, I take my specs off and ride into the blur, which is a better view than through water covered plastic.
I have a Giro hat with a peak, which I have removed because its not the sort of thing a roadie has. I didn't see a use for it ( until now ).


There is not much one can do. Motor cyclists attach a short piece of windscreen wiper blade to the index finger of their glove, and give the visor an occasional wipe.
I tried this once. Only once!


----------



## Christopher (25 Oct 2008)

A standard cotton roadie cap should go be able to go under the helmet & keep most of the rain off (sun, too). 
In drizzle nothing works, I wear glasses and just have to keep wiping them with a gloved finger and go slowly


----------



## simoncc (25 Oct 2008)

I use my eyelids as windscreen wipers. That's why contact lenses are such a great thing for cyclists.


----------



## Willow (25 Oct 2008)

I had my eyes lasered


----------



## Angelfishsolo (25 Oct 2008)

I let my glasses slide down my nose and look over the top of them. It works quite well and I have less chance of breaking or loosing them than if I took then off altogether.



jimboalee said:


> If the rain is really heavy, I take my specs off and ride into the blur, which is a better view than through water covered plastic.


----------



## palinurus (25 Oct 2008)

I used to like it when there was rain all over my specs and it was dark and all the streetlighting and stuff made cool patterns in the droplets. The downside is the higher risk of riding straight into the back of a parked van.

I use a cycling cap these days, keeps the worst off unless it's that really wet kind of fog or that fine rain that blows around everywhere, then I do like Frustruck.


----------



## fossyant (25 Oct 2008)

Wash the lenses with washing up liquid...that helps a bit from steaming up on ride...won't stop the stationery problem. Basically rub washing up liquid into all sides of the lenses - 4 in my instance (main glasses and inserts) - then rinse off and allow to dry...

Get a cotton cap with peak under the skid lid..... I haven't yet, but I manage.


----------



## jimboalee (25 Oct 2008)

Angelfishsolo.
I tried that, but felt like I was looking through a Knight's visor. It was just a slit of vision and it unnerved me.
BTW, I put my specs in my empty water bottle out of harm's way.


----------



## stevevw (27 Oct 2008)

I can see a niche in the market here then.  I will buy a cheap helmet and have a play and see what I can come up with. If I can make some sort of shield/visor I will try rainex which worked well on the windscreen of my old VW Beetle.

Oh whatever you do don’t put washing up liquid on your glasses it will attack the coatings and cost you a new pair of spec’s.
.


----------



## byegad (27 Oct 2008)

I bought some ventilated safety goggles which work well. My sports glasses with prescription inserts steam up in the wet as soon as I slow. (On every hill.)


----------



## ColinJ (27 Oct 2008)

stevevw said:


> I wear glasses and would like a helmet that has a visor to keep the rain off my glasses. Any ideas?


Cycling visors do exist - I saw Mike Wigley of Peak Audax fame riding with one attached to his helmet. He bought it for exactly the same reason. It was advertised in Cycling Weekly. Hang on... Here you go!


----------



## Angelfishsolo (27 Oct 2008)

That looks most interesting and not too bad a price either. Might check one out if I can collect enough pennies.


ColinJ said:


> Cycling visors do exist - I saw Mike Wigley of Peak Audax fame riding with one attached to his helmet. He bought it for exactly the same reason. It was advertised in Cycling Weekly. Hang on... Here you go!


----------



## jimboalee (27 Oct 2008)

View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXC7iXuAfA


Maybe???


----------



## Angelfishsolo (27 Oct 2008)

LMAO. I actually quite fancy those lol


jimboalee said:


> View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GpXC7iXuAfA
> 
> 
> Maybe???


----------



## sloe (28 Oct 2008)

Search ebay for sun visor or golf visor.

Works for me and I'm a speccy.


----------



## stevevw (28 Oct 2008)

ColinJ thanks for the link. That is what I need but would be better in clear this time of year. I will have a go at making one out of some polycarbonate.

Thanks again for putting in the effort to find the link.


----------



## ColinJ (28 Oct 2008)

stevevw said:


> That is what I need but would be better in clear this time of year.


I wonder why they don't offer a clear model too? I don't suppose it would fit the name 'Shadow visor' if they did 

Thinking about it, I could do with some clear glasses. I've only got ones with smoked or yellow lenses.


----------



## stevevw (28 Oct 2008)

When I used to race M/Bikes a yellow visor was the thing to have in the wet / damp. Probably made no difference other than in my mind


----------



## ColinJ (28 Oct 2008)

stevevw said:


> When I used to race M/Bikes a yellow visor was the thing to have in the wet / damp. Probably made no difference other than in my mind


I find that I only need dark glasses in very bright sunshine. Yellow glasses are good for pretty bright down to fairly gloomy. In very gloomy conditions, I don't want extra light to be absorbed so I think clear might be better.

Hmm, interesting... My glasses are made by Uvex. I've just checked their website and their yellow (amber) lenses pass 90% of light, and clear are only 2% better at 92%. Hardly worth bothering with - I'll save money and stick with yellow 

It's a different story for riding in the dark. Then the yellow lenses only transmit 70% of light. I definitely would get clear for that, but I don't intend doing any rides in the dark this winter.


----------



## stevevw (28 Oct 2008)

Looks like I am doing a ride in the dark and sleet on the way home tonight with no visor.


----------



## palinurus (28 Oct 2008)

Hmmm. Yup, I just looked outside too. Might have another cuppa and wait a bit.


----------



## palinurus (28 Oct 2008)

Well it didn't stop, it eased off a bit but there was loads of standing water on the roads so my feet got wet.


----------



## jay clock (28 Oct 2008)

Laser treatment. Four grand but works a treat for avoiding water on glasses


----------



## stevevw (29 Oct 2008)

What you have little laser guns on your glass's to zap the rain drops before they land on your lens's. Sounds fun but a bit pricey. 

I just got home in the nick of time last night, but sorry to say the bike is still in the garage this morning.


----------



## Angelfishsolo (29 Oct 2008)

Maybe somebody could create heated glass. Thus the rain evapourates before it has time to skew the vision. Ok so they might cause retina or cornea damage I haven't thought this through fully yet 



stevevw said:


> What you have little laser guns on your glass's to zap the rain drops before they land on your lens's. Sounds fun but a bit pricey.
> 
> I just got home in the nick of time last night, but sorry to say the bike is still in the garage this morning.


----------



## palinurus (29 Oct 2008)

Velomobile: four grand but works a treat etc..


----------



## Pumpkin the robot (14 Jan 2014)

I used to have a visor made by respro. It had an elasticated band that went around the helmet and the visor was secured to this with a couple of press studs. It was brilliant, but mine got scratched one summer when I put it in a draw and I have never seen one since.


----------



## ColinJ (14 Jan 2014)

Martin Archer said:


> I used to have a visor made by respro. It had an elasticated band that went around the helmet and the visor was secured to this with a couple of press studs. It was brilliant, but mine got scratched one summer when I put it in a draw and I have never seen one since.


I reckon Steve has probably sorted himself at out some point in the 5 and a bit years since he made his enquiry!


----------



## Fab Foodie (14 Jan 2014)

Christopher said:


> A standard cotton roadie cap should go be able to go under the helmet & keep most of the rain off (sun, too).
> In drizzle nothing works, I wear glasses and just have to keep wiping them with a gloved finger and go slowly


This is the best, coolest and cheapest solution ... even 5 years ago ....


----------



## stevevw (15 Jan 2014)

Forgot all about this thread, but finaly sorted last spring when I bought one of the then new Giro Airattack helmets with both tinted and clear visor. Fantastic lid, by far the best I have used. 
Have used a MTB lid with a peak for the commute which to be fair worked well and on longer road rides I used a cotton cap under a Boardman road helmet.


----------

