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glasses and helmets

  1. #1
    no can kneedown feralchimp's Avatar
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    glasses and helmets

    I wear prescription glasses under my helmet at track days. By mid-session they might slip down my nose, especially if I'm pushing a bit (especially in the braking zone in 3). If it gets to the point where I'm deciding mid-corner whether to look through them or over them, I'll pit in, push them back up my nose, and pit out again.

    This is bad and wrong and there should be an easy fix. What is that fix?

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  2. #2
    Lifer NPDCPA's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    My fix for the same problem was contacts.

    You can always give one of these a go:

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  3. #3
    Lifer Chippertheripper's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I fought with this for a bit.
    My solution: I got a couple of those spandex skullcap things (think like NFL players wear under their helmets), and marked where my glasses crossed the main band with both specs and the cap on. I then took some clear silicone caulk and smeared a thin layer on the inside of the skullcap, on both sides where it would make contact with the arms of my glasses.
    Leave them things inside out to dry, and voila.
    The idea was impregnating the fabric with some type of gripper, like inside the band of dirty bike goggles, or MX pants where they try and make it so your jersey doesn't come untucked.
    Problem Solved.

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  4. #4
    Senior Member AEG's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    A properly fitted glasses will not slide off. Start there.

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  5. #5
    Lifer
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Helmets can make a big difference too. My sharks have a piece you can remove for the frames so the helmet cant push the around. My arai is terrible with glasses. Anything over like 140 and it will lift my glasses up slightly and it bugs the hell out of me. I cant even get my glasses on with my soumy so i go with contacts when i use that helmets.
    For track days i do my best to make sure i can use my contacts. Sometimes my eyes are sore so i switch to glasses and then i need to be picky about what helmet im wearing.

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  6. #6
    Awesomeness, Inc. MattR302's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Contacts for the win. They also don't fog up in cooler weather like glasses do.

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  7. #7
    Lifer Jayspeed's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    My glasses always were held tight from the padding in the helmet. I did contacts too. Only thing with contacts your eyes will dry faster from the wind entering your vents. Ever blink a dry eye with contacts and it sticks to your eye lid and almost falls out? Had this happen on the straight at VIR the contact flew off and stuck to my face shield. Had to do a lap with one eye open before I could pit out. Depth perception is fucked with one corrected eye and other not.

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  8. #8
    Senior Member AEG's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I could only wear contacts when skiing or playing hockey. When there no dust or any other crap flying around. Ever thought about laser?

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  9. #9
    Lifer Jayspeed's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Quote Originally Posted by AEG View Post
    I could only wear contacts when skiing or playing hockey. When there no dust or any other crap flying around. Ever thought about laser?
    I have. I'm leaned more toward corrective lenses still. I would have to go through the process and get examined to see which procedure fits me. If I fit the bill to have one eye see far and the other see near, I won't do that. If I fit the bill of having up close restrictions than that too I won't. Like your eyes can be corrected for far and near and the near part can be for example perfect at 2 feet. But if it gets blurry at 1 ft then no I won't.

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  10. #10
    Lifer
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    just had the full eye exam here's what I was told.

    I had PRK surgery in the 90's and my vision is still 20/25 in both eyes with a slight astigmatism. As I have gotten older, I need reading glasses (+1.5).

    We discussed the one eye distance, one eye close correction and it isn't for me. Reading glasses are an inevitable part of getting older for most of us, having only one good distance eye would f'up my depth perception, which is much more important to me.

    Either a prescription or Lasik would sharpen up the distance vision a bit, but at this point I don't really see the need.

    If I were still wearing prescription glasses I would have Lasik "yesterday" and be done with it.

    Nothing's going to stop or prevent presbyopia except good genes.

    To quote Charles Barkley, "Father time always wins."

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    Last edited by SteveM; 08-05-17 at 06:43 PM.

  11. #11
    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Have you tried having 20/15 vision? Much better that way; no problems with fogging or glasses slipping off. Don't have to worry about contacts drying out or flying out either. Give that a try and report back.


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  12. #12
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Contacts for me.

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  13. #13
    Lifer isaac_'s Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I forego glasses when I ride/race.


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  14. #14
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I have never had an issue with my glasses sliding off. It's a super tight fit for me, sometimes I can't even get them on. They fog like a bitch though in cooler weather so I ultimately ended up switching to contacts which made everything easier.

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  15. #15
    no can kneedown feralchimp's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Thanks all. I ride with a little skull cap thing so Chip's method may be the way to go. Will also go into a vision place and ask them to do heat/bend tricks to make them fit tighter. Much prefer glasses to contacts but may try them again.

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  16. #16
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Quote Originally Posted by feralchimp View Post
    Thanks all. I ride with a little skull cap thing so Chip's method may be the way to go. Will also go into a vision place and ask them to do heat/bend tricks to make them fit tighter. Much prefer glasses to contacts but may try them again.
    I did too, but like you, found myself having issues when I was forced to look over the top of my glasses. My vision with contacts is not as good as with glasses, owing to my astigmatism, but it's 99% seamless up/down left/right now. Yes, they do tend to dry a bit when I stare intently at detail work for too long and near the end of the day, but I keep spares at work in case I have a malfunction.

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    Last edited by golden chicken; 08-07-17 at 07:19 PM.
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  17. #17
    Backwoods lobster boy number9's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Quote Originally Posted by golden chicken View Post
    I did too, but like you, found myself having issues when I was forced to look over the top of my glasses. My vision with contacts is not as good as with glasses, owing to my astigmatism, but it's 99% seamless up/down left/right now. Yes, they do tend to dry a bit when I stare intently at detail work for too long and near the end of the day, but I keep spares at work in case I have a malfunction.
    What are you using for contacts? I have mild astigmatism and am near-sighted, and my contacts are amazing. I have better than 20/20 with them on.

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  18. #18
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I used to wear contacts, then they changed the formula of the saline because too many people were sensitive to one of the chemicals in it. I discovered that I was sensitive, or better described as allergic to the new formula when I went to the emergency room with my eyes swollen nearly shut and they squirted more in, couldn't open my eyes for 2 days, haven't worn contacts since

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  19. #19
    Backwoods lobster boy number9's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Quote Originally Posted by RandyO View Post
    I used to wear contacts, then they changed the formula of the saline because too many people were sensitive to one of the chemicals in it. I discovered that I was sensitive, or better described as allergic to the new formula when I went to the emergency room with my eyes swollen nearly shut and they squirted more in, couldn't open my eyes for 2 days, haven't worn contacts since
    I was wearing the same brand of monthly contacts (take them out each night) for a couple of years with no issue. I loved 'em! Then all of a sudden, one day I had an allergic reaction to an ingredient in them. I had to switch to daily contacts, as they don't have the same ingredient as monthlies.

    tl;dr eyes are weird, but I'd try a different brand or type if you want to go back to wearing contacts.

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  20. #20
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    Quote Originally Posted by number9 View Post
    What are you using for contacts? I have mild astigmatism and am near-sighted, and my contacts are amazing. I have better than 20/20 with them on.
    Don't get me wrong, I have 20/20 with contacts. I had 20/15 with glasses.

    I use Alcon Dailies Toric for the astigmatic eye and regular Aquacomfort for the other eye. My astigmatism is not 100% in line with whichever plane the toric lenses correct for and I chose .25 weaker lens for the other eye because in the exam room the stronger lens just looked wrong. I think when I need to re-up I'll go with the stronger lens and hope for 20/15.

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  21. #21
    xxaarraa
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    I wear contacts while riding but I have always had airflow related issues that irritate my eyes. Back when I had the Arai, due to the way the air flowed inside the helmet, the lens irritated the hell out of my eyes and they would be blood red and sore at the end of the track day. I have since switched to the Bell and its now worse. The air flow very often makes the contacts fly off mid session. I actually finished the last race at Loudon with only one contact on (dangerous, I know).

    I can't get glasses on or off through my helmet without destroying the frames and I am always worried about fogging. I suppose I should just get lasik done.

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  22. #22
    Senior Member AEG's Avatar
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    Re: glasses and helmets

    To deal with the fogging - try the Cat Crap.

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