If you are the type to try cycling in winter, you will arrive at a nice mix of clothing, footwear, tires and other stuff without me or anybody else telling you what to do, if you are at all determined. Same for the bike you choose to ride. That said, here's the one thing I would like to share or recommend about cold weather riding: get goggles. You won't know how you did without them if you do.
Clear (unless you only plan to ride in bright conditions) goggles have been by far the best addition to my winter riding getup. They provide a warm and protected place for your eyes, and when you're not crying or feeling your eyes dry out in cold wind, you ride better and enjoy it more.
I use motocross goggles, but I strongly suspect that most winter goggles would be just as good. That is all. It feels very strange refrain from being odd or stupid or overly personal in one of my blog posts, particularly on a Monday... but for a change I have nothing more to say, and since everybody knows what a pair of ski goggles look like, a picture would be superfluous.
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K
PS - Doing a post this direct and nonsense-free is killing me. Stay tuned for something extra stupid sometime soon.
11 comments:
Good call Patrick.. I have all my winter gear ready to go, but I have never tried riding with goggles... sounds reasonable though.
I do have an extra pair of goggles in my condo locker with my snowboard equipment, so I think I'll pull them out for the winter.
Thanks for the tip!
Can you point to some goggles online that you recommend?
Keep in mind that there's a temperature range in between nothing and goggles for which safety glasses work real well. Doohickie can probably scare up a pair of those for free and they'll work well down to a bit below freezing.
You really want the CLEAR goggles for colder unless you are just doing daylight riding.
Apertome seems to have figured out the value of a pair of goggles.
http://www.apertome.com/blog/2009/12/10/cold-one-today/
JD - You're welcome! If they're not clear, you'll be limited to using them in daylight, but try it. If you like 'em as much as I do, you may want to get some clear ones.
Doohickie - I paid too much by getting them directly from the Oakley Canada website... they are Oakley MX Enduro O Frames that I got for about $80 plus shipping. They are well vented and have anti-fog treatment which is a plus. They'll even do those laminated tear-off things mx riders need! I've never bought that stuff, but some days in the traffic muck fog, I think about it.
I agonized over my choice at the time, abd these goggles have been awesome, but it should be said they're the only pair I've ever tried! Link: http://oakley.ca/pd/1321/18091
If I had it to do again, I would probably go to a local motocycle place.
Steve A - Agreed on both points. I didn't strap on goggles this year until it is -5 C (23F) and very windy. They can be too warm in higher temps.
RTP - I knew I wasn't alone or crazy. Well, alone anway.
do these things fog up?
i use my persimmon colored lenses at night and they work pretty well.
peace :)
Chandra - Mine don't, but I imagine some might.
This has been an interestng discussion for me. One problem I haven't solved yet is the ability to wear glasses with my balaclava without fogging over. I generally resort to going without, but that has it's own issues. It sounds like I need to look into a pair of goggles. Thanks for the information.
hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....
I would like to find some really nice vintage ladies' motoring goggles, but have not been successful as of yet. For now I use sunglasses. This is my first winter cycling, and I was surprised just how much the wind-in-the-eyes problem factors into the experience.
Filigree - First off, thanks for visiting and commenting!
I hope you will consider other vintage goggles (what about aviators?), or even modern ski or mx goggles... I wasn't kidding about the difference they can make. On some days, it can spell the difference between riding and something else.
I love hearing from people taking up the winter ride. I sure hope you come to enjoy it as much as I do.
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