Topic: Riders who wear glasses - questions

[Duanob]

as you can figure out by the subject line, I wear glasses. How do some og you guys wear retro style helmets? Not so much a problem with the helmet as much as the goggles and eye wear. Is there a special type of goggle that eye glasses will fit underneath? Also full faced helmets are even a pain in the arse. Glasses are expensive and I keep bending my frames taking the helmet off and on. Thanks.

[Bob Wessner]

Glasses are expensive and I keep bending my frames taking the helmet off and on. Thanks.

Have you considered removing your glasses before putting it on and taking it off? I wear a full-face and glasses, this works fine.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Yep, have to take your glasses on and off before donning the helmet. Kinda sucky, but that's life.
 

[edgimeno]

I myself got a set of prescription goggles made to use with my skid lid.  Most major stores, LensCrafters, etc., will have a selection of goggles that can be fitted with prescription lenses.

Ask around!!!

[rustbucket]

I got new lenses in my old frames and use those for riding. They have the thin wire arms that wrap behind the ear. I cut the part that goes behind the ear off and filed it smooth. Now they're super easy to use with a helmet.

My new glasses have thicker arms, and are basically impossible to use with a helmet. I wish I'd thought of that ahead of time, but too late now...

I stole the idea from this site: http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/motorcycle-glasses/ - I didn't bother to coat the arms, though...

Also, I know it's preachy, but for god's sake wear a full-face helmet man! well over 50% of impacts to the head in motorcycle accidents are to the areas not covered by a 3/4 helmet - I guess folks tend to lead with their chin! I won't bother you again, but I had to mention it... 

[OWilde]

Glasses are expensive and I keep bending my frames taking the helmet off and on. Thanks.

Have you considered removing your glasses before putting it on and taking it off? I wear a full-face and glasses, this works fine.

Same here....the one time I was in a bit of a hurry,  and tried to pop my helmet off prior to removing my glasses,  they got pretty bent out of shape.

Can be a pain on a windy day--sit the glasses down on the seat,  wind gust will knock it off the seat while I'm putting the helmet on.  I just put a glove on them first...

Geoff

[flybox1]

for a full face helmet, you have to take glasses off before putting on helmet, put them on thru open face shield, and take them off before taking off helmet.
glasses w/ straight earpieces make this easy.
something kinda like my Oakley Sockets

http://www.decormyeyes.com/Shades/ProductImages/262/12f012.jpg

[flybox1]

or you could just rock a pair of gramma's fitovers  with your brain bucket.   

[sangyo soichiro]

There are goggles that will fit over glasses, but I imagine they are a PITA too.  I just wore glasses with my retro helmet - no goggles.  At times, the cold wind would make my eyes water something fierce, and those cold tears running down my cheeks and into my ears didn't feel too good.  So I eventually opted for a helmet with a face shield.  As a side note, I've been wanting to get the Lasik for a long time now.  Not because of helmet issues, but just because.

[ohiolarsen]

I own a pair of goggles that fit over my glasses, but they don't look too retro.  I hit my chin in my last wreck when I was wearing them with the 3/4 helmet, and now I just wear a full-face helmet and deal with putting my glasses on through the visor.  Someday I'll save up for the laser vision surgery!

[bollingball]

I am 60 and for the last 20/25 years 3/4 helmet with shield glasses first then grab both straps and pull out. Slip on,push glasses back up with trigger finger done. Clear shield day & night with glasses with auto darkening feature.

[Duanob]

Wow thanks for all the responses. I guess I'm not the only one that thinks it's a PITA! My wife bought a pair of prescription swim goggles online for $20 I wonder if there is something similar for other types of goggles? And yes the Lazik is on my agenda but damn that's expensive. So it's dealing with the taking off-putting on/ taking off-putting on. And yeah I've alrady gouged my current glasses from falling off the seat and hitting the concrete. Thanks for all the blind support! (pun intended)

[MattFreeman]

I'd check to see if 7eye are available in a prescription. They are shaped like sunglasses but have padding around the lens to fit against the face like goggles.

http://www.sporteyes.com/panoptix.htm

Looks like they do come in prescription. I have a pair of non RX that I love.

[OWilde]

A few years ago,  folks around here used to go to Montreal for Lasik surgery--IIRC the popular place was on McGill College Ave--even with a hotel overnight, it was cheaper than anything here in Maine.

G

[Bob Wessner]

And yes the Lazik is on my agenda

Do a lot of research first. Seems they are having second thoughts about this considering the incidence of not so good results for many.

[BeSeeingYou]

Something like this maybe?

http://www.prescriptiongoggles.com/

[Geeto67]

My father wears glasses when he rides. The square RAF fighter pilot type fit over hs frames but the amercan aviator style actually have an internal frame that a eyeglasses store can put standard lenses into. Iirc the American aviators were 120 but the Brit style ones were 80. We bought them from Classic goggle and both sets are made by leon jeantet. Here are the fit style ones:

http://www.classicgoggles.com/goggles/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CG&Category_Code=t2goggles

But if you had a full face you could just wear your normal glasses and also benefit from jaw protection in the case of an accident. But of looking cool is important than being protected why even bother wearing the glasses in the first place?

[BeSeeingYou]

But if you had a full face you could just wear your normal glasses and also benefit from jaw protection in the case of an accident. But of looking cool is important than being protected why even bother wearing the glasses in the first place?

 

[Geeto67]

The guy is not smart enough to take his glasses off before taking of his full face, so think of it not as nagging mom but just a common sense check. As long as you know vintage helmets offer very little protection then go ahead. I am going to assume that if you are wearing a vintage helmet because the full face ones tear up you glasses coming on and off the safety differences probably didn't occur to you.

[mick750F]

   Because I wear glasses I use a modular helmet rather than a solid full face. Too lazy to do the glasses off, helmet on, glasses on thing. Besides I tend to favor glasses with wrap around the ear temples so I wouldn't be able to do that anyway. Go with the prescription swimming goggles. Who's going to mess with a guy wearing swimming goggles while on a bike. 

Mike

[nancy]

Glasses here too - so I dumped the conventional full-face and went for a flip-front. Works like an open face so you leave your glasses on - no probs. Slam the face piece down and it locks solid in place. Perfect. $120

[bollingball]

Lighten up geto

[BobbyR]

I wear a full face and my new one is tighter than the old worn out. If you begin pulling the helmet down at an angle there will be a point where the top of your ears are pulled down you can slip your glasses on and then pull the helmet all the way down.

[rhos1355]

Have you considered ski goggles/mask??

[KeithTurk]

I didn't see it in the suggestions .....  how bout a flip face helmet with birth control glasses....( not pretty but big )

The Flip face actually allows you to keep your glasses on while putting the helmet on...

It's hard to argue with a full face helmet being safer....

K

[switchum]

  Contact lenses?  I personally use over the glasses goggles. There are many types to choose from. If you wear smaller frame glasses, you can even wear a red baron style goggles over them.

Or You can buy many cheap glasses at https://www.zennioptical.com/home.php. then keep bending the frame of your glasses.

   Good luck

[Sam Green Racing]

I have no problems with wearing specs under my full face race helmet but at a race meeting last weekend I had a problem. I was all suited up and ready to take take to the track when an oil down stopped the racing for about 20 minutes. I decided I would roll a cig while waiting.
I got to the stage where I needed to lick the paper and realised that I still had my helmet on.
Determined not to by out done by a lump of fibre glass and padding, I stuck my finger under the chin piece and into my mouth. I moistened the paper with my wet finger and rolled the cig, no helmet was going to beat me.

I guess you can figure what happened next

Sam.

[gmonkey]

Like everyone else said, take off the glasses, put on the helmet, put the glasses back on.  And if you can get your helmet on with the glasses still on at all even bending the glasses, your helmet is probably too big.  I never thought anyone would try pulling their full-face on with glasses still on their face...

I have no problems with wearing specs under my full face race helmet but at a race meeting last weekend I had a problem. I was all suited up and ready to take take to the track when an oil down stopped the racing for about 20 minutes. I decided I would roll a cig while waiting.
I got to the stage where I needed to lick the paper and realised that I still had my helmet on.
Determined not to by out done by a lump of fibre glass and padding, I stuck my finger under the chin piece and into my mouth. I moistened the paper with my wet finger and rolled the cig, no helmet was going to beat me.

I guess you can figure what happened next

Sam.

Well you said you decided to roll a cig.  You didn't say anything about smoking it.  So technically it was a success.

[OWilde]

I have no problems with wearing specs under my full face race helmet but at a race meeting last weekend I had a problem. I was all suited up and ready to take take to the track when an oil down stopped the racing for about 20 minutes. I decided I would roll a cig while waiting.
I got to the stage where I needed to lick the paper and realised that I still had my helmet on.
Determined not to by out done by a lump of fibre glass and padding, I stuck my finger under the chin piece and into my mouth. I moistened the paper with my wet finger and rolled the cig, no helmet was going to beat me.

I guess you can figure what happened next

Sam.

"I'm just not comfortable without a fag in my mouth..."

Quote--Peter Cook.


Geoff

[Uncle Ernie]

This is a great thread.  I can't believe how many are taking it seriously.
Kudos to the OP!

That last quote is priceless, BTW.  Thanks for that!

[Duanob]

Yes all great ideas. Didn't know so many riders wore glasses.

I may look into the flip face, my neighbor wears one on his hawg and he wears glasses. Also the goggles that fit over glasses is an option as well with a skid lid. Contacts are out I used to wear them continuously when I was younger and my eyes are paying me back these days and I can't see for squat up close anymore!

Ski goggles don't fit over glasses either. That is the biggest reason I want to go lasik is for my other hobbies; snowboarding, MTB riding, water skiing, and now riding. I'll get it figured out thanks for the ideas.

[Alan F.]

....And yeah I've alrady gouged my current glasses from falling off the seat and hitting the concrete.....

Just tuck one of the temples under your seat strap while you get the helmet situated, they'll never fall off again.
Soichiro must have thought of that one personally.

[BobbyR]

....And yeah I've alrady gouged my current glasses from falling off the seat and hitting the concrete.....

Just tuck one of the temples under your seat strap while you get the helmet situated, they'll never fall off again.
Soichiro must have thought of that one personally.

Since my Tranistion lenses do not darken behind the face sheild I switch glasses often. Since I do the helmet thing during the motor warm up. Simply I hang the frames from the collar of my shirt. I also have used the seat strap method which works well.   

[74cb750]

Wire rim glasses are a pain, but it is better to see than not.

I tried contact lenses and found that sometimes the wind behind the full face helmet w/ faceshield
still produced too much wind. Lens moved to the side of the eyeballs. 

If I could afford Lazik surgery I would do it, but still wear glasses while riding.
From experiences of hitting things while riding. 

[Duanob]

OK well full face helmets are out. I tried one on last night doing the "put the helmet on, put the glasses on". As soon as I put down the windscreen my glasses started fogging up. Not good. I have the same problem with safety goggles. Damn.

BUT I was at the optomitrist's last night and found these little gems for half face and 3/4 face helmets.

http://www.cocoonseyewear.com/

For ~$40 and come polarized that's not bad. I still need to buy the helmet but I will bring them into the OPs office to check out the fit.

[gmonkey]

OK well full face helmets are out. I tried one on last night doing the "put the helmet on, put the glasses on". As soon as I put down the windscreen my glasses started fogging up. Not good. I have the same problem with safety goggles. Damn.

That sounds strange.  I've never had that happen unless it's cold out and you put the visor down.  The air in the helmet heats up quicker than the glasses do so you get condensation.  If you wait a minute, it goes away.  What kind of helmet was it?  I know people say cheap helmets that are snell/dot certified provide the same amount of protection so there's no point in spending more but my more mid-range expensive shoei is way better at not fogging up than my cheaper HJC.  Having the lever on the visor mounting that lets you keep the visor open just a crack helps a ton with fogging up too.  Also, once you get moving the air circulates and the fogging goes away.  I blow out the air down exhaling when I'm at a stop to reduce fogging in cooler weather.

Sorry if I'm assuming you don't know much about full face helmets and saying some basic stuff but after hearing that you put them on with your glasses still on it kinda led me to that conclusion.