Ski Goggle Lens tint for cold weather/ direct sun or helmet with better sun shade?

hoboin

Active Member
Region
USA
Anyone use ski goggles in the winter? I got a cheapish pair for about $20 Over the glasses ski goggles that are not tinted at all and they work really well, only problem was the sun. Part of my bike to work is on an east/west old train line and the sun is pretty bad for a few miles. I was thinking about buying the "pro" goggles with swapable lenses, anyone use any particular one lense color/coating? My eyes are pretty sensitive to bright light and having to bike in direct , low setting sun was very difficult. Normally i bike with a hat under my helmet to help cut out the sun, but i can't wear the hat with the goggles. Maybe i need a better helmet with a better sun shade? do they make those?

As for the visor i got, i was having problems with under 50 degree weather and my eyes just couldn't handle it. I bike commute 16 miles total every day and the cold weather effected my eyes the most, every other body part i can protect easily. My eyes became very watery and i was feeling exhausted after the 35 minute bike ride, but with the goggles it takes all that away. Just gotta figure out how to deal with sun.
 
Helmets with visors tend to be marketed as mountain bike helmets, and those without visors as road helmets.
Specialized tends to have slightly deeper visors. However, when the sun is close to the horizon, helmet visor cannot get low enough.
You may want to look at https://dabrim.com/ helmet visors.
I bought prescription safety glasses with transitions-type coating to use for biking.
 
I use ski goggles for snow and real cold for the winter commute.
I would spend more than 20 bucks on goggles though.
 
The ones I bought are the best rated ones on Amazon but they are fixed lens that cannot be removed. I am looking at the pro version that has swappable lenses for different riding conditions and styles. Some have certain tints and most go by a vlt % which I don't understand besides lower number for sunny. I figured a better color tint that blocks the sun could be the way to go. Might look into a different helmet or even that helmet brim thing, thanks!
 
IMO the best goggles available at the moment are the Leatt Velocity 6.5, however my needs are likely different to yours and they may be overkill for commuting, the vented double lenses are what steered me away from my Oakley Airbrakes, they seem impossible to fog up which is what i need.

Oh and they're at a really good price point, for the price of the airbrakes you can buy goggles and a few lenses.

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i went with the following mask with swappable lens because the mask itself had a 5 star review average and it was on sale 20$ off. Also they had photochromatic lens so i purchased that. I am wondering if buying the helmet that goes with the mask would be a good idea since it's made to pair well. Is it okay to use a ski helmet as a bike helmet? Helmet is last link


 
I also bought the salamander beak to extend the visor. Thanks for the suggestions everyone i will give an update once i use it all. The most immediate solution i have found is just leaving to go to work early before the sun rises. Only problem with that is that i can't really see well on the bike trails without using bright light, and i am a little hesitant to use my bright 1000 lumen light when on the trail, but what i've been doing is using it and just adjusting the light down when im about to pass someone to not hurt their eyes.

I am finding my sensitive eyes are a problem for early morning and night riding. Riding on the roads i feel safe using a bright light, and i just purchased a 6000 lumen flashlight that will help with that but i will not use that on the bike trail.
 
"Is it okay to use a ski helmet as a bike helmet?"

I have and it works just fine, especially for winter use as it is warmer, and provides plenty of protection I feel.
 
The sun lines up with the road on my way home from the grocery store. I wear this helmet with a visor adjusted as low as it will go. https://www.competitivecyclist.com/...lc3VsdHM6Zm94IHJhbXBhZ2U6MToxOmZveCByYW1wYWdl
Mine is white with bright yellow logo on the back. I wouldn't ride a black one. I require a chin guard; I've hit my chin 6 times falling off the bike (in 64 years) and broke it the last time 11/17.
I still have to ride with one eye closed a lot of those afternoon trips. I hide the sun behind my nose.
I wear wraparound sunglasses, uvex grade 5 when I can get them. Sold at welding shops. At night I wear clear wraparound safety glasses. Trucks spray gravel sometimes.
Wraparound sunglasses are enough protection for my eyes in the winter, down to 6 deg F. I do wrap the vents in the helmet with cling wrap below 20 deg F. Especially the one that blows in my chin. I wear a welder's helmet liner under the helmet below freezing to keep my ears warm. Also sold at welding shops. I might say in hard winter I hardly ride over 8 mph. It is in the spring/summer/fall that I coast down the hills outside town at up to 35 mph.
 
Hey all i tested out the new ski goggles today and they were pretty good. My glasses barely fit in them and caused a little pain but after adjusting that went away. I used the blue lenses first, they came with the goggles and i wanted to test them out to see if it were comfortable and they were, so i brought out the photochromic and tried them out and they seemed pretty good. Thanks all for the suggestions. I ordered the helmet in white and the salamander beak and i should be good to go for the winter.
 
so today i used the photochromic lens after pulling over because i was being blinded using my regular ski goggles. I put on the photochromic lens and started to shield my eyes due to reflex, but after a few minutes i realized i could actually just look normally and not block the sun while i was wearing them, pretty amazing. I didn't stare directly in the the sun but it was in my vision which was very odd, but my eyes were not bothered at all besides the glare from the sun. Was pretty cool experience thanks for the suggestion. Will be getting the salamander beak so i don't have the sun in my vision at times like that hopefully, because i am sure even with those lenses its not good for the eyes for great periods of time. While i would only want to use it in direct sun for maybe 20 to 40 minutes a week, i still think it might be too much. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
 
Reviving this old thread to report another way to keep the low sun out of your eyes: the Rezzo helmet visor by Da Brim, seen here in black:

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The simple concept works surprisingly well: Wrap a cleverly designed strap around the base of your helmet, and attach the separate bill at the desired angle with some strategically placed velcro.

Tried the 3.5" bill to split the difference between the 3.0" and 4.0" options. It's working out well.

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On helmets like mine with no suitable groove in back, the tight strap's held in place by the black faux leather "friction sleeve" seen here at center. Low-tech but does the job.

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The intentional adjustable vent (gap) between the bill and the front of the helmet keeps pressure from building up underneath. This gap was plenty for a 32 mph descent. No pulling on my head or slipping out of place.

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The dog thinks the bill looks kinda dorky, but keeping the direct late-afternoon sun out of my eyes is an important safety issue around here. I like to ride at this time of day, and a lot of the roads involved run east-west.
 
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UPDATE: After 5 more weeks of daily use, I'm declaring my Da Brim Rezzo helmet visor a keeper.

The bill does a good job of keeping direct sun and water glare out of my eyes. In one moderate rain, the bill kept my glasses completely dry. And after several windstorms and half a dozen descents at over 30 mph, the bill and mounting band are still firmly attached to the helmet — no adjustments needed.
 
I just installed Da Brim on my helmet and, whoever first discovered this item and alerted us on this site about them should get a hero reward! It was a little confusing to install with the black and white manual but the You Tube video helped me get it right. What a great product!
 

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one of the best colors is the ruby red for varying conditions. you get good color and good blocking. its not dark enough for super bright conditions.
 
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