Cold Weather Blues and a Solution

Steve McDonald said:

The cold and foggy weather I experience on my nighttime rides
lately, has been hard on my eyes and face. With a new fairing, I get an
extra hard blast from over its top. So, I have experimented with
goggles, ski masks, balaclavas, etc. I got a set of Bell off-road
motorcycle goggles for $20. (including an extra lens). It works well
and has good padding around the edges. I also got a Remington hunting
balaclava for $9. By themselves, these two items are fine, but until I
figured out something, I couldn't wear them together. I was pulling the
balaclava up over my mouth and nose and the goggles were immediately
fogging up inside. My moist breath was moving up through the fabric and
coming out under the lens. By wearing it pulled down below my mouth,
the problem was almost solved. I also put duct tape over the
ventilation slots on the bottom of the goggles and they stay completely
clear. This balaclava has one oval opening for the eyes and mouth.

The problem is that your breathing wrong, for wearing a balaclava,
breathe IN through the NOSE and OUT through the mouth.... When
breathing out blow slightly, then your glasses will not fog up.

This also helps in extreme cold, when a 3 hole balaclava is required,
because the air your breathing in, gets warmed slightly being pulled
through the material.

W

"Steve McDonald" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The cold and foggy weather I experience on my nighttime rides
lately, has been hard on my eyes and face. With a new fairing, I get an
extra hard blast from over its top. So, I have experimented with
goggles, ski masks, balaclavas, etc. I got a set of Bell off-road
motorcycle goggles for $20. (including an extra lens). It works well
and has good padding around the edges. I also got a Remington hunting
balaclava for $9. By themselves, these two items are fine, but until I
figured out something, I couldn't wear them together. I was pulling the
balaclava up over my mouth and nose and the goggles were immediately
fogging up inside. My moist breath was moving up through the fabric and
coming out under the lens. By wearing it pulled down below my mouth,
the problem was almost solved. I also put duct tape over the
ventilation slots on the bottom of the goggles and they stay completely
clear. This balaclava has one oval opening for the eyes and mouth.

Using a ski mask or balaclava that has separate holes for the eyes
and mouth would cause this problem if goggles were used. One with a
single, larger opening, can be pulled down below the mouth to avoid
giving the moisture a pathway up to the goggles or glasses.

No matter how cold it is, my head now stays warm and comfortable.
The good polycarbonate lens in these Bell goggles doesn't distort or
noticeably diminish the view ahead. They also serve as good protective
goggles, covering a wide area with a solid shield. I'll use the goggles
in my workshop when running power tools. Another benefit of these
items is to improve the streamlining of my head. A helmet could be worn
with them, if it was slightly larger inside.

Steve McDonald

The next time you wash or shave, take some of the soap, and smear it on your
glasses or goggles inside and out, and let it dry. Then buff off the dried
soap film with a soft cloth.
Works great. Then it won't fog up on you.
If you don;'t beleive it, try it on a window pane, or your bathroom mirror
and see what happens.

Wogster wrote:

The problem is you're breathing wrong, for wearing a balaclava,
breathe IN through the NOSE and OUT through the mouth.... When breathing
out blow slightly, then your glasses will not fog up.
---------------------------------------------------

Sorry, but these are enclosed goggles and any breathing through the
fabric with mouth or nose will put fog on the inside. The moist air
wicks through the weave of the balaclava and if any part is under the
seal of the goggles, it ends up inside the lens. Wearing open glasses
is a bit different, although I had trouble with some wrap-around safety
glasses, if any of the fabric was under their rims. When I ride at
full speed for an extended distance, breathing gently is not an option.

I doubt if an anti-fog coating would help with sealed goggles, as
any moisture that gets inside them has to go somewhere. Their
ventilation ports can't move the fog out as fast as I put it in. I
tried every combination of breathing and positioning the balaclava,
before I realized I couldn't be breathing through any of its fabric. A
3-holed ski mask I tried was even worse, as I couldn't keep it away from
my nose, until I converted it into a one-holer. Having my mouth and the
lower part of my nose exposed isn't so bad, as I had always worn nothing
but a cap and protective glasses before.

Steve McDonald

Steve McDonald said:

Wogster wrote:

The problem is you're breathing wrong, for wearing a balaclava,
breathe IN through the NOSE and OUT through the mouth.... When breathing
out blow slightly, then your glasses will not fog up.
---------------------------------------------------

Sorry, but these are enclosed goggles and any breathing through the
fabric with mouth or nose will put fog on the inside. The moist air
wicks through the weave of the balaclava and if any part is under the
seal of the goggles, it ends up inside the lens. Wearing open glasses
is a bit different, although I had trouble with some wrap-around safety
glasses, if any of the fabric was under their rims. When I ride at
full speed for an extended distance, breathing gently is not an option.

I doubt if an anti-fog coating would help with sealed goggles, as
any moisture that gets inside them has to go somewhere. Their
ventilation ports can't move the fog out as fast as I put it in. I
tried every combination of breathing and positioning the balaclava,
before I realized I couldn't be breathing through any of its fabric. A
3-holed ski mask I tried was even worse, as I couldn't keep it away from
my nose, until I converted it into a one-holer. Having my mouth and the
lower part of my nose exposed isn't so bad, as I had always worn nothing
but a cap and protective glasses before.

What I did was to take a piece of stretch fleece (thin) and make
something like a wide headband to wear over my nose/cheeks with a
regular balaclava & goggles:
<http://home.comcast.net/%7Epeter_cole/face.jpg>

I rode today with a Giro Ravine snow sports helmet with one-touch
adjustability of all air vents while riding , balaclava with my nose
exposed and a pair of North Face Adrenaline glasses that was perfect
for 25 deg weather with 10-20mph winds. I plan on using ski goggles and
a PolarWrap mask when it gets really cold.

I wonder if the problem I described of moist air from the breath
wicking up through the fabric of a balaclava to fog goggles, could be
solved by wearing a wet-suit hood? A thin, 1/8-inch one might work, if
it didn't become wet underneath from perspiration. They are made from
closed-cell foam rubber, so moisture wouldn't pass up to the goggles. A
wet-suit also has to be washed and disinfected after each use or it
becomes putrid. If anyone has such a hood and can try it on a bike with
goggles, it would be helpful to hear the results.

Steve McDonald

Steve McDonald said:

I wonder if the problem I described of moist air from the breath
wicking up through the fabric of a balaclava to fog goggles, could be
solved by wearing a wet-suit hood? A thin, 1/8-inch one might work, if
it didn't become wet underneath from perspiration. They are made from
closed-cell foam rubber, so moisture wouldn't pass up to the goggles. A
wet-suit also has to be washed and disinfected after each use or it
becomes putrid. If anyone has such a hood and can try it on a bike with
goggles, it would be helpful to hear the results.

Steve McDonald

Neoprene face masks are common. A wet suit hood would be a lousy
solution, it would trap all sweat. I have use neoprene gloves in wet
weather -- they have a very narrow tolerable temperature range, and even
within that aren't very comfortable.

Steve McDonald said:

I wonder if the problem I described of moist air from the breath
wicking up through the fabric of a balaclava to fog goggles, could be
solved by wearing a wet-suit hood? A thin, 1/8-inch one might work, if
it didn't become wet underneath from perspiration. They are made from
closed-cell foam rubber, so moisture wouldn't pass up to the goggles. A
wet-suit also has to be washed and disinfected after each use or it
becomes putrid. If anyone has such a hood and can try it on a bike with
goggles, it would be helpful to hear the results.

A better solution might be what is called a neck gator, it's basically a
circle of fabric, similar to a scarf, but sewn into a circle, this,
could be worn several ways, depending on what is needed.

This is what I use, when hiking (in winter), and this works to very cold
temps. Temps are degrees C value is brackets are degrees F.

Above 5 degrees(41), you call that cold, WIMP!!!
0 - 5 (32-41) I'll take my neck gator, wear it like a hat, a tuque is
also a possibility.
-5 - 0 (23-32) a tuque (a knitted cap, popular in Canada, can also be
spelled toque or touque), this could go under a helmet.
-10 - -5 (14-23) I add the neck gator to the tuque, covering the lower
half of my face, the idea being to look like one of those middle eastern
women where only the eyes are visible.
-15 - -10 (5-14) I use an open face balaclava with the neck gator, up
over my face, yeah it looks silly, but you get there nice and toasty.
-25 - 15(-13 - 5) I dig out my 3 hole hunters balaclava.
Below -25, either dig out the real survival gear, or my preferance, grab
my significant other, and stay indoors.....

W

I have a solution for foggin' goggles, get some of this stuff
http://www.sharpdiver.com/product_info.php/products_id/379 . You should
be able to pick some up in the UK.
As for keeping warm in the winter, do what I do...

live in the tropics.

Sorry,

Marz

Marz said:

I have a solution for foggin' goggles, get some of this stuff
http://www.sharpdiver.com/product_info.php/products_id/379 . You should
be able to pick some up in the UK.
As for keeping warm in the winter, do what I do...

live in the tropics.

You can always dress for cold, especially with some of the cold weather
gear developed in the last 20 years or so. Polyester fleece, Polartec
and Goretex can do wonders even when the temps are below that of a
penguins instep. The real key in cold is to keep the inner most layer
of clothing dry and at around 20C (68F). That's easy to do, even when
the temperature less then 1cm further out is -40C.

I would like to have a winter bike, this would have a hub gear --
probably something like a Nexxus 8 ( a Rohloff 14 would be my first
choice, but they are serious cash), and a set of studded snow tires,
probably an MTB layout otherwise....

W

The Wogster said:

I would like to have a winter bike, this would have a hub gear --
probably something like a Nexxus 8 ( a Rohloff 14 would be my first
choice, but they are serious cash), and a set of studded snow tires,
probably an MTB layout otherwise....

Way overkill. A fixed gear road bike with studded tires will go through
anything.

Peter Cole said:

The Wogster said:

I would like to have a winter bike, this would have a hub gear --
probably something like a Nexxus 8 ( a Rohloff 14 would be my first
choice, but they are serious cash), and a set of studded snow tires,
probably an MTB layout otherwise....

Way overkill. A fixed gear road bike with studded tires will go through
anything.

On some icy commutes, my 18 or 21 speed winter MTBs can become
fixed gear.

Ice and slush can freeze up the shift cables (can freeze up the
brakes as well, but the cables are more protected in being on
the top tube while shift cables run low).

Just shift to the middle ring and a mid-range rear cog so that
when things freeze up and you are riding a de facto fixed gear,
you still have the right ratio for flat cruising, or climbing
that steep hill.

I would think an ultimate winter bike would be one resistant to
brake freezing instead of gear freezes.

Not certain what sort of brake that would be. Probably an internal
hub brake since even disks might be vulnerable to ice and slush.

SMH

Stephen Harding said:

Peter Cole said:

The Wogster said:

I would like to have a winter bike, this would have a hub gear --
probably something like a Nexxus 8 ( a Rohloff 14 would be my first
choice, but they are serious cash), and a set of studded snow tires,
probably an MTB layout otherwise....

Way overkill. A fixed gear road bike with studded tires will go
through anything.

On some icy commutes, my 18 or 21 speed winter MTBs can become
fixed gear.

Ice and slush can freeze up the shift cables (can freeze up the
brakes as well, but the cables are more protected in being on
the top tube while shift cables run low).

Just shift to the middle ring and a mid-range rear cog so that
when things freeze up and you are riding a de facto fixed gear,
you still have the right ratio for flat cruising, or climbing
that steep hill.

I would think an ultimate winter bike would be one resistant to
brake freezing instead of gear freezes.

Not certain what sort of brake that would be. Probably an internal
hub brake since even disks might be vulnerable to ice and slush.

Probably a hydraulic disc, with a winter weight fluid (lighter weight
then normal). As for gears an internal hub with a rubber boot over the
bottom end of the cable, to protect the mechanism.

W

Stephen Harding said:

Peter Cole wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Way overkill. A fixed gear road bike with studded tires will go
through anything.

Quoted message said:

I would think an ultimate winter bike would be one resistant to
brake freezing instead of gear freezes.

Not certain what sort of brake that would be. Probably an internal
hub brake since even disks might be vulnerable to ice and slush.

Fixed gear bikes give you that, too. You always can backpedal to brake
the rear, so you always have some kind of braking even when things are
iced up solid. For me, the ultimate winter bike is the simplest -- fewer
things to go wrong, freeze, corrode.

In article <ylkgf.8746$Lw6.2736@trndny02>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

I would think an ultimate winter bike would be one resistant to
brake freezing instead of gear freezes.

Not certain what sort of brake that would be. Probably an internal
hub brake since even disks might be vulnerable to ice and slush.

That's what I used to use for winter commuting, front and rear drum
brake hubs. Quite reliable but they took some getting used to, they
never have the positive feel of rim brakes.

--
[email hidden] is Joshua Putnam
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/>
Books for Bicycle Mechanics and Tinkerers:
<http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/bikebooks.html>

On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 13:55:42 GMT, Stephen Harding
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[---]

Quoted message said:

I would think an ultimate winter bike would be one resistant to
brake freezing instead of gear freezes.

Not certain what sort of brake that would be.

Magura hydraulic brakes?

Stephen Harding wrote:

Ice and slush can freeze up the shift cables-------
-----------------------------------------------------

On my bike rides, the only essential parts that have frozen up have
been attached to me.

Steve McDonald