I need some advide from cold weather helmet wearers

[Jabba]

I rode in this AM and it was mid 30's.  Only a 15 mile commute... no shield, full face helmet, and perscription glasses.

I could NOT keep fog free today.  No matter what I did, besides holding my breath.  Vents all open.  Both my glasses and the inside of my visor were foggy.  I eventually had to open the visor and grit out the 35 degree wind on my face.

Anyone offer any advise?  Do I just have a crappy helmet?  I wear a size 8 hat, and I really should have an enlongated helmet.  I am wearing a Vega XXXXXL now.  Yes that's 5 X's.  Many XXL helmets fit me though.

Jabba

[hubcapsc]

I have a Shoei X11... lots of vents. When my hair is still wet, I have to have to wait until the end
of the dirt road to put down the face-shield because 2nd gear doesn't push much air through
the vents... after that, if my hair is wet and it is real humid, I might have to crack the face-shield
open one notch to occasionally clear the fog, but It pretty much always clears... South Carolina ain't
Florida, but unless we're in the middle of a drought, we know humid around here...

-Mike "one data point"

[clintsdivco]

I recently went with a full face flip front helmet.  I often have had problems fogging up in the cold and can cure it by unlocking the jaw piece and slightly raise it.  I know it's not as safe then but it still keeps the cold wind out of my face and allows me to eliminate the fogging and still be able to see where I'm going.

Clint

[Bob E.]

I have the same problem.  With the windshield, I just don't get enough air to keep things de-fogged.  I just open the visor on the helmet one notch and try to exhale downward away from the visor.  The only other thing I could think of would be to get one of those breath deflectors that fit inside of the helmet to keep your breath off of the visor.

[Chrisj CMA]

I have some anti fog spray made for sunglasses....seems to work resonably well in minimizing fog on those cold damp mornings or evenings

[DFragn]

If you're behind a windscreen it will be even worse.

Best thing is to try anti-fog applications for the visor. There are liquids and films.
IMO even the best vented helmets will fog, especially stopped or slower speeds.

Last time I fogged was on a borrowed KTM 6 hundred somethin'. We were riding tight trails between late Fall trees. I had to keep my visor down due to all the twigs in the face. It fogged so bad I went down 3x trying to avoid the tree trunks I couldn't see. Needless to say I gave up and headed for the open fields.

Fogging is dangerous...Trail or Street

[Cliff]

Like you I have a large cranium  .  I ride in some very cold weather, the HJC SY-MAX-II with the Fog City insert works great even on the 20 degree mornings.  Yes I do wear prescription glasses and use an antifog treatment on those with decent success,,, I use this >>>>  http://www.c-clearantifog.com/ on the eyeglasses. This is my first cold season using the full face helmet,,,,, what a difference, shouldn't have waited so long!

[roboto65]

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=MOS_SINGLES_G

This is what I use and it works great I buy them 10 at a time and put them in my Trunk. Just wipe before your trip and you are good to go 

[R J]

I use the glass cleaner that my Glasses repair guy cleans em with when ya show up to get em fixed or just to talk.

You will find the same thing at Rally's where they sell the sheet for $10-15 a wittle bottle...........   All it is is glass cleaner from you eye Dr.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Had the same problem this morning. 33 degrees and real foggy before dawn in the low lying areas. Fog on my windshield and in my helmet shield. In cold weather like this I wear the wifes full face. When it starts to fog or when I am slowing down and I know it will fog I crack the shield barely open. A little chilly but the fog goes away.

Never thought about the effect of wet hair on fogging. That applies to me nearly every morning and is probably part of the problem.

[highcountry]

Move to Colorado - - little humidity.     Seriously, I have never had my shield fog.  But when wearing biker's sunglasses with the padding around the inside of the frame in my FF helmet,  I occasionally have to crack open the shield when stopped or going slow because the glasses fog up.

[Ratdog]

trying getting yourself some "Zook" to keep them clear.  For the helmet face shield... get a "Fog City" layer to adhere to the inside of your face shield.

[X Ring]

Jeez, I think I have the cheapest solution.  A bar of Ivory soap.  Rub it on both sides of your lenses and polish it off.  As far as the face shield, you can try it there also.  I have a pinlock insert on my Nolan.

Marty

[Jabba]

My fog trouble is even at speed.  I do not use a windshield.  at 50+ MPH it's OK... with only a little fog in the middle by my nose... but at 30 MPH I have to open the visor a little.

It was better this AM at 47F.  Yesterday at 32 it was real bad. 

The moisture come from my breath... I assume you breathe in Colorado?

 

Jabba

[RTaz]

Hi Jabba...the best anti-fog that I've found up here in Michigan is Zooke      www.zooke.com

[dosnewfs]

I just crack the visor a little on the highway and more it town and wide open at lights.  If that doesn't work for you there are a bunch of snowmobile helmets out there.  They have deflectors to keep your breath off the visor.  Many of them are the same as the motorcycle helmets by the same companies, but just add the deflector.  I'm not sure if you can buy the parts and fit them in yourself or not.

[Karen]

My  head isn't big, so when it's cold I use a balaklava under the helmet, keep the face shield open, and have glasses that have foam around the eye sockets. When I start out, I wear the glasses loosely on my face, and after a little bit push them tight & they stay clear. Wiley X makes prescription glasses, you might be happy with something like that.

[Jabba]

I ride so rarely in the cold... it's more of an annoyance than anything else. 

I appreciate all the suggestions.

I need a new helmet.  I think part of the problem is that the vent on the top of the helmet... has fallen off.  so it's now, just a hole in the top.  That vent cover is designed to produce a low pressure area when at speed, and "suck" the air out of the helmet.  It doesn't do that anymore.  That HAS to be part of it.  I never had any real trouble in years past.

Maybe I'll design and patent a helmet with a snorkle, that keeps your breath outside the helmet completely.  hrmm....

Jabba

[deadvelvet]

this is why i dont wear fullface helmets i wear half helmets and when its cold i have a neoprene face wrap i wear and get very little fog on my glasses.

[Jabba]

Yeah... I know... but I don't like the windshield, and the wind noise with my halfie helmet without the shield is deafening.  And I don't like ear plugs.  Plus, I like the protection of the full face.

Jabba

[asfltdncr]

I don't know of anyone who has or has used these but there are heated goggles that are used in snowmobiling.

[scoot]

I have been using Rain X on both sides of my eye glasses. I rode to work on Monday, it was 28 degrees, with little trouble. I also wear a face mask which channels my breath right into my glasses. It keeps the fogging to a min. and actually seems to help keep them clean longer