The Importance of Eye Protection When Riding

If you are a regular mountain biker then you most likely wear a helmet and know that staying protected is essential to your safety and continued future riding. One thing you may notice when out on the trail are the people riding without any eye protection. And many people who may be wearing eye protection are not using the right kind for the riding situation.

Eye protection is not just about wearing your sunglasses to keep the sun out of your eyes even though that is a very important type of eye protection to avoid damaging your eyes or keep you from seeing the trail and other people when you get the sun’s glare in your eyes. Always make sure you have a decent pair of sunglasses on when riding if that's your preferred method of eye protection.

If you are a regular mountain biker then you most likely wear a helmet and know that staying protected is essential to your safety and continued future riding. One thing you may notice when out on the trail are the people riding without any eye protection. And many people who may be wearing eye protection are not using the right kind for the riding situation.

Eye protection is not just about wearing your sunglasses to keep the sun out of your eyes even though that is a very important type of eye protection to avoid damaging your eyes or keep you from seeing the trail and other people when you get the sun’s glare in your eyes. Always make sure you have a decent pair of sunglasses on when riding if that's your preferred method of eye protection.

If you want to protect your eyes a little more when riding then consider getting a pair of riding glasses or goggles. You can get riding glasses that will have a protective foam barrier around them to help keep the dirt out of your eyes. If you are riding in dusty areas and behind other riders there is a much better chance of getting dirt in your eyes which can cause you to have a crash if you can see all of the sudden. If you have ever ridden at night with a light then you would be amazed at how much dirt is kicked up because you can see it much better with the bike light. Many of these riding glasses look just like regular sunglasses but do a better job of keeping the dirt out of your eyes. You can also get them with interchangeable lenses so you can have a tinted or dark lens for the daylight and clear or yellow lenses for night or for shaded areas.

For the most effective eye protection you can try out some full goggles that cover your eyes and part of your face like motorcycle riders wear. If you see any downhill mountain bikers you will notice that they wear these types of goggles with their full face helmets. Not only do they keep the dirt out they tend to stay in place better even during crashes and keep the sweat out of your eyes as well. You can get these types of goggles with clear or tinted lenses as well. They tend to cost a little more but I'm sure you will think your eyes are worth it!

So the next time you go riding with whatever eye protection you use now take note of how well they work or don’t work and decide what kind of eyewear would suit you better so you can focus on your ride rather than what's in your eye causing you discomfort. You will be surprised how much more enjoyable mountain biking is when you can see!

Posted by Jim Bernstein