Riding with Contacts

[ricochet08]

Got my contacts yesterday now i can wear shades and leave my tinted visor at home.

Anyone here ride with or know anyone who rides with contacts? Seemed like my eyes wanted to dry out when i was on the highway, so i just stayed tucked in the entire stretch home. If so, anything I should/shouldn't do?

All input is much appreciated

[Azhyen]

I was worried about my eyes drying out as well, but so long as your visor and helmet properly pushes the air away from your eyes, you shouldn't have any problems.

[Liber]

I've ridden with my visor up and my contacts stay comfy.

I think you need to give your eyes some time to adjust before they are going to be completely comfortable while riding. Also, I take mine out and soak them every night while I sleep. If I don't do this they tend to get irritable during the day.

I've worn contacts since kindergarten, so I've had plenty of time to adjust. Honestly though, you should be fine in a few days.

My eyes have actually started to reject contacts. I will have to get corrective surgery in the next year or so.

[Snake]

I ride with contacts and have not had a problem wih my eyes drying out. My helmets air vents direct the air to the top of my head and back out.

[Prime]

This has been a worry of mine as well. I use Air Optix for astigmatism, what do you guys use? Does the brand make a difference?

[Snake]

I use air optix as well with no problems.

[ichibunkid.206]

Originally Posted by ricochet08

Got my contacts yesterday now i can wear shades and leave my tinted visor at home.

Anyone here ride with or know anyone who rides with contacts? Seemed like my eyes wanted to dry out when i was on the highway, so i just stayed tucked in the entire stretch home. If so, anything I should/shouldn't do?

All input is much appreciated

I've had contacts since high school... so I've had them for a while now... My suggestion is depending on how fast your eye's get use your new contacts, is not operate your motorcycle until your eye's get fully adjusted to them... The last thing you want is to have them start bother you while riding/operating your cycle in traffic or worse on the freeway

Even though I've had contact since forever.. I still use my visor on my helmet... you get a nice chunk of sand or dirt between your eyeball and contact lens while operating your cycle... that could be trouble big time.

[Mizono]

I ride with mine and have no issues. However my visor is down. The sunglasses i ride with dont block air as well as my regular sunglasses. But as mentioned alot of it depends on helmet too. Some dont route the air away from your face very well so they will dry out faster. Maybe keep some drops in your jacket just in case. I had my visor up pulling into a parking lot yesterday and got a face full of blowing dust. That sucked but it cleared up after a minute.

[Sushilover]

I wear contacts while riding also, dying out hasn't ben as big of a problem as dust or dirt getting in the eye while riding.

[Xoulrath]

I will second what some others have already said. I think you need to give your eyes time to adjust to the contacts before you start riding in them. Your eyes really do need to get used to what is a foreign object. I have no problems with my contacts though I have been wearing them for 21 years. I also remove them nightly and often go at least a day a week with glasses to let my eyes rest.

As far as wind bothering your eyes, I haven't experienced that even with the visor cracked open about an 1/8 inch, which is how I typically ride in all but cold weather. This may be a helmet specific thing. I would imagine any good helmet that flows air properly wouldn't flow air at your eyes directly.

[ally99]

I've worn them for 16 years. My word of advice is don't sleep in them. It's bad on your eyes and decreases the life of the contacts as well. Plus you'll tend to have dry eyes more often, at least, that was my experience.
Take drops with you on your rides.
The only way I'm able to ride with my face shield up even a hair (which is very rare anyway) is with sunglasses on too, and even then when approaching someone from behind, the faceshield goes all the way down. If things get in my contact while riding, I pull over and work to get it out rather than trying to blink it away on the go.
Congrats on your new eyes!

[GeorgiaHooligan]

I want to get contacts to increase my night visibility. Maybe a helmet skirt would help keep the contacts from drying out. Less air . Just a thought.

[warlord]

When you first start wearing contact you need to start with short wear times and gradually increase them. You're eyes will adjust with time. Also a lot of the newer contact do a great job of holding moisture while still being very breathable. After a couple months of continual use your eye will have adjusted and you won't have the dryness issues you're having right now unless there is another issue that needs to be addressed.

Source: Before I worked as a paramedic I was an optician and taught people how to insert, wear, and care for their contacts...

[GeorgiaHooligan]

whats the best method for a newby trying to put contacts in?

[drowe531]

just keep poking at your eye until they go in ... just kidding.

I guess just try not to focus on touching your eye and putting something foreign in it. When you think about it, that is when you continue to blink and not be able to get it in.

[Ambar]

Make sure your finger isn't real wet from the contact solution. They tend to want to stick to your finger more if it is. Also, try not to look at the contact as it approaches your eye, seeing it makes you want to blink.

After awhile you won't need a mirror or anything to put them in.

[ally99]

use your fingers to open you upper and lower lid. Make sure fingers are dry, and it sometimes helps to have a drop or two of solution inside the contact itself. Also be sure you're putting it in the right way. Inside-out contacts hurt! You'll know it's inside out if the outer lip bends outward when you look at it on your finger. It took me several months to get it down pat, and I still have days where the blasted little things just won't cooperate, but you'll get it. I know the frustration of learning though.

[Liber]

just found out my optical insurance covers 20% of corrective surgery. I think I'll give myself a new pair of eyes for my bday. after 20 years of glasses and contacts, hard and soft, I've had enough.

[ally99]

Cool Chris! Update us afterward. I've thought about getting that done many, many times!

[ricochet08]

Originally Posted by ally99

Cool Chris! Update us afterward. I've thought about getting that done many, many times!

ditto!

but as far as putting the contacts in, i look in a mirror at a 45* angle, keep your finger dry, and add a drop or 2 of solution inside the contact. makes it stick to your eye easier

[warlord]

Enjoy it Chris! I got Lasik almost a year ago and I've been loving every day of it. I paid 100% out of pocket but I know that most places have 0% financing if you pay within a certain time frame.

If you have any questions about the surgery let me know.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaHooligan

whats the best method for a newby trying to put contacts in?

There are really only two ways to put contacts in. I imagine you were shown the "poke yourself in the eye" method. This is what I usually taught people to do:

With contact on the tip of your index finger, hold lower eyelid with middle finger and upper eyelid with a finger from the other hand. Look across the bridge of your nose into the mirror and place the contact on the white of your eye with a slight press (it'll stick like a suction cup). Remove your finger and look outward and it'll slide into position over your iris. It works best if you have a drop of solution in the lens.

[Live2ride]

I don't use a mirror, just pull them outta the case, plop them in and go. My eye doctor said he had never seen anyone do that b4 . I do it every day with no problems.

[austinm911]

My eyes only dry out at night when Im looking at a computer screen for a while, I ride with my visor up, no sunglasses and my eyes are fine, even with all the wind blowing in them.

I just plop my contacts in every morning too.

Suggestion. Use two week contacts, not dailies. Dailies are super thin, and often fall out.

[NinjaBlake]

I also ride with my contacts on a daily basis and don't experience dryness. I also ride with my visor up at night. During the day I push it up to where it is cracked just a little and the air flow is perfect.