Protecting Your Eyes During Rides: Why It's Important

When you get ready to head out on a bike ride, you (hopefully) strap on a helmet. You choose clothing that is appropriate to the weather. You may put on gloves to protect your hands, or strap on cleats to help you pedal more efficiently. But what are you doing to protect your eyes?

It should be obvious why your eyes are so important on a bike ride: you need to be able to see well and be aware of your surroundings in order to stay on course, avoid road or trail hazards, and steer clear of collisions with stationary or moving objects. So what do you need to do to protect your vision? Here are a few tips from Hart’s Cyclery.

Look for sunglasses with a lens tint. You’ll want sunglasses that both protect you from brightness and have a lens tint that creates a significant contrast between dark and light so that you can clearly see potential hazards, such as a rock or tree branch in your path.

Look for sunglasses with a snug fit. Wraparound sunglasses will help keep the wind from drying out your eyes and protect you from insects and other debris—to some extent (our next couple of tips address what you can do when sunglasses don’t cut it).

Try lubricating eye drops. If you find your eyes getting dried out on your rides, even with sunglasses, use eye drops before you head out the door. Any grocery or drug store should have bottles of eye drops that are small enough to carry in your jersey—just make sure you avoid eye drops that are specifically formulated to clear up red eyes, since these can actually make your eyes more dry.

Stop if you get debris in your eye. You should never try to just “push on” if you get dirt, an insect, or any other debris in your eye while you’re riding. In most cases, you should be able to resolve the issue by stopping and squirting some water from your water bottle into your eye to rinse the foreign object out. If you still feel like something is in your eye a full day after your ride, you should see an eye doctor to determine if you have a scratched cornea.

Train yourself to look farther ahead. You’ll be better able to see your environment—and anticipate potential hazards—if you are looking farther into the distance rather than just at the back of the cyclist directly ahead of you. If you frequently ride with a group, practice looking at the rider four spots ahead of you. If you are riding on your own, try focusing on a car or another object farther down the road rather than looking at the ground directly in front of you.

Take care of your eyes when you’re on your bike and you are much more likely to have an enjoyable, accident-free ride.

Since 1988, Ross Hart has owned and operated Hart’s Cyclery in Pennington, NJ. The bike store sells and services the finest brands in the world, including Giant and Cannondale. We provide personalized customer service, taking the time to understand your needs, lifestyle, and athletic style. The focus is ensuring you discover the right bike and the right fit – for the best cycling experience possible.

The next time you visit, check out our newest addition: the GURU Dynamic Fit. The computerized robotic assisted system has revolutionized road bike fitting, and we’re the only shop in the area that offers the service.