Sweat gets in my eyes while cycling!

I've been using Halo headbands that have a rubber strip to try to guide sweat away from your eyes. When cycling, the sweat pools in the front, however, and drips right down the middle of my face. (Works much better for jogging, etc.)

I've tried lots of other solutions, but have not found a perfect one. It's a real drag to have to take off my cycling goggles to wipe my face. Also, it's dangerous when the sweat actually gets into my eyes. I can't see!

Suggestions?
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Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    I use a cap. It absorbs almost all of the sweat and it drains through the brim, a beautiful and calming waterfall right before my eyes! Fits under the helmet
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,062 Member
    I've been trying one of these out this year. Not only absorbs/passes sweat, but protects my old-guy bald spot under the helmet vents from the sun. So far, so good. We'll see how it feels when it's 90F or higher out ...

    https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/cycling-beanie-sun-protector.html
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    I use bandana. It gets soaked, extra sweat runs down sides of my face, at least nothing gets into my eyes.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    I've found a shoe lace more effective than the specialised rubberised headbands - angled so that the sweat runs backwards and trickles down my neck.
    I still get problems on those pesky high gradient / slow speed climbs though.

    Your helmet design makes a big difference too, my current Bontrager Velocis Mips is far better than my old Bell semi- aero helmet.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    I've also used a cap, but lately prefer a Mission neck gaitor designed for cooling. Can wear it like a headband, and pour water right through the helmet and the fabric holds it and gives a nice cooling effect. I'm often in the aerobars, so the sweat runs off the tip of my helmet and usually hits my Garmin bike computer.

    BTW, if you're a salty sweater like I am, a good splash of water on the bike after a ride helps avoid rust. I went through two sets of bolts on the aerobars and stem before my fitter changed them out for carbon ones. My sweat rusted them like ocean water. :)
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    edited June 2021
    I just broke down and ordered a GUTR which is a plastic gutter for your forehead. Pretty dorky looking, but it is mostly under the helmet. @sijomial 's idea of using a shoe lace sounds pretty clever and cheaper.

    I'm just pissed that I own about 4 of the Halos at $15 each. The one I wore last weekend totally failed and I was pretty miserable. I thought they used to work! They are old, but there's nothing visibly worn-out about them. I rinse them out every time.

    I recall having a few thin tie-on headbands at one time that worked pretty well. The approach was to try to get the sweat to wick out and dry off before it could drip. I can't find exactly the same thing anywhere. I recall that they were expensive.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    The other thing I do on longer rides in hot or humid conditions is spray anti-perspirant on my forehead.
    Helps to a degree.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,379 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    The other thing I do on longer rides in hot or humid conditions is spray anti-perspirant on my forehead.
    Helps to a degree.

    I've never tried that. Something new to check out.

    I have my days where I sweat like crazy and none gets in my eyes. Then I have days when I feel like every drop goes right into my eyes. I've found that snug fitting sunglasses help hold a bandana or similar, and often let the sweat wick farther back on my face at least.

    Sometimes.....
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    The other thing I do on longer rides in hot or humid conditions is spray anti-perspirant on my forehead.
    Helps to a degree.

    Good idea. I'm going to try that.

    The other thing I learned the hard way is to NEVER put sun tan lotion on my upper parts of face or my forehead. That's a guaranteed eye problem for me!

    Oh yes, no sunscreen in the eye glasses area or higher. It will find the way in and will blind and sting. Also my sunglasses sit tight against the forehand and face and kind of divert the sweat away from eyes. Every little thing helps. I ride in hot and humid weather for a good portion of the year. It's also possible that i just ignore it and blink it away if it gets to be too much. I don't pull my glasses off often to wipe eyes, so I'm definitely not bothered too much by it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I just broke down and ordered a GUTR which is a plastic gutter for your forehead. Pretty dorky looking, but it is mostly under the helmet. @sijomial 's idea of using a shoe lace sounds pretty clever and cheaper.

    I'm just pissed that I own about 4 of the Halos at $15 each. The one I wore last weekend totally failed and I was pretty miserable. I thought they used to work! They are old, but there's nothing visibly worn-out about them. I rinse them out every time.

    I recall having a few thin tie-on headbands at one time that worked pretty well. The approach was to try to get the sweat to wick out and dry off before it could drip. I can't find exactly the same thing anywhere. I recall that they were expensive.

    I put out enormous sweat too, and require my glasses to ride, so anything coming down is dangerous actually.

    GUTR is my best thing so far for me.
    I use the Halo's on shorter rides, or non-city rides where I'll keep moving. Or before it gets too hot.

    City rides when not too hot or late enough in day for shade, where I stop frequently and look down stupidly, I can still wear them.

    GUTR has same issue of looking straight down, or back at gears. If I tilt head back first to empty it, then I can look down.

    No beanie can soak up enough for me, but the Halo's skull cap where I can tie it tight as needed and some absorption on top is much better than the sweatband style one-size-fits-all.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,379 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    The other thing I do on longer rides in hot or humid conditions is spray anti-perspirant on my forehead.
    Helps to a degree.

    Good idea. I'm going to try that.

    The other thing I learned the hard way is to NEVER put sun tan lotion on my upper parts of face or my forehead. That's a guaranteed eye problem for me!

    Yeah... been there, done that!

    I have found that a couple of the kid formula spray on lotion gives minimal burn to the eyes, so if it's going to be blazing sun you can spray your face and tolerate a little if it gets in your eyes.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    I don't dare put anything on my forehead (sunscreen or antiperspirant) for fear it would get in my eyes.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    This keeps 100% of sweat, rain, and snow out of my eyes. It breathes pretty well, but is a little too warm in the very hottest days. The brim is longer than a normal hat which is great, but might be hard on the neck on long bike rides in road posture for some people?

    https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/calvus-cap
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,062 Member
    I don't dare put anything on my forehead (sunscreen or antiperspirant) for fear it would get in my eyes.

    I have that all the time. I had been - seriously - putting sunscreen on my old guy's baldspot to protect it from the sun under the helmet vent holes. That all streamed down into my eyes with my perspiration as those hot rides went on for a while. As did the sunscreen that I apply, not to my forehead, but up to my temples (I got the MTB helmet, even though I do both road and trail, just because it has a sunshade visor). I've been seeing a dermatologist for the last several years, as he zap-freezes spots now developing from my sun-careless younger days. Curse of the red-haired, fair-skinned Irish.

    I got this cooling, wicking and sun protective skintight skullcap as a trial this year. So far, it's seemed OK, but on June 5th, where it was blistering sunny, humid and hot (90F+ here on the NJ shore), it proved itself. No issues at all. I'll probably get a 2nd, so I can wash them for subsequent days. I got mine in stylish safety yellow to go with the helmet.

    https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/cycling-beanie-sun-protector.html
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    Update: I got a couple of sweaty rides in over the past week now using a GUTR. @heybales advice is very useful. You have to remember to let it clear out before you look down for any reason! I found it easier to tilt my head to the side rather than back, whereupon the sweat drips down your jowl.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I'm recalling now on strong cross-winds when tucked down a bit, and there's not a good back slope to it - sweat would actually blow over the edge too close to the glasses.

    Those massive salt stained side-burns going all the way down, especially if I didn't shave that morning. Wild looking when I'd go into convenience store for water refills.

    I should probably start practicing the right technique now, instead of 1st stop with it loaded up forgetting.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    Cycling in the summer slowly turns you into a pillar of salt...
  • markd_cronenwett
    markd_cronenwett Posts: 150 Member
    I use a beanie sort of like the one last posted. Has a terry cloth band. Got it decades ago to protect my shaved head and received a bonus sweat band. If it gets too full I just wring it out and continue. Drier climate here though.