Originally Posted by SalsaShark

Never tried anything rigid over the face, but i will use different fabrics, depending on the temperature. I find myself covering my face less in the winter the last couple seasons. I used to cover my nose and mouth when the temp dropped below freezing, as i would get skiers hack from the dry winter air.

I have since discovered that my body acclimates quite quickly to the dry air if i dont cover my face at all...

Below that i have a neck gaiter (which i can pull up over my mouth and nose if needed into the wind) i will throw on and some clear goggles. If it gets really cold…I have a balaclava to cover all the exposed skin on my face, and put the goggles on over that, with the helmet going on last. I was not at all cold on my face, even into the wind at those extreme temperatures…

If you are having issues with the dry air, i would try a fleece neck gaiter which you can pull up as needed...The only drawback is the decreased airflow through the fabric, which means less oxygen, and possibly having to temper your pace a bit, which is usually not too much of a concern in the deep winter months.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…for eye protection is a pair of simple, wide, plastic industrial goggles that I suspend from my cycling cap using Velcro around the nosepiece. The goggles sit very comfortably on my face securely in place even though my ears are covered.

The earpieces then provide a rigid mount for my eyeglass-mounted Take-a-Look mirror. The goggles allow sufficient room for my prescription eyeglasses, and are widely ventilated to carry away the exhaled moisture preventing fogging...

I realize now that my goggles and face mask are actually an integrated system of heating and ventilation that keeps my face warm and my vision unencumbered by fogging. The windscreen of the goggles is so effective in keeping my eyes warm that my eyelids actually perspired because my central core body was so warm, and my eyes never got cold, even on those fast windswept downhill runs...