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Sweat in the Eyes...Product Advice

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Old 07-22-06, 01:52 AM
  #1  
BayBruin
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Sweat in the Eyes...Product Advice

It's obviously hot out...in all parts of the country. I have been getting waterfalls of sweat going into my eyes. My LBS didn't have sweat bands so I just hung in there. A friend says I need to be careful because some are really thick and don't fit under helmets very well. So I was at another bike shop one day and the kid there sold me on this device that I like to call the "sweat gutter." It's a rubber headband with a channel up front that is supposed to direct the sweat away from your eyes. I thought it was an interesting concept so I bought one especially when the kid said, "what do you think happens when the sweat bands get saturated?" So I head to work the next day with this rubber band contraption on my head and it was very uncomfortable at first. It didn't easily fit under the helmet either. It was irritating but I thought that I probably just need to break it in. Then on the way home it's hot and I have the thing on. I can feel the sweat run down my forehead but it doesn't go straight into my eyes. Although it was still a bit uncomfortable I appreciated the fact that the waterfall was absent. Then...it happened....the sweat started to fill up the channel and drop out the ends....unfortunately this is a one size fits all thing and apparently I have a wide head so the sweat was collecting up and dumping into the corners of my eyes....UGH! I tried to re-arrange the thing but to no avail. Later I just stopped and yanked the thing off and threw it in my bag.

I used it again today because I was desperate in the 100+ heat. Somehow it worked better this time. I think maybe it stretched out a little (should have thought of that before) and the sweat wasn't running into my eyes really. I'm not totally sold on this though....so what are your opinions on sweat bands and other similar equipment? Sweat in the eyes sucks.
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Old 07-22-06, 03:02 AM
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no advice. i would like to know too. i don't know what it is that i'm ingesting, but it comes out in my sweat in the form of hot poison, and when it gets in my eyes, i pity the rider that tries to pass me because i become a swerving fool.
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Old 07-22-06, 04:38 AM
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It's the ealy in your sweat that burns your eyes. I found that if you get a fitting sunglasses that it helps.
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Old 07-22-06, 05:59 AM
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I use a "Halo" brand sweat band is has a so called sweat gutter in it. Here is a link with some info on it. https://www.webmountainbike.com/haloheadband.html

I bought 2 of these when I was in Plano Texas last year at a bike shop.
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Old 07-22-06, 06:06 AM
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A wicking do-rag has worked wonders for me. The extra materials flapping around at the back gives more surface area for sweat evaporation.
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Old 07-22-06, 06:28 AM
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you can try using a little petroleum jelly to make extend the barrier around your eyes. just be sure not to wipe it away accidentally.
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Old 07-22-06, 06:48 AM
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Headsweats are your friend. Most bike shops have them and they're available all over the place on line. (Nasbar, Performance, Jenson...)

https://www.headsweats.com/
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Old 07-22-06, 08:14 AM
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I've used both the Sweat Gutr and the Halo. The Halo is more comfortable and works very well. With the Sweat Gutr I find that I have to wear it just barely above my eyebrows. I do wish the gutter section were a little longer, but overall it works for me.
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Last edited by blwyn; 07-22-06 at 06:13 PM.
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Old 07-22-06, 01:27 PM
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I do well with some cheap bandanas. I'll swap out the sweaty one after a few miles. They dry fast.
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Old 07-22-06, 01:59 PM
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Nashbar SweatVac Headband
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Old 07-22-06, 04:47 PM
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Do Wrap SweatVac has bandana, skullcap and headband styles all in one place. https://dowrap.com/
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Old 07-24-06, 03:55 PM
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I've got a coomax skullcap (no tails flapping about) and it works pretty good for this. Just gotta make sure the headband is pulled down to the eyebrows.
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Old 07-24-06, 04:01 PM
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I have a coolmax cycling cap. The coolmax wicks the sweat up onto my head where it cools and keeps it out of my eyes and the bill keeps the sun and car headlights out of my eyes. I am lost without it.
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Old 07-24-06, 04:04 PM
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I wore a $2 bandana.

Make sure you wash them first, because the color runs like a mother....

I didn't wash them before I wore them, after the ride I notice people staring at me. Because my forehead was solid green.
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Old 07-24-06, 10:38 PM
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Just grow some massive eyebrows (or should I say eyebrow). They work wonders.
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Old 07-25-06, 01:01 AM
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I have the same problem, and I've had a lot of success with the Buff. https://www.buff.es/
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Old 07-25-06, 01:05 AM
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Another vote here for the petroleum jelly - just a smear around the eyes and bridge of the nose works wonders…

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Old 07-25-06, 10:31 AM
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I just bring a face cloth and wipe as needed. Simple, effective, and cheap.
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Old 07-25-06, 10:36 AM
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I use a cycling cap or a head sweat/bandana worn under the helmet. The cycling cap keeps the sun out of my eyes as well as wicking sweat away from my eyes while the head sweat is better at sweat management. It's a tradeoff. I think you can get something which combines the concepts though.
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Old 07-25-06, 07:52 PM
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I had a sweat gutter band for years and finally wore it out. I couldn't find another at the time, so I decided to make my own. I bought a roll of flexible icemaker feed line at Home Depot, cut off a section to fit from ear to ear and hooked it together with elastic. It's round - doesn't have the gutter part, but the sweat rolls down behind my ear and drops off. I figure I can make 25-30 from a roll for $3 - where one Sweat GUTR costs $15.
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Old 07-25-06, 08:51 PM
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As weird as this might sound, I used to get this all the time until it was helmet replacement time. my new helmet, a bell x-ray mtn bike helmet, has helmet pads and vents that seem to work in tandem to keep sweat out of the eyes. I dont think i have gotten a dumping of sweat in the eyes since I switched to it over a year ago. I have seen huge drops tossed to the side from the wind, but no run off into the eyes.
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Old 07-25-06, 08:54 PM
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https://www.haloheadband.com/sitemap.html
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Old 07-25-06, 08:58 PM
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Originally Posted by pvfjr
Just grow some massive eyebrows (or should I say eyebrow). They work wonders.
Let us know what they work wonders for. I have an eyebrow and sweat runs right through it. When forced to ride in high heat I use several of those braided sweat bands used for aerobics in the old Richard Simmons days. Loosen helmet and change band when full.
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Old 07-25-06, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul L.
I have a coolmax cycling cap. The coolmax wicks the sweat up onto my head where it cools and keeps it out of my eyes and the bill keeps the sun and car headlights out of my eyes. I am lost without it.

do you wear a helmet? sometimes I don't want to. I feel so liberated...
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Old 07-25-06, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by shakeNbake
I wore a $2 bandana.

Make sure you wash them first, because the color runs like a mother....

I didn't wash them before I wore them, after the ride I notice people staring at me. Because my forehead was solid green.
+1 for the bandana.

Maybe I don't sweat much (which I doubt is the case as I break a sweat just thinking about moving around outdoors most days, but there's a forehead pad in my helmet that seems to do a good enough job 90% of the time.

Regarding the stinging, rinse your hair really well when washing and don't put product in your hair before cycling. I've noticed that my sweat stings my eyes most when I've got gunk in my hair or when I take quick showers the morning before I ride.
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