REWORKING YOUR GOGGLES

Eyeballs tend to be soft, squishy things. Rocks tend to be hard, cruel things that can easily damage soft squishy things like eyeballs. Thank goodness Herman E. Gog invented goggles back in 1812. Now we can brave the dangers of flying rocks without even blinking. Goggle setup is almost an art. Everyone has a different theory on how it should be done. Here are some of the various setup tips that we find most useful.

1: Good living through chemicals. You need to have a good selection of stuff to do the job right. Number one on the list is a good plastic cleaner to remove the chunks from last week?s ride. We like Honda?s plastic cleaner, but Pledge and Klean & Shine work well too.

2: Riding in dust: Use a good anti-static agent. Moose Dust?r and Armor All work well, or you can make your own solution with diluted fabric softener. Next, use Vaseline on the foam to keep the dust out. Baby oil will get in your eyes. Roll-Offs are good for short races, but eventually dust gets under the film.

3: For cold: Fog is a big problem in most slow, tight races. Use a good anti-fog lens or a lens with a double pane. On top of that, use an anti-fog agent. If you have to improvise, let a layer of soap scum dry on the inside of the lens, then polish it off. It will smear slightly, but it works!

4: For rain: Nothing is perfect for a downpour. In light rain, use Roll-Offs with a protective strip across the top to keep water from getting under the film. Smith makes strips specially for this, but you can fold a strip of Scotch tape to improvise. If you expect really heavy rain, then use a bare lens with Rain-X. Keep a squeegee on your finger?the Aerostich V-wipe works well.

5: Some riders fasten two lengths of light fishing line on their goggles to keep Roll-Off film from sticking. A drop of Super Glue is all it takes to anchor either end, well out of the line of sight. But as usual, it won?t help in really wet conditions.