Interested in the pros and cons, lets hear yah.

First comment – I do not need corrective lenses (except for things 1m from my face).

Most of the rides we do around here are slog ups, followed by long fast downs. A usual Sunday ride would be about 30-40km total, with 40% going up once 700m +/- 100m, then extended, fast and tech down. Something like that.

It has become very apparent, after many years of putting up with it, that on almost all of these rides, riding glasses (and I have many!) really don’t work that well for me.

Om the way up, they steam up (I’m put out more steam than a heard of heifers), on the way down, they never do enough to stop my eyes from streaming, or occasionally, unluckily, to stop things pinging into my eyes (i do use a front mud guard). Sweat also often runs down the inside of the lenses and creates a Dali-esque view of teh world. Not good.

TL/DR: Has anyone ditched the glasses and gone full enduro with a pair of goggles instead? How well does it work? Do you have different lenses for different conditions? What’s the trade off?

Is there goggles that are particularly recommended? (I do ski, and love my Julbo zebra lens fellas)

I can envisage on the bigger rides just mounting them on my helmet for the way up, then donning them and screaming “STRAAVVAAA” on the way down.

Thoughts and experiences appreciated!

I’ve just started using goggles. I only wear them for the downs so misting isn’t an issue for me. Unfortunately, between buying them and using them I’ve had an enforced change of helmet so they clash and all the other enduro bros laugh at me…

My son only wears goggles. Usually hang round his neck on climbs, then stop n put them on (while he’s waiting for me!) Got clear and tinted lenses, but clears stay in most of the time. I’ll never go the whole way, but have found goggles much better at the DH park and BPW, where its much more critical if you get dust/mud in yer eye.
I just bought myself some cheap Thor ones off SportPursuit. His are 100% off CRC – good because spare lenses are easily available and cheap.

I use them for the type of riding you describe and for racing enduros . I find they work really well for that type of thing , i really noticed the improved vision . The only issue i have is you really have to make an effort to keep them clean and dry between trails on wet days .

i have a pair of the cheap 100% ones with a clear lens .

Tried it, hated it, could never find a goggle that would work with an open face lid, without annoying me in one of many ways.

Recently bought a decent pair of big Smith glasses for riding in and they are amazing. Previously I’d always been a bit of a cheap skate in case I lost them, broke them, etc & they were always rubbish, but these Smith glasses are great.

I’ve never been a huge fan of goggles, even when racing DH, typically the only ones I’ve found that didnt pinch my nose or restrict my breathing were the Oakley Airbrakes, for the monies, but they dont work either on an open face lid.

Having not raced DH in years, I now find a FF lid and goggles restricts my vision massively (mostly it’s the goggles) so tend to just ride without them now & use a big RRP mudguard if I’m in an environment that needs a proper helmet.

So basically for me, it sucks. Uncomfortable, restricts my breathing, restricts my vision, and I look like (more of) a tit.

Oakley O-Frames with Bell Super 2r. I like that combo, but find cheap safety glasses better in the pissing rain, as they are easier to wipe/attempt to dry. Once the foam on goggles gets soaked, they’re useless.

Something for no more than around £30 from Oakley, Spy, 100%, etc will do the job nicely. Goggles absolutely are the right tool for the job when all you’re concerned with is vision on the way down. As above though, you’ll want to pay attention to keeping them dry on the way up though (including hanging them somewhere that you won’t accidentally fog them up)

Yeah I go full enduro now and then, mainly in dusty conditions. I like it but I find it a bit of a faff and tend to wear glasses more – and then nothing when it’s raining.

Full enduro here, all the time. A bit overkill for the more gentle linking trails between proper downs, but worth it overall. Basic Oakley model for c.£30 in whatever lurid colour an online MX shop can offer. Currently bright pink with matt black lid, goes well with the blue and orange bike, I feel!

I used ‘Tactical’ goggles for a while.

They’re kind of a halfway house as they tend to be a bit smaller than bike or ski goggles.

They worked ok until I had a big crash and broke them , and I’ve not gotten around to replacing them.

But yeah, keeping them dry on the climbs is a total pita ime.

Always struggled with glasses steaming up, but that goes for goggles too.

I took a punt on some of the Rad8 / Mudhugger 504 glasses (with Cathro discount) and they’ve been great – the anti-fog treatment really works and they have good coverage too.

Smith MTB Squad googles here, they are really well vented, though will fog up if hanging around my neck I when climbing.  When the weather turns filthy it’s the only way some of the downs are passable. Clear lenses are going back in for the next ride as well.

100% goggles for steep stuff riding. Make a massive difference. I was willing to admit they were just Ponce but they are an improvement. The clear double skin lenses work well.

I got some new 3m safety glasses from work. They have a foam like insert and are like a pair of mini goggles.

You can’t steam them up at all. Blowing breath on them to clean them also does bugger all.

Pretty decent! Will get some pics. They are perfect blend of glasses/goggles.

I used Foakley Jawbreakers for ages and had issues with them steaming up when cooler, eyes streaming when really cold and when hotter sweat dripping of my forehead onto the back of the lens!

Decided this year to go full enduro and havent looked back, I have the Kask Rex which was designed to run with goggles. If a winch up I will put the goggles back in the carry bag and hang this off the handle bar, if up and down XC climb will push the peak up and rest goggles there, anything down will put them on. I have some 100% Goggles and use the 3 for £10 replica lens of eBay if they get scratched from wiping dirt off.

A few years back I did the Brecon Gap ride on a trip to Wales. Because we were over there for some uplifting at BPW the following day I put my goggles in my pack. When we got to the big descent from Windy Gap I went full enduro down the fast rocky path which was running with water like a mountain stream.

They were absolutely bloody brilliant!

Goggles yes – mostly reserved for when it big ups and fast downs. Keeping them clean and dry is a pain in normal riding conditions so I’ll use glasses.

Very interesting – I can understand the haters, like any eyewear it does require management.

With glasses, I don’t have a way to connect them to my helmet, especially as usually on the ups the helmet is on the bars. So, goggles would actually be a benefit here. Also, I get incredibly sore pressure points above my ears where the stalks go after a full day, goggles would alleviate that I guess?

I do like the aspect of much better ocular protection – my eyes are streaming on the fast bits, with stones and shit pinging up into the gap. I’m getting more enthused at this idea by the second, as I realise just ho often my vision is seriously compromised as I hurtle out of a control towards a slippy rock garden.

Since I was skiing as a wee boy, it amazes me how much better current goggles are compared to old ones, esp relating to quality of lens and, most importantly, not fogging.

Does it make sense to look for dual lens, well ventilated, ‘frameless’ set of MTB goggles too?

Do users find they change lenses often or are clear ones fine for majority of riding?

Also, I get incredibly sore pressure points above my ears where the stalks go after a full day, goggles would alleviate that I guess?

A different pair of glasses would likely alleviate that tbh (I have a pair of glasses that do that too, but several pairs that dont)

Does it make sense to look for dual lens, well ventilated, ‘frameless’ set of MTB goggles too?

Not really as the environment is far harsher, you’ll likely regret it soon after seeing your first scratches. As mentioned above, single lenses can be had dirt cheap making swapping as necessary pretty painless

I use a mix of both around here. Mostly I use Jublo Renegade glasses, they’re the only ones that don’t steam up on me, and like you I tend o put out a bunch of heat. Have used goggles for when it’s very shitty, but they do tend to get covered in crap v quickly, and while it’s true that none of that goes in your eyes, you often can’t see that well either!

Tried it, but I’m a sweaty mouth-breather. I always end up fogged up in about 2 yards.