Face Shield Factoids
With
companies like Arai, Shoei, Shuberth and others creating helmets that last four
to seven years, you’d think the things were indestructible. They aren't and the
face shields that come with them aren’t either.
In fact, if you hadn’t thought about replacing your face
shield lately, perhaps now is the time to do just that.
Face shields endure a lot of pain in their life. Oh sure –
maybe you’ve been through a divorce, had a messed up childhood, or suffer from
some muscular disability brought on by eating a can of Campbell’s botulism soup.
But that ain’t nothin’ compared to being struck by rocks again and again, having
flying insects imbed themselves onto your surface, or enduring the wiping of
paper towels back and forth, day after day. It may be time to replace your face
shield.
Your face shield protects your eyes and your face while
you ride. But in doing so, over time, it can impair your vision and become a
nuisance doing so. Let’s look at a few ways to increase the life of your face
shield and know when to say when.
1. No paper products – When you clean your face shield use
a micro fiber cleaning cloth or terry cloth towel to do so. Stay away from paper
towels and napkins whose fibers can mar the surface of your face shield. It’s
tempting to reach for a paper towel or paper napkin when you pull into a gas
station or restaurant. Don’t. Instead pack a quality cloth you can clean with
water and take it with you on your trip. It takes up so little space.
2. Use Gentle Cleaners – Like sunglasses, face shields
need to be cleaned with gentle cleaners. Ammonia and alcohol based cleaners like
Windex will do more harm than good on your plastic face shield. These cleaners
are made for glass and can tear away at the plastic layers on your face shield.
So instead of cleaning it, they’re actually deteriorating it. Instead use mild
cleaners like gentle hand soap and plastic cleaners. A favorite plastic cleaner
of mine is made by Griot’s out of Tacoma, Washington.
3. Rock-A-Bye-Bye-Baby – Your face shield is going to
protect your face from getting smacked by gravel. Soon enough you’ll know that’s
happened when you realize you can’t clean off an imperfection. When that happens
you suck it up and live with it. But after a few of these occurrences your face
shield is really starting to distort your view making it hard to see a far
distance when you’re distracted by numerous imperfections in the plastic. It’s
time to chuck it, vamanos, throw it way. And while it may cost you a few bucks
to buy a new one, the life you save may be your own. I make it a practice to buy
a new face shield every year. It’s your call based on how much you ride and
knowing when to say when.
4. Get Clear – Clear face shields are legal all over the
world - not to mention in all 50 states and Canada too. As for the other myriad
of face shields - they are not. In Washington State no face shield other than
clear is legal after sunset, so if you broke down with a smoke shield and make
it home after dark, you’re endangering yourself and setting yourself up for a
moving violation. The trick – purchase a set of
interchangeable optical lenses
(also know as sunglasses or eyewear) that you can carry with you while you ride.
Such systems can provide you with clear, smoke, yellow(night/fog) and driver
(amber) options so that you’ll have whatever you need for any conditions. And
some systems even come with a
prescription option.
5. Fog, Fog, Go Away – Fogging on your face shield can be
a major pain in the tutu. I’ve heard all the remedies and the reality is that
none are the end all. For mild fogging, simply open the face shield about half
an inch and that solves the issue. Rain and humidity only add to the insanity
and for that try a Scott cloth (available from Seattle Cycle Center). Most other
methods I’m aware of (Zooke etc…) cause excess moisture to develop on your lens
and impair your vision otherwise.
While a face shield does a wonderful job of protecting
your eyes and skin, it only does so until the other factors of light, age
moisture and general visibility set in. Make every effort you can to become one
with your face shield and don’t feel bad when you finally send it to the recycle
bin.
Patrick Thomas/Spring 2004
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