Dealing with salt encrusted visors
Discussion
For the past few years I have rode all through winter and have been lucky enough to have a short commute where a salty visor wasn't really an issue.
Since changing jobs I now have a 70 mile commute each way.
I didn't much fancy having to deal with winter weather on a naked bike with no screen etc ... (S1000R if it matters) so I bought a rather tasty bog spec Citroen C1 for £650 to use through the winter.
While the car has been faultless, not being on 2 wheel for the past 3 weeks is driving me crazy! So much so I took my little Benelli TNT out for a ride in the lashing down rain on Saturday.
I have previously been using one of those rectangle foam wrapped in microfiber jobbies that's blue on one side and yellow on the other. Give it a bit of a soak before leaving, tuck it under the handlebar clamp and give the visor a bit of a wipe when needed. My only concern is that over the 70 mile journey I'll be giving it a wipe canny often if there is traffic and the pad will reach a point where it makes things worse instead of improving them.
Even if it's only for 1 day a week I really need to get back on the bike again.
Any tips from you long distance winter commuter types?
Since changing jobs I now have a 70 mile commute each way.
I didn't much fancy having to deal with winter weather on a naked bike with no screen etc ... (S1000R if it matters) so I bought a rather tasty bog spec Citroen C1 for £650 to use through the winter.
While the car has been faultless, not being on 2 wheel for the past 3 weeks is driving me crazy! So much so I took my little Benelli TNT out for a ride in the lashing down rain on Saturday.
I have previously been using one of those rectangle foam wrapped in microfiber jobbies that's blue on one side and yellow on the other. Give it a bit of a soak before leaving, tuck it under the handlebar clamp and give the visor a bit of a wipe when needed. My only concern is that over the 70 mile journey I'll be giving it a wipe canny often if there is traffic and the pad will reach a point where it makes things worse instead of improving them.
Even if it's only for 1 day a week I really need to get back on the bike again.
Any tips from you long distance winter commuter types?
lukeyman said:
70 miles! Each way!
Sadist.
It's actually alright, in fact in the summer it was a pleasure.Sadist.
My commute to work takes me down the roads I'd normally head out to for an early Sunday morning blast anyway (B1257 Helmsley TT and the on to Malton) The office is literally next door to Supercars of Malton so it's nice seeing the comings and goings there.
It's tricky dealing with salt, if you try to wipe it with your glove, in my experience, you tend to make things worse and have a smeary mess which is even harder to see through, but if you leave it and it is sunny, the sun refracts in all the tiny salt crystals and it can render you almost blind as well.
I commute 50 miles each way and I tends not to be too bad and I can then clean my visor at work before heading home in the evening.
I commute 50 miles each way and I tends not to be too bad and I can then clean my visor at work before heading home in the evening.
It wasn't too bad coming in today. Thankfully the temps are just hovering around zero so the roads were relatively dry.
I made it in without having to stop and wipe the visor even though I was tempted too a couple of times because like Dakkon said, the salt crystals that were on there refracted the lights of oncoming cars all over the place and made it a little tricky to see clearly at times.
I didn't want to risk just giving it a wipe with the wet pad incase it made things worse. I reckon the wet pad along with a clean dry microfiber in my pocket will be just about spot on though.
So glad I brought the bike today though. Even though it's only been a couple of weeks since I last rode it I ever stopped smiling the while way in to work.
As a side note Michellin Pilot Road 5's are immense. I'd only ridden 10 miles on them since getting them fitted the other week and the confidence they give in these conditions is fantastic. I'm looking forward to trying them on dry roads and see how they compare with my usual Power RS's
I made it in without having to stop and wipe the visor even though I was tempted too a couple of times because like Dakkon said, the salt crystals that were on there refracted the lights of oncoming cars all over the place and made it a little tricky to see clearly at times.
I didn't want to risk just giving it a wipe with the wet pad incase it made things worse. I reckon the wet pad along with a clean dry microfiber in my pocket will be just about spot on though.
So glad I brought the bike today though. Even though it's only been a couple of weeks since I last rode it I ever stopped smiling the while way in to work.
As a side note Michellin Pilot Road 5's are immense. I'd only ridden 10 miles on them since getting them fitted the other week and the confidence they give in these conditions is fantastic. I'm looking forward to trying them on dry roads and see how they compare with my usual Power RS's
The Mike Hailwood solution looks pretty good (if not modern and always practical)!
A sponge that was wet enough to provide a flow of water to enable you to get rid of the salt and then the same item to allow you to wipe off any residual, would be great.
However, keeping said device wet enough may be a problem and you would probably need to stop to do the clearing.
I had the same problem one winter - rode out int he freezing rain. Did the day's work, and the ride back, whilst dry was blighted a) by the cold, but more by b) the salt which was accumulating on the visor and creating far more of a hazard than the morning's rain
A sponge that was wet enough to provide a flow of water to enable you to get rid of the salt and then the same item to allow you to wipe off any residual, would be great.
However, keeping said device wet enough may be a problem and you would probably need to stop to do the clearing.
I had the same problem one winter - rode out int he freezing rain. Did the day's work, and the ride back, whilst dry was blighted a) by the cold, but more by b) the salt which was accumulating on the visor and creating far more of a hazard than the morning's rain
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Microfibre-Absorbent-Ca...
That is what I have. And it can be soaked and hold a canny amount of water.
It squidges under the handlebar mount pretty securely too and is in within easy reach on my bike.
That is what I have. And it can be soaked and hold a canny amount of water.
It squidges under the handlebar mount pretty securely too and is in within easy reach on my bike.
Get a tennis ball. Slice a hole in it, a bit like taking the top off a boiled egg.
Put two small holes in the bottom of it and cable tie it to your handle bars.
Use it to hold a damp cloth that you can pull out/put back fairly easily with winter gloves.
In my experience riding in winter salty roads and spray is a hideous experience. I gave it up a few yrs ago when my commute went from 40 miles each way to 80 miles. I mitigate the difference between car and bike journey times by travelling offpeak (leave home at 5am!)
Put two small holes in the bottom of it and cable tie it to your handle bars.
Use it to hold a damp cloth that you can pull out/put back fairly easily with winter gloves.
In my experience riding in winter salty roads and spray is a hideous experience. I gave it up a few yrs ago when my commute went from 40 miles each way to 80 miles. I mitigate the difference between car and bike journey times by travelling offpeak (leave home at 5am!)
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