Dry eyes when cycling

Cycling dries your eyes because riding creates its own headwind, even on a calm day, and that moving air strips moisture from the tear film. Wraparound cycling glasses block most of it. If you use drops, stop and get off the bike first; never use them while riding. On cold rides, carry the bottle in a jersey pocket close to your body rather than a saddle bag.

Why riding is like standing in a wind tunnel

At walking pace, the air around your face barely moves. On a bike, you’re pushing through it, so your eyes face a steady breeze equal to your speed plus any real headwind. A descent doubles it. Air flowing across an open eye carries off tear moisture far faster than still air, which is why riders often notice watering, blurry vision or a gritty feeling partway through a ride.

Riding position matters too. In the drops or on aero bars you look up from under your brows, which tends to open the eyes wider and expose more surface to the wind.

Choosing eyewear for the bike

• Wraparound frames that curve close to the temples stop air from sneaking in at the sides.
• Lenses large enough to cover your line of sight in your riding position, not just when you stand upright.
• Clear or low-tint lenses for dawn, dusk and overcast days; darker ones for bright sun.
• Vents or anti-fog coating so you’re not lifting them at every climb.
• A snug fit under the helmet straps so they don’t bounce.

Prescription wearers can ask an optician about prescription cycling glasses or inserts. The Quell label doesn’t cover contact lenses, so riders who wear them should ask their eye doctor about drops.

Using drops on a ride: stop first

Tilting your head back and aiming a drop takes both hands and your eyes off the road, so it’s strictly a stopped-and-off-the-bike task. Pick a spot well off the road or trail, clip out, and lean the bike somewhere stable. Then:

• Pull off your gloves and clean your fingers with a wipe; handlebar tape and chain grease travel.
• Turn your back to the wind and take your glasses off.
• Follow the label: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye.
• Keep the tip clear of everything. The label states: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Blink a few times and give your vision a moment to settle before you ride on.

A café stop or regroup at the top of a climb is a natural time. Quell’s directions call for three drops a day per eye, so on most rides you can plan one around the start or a midride break instead of improvising.

Cold-weather rides

Fall and winter riding add cold to the speed. Cold air holds little moisture, and at speed it stings. Full-coverage glasses or even ski-style goggles under a winter helmet help on raw days. A thin balaclava protects the face but can push warm, damp breath up into your lenses, so pick one with a mouth vent.

Saddle bag or jersey pocket?

The label’s storage range is Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). On a winter ride, a saddle bag sits in the coldest, windiest place on the bike, so a bottle there can fall below the range. A rear jersey pocket, or better a chest pocket under a jacket, stays closer to body temperature. On a hot summer day, the opposite applies: a dark saddle bag in full sun can heat up, and a bike left leaning in a sunny parking lot can heat it further. Taking the bottle with you when you leave the bike avoids both.

If the bottle did get very cold or hot, check it before using. The label’s Do not use line says: If this product changes color.

Where Quell fits

Quell’s Uses read: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, and evaporation is what a headwind speeds up. The .33 fl oz (10 mL) bottle fits easily in a jersey pocket. You can read the whole label on the Drug Facts page, and dry air, wind and altitude covers the same drying factors off the bike.

Indoor riding

Trainer and spin-class riders aren’t immune. A fan aimed at your face to keep you cool is a headwind in a different form, and staring at a screen for a virtual ride cuts down on blinking. Angle the fan at your chest and blink deliberately between intervals; screens and your tear film explains why that matters.

Grit, bugs and when to stop riding

A bug or bit of road grit in the eye is common on a bike and is a reason to stop and rinse with clean water, not to use a lubricating drop. If something stays stuck, the eye hurts, or vision changes, get medical help. For dryness that doesn’t settle, the label says: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.