Disadvantages of Roll Offs Goggles

Limited vision compared to tear-offs

The riders total vision is limited to the height of the roll film.   As mentioned earlier, the 48mm wide film is a huge advancement over old roll-film systems, but the total vision is still not a good as a full-sized tear-off.

Tear-offs are shaped to fit exactly to the goggle lens. When the rider pulls a tear-off lens it is like having full vision again, not just a strip of vision like a roll-off system. The advantage is more peripheral vision on the top and bottom of the lens.

The Rolling Mechanism Can Lock Up

The rolling mechanism that clears the lens when it gets dirty can sometimes lock-up, creating a dangerous situation. The mechanism may not be stuck, but it could be due to the film sticking to the goggle lens, which can happen if water gets between the film and the goggle lens. If the film gets too hard to pull due to debris, water, or any other reason, the gearing in the roll-off system can often fail. Too much resistance in the roll-off system can cause the cartridges to rip apart, or the gearing to strip, causing failure.

Another reason the rolling mechanism may be jammed is thatdirt and other debris might have gotten in the canisters or gears that make the system work properly. The best way to prevent that from happening is to take it apart and clean it regularly--ideally after every race or ride.

The last reason it may fail is that when you advance the dirty film, you’re dragging the mud or sand into the canister. This can cause the diameter of the used film to expand beyond the space available in the canister. The excess mud and dirt trapped in the used roll of film can jam the mechanism.