Author Topic: Sun protection while biking  (Read 5736 times)

Trying to get this right

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Sun protection while biking
« on: October 03, 2013, 03:52:27 PM »
Hello fellow bike riders!

Does anyone have recomendations for sun protection while being out and about on your bikes?  Does anyone use uv protection gear or is that fancypants stuff that isn't needed?  It is still blazing hot here and I just scored a free bike but being fair skinned, I feel the sun's rays pretty strongly (I don't tan, I just get more sun spots) and want to be careful.  Is sunscreen my best bet?

Thank you in advance for your advice. 

Cheers!

Russ

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2013, 03:59:22 PM »
I do nothing different than if I were to walk around outside for the same amount of time. If that's sunscreen for you then yeah, sunscreen. I usually don't bother, but I don't burn that quick.

Specialized sun gear probably won't get all the spots either (e.g. side of the neck), so you'll end up using sunscreen anyway.

iamlindoro

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2013, 04:02:46 PM »
Depends a little bit on where you're from, but just to give context- I am an endurance athlete and spend 10-20 hours out in the sun most weeks while engaged in sweaty exercise.  The sunscreens designed for endurance athletes (especially for triathletes, which have to put up with submersion in water followed by hours of biking and running) are quite good.  My personal favorite is Scape, which is no longer sold in the US but can still be found in Canada.

If you happen to be European or have close friends/family there, the La Roche-Posay sunscreens found in all pharmacies are excellent and are 10-20 years ahead of sunscreen technology in the USA, and are much more effective with both UV A and B rays.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2013, 10:07:24 PM by iamlindoro »

Trying to get this right

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2013, 05:37:12 PM »
Thank you for the sunscreen recommendation!  I will look to see if I can get it somehow. 

I'm located in Honolulu, HI.  The sun burns bright- excellent for year round exercise, but bad for my skin.  :)


davisgang90

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2013, 06:05:13 PM »
I keep a can of spray on sunscreen in my bike bag.  Usually just spray my face since I don't seem to tan/burn much elsewhere during my rides.

JT

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2013, 10:05:54 PM »
Hi Trying to Get This Right

Like you, I have also been 'blessed' with near translucent skin.

To get around this when cycling:
wear a helmet with a peak hat underneath
put sunscreen on the tops of my ears and nose and let it set
wear a UV 50 protection summer weight long sleeve tramping top (bought on sale)
wear summer weight long cycling trousers
use cycling gloves

This covers me up really well.

Also, I tend to ride in the early morning and late afternoon - so definitely ride outside the purple rated UV.  Um, our purple rated UV is the most dangerous - you might have a different colour/system.


Johnny Aloha

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2013, 10:25:55 PM »
I'm also in Hawaii and ride pretty often.  Also have very fair skin.

For years I've just loaded up on sunscreen, but I'm starting to lean toward the UV gear (long shirt, short, legs, etc).  Recommended by my dermatologist and for as much time as we spend in the sun, spending some money on it is worthwhile.

This_Is_My_Username

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2013, 11:48:48 PM »
specialist cycling clothing for UV protection is fancy-pants that is not needed.

Just put on some sunscreen.

GuitarStv

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2013, 06:15:13 AM »
Sunscreen works great for me.  Look for something with UVA and UVB protection and a high SPF.  I find that kids sunscreen is often cheaper than adult sunscreen, so usually buy that.

PindyStache

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Re: Sun protection while biking
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2013, 03:26:10 PM »
-Grow hair longish and build up some facial hair to prevent burning there
-Wear long sleeved shirts year-round
-Gloves or sunscreen on hands (don't need any fancypants kind, the back of your hands probably don't get very sweaty without gloves)

Also, I've seen some people wearing this sort of bike-helmet-with-built-in-sunhat. It looks a little silly but frankly I think it is awesome and means you must be bursting with self-confidence!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-07/bike-helmet-sombrero-combo-gets-laughs-blocks-killer-sun.html