Sun Protection Whilst Riding?

Ride off peak hours or at night? Between 6 and 9 am or 5 and 8 pm, the sun's rays aren't nearly as damaging.

Under Armour makes cold gear and heat gear. Its the long sleeve compression heat gear for summer. But the neck is exposed.

underarmour.commensOpen ↗

You can wear a cycling jersey that has sun-protection, in addition to the sunscreen. Just this one online shop has a wide variety of these jerseys, some of which are long sleeve, look like normal shirts instead of the sporty look, etc.

rei.commens cycling jerseysOpen ↗

I'm from MN also and I've had 3 melanomas removed in the last 3 years, so I hear you. I wear Columbia long sleeve sunshirts, long pants, and gloves. I also wear a Sweat Vac race hat turned backwards under my helmet to protect the back of my neck and my thinning scalp while riding. (it is soft and relatively cool) This gives me a hat to wear if we stop to eat. I haven't found a good way to protect my ears yet although I usually let my hair grow so it partially covers the ears. I use a spray sunscreen on my ears. I would be interested in other peoples ideas to protect the ears better. There is a product called Sun Guard that you can wash your clothes in and it is supposed to raise the SPF to 30. I've heard researchers say that it works. I am a farmer and grew up baling hay out in the sun so most of the damage was done years ago but I do my best to prevent more. Good luck!

Sun screen applied as soon as I get out of bed on a ride day, Two hours later at the trail head, I'm good.

SPF 30 to 50 water proof, get one that smells good

CopperTone Kids Tear-Free sunblock is by far the best sunblock I've ever used. It says it's SPF 50 but I think it's a mom-friendly version of zinc oxide paint.

I'm an English lad that moved to sunny California and face many a 100+F day. I used to get fried and burned by the sun on a semi regular basis on 3 to 4 hour rides with other supposedly waterproof sunblock. The CopperTone sun goes on easy but is a SOB to get off. That said, it's nice to have to struggle to get that off after a 400km brevet (~250miles) ride than it is to endure sunburn.

Go for a light long-sleeve T-shirt for protecting your arms.

I think you can also get hats that have a bill both front and back facing.

I'm a redhead also and very fair skinned so I always make sure to wear long sleeves if I can and I wear sun screen where skin is showing. I also try to ride early in the morning or in the afternoon just before the sun goes down, its not as hot and strong at those times and its much more enjoyable since its not as hot and humid.

Maybe a helmet with a tiny visor that would be able to block out the sun shining directly on your face and also elimate some UV exposure. Something like a dirt bike helmet but not quite.

Blood nuts rule! All the mad descenders I know are mad dog blood nuts, they have no fear. Just use some SPF 30 or 50 sunscreen dude and cover up when it makes sense.

I have heard this about those with red hair. I am not sure what you could do about protecting your neck, except maybe wrap a wet towel around your neck and then make sure it is kept tight around your shirt. What are you doing to protect your face in general?

I never use sunscreen in the 40 years of cycling except for about 10 rides or so when I first moved to the Mojave Desert of California. What I found out during those 10 rides or so was that I felt hotter with sunscreen then I did without. Fortunately I have the kind of skin that sun doesn't bother it much, and when a person is riding a bike the body position is changing quite a bit from the angle of the sun, add on top of that clothing, helmet and sunglasses.

However, having said that, if I was a fair skinned person I would wear sun protection regardless of how it made me feel because feeling a bit hotter is better than risking skin cancer.

If your neck and or bald head is an issue the do make this: adventurecycling.orgprotech capOpen ↗

Sunscreen only lasts so long then it's useless anyways, so if your ride is greater than 2 hours (depending on how much you sweat you may have to reapply every 1 1/2 hours) you better carry some with you so you can reapply it.

Also the higher the SPF number doesn't equate into a better sun screen. A 30 SPF will block about 96% of the UVB rays, a 60 will block about 98%, and a 75 is still under 99%!

I get myself checked every year for sun damage, I'm 61 and the doctors never find anything.

I'm quite light-skinned and strong sunlight turns me as red as a prune. I do apply sun screen when I know that I'll be spending 2-3 hours outside, on a hot summer's day. It doesn't matter if I'm cycling or doing something else, that screen protection is important. I can't wear long sleeves when it's hot, as it's very uncomfortable.

I am not fond of putting on some sunscreen I am not certain if my allergies are being caused by these products. I have no other best option than to ride at night when the sun has already set

If you're riding for long periods out in the sun, it doesn't matter who you are or what pigment your skin is. It's always a good idea to use sun protection.

I think you are on the right track, long sleeves and leggings will cover your arms and legs. A very good sunblock for your neck and face and avoid riding on peek sun hours and i think you will be ok.

Well, if you really want to ride your bike when it's (strong) sun outside your best solution is the sunscreen. Otherwise you'll have to ride at night or at the end of the day...

mauricioq said:

Well, if you really want to ride your bike when it's (strong) sun outside your best solution is the sunscreen. Otherwise you'll have to ride at night or at the end of the day...

I'm not so sure since he's allergic to sunscreen that wearing sunscreen would be a good idea, besides wearing a long sleeve jersey would have better all day protection instead of just 1 1/2 to 2 hours worth. Fortunately there is an answer from the fishing side of the world; see: http://www.anglerscenter.com/gifts-clothing/mens-clothing/shirts/columbia-blood-and-guts-long-sleeve-shirt/ Again from the fishing side of things: http://www.columbia.com/mens-pfg-bahama-ii-long-sleeve-shirt-FM7048.html Get this sort of stuff in white for max cooling effect.

And this works really well too, not so much on the stink side but it will keep you cool (white works the best at staying cooler): http://www.backcountry.com/patagonia-capilene-lightweight-crew-top-mens?skid=PAT00VV-FORGRE-S&ti=UExQIENhdDpNZW4ncyBQZXJmb3JtYW5jZSBTaGlydHMgLSBMb25nIFNsZWV2ZToxOjI6YmNzQ2F0MTExMTA4Mw==

As does this jersey: http://www.aerotechdesigns.com/shattered-glass-cycle-jersey.html

That's just some examples, surfers have worn long sleeve jerseys in the heat of the summer made for their hobby, so check out surf shops.

With all those options you can ride in the daytime and not worry about getting burned nor worry about melting away.

Clothing is our first line of defense against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and protects us by absorbing or blocking much of this radiation. The more skin you cover, the better. A long-sleeved shirt covers more skin than a t-shirt, especially if it has a high neckline or collar that shields the back of the neck. Likewise, long pants protect more skin than shorts.

As part of a complete sun protection regimen, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended covering up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat andUV-blocking sunglasses
UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. It indicates what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate the fabric. A shirt with a UPF of 50, for example, allows just 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to reach the skin.

Below are five examples of real fabrics magnified, all with different amounts of fiber or yarn per unit of surface area and providing different amounts of sun protection. The higher the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor), the greater the protection.