preventing sunburned legs?

[debclark]

I'm training for my first century and despite slathering myself with sunblock I'm having problems with sunburns on my legs. I've been wearing PI Ultrasensor shorts but I think I need something that provides better coverage. The problem is, I live in Southern California where triple-digit heat is not uncommon. Is it possible to find knickers or tights that are relatively comfortable in the heat and have chamois (chamoises? what is the plural?) that can handle long-distance rides? Would leg warmers do the trick or would they be too hot?

Thanks for any advice!

[KnottedYet]

How about wearing Rivendell's pants over your bike shorts? http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/clothing/22432.html
Or Solumbra/Sun Precautions pants over bike shorts? This one has lots of extra vents: http://www.sunprecautions.com/product.asp?itemno=2150W07+XXS+GPH&CAT=ay&SUBCAT==0au

The Rivs over my shorts feel cooler to me than just shorts and bare skin. And they are loose enough to be breezy, but not so loose they flap annoyingly. Grant very sensibly had them made with built-in ankle snuggers. The Solumbras would require you to use an ankle strap.

[Thorn]

Terry has a knicker that is designed for indoor usage, so it *might* be lightweight. There is another thread where a woman found a sun protective running tight that she found useful, but you still needed riding shorts under it. There was also a thread about Islamic sports wear, but those are probably designed for heat, not necessarily sun.

We've got solutions for long-sleeved jerseys (Boure and the Canari that TE sells), but we're still falling short for tights. Loose fitting pants are probably your best bet.

[Tri Girl]

Hmmm... that's a good question. I saw here on TE they have arm coolers- I wonder if they make leg coolers??? The arm coolers looked just like arm warmers, but were made of some cool summer friendly fabric and were white. I'd do some investigating to see if they make leg coolers.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We've got solutions for long-sleeved jerseys (Boure and the Canari that TE sells), but we're still falling short for tights. Loose fitting pants are probably your best bet.

I bought the Boure yellow long sleeved hot weather sun-protector jersey. I'm afraid it's really too hot to wear above 80 degrees F when you are grinding up the hills. Now with the summer sun and heat I'm just wearing a breezy bright yellow sleeveless tank top and putting sunscreen all over my arms- it's just cooler that way. The Boure jersey is nice to wear when it's in the 70's and I don't want to bother with sunscreen on my arms.

The Terry knickers mentioned are their "Spinnakers" which I have and like. They are fairly lightweight but they also have a very lightweight chamois, so for rides over 10 miles I need to put "real chamois" shorts over them. The Spinnakers come down to just below my knee, so they keep the thighs and knees from getting sunburned. YOu can actually wear them just around during the day, they look pretty much like "normal" capris off the bike.

[teigyr]

When I lived in SoCal, I would use 50 spf and then bring spray sunscreen with me. Spray doesn't work as well as lotion as a base but as a refresher, it's ok. I got tanlines but they were gradual. I did a multi-day ride (Calif Aids Ride 8) and used that combination with success though I was pretty windburned at the end.

As a reference, I am pale and freckled and burn before tanning. I also get hot easily so wearing full-length clothes (long sleeve jerseys and tights) in the summer isn't an option.

Go for the sports stuff that doesn't sweat off.

Hope you find something!

[Thorn]

I bought the Boure yellow long sleeved hot weather sun-protector jersey. I'm afraid it's really too hot to wear above 80 degrees F when you are grinding up the hills

Really? Hmm....I took the Boure' out in 85-ish and found it OK. My Boure is this years model--bright and has a advertising pattern on it. The fabric has lots of little holes that kept me cool. Yeah, when I stopped it was overwhelming, but I think I could have been nekkid and it would have been overwhelming when I stopped.

Only goes to show we're all different....I prefer giving myself a break from applying sunscreen "glue" occassionally and using the long sleeve. Some times I find the fabric to be less confining than the glue feeling. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Oh, and last I checked the arm coolers people did not make leg coolers :( Sending them a letter is on my to-do list.

[Bubbles]

Here's what works for me, when my bleached-white-by-Seattle winter legs hit their first REALLY sunny day: Elta MD 50 block. It's an all-zinc oxide (physical block) that prevents my legs from getting so much as a tan line along the edge of my shorts after a 3-hour ride. While I haven't tested it in the mountains yet, it is definitely the strongest sunblock I've ever used.

Drawbacks: it's heavy AND waterproof, and takes an insane amount of scrubbing to wash off at the end of the ride. And, despite the fancy nano-tech, I find that it doesn't completely soak in, and makes my legs look slightly paler. If you can deal with all of this, it will prevent sunburn.

Elta also makes a 45 and 30 block, and you might want to try one of these and work up. I've only found the stuff online or at a local dermatologist's office, so it's also a pain to find.

Good luck!