sun protection clothing esp for face and neck

[skywalkerbeth]

Good morning

I am doing the NYC 5-boro bike ride in a few weeks. My bike rides are usually early or late enough that I manage to miss the worst part of the sun plus my route is somewhat shady. This is going to be a good 4-5 hours in the sun esp as I will surely end up stopping for lots of photo opps.

My helmet has a visor but it's teeny and doesn't do much - standard visor, maybe juts out an inch or so.

What clothing do you use to protect the back of your neck and if possible most of your face? I will be liberally applying sunscreen but that won't be enough. Do they make under-helmet gear which has a bigger visor? Or something with flaps for the back of your neck? Do people wear rash guards?

I have a very lightweight long sleeved shirt which will cover my arms. My padded bike shorts stop at my lower thigh so I need to figure out how to cover my legs although the face and neck are my major concern.

Thank you for any advice!

Beth

[Sky King]

Hi Beth,

You will get tons of advice so I will start :) Sun Sleeves for both arms and legs are readily available. I am a fan of loose Sun Shirts with a collar that I turn up to cover my neck. I also wear a bandana around my neck that I can get wet when I am hot. Finally when we are in the desert I am not opposed to putting my sun hat on under my helmet (my helmet is easy to adjust. This is the one I have and can be purchased at most outdoor stores. https://www.rei.com/product/767086/sunday-afternoons-adventure-hat

[BikeDutchess]

Here is another option: Da Brim (https://www.adventurecycling.org/tag/USBR%2010/sp/helmet-visor/), and a DIY version (http://www.instructables.com/id/A-DIY-Sun-Protective-Brim-for-a-Bicycle-Helmet/?ALLSTEPS).

[rebeccaC]

when riding in desert heat/sun I wear an adventure cycling protech cap (https://www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/sp/protech-cap/?nocache=1) under my helmet, a campmor blubandoo cooling neck/head band (https://www.campmor.com/c/blubandoo-cooling-neckbandoo-3) and a UPF 50+ long sleeve jersey. There are a number of long sleeve UPF jerseys and Voler has a Sol Skin line of UPF 50 leg/arm/cap items

[OakLeaf]

I have an earlier version of this Zoot flap cap (http://zootsports.com/womens/accessories/w-chill-out-flap-hat-s16). I love it for outdoor events, though I will say it's an oven when I'm exerting myself, so I don't wear it to run. With the extra ventilation of cycling, it might be okay, especially on cooler days. The crown is soft, so it should fit fine under a helmet.

[skywalkerbeth]

Thank you everyone, I ordered Da Brim and will let you know what I think.

I have to figure out arms and legs. I do have a rash guard that is allegedly 50 SPF but who knows. It would only cover arms/torso/neck though. Needs legs too, preferably.

thanks again.

[Blueberry]

Thank you everyone, I ordered Da Brim and will let you know what I think.

I have to figure out arms and legs. I do have a rash guard that is allegedly 50 SPF but who knows. It would only cover arms/torso/neck though. Needs legs too, preferably.

thanks again.

Try this for legs: http://www.amazon.com/DeSoto-Shield-Del-Sol-Coolers/dp/B009WWAKWU They make them for arms too. There are also lots of bike jerseys that have SPF fabric and might be a bit more reliable (rash guards IME are stretchy and I worry that the stretch will cause the fabric to lose its SPF).

[OakLeaf]

I can't speak to the leg coolers, but I have a pair of the DeSoto arm coolers and don't much care for them. There's virtually no stretch to the fabric, so if your arms aren't the exact shape they're sewn in, they don't stay up. Functionally they work very well - they do get waterlogged fairly quickly, but even then they're no hotter than bare skin - but mine just don't stay up. I much prefer my Zoot arm coolers. They don't make leg coolers, but Sugoi makes both leg coolers and knee coolers using the same patented fabric that Zoot does. http://us-store.sugoi.com/collections/cooler-collection

[ny biker]

I find the Craft arm coolers to be very comfortable. I bought them after a friend recommended them. She had tried several different brands and they were her favorite. I don't know if Craft also makes leg coolers.

I have problems with the fit of Sugoi shorts and tights. They all seem designed for women who have no fat at all from the waist down. I've never tried their leg coolers and it's been more than 10 years since I tried their leg warmers, so I don't know about the fit of those specific products.

[rebeccaC]

There are also lots of bike jerseys that have SPF fabric and might be a bit more reliable (rash guards IME are stretchy and I worry that the stretch will cause the fabric to lose its SPF).
Stretch is one of the items taken into account in a UPF rating. Now with the embedding of nanoparticles into synthetic fiber you can get very stretchy, breathable, wicking and light weight high UPF fabrics….and even fabric that doesn’t lose it’s UPF rating when wet.

Fabric ratings are UPF (ultraviolet protection factor). They’re calculated by measuring both UVB and long wavelength UVA radiation rather than a lotions SPF which just measures UVB.

[skywalkerbeth]

Thank you again everyone! As it happened, the sun was the least of my worries although I was completely suited up. No sun got through that day. Literally. haha

I bailed at mile 10 because it was too bloody cold!!

[ny biker]

Thank you again everyone! As it happened, the sun was the least of my worries although I was completely suited up. No sun got through that day. Literally. haha

I bailed at mile 10 because it was too bloody cold!!

Well at least you're prepared for next year! You might also want to look into the NYC Century. The roads aren't closed to cars but it's a nice ride through four boroughs (or at least it was when I did it years ago).

I'm looking forward to some improvement in the weather -- I am getting tired of trying to guess what to wear for bike rides in this cool damp cloudy weather with a constant chance of rain. Last Saturday I went with wool under an unlined Gore rain jacket. I alternated between being cold and being too warm. The ride was 62 miles with rest stops on the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River and it was noticeably colder near both bodies of water. So we'd start cold near the water, warm up as we rode and start thinking about removing layers, then get blasted by the chill again as we approached the next stop. I am just glad that it didn't actually rain! And it helped that I was riding with friends and ran into other friends at the rest stops. Lots of moral support.

[ridingfiend]

Thank you everyone, I ordered Da Brim and will let you know what I think.

I have to figure out arms and legs. I do have a rash guard that is allegedly 50 SPF but who knows. It would only cover arms/torso/neck though. Needs legs too, preferably.

thanks again.

Craft arm coolers. Buttery smooth and stretchy. No gel grips, just elastic inside the fabric. And Pearl Izumi Leg Coolers. Also buttery soft. No gel grips.

I had De Soto Arm Coolers, and gave them away, I hated them so much. I do have two pair of De Soto Cool Wings.