"arm cooler" sleeve

[runner2]

Hi

Any one ever try out this "arm cooler" sleeve?
Does it work? For sun protection and cooler skin, or....?
Thanks

[KnottedYet]

I always ride in long sleeves because I burn so easily. Since I don't have short sleeved tops, I've never looked into an "arm cooler".

Do you have a link to the one you've been looking at?

Is it this one on TE? http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=20747

The desoto says it only blocks 75% of UV. Hmmmmm.

For full sunblocking protection, you could get something from Sun Precautions or Kokatat or similar companies. www.sunprecautions.com

[LL_Super_D]

I'm about to buy a pair of those de soto arm coolers. Not sure how biased this review is, but it made me think about at least trying a pair: http://www.active.com/story.cfm?stor...gory=gearguide

while I'm not fair-skinned, my issue is if I get too much sun, I break out into hives

[KnottedYet]

If you get hives, you should still wear sunscreen under the arm coolers. If it's true that they only block 75% of UV, then that's only an SPF of 4. (if you burn after 15 min in the sun, these will block enough that you won't burn until after 1 hr)

Whatever your tolerance is before hives, you can multiply by 4.

Do check out the Sun Precautions site. Their Solumbra fabric is like an SPF of 50 or 55, and it's really very light. My vented shirt is very cool and comfortable, and my Pearl Izumi vest keeps it from flapping around in the wind.

This is my Kokatat shirt (though mine is an older model)
http://www.kokatat.com/product_detail.asp?code=wdsh

I ride in it, or in my long sleeved wool jerseys. With sunscreen underneath because I can burn in 5 or 10 minutes. I like it because I can really move my arms around, good for when I kayak.

[Squirrel 2]

Cari -- Terry Bicycles sells a long-sleeve jersey you might look into. It is a lighter-weight fabric than the LG microbrush, with mesh panels under the arms for venting. The weave of the fabric seems fairly tight, I have not had sun get through. It has an angled zipper off the neck, believe it is called a mandarin-style jersey. It's the only long-sleeve jersey I know of that I would consider a summer weight.

[Cari]

Cari -- Terry Bicycles sells a long-sleeve jersey you might look into. It is a lighter-weight fabric than the LG microbrush, with mesh panels under the arms for venting. The weave of the fabric seems fairly tight, I have not had sun get through. It has an angled zipper off the neck, believe it is called a mandarin-style jersey. It's the only long-sleeve jersey I know of that I would consider a summer weight.

Nanci told me about one a while back but I think they were out of my size by the time I went to check it out. It was... the Sunblocker Jersey, I think? There's also one here on TE: Terry's Peggy Sue Summerweight Jersey. It looks like it's exactly what I need, but I just couldn't get into the pattern... it kinda reminds me of some pyjamas I had when I was little. I should definitely check Terry's site again... Thanks for the tip!

[Cari]

Last year I bought the arm coolers directly from DeSoto (before TE carried them) after months of (unsuccessfully) looking for warm-weather long-sleeved jerseys. I live in a hot climate so sun protection is a year-round issue for me.

Last month, the arm coolers really came through for me on my first century, which took me from 6:00am 'til 1:30pm. It was a real scorcher. I actually got a little bit of color so yeah, they don't block 100% of UV rays, but then again, most jerseys don't either. Heck... a few months ago I tried a long-sleeved jersey by Cannondale that left me with tan lines from my sports bra after riding only 3 hours.

Other than the arm coolers, the next best thing I've found has been my Louis Garneau TSQ long-sleeved jersey, which is made with LG's Micro Brush fabric. It's not exactly made for hot weather!

So yes, I definitely recommend the arm coolers.

~Cari