Have to hide from the sun as much as possible

[Tokie]

Hi fellow sun-avoiders! I have the Jaggad jersey, it did prevent sunburn(and tanning) but I didn't like the fabric so much - it has no stretch at all. I have 3 Terry "Reaction" jerseys, and I love them. I wore them at last year's RAGBRAI, (the ride was so hot that the native Iowans were complaining). I was able to ride with the zipper zipped all the way up, and the long sleeves were comfortably cool. They washed and dried nicely too. The colors they show right now aren't too summery though, I prefer something lighter than the dark pink and dark blue, just to absorb less heat. For shorts, I am trying the Louis Garneau "Power" shorts with a long (I think it's 10.5 inches) inseam. At least they will keep the tops of my knees covered. I have a shorter pair of the Power shorts, the fabric is great,the ergo zone chamois is deluxe and they are well worth the price. Yes, they have the dreaded "golf ball" butt effect, but when I am riding long and hard, I just want comfort. I pick them up tomorrow at my LBS. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend! Tokie

[michelem]

roguedog,

I'll let you know this weekend - it's supposed to be in the upper 80's/low 90's. I've been wearing my Under Armour cold gear tights in the 80 degree temps and am okay, but there is no spf in them so I have to wear sunscreen underneath. After living in the Phoenix-area of AZ, I don't feel warm 'til it's over 100 degrees out.

[pooks]

I'm sending my Canari yellow back because the sleeves felt wonderful but the body was just too tight. I need to lose more weight before I can wear that comfortably, which makes me sad.

Susan, does it come in XXL?

I think it's important for people to tell what they are describing as "heat" because it really does vary. When I emailed Rivendell to ask about their loose summer clothing, it turned out they consider 90 hot. Well, yes, it is, but sometimes in Dallas it doesn't get below 90 all night! That's a heat wave, but summer for us means lows in the 80s so what one person describes as working for "heat" may not for someone else!

I'm going to check out the Ground Zero stuff.

I have a couple of sleeveless jerseys and slather on the sunscreen and pray. Sigh.

[michelem]

Okay, wore the full-length sun protective tights this weekend in 90 degree weather (with chamois shorts underneath). NO TAN LINES!!! So, I believe the spf 50 fabric did it's job. When I stripped down, my chamois was quite damp, but the tights were not. I did not feel too hot, but then again, having lived in the Phoenix, AZ area, I am quite heat tolerant. Anyway, I highly suggest these tights. Only downside is that the ankles do not have elastic, so I have to tuck them into my socks to keep them down.

Oh, another plus to wearing the full-length tights is that they really protected my skin when I crashed in them. Big bruise on my outer upper thigh, but no skin abrasians. And the tights held up without any holes or tears.

[pooks]

Michelem, I had a similar experience when I fell wearing Terry knickers. Bruise, but no skinning, and fortunately the knickers held up to it. (I wasn't going fast, though.)

Thanks for this feedback. I have a double-whammy of being fair and cancer-prone, but also suffering excessively from heat, so it's a difficult choice between covering my skin and sweltering, and exposing my skin and being a little more comfortable. Sigh.

I'm really looking for a great sun block, but I figure in a few years they'll be telling us that all the sunscreen we've been wearing is bad for us, too.

[Yen]

Glad to know I'm not the only one! I just bought a cycling jersey at Skin-Savers.com. I bought the long-sleeve version (scroll down a little to the blonde woman not wearing a helmet) and wore it yesterday for the first time. When we finished our ride it was about 90 degrees. Ours is made of micromesh and kept us cool and comfortable. They are SPF 50+

I'm also planning to order a sunscreen made from non-toxic ingredients called UV Natural (the link goes to the U.S. distribution site -- the main site is UVNatural.com).

Whatever it takes to go out and have fun and stay protected, I'm willing to pay the $.

[kabewyou]

Hi Yen: I use the same sunscreen, a bit greasy to blend in all the zinc oxide but it is the highest rated one on a list of sunscreens that effectively protect against both UVA and UVB rays while also having very little to no chemical toxins in it. I have to cover my skin and so many of the sunscreens have so many questionable chemicals in them. I then question what is worse, the sun or chemicals being smeared all over. I like the shirt colors, some great ones to be seen in. I am going to try one. Thanks for the info.

[lisascenic]

I'm trying to figure out what the dreaded golf ball butt effect might be....