my tan lines give me away...

[DirtDiva]

It's the rule in all primary schools, as far as I know, and most enforce it very strictly. Kids learn very quickly to always have a hat at school when the alternative is sitting in the shady area for the whole of lunchtime while all their little mates are of playing elsewhere - they may as well have been given a detention, as far as they're concerned. Many classrooms also have big tubs of sunscreen in them, but I'm not entirely sure if it's teachers, schools or the Cancer Society providing these.

I'm young enough that sunscreen has always been a strong feature in my summers, but I must admit that I never really wore hats until I started teaching; I find it hard to go without now (something that so marks me out as an antipodean in Britain).

Now, I don't get out on my bike nearly as much as some folk here (although I do tend to spend a reasonable amount of time outside), but I never pick up more than a bit of slightly-less-white (I'm pretty fair) on my arms, and that always comes from a foolish early season burn where I forgot to put on the sunscreen before going out in the sun. It doesn't matter how high the SPF is or how water resistant it is, sunscreen needs to be reapplied every couple of hours.

[/soapbox]

[bikerchick68]

I'm SO bad about sunscreen... every time I wear it I either break out in acne... or it runs down into my eyes and burns!

just wanted to add an update... my newbie rider is now up to 23 miles... last night we did her first night of hill repeats. She wasa hurting woman, but never gave up!!! She has grit, no doubt about it.

Her husband was supposed to ride the upcoming event with her (their first event ride) but the day we met, was complaining about not being able to catch his breath while riding... had been to the doc and they were supposed to run tests the following week... later that day went to ER as short on breath... long story short, he had a PULMONARY EMBOLYSM!!! YIKES!!!!!!!! He is now on a blood thinner and due to safety concerns off the bike for 6 months...

I gotta see if the ride is still open and will most likely do it with her... it would stink to do your fist ever 50 mile ride alone...

[bikerz]

Amazing (and great) how things change - I grew up on the equator in East Africa (35 years ago!), and we NEVER had sunscreen. We are (genetically speaking) very fair, but were dark brown most of our childhoods. I worry about it now, and try to remember to wear sunscreen and/or a hat when in the sun. Maybe (hopefully) we had a little more ozone back then...

[CorsairMac]

I'm SO bad about sunscreen... every time I wear it I either break out in acne... or it runs down into my eyes and burns!

just wanted to add an update... my newbie rider is now up to 23 miles... last night we did her first night of hill repeats. She wasa hurting woman, but never gave up!!! She has grit, no doubt about it.

Her husband was supposed to ride the upcoming event with her (their first event ride) but the day we met, was complaining about not being able to catch his breath while riding... had been to the doc and they were supposed to run tests the following week... later that day went to ER as short on breath... long story short, he had a PULMONARY EMBOLYSM!!! YIKES!!!!!!!! He is now on a blood thinner and due to safety concerns off the bike for 6 months...

I gotta see if the ride is still open and will most likely do it with her... it would stink to do your fist ever 50 mile ride alone...

eeekkkkkk BC - keeping him in my prayers! as for riding with your newbie friend - what a wonderful thing for you to do.....can you ride it as a poacher if you have too??.....I can't even imagine what she must be going thru right now after having planned this with her husband all along!! keeping you in my thoughts too hun!

[caligurl]

can you ride it as a poacher if you have too??.....

oh bc.... wanted to tell you... the person that answered you about this ride in the other forum.. POACHED this ride last year..... that's why he says he stopped at am/pm for water... he can't tell you much about the support cuz he wasn't supposed to be using it!

he caught a LOT of flack about it (and this wasn't the first one he poached and bragged about poaching!)

have fun on the ride with your newbie!

(i do have to add... i did my first metric century "alone" last year.... actually... i do most centuries "alone" cuz of my pace/speed... or i should say lack thereof! however i do have to admit it's more fun to ride with hubby than to ride alone!)

[caligurl]

ok.... i've tried to edit my post three times to add to it.. and it freezes up every time!

ok.... you can still register.... even the day of the event... but it will cost you $10 more after the 23rd! so better to register early!

they are closing poway grade to traffic and you will need a wrist band to enter it/ride it.....

you get a PATCH! now i want to do it too! but i have angeles crest the day before.... a century with 11,000 feet of climbing... so i don't think i'll be up to another century the next day! (plus it's sunday and i try to avoid sunday rides plus with the price of gas and the rides i already have scheduled.... i'm making excuses! but i want a patch! lol!)

[bikerchick68]

cali.... 11000 ft climbing... good gawd woman... you're turning into a billygoat!

my bro is riding the Knoxville double next week... 200 miles with 11000 ft climbing... AAACK! The week after 9/24 we're riding the Lighthouse Century together... it will be his "recovery" ride

corsair...thanks for the nice words... it's really selfish of me tho... I'm grooming a riding partner!!!

[caligurl]

lol.... ya... i'd do poway if it were a week after angeles crest! but not a day! to me a recovery ride is short and EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

angeles crest still doesn't "measure up" to breathless agony..... which was 14,000 i think!

ya.... but ya gotta remember who my billy goat coach is! the sadist had me climbing on day 2 of owning my bike!

[mary9761]

I gotta see if the ride is still open and will most likely do it with her... it would stink to do your fist ever 50 mile ride alone...

I've done the better part of my nearly 705 miles in the past couple of months ALONE. This includes 3 metrics my first a month ago and latest just yesterday. I got 2 metrics in this week and both were loners. When I've complained at all on my LBF and nearly BEGGED for a riding partner, I'm told that biking is a SOLITARY SPORT. Yet there is no shortage of clubs getting together for rides.
Sadly I'm not fast enough to keep up with the hammerheads yet, so I have to stay solitary for now. I may have endurance, but not speed yet. I guess slow and steady rolls the tortoise and all that rot or something.

[bikerchick68]

dang, Mary... that blows... I know some people like riding alone, but overall this is a SOCIAL sport... if ya ever come to CA you let me know... I'LL RIDE WITH YOU!!!

and way to go on not letting the snobby naysayers deter you from riding!

[On_yer_left!]

yow. that thread veered from tan lines to monster rides in no time. I love this site.

On the tan thing -- I sometimes get white hand prints on my back because that's how far I can reach with the sunblock. Sucks being single. I get alot of comments about that one.

As for gloves -- ride nude, baby! My hands, anyway. Don't seem to have problems with chafing or grip, so the only line I get is from my livestrong bracelet.

I sometimes show up at a public pool after a long ride and don't feel insecure in the least. Out here in Boulder, if you DON'T have funky tan lines, you stand out.

[RoadRaven]

As for gloves -- ride nude, baby! My hands, anyway. Don't seem to have problems with chafing or grip, so the only line I get is from my livestrong bracelet.

I don't wear gloves to reduce chafing or to improve grip.

I wear gloves for protection.

Just about everyone in this house (including me) has come off a bike at speed on the road.
Our hands would have been an absolute mess without gloves - what takes a huge part of the impact early or first in the crash - the palms or the knuckles. Rather have shredded gloves with a few minor cuts on my hands, than have shredded hands.

[On_yer_left!]

didn't mean to offend.