Quote Originally Posted by Amira View Post
Me too. Melanoma 5 years ago. Now I'm super cautious about it. I wish I'd see more people wearing the arm sleeves, although I think that clothing manufacturers are becoming more conscious of this and I definitely talk them up at rest stops (when people ALWAYS ask me if I'm hot in them). I cringe at all the women I see on long rides around here in full sun and wearing teeny little cami's and tanks. It's just so many hours of brutal sun and it can't be good for them, no matter how much sunscreen they might wear.

I wear the arm sleeves even in the hottest weather and I've learned that not only do they help me not get burned, but they actually make me feel less 'beat up' by the sun and keep me cooler. I had to experiment - the Pearl Izumi ones are way to thick and hot for Texas, but I LOVE the Craft ones - super light, but SPF 50 and wetting them as you ride definitely works to keep you feeling cooler in hot weather. I also love the YMX by Yellowman ones (and their wild jerseys). I was wearing one of the YMX ones (from TE) in Tahoe. I always look to see the SPF rating on clothes and even shorts now are getting better about SPF ratings on them. I wish Craft would make a similar sleeve for your legs - I know TE carries a different one made for legs (forgetting the brand now), but they look sorta like support hose. I ordered a pair, though, and will try them with my shorts. I'm not above looking like a total dork if I'm saving my skin.
If you ever do the DV ride I really recommend sleeves...I wore them last year and people thought I was nuts, but it's so arid out there that you can spray water on your sleeves and the evaporative cooling is amazing!

I will have to check out the Craft ones. We have Moeben sleeves, but I think that company may be no more.

I'm with you on seeing women in strappy tanks while riding. Sun stuff aside, what happens if they crash?! A friend of ours has commented to me while riding that she likes the strappy tops to tan more of her upper body. I looked at her this Spring like she was nuts and said "yeah, I kind of lost all caring about getting tan when Derek had the melanoma spot and a lymph node removed." That people even make these sorts of comments around us is really perplexing. It would be like raving about drinking to a recovering alcoholic or someone who had suffered liver damage from alcohol. People are weird.