Funny tan line

[Lise]

I don't mean the usual cyclist half-way-down-the-thigh, ending-at-the-ankle tan. I mean little unusual spots of tan you've noticed.

For example, today I saw that I have a strip of tanness between my left hand and arm. On the part normally called "the wrist"! I have narrow, bony wrists, so my glove ends just below the knobbly bone, and I slide my watch up above the knobbly bone. Pale hand, pale stripe above bone, tan stripe in between.

[salsabike]

Last year, I noticed after some months that I had a dark spot on the top of each hand. I had just been diagnosed with RA (after having also had fibromyalgia for the last umpty years) and just freaked out, thinking I must be developing some awful constellation of autoimmune diseases, and was scleroderma next, and and...and I was just about to make a doctor's appointment, and then I thought, "Huh. Let's just go in the garage and look at those gloves..." Sure enough, there was a hole in between the velcro strap and the rest of the glove, and I had a little round tan mark on each hand. Sheesh.

PS The fibromyalgia has become fairly quiescent and the RA seems to be very mild indeed, mostly in the elbows.

[Aggie_Ama]

My Timex Ironman watch has two little triangular cut outs on the side of the face. Earlier this summer when I was my darkest you could see them. The worst part is my Timex is twice as thick as my nicer Bulova watch and you can see a white outline where the Timex normally lies. Of course I am very fair, so the tan lines aren't very distinct.

I always see people in the bike shop with the helmet strap tan. And of course DH has a complete raccoon tan from working outside with sunglasses on. It would be too much to wear sunscreen.

[songlady]

I purchased a new wonderfully lightweight Bell Alchera helmet this year. Of course, one of the reasons this helmet is so light is that it is very well vented. By mid July, I noticed I was starting to sport some very "Sci Fi"-like tan marks on my forehead starting at my hairline and running towards my eyebrows, despite wearing sunscreen. My family started taking to calling me "Alien" in their ever so sweet way
Eventually I was forced to buy a headband to protect that area. The marks are only now starting to disappear.

[margo49]

I wear an elastic elbow brace on my right arm.
So I have a line on that arm about 7 cm down from the pointy bit.

[DebW]

Back when cycling gloves all came with crocheted backs, you could get speckled tans on the backs of both hands.

[margo49]

Yeah, I had a pair for years and years that I bought in France

[7rider]

I have a funny stripe across my wrist from my new PI gloves. White hands, tanned forearms (and I always ride with at least SPF15, usually SPF30).
Since this year I've been wearing my new Keens and the Tevas have been relegated to the closet, this is the first summer I haven't had the distinctive "Teva Tan" on my feet! No straps across the top or by the toes and no triangle at the base of the little toes. Oh, what you give up (or gain?) for fashion!

[alpinerabbit]

Yep Teva tan on feet, down to the little triangle.

Also, you can start to see the helmet straps and I have two types of shorts in two different lengths so I have 3 degrees of tanning on my thighs.

[Geonz]

I've got the decapitated look with that strange whiteness just below the jawlines.
I've always wondered if I get the chain tattoo soon enough, that it might block the sun and I'll get a pale spot there...

[GLC1968]

I have dark skin that tans easily (I always wear spf of 36 or higher) so I have all kinds of weird tan spots!

The two oddest ones...1) I have tan fingers. Yes, not only do I have the normal white hands, but my fingers are tan where the gloves stop. I've taken to wearing a thick watch and a thick bracelet to work to hide the drastic wrist lines...but there is nothing I can do about the fingers!

2) I have a tan on my back that is a wide assortment of shapes. I almost always wear sleeveless jerseys, so I've got darker arms and shoulders. Then my sports bra is an extra layer, so that part is whiter than the rest of my back...and lastly, (get this!) I have a white stripe at the bottom of my bra mark where my HRM strap always is. That is some STRONG southern sun that I bike in, huh?!

[Lifesgreat]

My Timex Ironman watch has two little triangular cut outs on the side of the face. Earlier this summer when I was my darkest you could see them. The worst part is my Timex is twice as thick as my nicer Bulova watch and you can see a white outline where the Timex normally lies. Of course I am very fair, so the tan lines aren't very distinct.

Hey! I have the EXACT same tan line

[short cut sally]

my odd tan line is on my back, my shirts ride up when i ride on the hoods no matter how high i pull my shorts up, i have this dk brown half moon to rectangular shape on my lower back despite sunscreen (of course i am not as diligent on my back as i am elsewhere because it's not exposed when i apply). i have also come to the conclusion that if i didn't have so much invested in womens tops, i would buy mens, they come down over my back and stay there..but of course, men wouldn't be caught dead in pink, girly tops..sooo...

[mary9761]

Back when cycling gloves all came with crocheted backs, you could get speckled tans on the backs of both hands.

My nearly 3 yo grandson Tomas calls them "Grandma's Polkadots!" "From you bicycle Grandma"
I'm tan from the knuckles to fingertips as well. From jerseys with evidently a couple different lengths of sleeves I have a rainbow tan line on the upper arm. I have the "decapitated" look as well as the strap tan AND the thigh to ankle tan that looks funny as all get out in sandals LOL