Time for sunscreen on any ride over an hour

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Richard McCaw

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May 17, 2013, 8:43:03 PM5/17/13
to San Francisco Randonneurs
Last week's SFR 600km with hot section in the sun around Cloverdale was tough on the exposed skin. I should have applied more sun screen. Had some worrisome spots on face later but they have cleared up.I feared a trip back to Greg Morganroth and his scalpel.

For those doing Davis Double -- make sure you and fellow riders follow guidelines (apply every two hours). I carry sunscreen samples and refillable sample containers on my rides

skin cancer is a real potential risk to Randonneuring than needs preventative measures

Here is article Greg Morganroth posted last year. Below I pasted in part of his article. There is more info on web.

http://www.californiaskininstitute.com/2012/03/04/what-you-should-know-about-the-new-sunscreen-labeling-guidelines/

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Richard McCaw
Cell: 408-838-9863
Home: 408-448-2899
 
LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mccaw

Sunscreen products that offer only UVB protection—and don’t specifically state they protect against both UVA and UVB—don’t provide consumers with adequate protection against sunburn that causes skin cancer and early skin aging. Make sure the product states that it protects against both UVA and UVB. In the future products will be labeled “Broad Spectrum” to indicate they offer protection for both UVA and UVB.

2. To be effective, sunscreen must have an SPF value of 15 or greater.

3. There are no products that truly are “waterproof or “sweat-proof”—in fact, the FDA ruled manufacturers will no longer be able to use these terms in the future (Summer 2012). Instead, products will be rated for the length of their “water resistance” as either 40 or 80 minutes. The advice for consumers is that no matter what the label says, reapply sunscreen after you have been in the water or exercising and at least every two hours otherwise.

4. Products will not be able to claim that they are a “sunblock.” The FDA says that no sunscreen available completely blocks sun exposure. For consumers, this means you should use additional forms of protection when out in the sun, such as hats and clothing that help block sun exposure.

5. Consumers cannot rely on SPF factors higher than “50” to protect them better. According to the FDA, products with an SPF greater than 50 have not been proven to protect skin any longer or better than SPFs with a value of 50.


aron mason

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May 19, 2013, 3:01:02 AM5/19/13
to San Francisco Randonneurs, richar...@gmail.com
Hi Richard,
I have found that using the "arm cooler" products is as effective as sunscreen and at the end of the day seems less stressful on the body than having the sun beat down directly on the skin. Pearl Izumi markets their product as the Sun Sleeves and I think that they also have something for the legs and I have used these and liked them. DeFeet calls theirs the Armskins Ice which seem heavier than the Pearl Izumi product. Own a pair but have yet to try them out on a hot day. Really important to pull whatever you are wearing up so you don't have that little bit of skin exposed on the back of your arm. Of course you still need to apply sunscreen to other places, but this cuts down on that.
Cheers,
Aron

--- On Fri, 5/17/13, Richard McCaw <richar...@gmail.com> wrote:
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Gintautas Budvytis

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May 20, 2013, 12:26:03 PM5/20/13
to sfra...@googlegroups.com, richar...@gmail.com
+1 for "arm coolers".
Hassle free, works on a hottest day, no mess. I voted them "best buy of 2012" in my shopping category. I use REI brand. Vidas was pushing me to buy any after testing them for a season or two and I gave up. Now he is testing "leg coolers", you know those "men's long johns"... I am afraid he will be cited by "fashion police", but if it works, I may give them a try too ;)

GB

Toshi Takeuchi

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May 20, 2013, 12:37:51 PM5/20/13
to San Francisco Randonneurs
I use Pearl Izumi sun sleeves on the arms and legs.  I now have a halo cap--kind of like a turban.  I haven't used that in really hot weather yet, but it covers up the back of the neck too.
 
--My friend just got diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. There's no sense in taking chances if it's avoidable.
 
--I personally have found that mineral sunscreens work the best and longest for me. The Austrailian lizard baby sunscreen (titanium and zinc oxides) works great, and my pre-tax medical reimbursement account paid for it!
 
Best,
Toshi
 

Lisa Susan McPhate

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May 20, 2013, 2:32:27 PM5/20/13
to SF Randonneurs
I tried to use the arm coolers, but I always took them down when I got
too warm. I then bought a long sleeved sun screen jersey with the
idea that I wouldn't be able to pull down the sleeves. I ended up
taking the jersey completely off, when I wore that one in the heat, so
I sort of gave up and went back to sunscreen.

I really like the thinksport brand of sunscreen (zinc). It is now
sold under the livestrong brand. It works well for me. It is hard to
remove when showering at the end of the day. I also like the way it
feels on my skin, since it seems to have a cooling effect. Wearing a
long sleeves is better in terms of protecting against the sun, but I
can't seem to keep those on.

I would like to get the leg coolers to work, but I haven't found a
pair that doesn't bother my overly sensitive right knee. I will try
the rei brand.

I have a hard time with my hands and they tend to get a bit tan. The
sunscreen rubs off of hands easily.

-lisamc

Joan Deitchman

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May 21, 2013, 3:25:17 PM5/21/13
to mcp...@sbcglobal.net, SF Randonneurs
The arm/leg coolers definitely work better if you're able to keep them damp (that way you get evaporative cooling).  This is relatively easy to do when you're doing a supported ride where you have a dedicated crew vehicle and thus an unlimited supply of water, but obviously more challenging if you're self supported and need to ration your water for drinking.  

I've used the Moeben arm sleeves (freebies from the 508) and DeSoto leg coolers.  Wearing them dry, I find that you need a particular temperature threshold before the sleeves feel cooler than you would otherwise without them, and that threshold seems to be in the 90s or 100s.  They're certainly a godsend in extreme heat where they seem to do a good job of protecting you from the intense direct sun as well as the radiating heat from the pavement.  

I've also found that white shorts and very light colored jerseys make a big difference in the extreme heat as well.  White shorts certainly have their detractors, but Assos shorts have a nice compromising design whereby the backs of them are black and the fronts are white, so you get some of the benefits without all of the negatives.  

Insulated water bottles are another godsend in hot weather, as I find that drinking cooler fluids helps with cooling.  I remember doing the Davis double a few years back when it was over 100deg and I didn't have insulated water bottles, and very quickly drinking from my bottles was like drinking hot tea....  

And of course "ice socks" are great too in hot weather and can be done rando style - just carry a white tube sock with you and then get it wet and fill it with ice cubes from a soda machine at a gas station or convenience store, and then knot the open end and wrap it around your neck and tuck the ends into the front of your jersey.  Ladies can more easily secure it by tucking the ends under your bra straps.

Stay cool my friends! :)
Joan




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Massimiliano Poletto

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Jun 17, 2013, 11:25:55 PM6/17/13
to Aron Mason, San Francisco Randonneurs, Richard McCaw
I bought a pair of the Pearl Izumi arm coolers sight-unseen online (local shops didn't carry them) based on your recommendation, and they work fabulously well for me. That's the best cycling-related tip I've received in a long time. Thanks!

max

Kurt Wallace Martin

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Jun 18, 2013, 1:05:36 AM6/18/13
to sfrandon@googlegroups.com Randonneurs
How is the sizing on these?
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