Doomrider74

My brother is currently going through treatment for skin cancer and as well as the obvious concerns I have for him, its also got me concerned about protecting myself because I am similarly fair skinned.

Does anyone use "summer" long sleeves on road rides? I see a couple of companies do the summer equivalent of arm warmers, or perhaps a long sleeve jersey: has anyone tried these? I live in BC, Canada where it doesn't get crazy hot for long periods, but can still be high 20s, low 30s. Low to mid 20s are more typical. Obviously, I don't want anything thats going to make me boil in a bag.

Of course, I could slather in the factor 50, but there's always a chance this could wear off on long rides.

Ive ordered a summer cycling cap as I'm fed up of getting a toxic blend of sunscreen and sweat in my eyes, so thats covered, literally.

colnago62

I don’t use them, but have a friend who does and he swears by them. He says they are hot. I imagine in the warmer weather, you could keep them wet and they would actually keep you cooler than no covers. I am down south in Seattle, so similar weather.

Shimagnolo

I initially tried Desoto "arm coolers" and "leg coolers", and they did the job, but having to deal with multiple pieces when getting dressed was an annoyance, and then I discovered long sleeved summer jerseys. Many different mfgrs sell these, and they are often UPF-rated. I currently have one from Performance and one from Aerotech. I no longer wear short-sleeved jerseys.

Here is an article that lists some mfgrs: https://www.roadbikerider.com/a-prim...ng-apparel-d5/

I still use the Desoto leg coolers.

himespau 

I have a couple of sun-sleeves that worked ok. Also an under armour-style compression shirt that claimed to be UPF rated as a base layer. Not sure what happened to that. I mainly ride Zwift these days, so I have lost track.

delbiker1 

I use either sun sleeves, arm and knee, or long sleeve jerseys/long bibs, and sunblock. The best the thing I can do for sun protection is to get up and get out on the bike early before the sun gets more direct and intense. Even if it is in the low to mid 80s, once the sun gets high enough in the sky, it is too much for me. Top that with no longer able to cope with hot weather very well, my limit from end of May thru most of September is about 10 am.

I go to a dermatologist twice a year and have had numerous things cut off, and a whole lot of freezing other areas. A couple of the excisions have been with Mohs type surgery. One of them left a very noticeable dent in my forehead. Melanoma is what killed my father. It metastasized in his brain and was found after he passed out and busted his head open pretty bad. Just about 2 weeks later, he was gone. Like most people of my generation, baby boomer, I had a lot of quite nasty sunburns when I was young. I have always spent much time outdoors, sports, fishing, bicycling, etc. I do not like having sun block on, but I deal with it. Not cycling, not being outside, not an option.

Andy Somnifac 

I live in what is effectively reclaimed swampland. 90-95F temps with 90% humidity are not uncommon in the summer. We'll have stretches where it's tickling 100F (and occasionally over). This necessitates as little clothing as possible.

That being said, if cancer is going to kill me, it'll probably be skin cancer.

Doomrider74

Thank you, you've been most helpful

WhyFi

I wear them on almost every ride (I'll skip it if I'm going to wrap up before 10am or if I start after 7pm, but neither of those is very common). I've been using PI sun sleeves for a few years - if you're moving at a decent pace and it's not really hot and humid, I think they they're more comfortable than going sleeveless - my skin doesn't heat up as much with them on, but YMMV (I'm dark-skinned in the summer).

I recently found some discontinued () Castelli sleeves that I love. The fabric is a little more loosely woven and less overtly plasticky and more supple/flexible than the PI - they don't bunch up as much with bent elbows (which isn't very aero, now, is it? ). I'd buy a few more sets if I could find 'em.

redcon1

My wife uses sun sleeves on arms and legs due to extreme sun sensitivity that aggravates her eczema. She has tried various brands and her favorite were made by Specialized using their Deflect UV material-- but they seem to have discontinued the leg sleeves.

Like Shimagnolo, she has moved on to long sleeve summer jerseys for the top.

mstateglfr 

I have multiple pairs of sun sleeves and at this point I just buy the Amazon Chinese brands that are a bunch of letters.

I've used LG, REI, and PI(talk about letters!) but the Amazon sun sleeves fit me the same and last just as long(or short).
This is the current brand I have.
https://www.amazon.com/Aegend-Sleeve...130836&sr=8-18



All the sunsleeves get grimy and dingy. I ride a lot of gravel so that's sorta inevitable. At least with the cheap ones it's easier to accept that they are a 1 season use product.

Ogsarg

I have a couple of long sleeve summer jerseys and don't find them to be much hotter than a short sleeve but I also live in a low humidity area. May be different where it's humid.

Iride01 

I use sun sleeves while cycling. Even when it's 95°F plus temps.

For me it's nice not to require slathering of sun block all over me. Now I mostly put sun block on the back of my neck, ears and around my knees. Much quicker less mess.

However I find that they can be hot when slow. So as the temps get hotter and hotter, the more I avoid routes that have long periods where I will be below 16 mph. If I do have to ride at slow speeds for a while or stop, I'll yank them down. You'll heat up quick in hot weather when stopped, so be aware of that.

Pearl Izumi had a pair that really seemed to allow better cooling than any other's I've tried. Sadly they were cut off me several years ago at the ER and the new Pearl Izumi sun sleeves just don't quite do as well. But I haven't tried them all yet.

If you aren't sweating enough to keep them moist, then wet them. Evaporative cooling is a wonderful thing.

Shimagnolo

The first long-sleeved summer Jersey I bought was Performance brand in white. The material had a ribbed texture and looked fairly heavy. But when wearing it, I found the weave was so loose that any moving air blew right through it. It was great! I was so impressed that after my first ride, I immediately ordered a 2nd one.

I wore those out over a few years. When I ordered a replacement, Performance had gone to a different fabric that looked thinner, but had a tighter weave with a perforated texture. The next one I bought was from Aerotech and it was similar to the newer Performance fabric.

I'd love to find some with the old Performance fabric.

Seattle Forrest

I wear a silk weight long sleeve base layer when I want to hide from the sun. Entire thing weighs maybe 85 grams. It also spreads sweat it horizontally which means it dries fastest over a larger area providing more cooling.

Best by far is Arc'teryx Phase SL. Their Motus SL it's pretty great too, but cut looser and maybe with sizing down in.

Tycho Brahe 

They are called sun sleeves. I use them for all my long rides. Living in Los Angeles, I see a lot of sun. My arm tan lines are in control since I use them, but my legs are out of control.

Doomrider74

Yes, the summer version of arm warmers are called that, but I titled this "summer sleeves" to also incorporate alternatives, such as long sleeve jerseys and base layers.

downtube42

When I was doing brevets on a recumbent, particularly when i lived in Texas, i wore sun sleeves on arms and legs. The bent posture exposes even more skin to the sun. They work great for protecting skin, and i didn't feel they made me hotter.

These days I live in the PNW, where a rain jacket and /or wool jersey is more common garb. I will break out the sun sleeves for long rides on sunny days, if/when that ever happens.

Thumbs up from me.

Caliper

Another sun sleeve user here. They definitely work and will keep the UV off your arms. I find them a touch warmer than without, but they avoid the brain fog you sometimes get after hours of sun beating down on you. Especially if you have skin cancer concerns, I would get a pair and try them out.

oris

You could look for a long sleeve summer weight jersey like the Castelli Prologo and Le Col Sport long sleeve jerseys. They both are very lightweight and breath well. For me, they're great for early morning rides but still remain cool enough when it starts warming up.

surak

I'm in Seattle and regularly wear sun sleeves and knee sleeves (rest of calf just gets sunscreen). I don't trust the fit of any alternative long-sleeve option because in my experience they're all the wrong length or too loose. I never feel too hot wearing them as it'd only be noticeable going really, really slow, in which case simply rolling them down or spraying water on them works fine. Maybe would be a problem if I were on an H.C. climb during a hot spell, but I'm not ever in that situation.

I've actually been trying to find better-fitting sleeves, the ones I've used are either too loose on the forearm and wrinkle or too short. I had a weird tan on my upper arm for a year after wearing Pactimo sleeves on STP that slipped down slightly while wearing a non-aero SS jersey (was repping a charity, otherwise I'd always choose an aero jersey with longer sleeves). That and the tan line on my wrists, even protected by plenty of sunscreen, tells me how well sleeves work.

KJ43

I'm in the Bay Area and during late spring, summer, and early fall I wear sun sleeves for all my rides.

They work fairly well, but on exposed rides I come back with color on my arms. The ones that I bought state that they provide protection equivalent to SPF 30. On longer rides with a lot of exposure I'll put on sunscreen below for extra protection.

jleeg

I wear and like then, even in heat and humidity. Aegend from Amazon are less than $20 for two pair and work well. Summer sleeves from Pactimo are primo. I was finding that either sun screen or sun was giving me an itchy rash, barley visible, but bothersome. No longer.

Seattle Forrest

Sunscreen wears off after a few hours. Clothes are a better solution.

cp88mb1

I live in Bay Area and regularly wear Giordanas sun sleeves. I really like them - lightweight and comfortable until maybe 90 degrees or so. I used to have some castelli sun sleeves but find these to be much more comfortable at higher temps.

Carbonfiberboy 

Another sun-sleeves wearer, arms only. I haven't tried leg sleeves. My legs don't get such a beating from the sun, so sun block works OK. I don't think my sun sleeves are any warmer even climbing. I think color makes a big difference in skin temperature. I'm white, but not that white, especially as I tan in summer. When it's a little cool at the start, I wear regular arm warmers over the sun sleeves and roll them down and up as needed.

I once saw a guy abandon on a hot event ride while dressed all in "cool black." That's a lie.