How do you avoid the cyclist tan lines?

AssOs

I tan very easily and over the last few years whilst swimming on holiday i always get funny looks and even people pointing to my very dark tanned arms, legs and face but white torso and feet! It does look pretty bad TBH. :oops:

How can you avoid those tan lines without going out in the hot sun with arm and leg warmers.

I've never used sun tan lotion but once did try it but it went all sticky and felt horrible once i started to sweat.

My G/F reckons a sun tan lotion of factor 60 will do the job but down at boots the assistant wasnt 100% it would do the job.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

giant_man

Well I'm fair and don't tan easily but even I use 50 factor, so maybe you should pursue with the sun tan lotion. Get a good one and rub in it thoroughly.

jpembroke

You could, of course, try cycling naked.

(and you really should use sun lotion. This is not a helmet/non-helmet debate: sun lotion WILL help prevent melanomas)

MegaCycle

Don't avoid the tan lines. Wear them with pride! You're a roadie.

shockedsoshocked

The definition of your tan lines is a direct indication of how much training you've put in :twisted:

TheGreatGatsby

I totally agree! ridiculous banding on arms and legs coupled with chin strap tan lines is a true indication of your dedication to the sport and how much time you spend on the bike!

Gats

geoff_ss

I'm also of the 'wear them with pride' school! I never sun bathe as such so all my tanning is mostly as a result of cycling. As I wear sandals a lot I get patterns on my feet as well.

I don't burn easily (I had very dark hair before old-age changed it to grey) and tend to go slightly red before turning brown. I use sun tan lotion sparingly as I hate the stuff running into my eyes when I sweat.

Geoff

Crapaud

Another wear-them-with-pride advocate. I've had some ridiculous tan lines: arms, legs, ankles, glasses, chinstrap, and my pièce de resistance... brown mysterons on my shiny pate from the holes in my lid.

I take the view that I don't have to look at them; they're other people's problem!

I burn very easily, but if I build up my exposure to the sun, I don't really need sun block. Saying that, factor 12 usually is enough to do the trick.

Smokin Joe

Go to a tanning salon and lie on the sunbed wearing only arm and leg warmers. Your tan will soon even out.

jellybellywmb

I also tan very easily and didn't waer cream, and got skin cancer!!
WEAR SUN CREAM !!!

As for the tan lines, as has been said other than cycling naked I,m afraid they are part and parcel of cycllng

dennisn

Do all your riding indoors??? Damn I hate indoor riding. Sorry, just had to let it out.

Dennis Noward

AssOs

I can understand the pride you get with having a cyclist tan among cyclist but it's a totally different reaction you get from non cyclists which I'm trying to avoid.

Did someone mention going out in just arm and leg warmers?LOL

Anyway. I've just bought a bottle of suntan lotion of spf 50.

CrookedCucumber

Who cares what non-cyclists think? Who cares what _anybody_ else thinks, come to that?

geoff_ss

CrookedCucumber wrote:

Who cares what non-cyclists think? Who cares what _anybody_ else thinks, come to that?

Absolutely! I'd hoped that the attitude of 'what will the neighbours think?' was finally discarded 40 years ago but it seems youngsters worry too much about what's 'trendy' or acceptable by their peers for their appearance.

Geoff

MegaCycle

after all, if we cared two hoots about what anyone else thought, we'd hardly be able to go out wearing absurd lycra outfits and shaving our legs!

Jon8a

I don't shave my legs but I do embrace the tan lines. Not much else you can do really unless you want to go down the sunbed/fake tan route.

Skindog

Dunno about anyone else, but i just ride with shorts, shoes and helmet, nothing else...

Nuggs

Well, I'm a ginge and as such, have no first-hand experience of a tan

fossyant

I remember when I went on a lads holiday - I looked stoopid with my cycling tan lines - did I care - nope.... didn't go after two weeks, as the tanned bits were darker than the non tanned bits.

I'm no big sun person me, usually keep out of it - road bike I wear longs, MTB shorts (hairy legs) and even on the beech, like to have a t-shirt on.

AssOs

Well just got back after 2 hours ride in the sun from midday.

Even with copious amount of spf 50 I still got the tanned lines. Not red but tanned.

e999sam

Geoff_SS wrote:

.As I wear sandals a lot I get patterns on my feet as well.


Geoff

Now I know who you are, saw the sandles. Said hello this morning as you rode past the Hurt Arms.

CrookedCucumber

Nuggs wrote:

Well, I'm a ginge and as such, have no first-hand experience of a tan

Yes indeedy. All you folks who complain about your tan lines should at least be thankful that you can tan. My skin goes direct from milk-bottle white to lobster red in about two minutes. Since I've already had one malignant skin lump removed, I don't even take chances with the sun these days.