cycling in the sun - I Love Bicycling

Summer is coming fast. There’s nothing like the hot summer sun, baking your skin as you glide down a remote stretch of blacktop. But are you really ready for it? Sun protection cycling; the truth about sunscreen faces some cold, hard facts about skin damage. Forward-thinking cyclists should react appropriately.

Statistics Prove It

Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. It’s estimated that more than 8,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. Skin cancer in Australia is nearly four times higher than the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In Australia for example, 434,000 people are treated for non-melanoma skin cancers each year, of which 420 will die. The melanoma figures are worse, with 10,300 treated and 1,430 dying each year. To put it bluntly, skin cancer is far more dangerous to your health than cycling.

Cold Hard Facts

Caucasians and men older than 50 have a higher risk of developing melanoma than the general population
Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old
Melanoma is increasing faster in females 15-29 years old than in males of the same age group
Invasive melanoma is projected to be the fifth most common cancer for men (46,870 cases) and the seventh most common cancer for women (29,510 cases) in 2016.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common forms of skin cancer, are highly curable if detected early and treated properly
Approximately 75 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma. On average, one American dies from melanoma every hour.

Sun Protection Cycling – The Truth About Sunscreen

Now that you’re scared to death, you don’t have to succumb to it. Take protective measures. Fortunately, experienced cyclists can learn a host of methods to help avoid the threat of skin cancer. Scott B. Phillips, MD, in the Department of Dermatology at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Chicago, IL, has studied skin damage faced by endurance athletes. Dr. Phillips provides some key strategies for anyone who exercises in the sun.

“Train early and/or late in the day, even if it means breaking workouts into two sessions.” Says Dr. Phillips. “From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., try to stay out of the sun. Do the bulk of your exercise before and after work, and sometimes during lunch hour”, says Dr. Phillips. “But if you’re out for hours on weekends, perhaps on a five- or six-hour bike ride, always use sun protection.”

The Basics

Dr. Phillips has these basic tips for avoiding skin damage and cancer.

During training, cover as much skin as possible, wearing sweatpants or at least long shorts, and a long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt. Wear socks to soak up sweat and absorb impact as well as block the sun; wear them as high up on your leg as possible. And shield your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses. And always wear a helmet when biking, for both sun protection and crash protection.
Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen on all exposed skin, up to 6:30 p.m. or later on a summer’s day, even when it is cloudy. (The sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays go through clouds.) “I recommend alcohol-based sunscreens for the face, because they’re more resistant to sweating,” says Dr. Phillips. “I also like to apply stick sunscreens around the eyes, since they are almost impervious to sweating.”

What to Look For

Okay, so you’re older and may have already damaged your skin. The American Academy of Dermatology encourages everyone to perform skin self-exams to check for signs of skin cancer and to get a skin exam from a doctor. A dermatologist can make individual recommendations as to how often a person needs these exams based on risk factors including skin type, history of sun exposure, and family history. Here’s what to look for:

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It also may appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust.
Both basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun — the head, face, neck, hands, and arms. But skin cancer can occur anywhere.
An early warning sign of skin cancer is the development of an actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin lesion caused by chronic sun exposure. These lesions are typically pink or red in color and rough or scaly to the touch. They occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin such as the face, scalp, ears, backs of hands, or forearms.
Actinic keratoses may start as small, red flat spots but grow larger and become scaly or thick if untreated. Sometimes they’re easier to feel than to see. There may be multiple lesions next to each other.

Ultraviolet Protection Factor

UPF or “ultraviolet protection factor” is the rating system used for apparel. It indicates how effectively fabrics shield skin from ultraviolet rays or UV. The higher the UPF number, the greater degree of UV protection a garment offers. UPF gauges a fabric’s effectiveness against ultraviolet radiation from the sun, or UV light. The UPF rating on clothing indicates what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate the fabric. A jersey with a UPF of 50, for example, allows just 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to reach the skin.

Sun Protection Factor

SPF or “sun protection factor”, is the rating system used for sunscreen. An SPF number pertains to a sunscreen’s effectiveness against the sunburn-causing segment of ultraviolet radiation or sunlight. Theoretically, the SPF number indicates how long you can stay in the sun before your skin reddens.

Do You Need UPF Rated Jerseys?

“You might get fine UV protection from a regular piece of clothing,” says Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, professor of Dermatology and Community Health at Brown University Medical School and the chairman of the Skin Cancer Advisory Group of the American Cancer Society. “But with UPF-rated clothing, you’re assuring that protection.”

Dr. Doug Grossman from Huntsman Cancer Institute puts it this way: ” I tell patients that if they can hold the material up to the light in the room and still see through that, the pattern of the light bulbs for instance, then too much is getting through. Most clothing would be sufficient, but you want something appropriate for the activity you’re doing. So if you’re going to be biking, then a biking jersey.” His advice for adding sunscreen to your body as well as clothing is as follows: “The idea is to protect as much skin as you can with clothing and be comfortable and that minimizes the areas that you then need to apply sunscreen too.”

Don’t Let it Keep You From Riding

The benefits gained from cycling outweigh the chances that you’ll wind up with skin cancer. Don’t let it keep you off your bike. With sun protection cycling products it’s easy to get out there and enjoy yourself. It’s not a reason to avoid riding.