# UV shirts for long rides



## leesrt (Jul 16, 2012)

Is there a long sleeve UV jersey that will keep you cool and also keep the sun off you on a long road ride.

I know I can use sunblock but I like the moisture wicking aspect of a bike shirt.


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## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

search google for arm coolers, sun shirts, or uv shirts. several brands.


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

UV clothing is now rated with a UPF rating. Do a search with UPF and cycling jersey or just UPF shirt. The highest rating is UPF 50+, the lower ratings are like UPF15 and may not provide much if any more than your standard clothing. I just recently went through some photosensivity as a side effect of a medication I was taking and have quickly learned a whole lot about sun protection. I never liked cycling jerseys so I just went with some long sleeve UPF 50 shirts.


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## ronyc (Aug 27, 2008)

REI and other outdoor sites have UPF LS shirts. I currently own several under armour LS shirts with UPF.


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## jerry68 (Aug 23, 2007)

In 35 years of looooooong rides, I cannot remember EVER getting a sunburn through a jersey :skep:.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Most of my riding jerseys are AM-style 3/4 sleeves. When it's really hot, I usually leave the bike-specific shirts at home and instead ride in trekking or fly fishing shirts (ExOfficio, Cloudveil or similar). I also have a few short sleeved seersucker shirts I picked up cheap at a Patagonia outlet, but they don't offer as much sun protection.

If you want something bike specific, check out the Club Ride jerseys. Although they generally cost more, they look great, are comfortable and well-designed.


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## trailville (Jul 24, 2006)

jerry68 said:


> In 35 years of looooooong rides, I cannot remember EVER getting a sunburn through a jersey :skep:.


It could be that a lot of cycling jerseys already provide quite a bit of sun protection. The new rating system lets you know for sure though. I've definitely gotten sun redness (I wouldn't go so far as to say burns) through coolmax t-shirts, and cotton tees provide very little sun protection.

In my recent experience with drug-induced photosensitivity I was using sunblock under my shirts and still getting burned on my shoulders. Obviously that's a special set of circumstances (and temporary I hope), but it made it clear that the sun's rays were getting through.


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## leesrt (Jul 16, 2012)

Those arm coolers look good because you can take them off if you want to. The question is do they stay up? I'd like to read a review on that. 

Sent via mental telepathy.


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## stumpbumper (Dec 3, 2010)

leesrt said:


> Those arm coolers look good because you can take them off if you want to. The question is do they stay up? I'd like to read a review on that.
> 
> Sent via mental telepathy.


When mountain biking I usually wear a jersey with 3/4-length sleeves but for a couple of years now I have been wearing short-sleeve jerseys and arm coolers when riding my road bike and usually get in around 100 miles per week on it. The fit is quite snug and I have never had a problem with them slipping down. A number of companies make them but mine are Pearl Izumi from REI. I have them in both black and white and while it would seem that white would be cooler when riding in the hot sun, I feel no difference between the two. I do wet them down with water after pulling them on. My arms stay quite cool until the water has evaporated and by that time the coolers are wet with sweat so the evaporative cooling continues.

Despite the name, arm coolers are not designed to cool the arms although I find them to be about as cool to wear as no coolers. They do offer a great deal of protection from UVA/UVB rays and are at their most effective when the skin is coated with liquid sunscreen before the coolers are pulled on. Like someone else already mentioned, their big advantage over a long-sleeve jersey is they are easily removed when stopping for a break and just as easy to pull back on. They also offfer more protection from the sun than jerseys that are not UVA/UVB rated.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

jerry68 said:


> In 35 years of looooooong rides, I cannot remember EVER getting a sunburn through a jersey :skep:.


+1 - most recently I've been pedaling up to ~80 milers at the beach (on my hardtail 29er) and haven't gotten a sunburn where a "standard" bike jersey covers yet. I do use sunscreen on the exposed areas. Forgot to get the back of my legs once and paid the price.


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## BrokenBones (Feb 4, 2005)

Boure have LS SPF summer weight jerseys. You can usually find mark-downs on previous years designs. Boure.com


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## 77RRad (Mar 8, 2010)

UA: Under Armor has shirts that are tight and loose fitting long sleeve and UPF 50 or so.
I use these on long rides on my motorcycles under my mesh jackets.


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## leesrt (Jul 16, 2012)

After reading reviews I'm going to go with izumi arm coolers and then get one of there quest jerseys which is also UPF.

Sent via mental telepathy.


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## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

leesrt said:


> After reading reviews I'm going to go with izumi arm coolers and then get one of there quest jerseys which is also UPF.
> 
> Sent via mental telepathy.


they are very versatile, and they stay up fine, as long as you get the right size... they are supposed to be tight, so they don't trap hot air against the skin.

they work well in the fall too, when it's not quite cold enough for the winter arm warmers (another must have).


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

i have ridden with a tight fitting underarmor type shirt and found it to be about as hot/cool as riding with short sleeves if i kept it wet by pouring water on it. i expect it would provide pretty high spf, but do not know the official ratings. i guess my point is to consider that type of shirt if you can find one with an spf that seems acceptable.

it seems to me that in our humidity and still air down here, something loosefitting but tightly woven would be about like wearing a sauna suit.


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## stumpbumper (Dec 3, 2010)

Just noticed that Running Warehouse has a good price on Pearl Izumi arm coolers (they call them arm sleeves) with free shipping. I have ordered a lot of stuff from this company through the years and consider them among the best to deal with. Web link is below.

Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves


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## leesrt (Jul 16, 2012)

Amazon has same price.

Sent via mental telepathy.


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## Smir (Jul 23, 2012)

I need to get one of these, my arms burn after a ride out.


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## Wishful Tomcat (Mar 6, 2009)

Smir said:


> I need to get one of these, my arms burn after a ride out.


Use some sunscreen.


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