Living Car Free - My arms. MY ARMS!

OK so I've got a car but I rarely use it. I'll need to keep it for gigs and other long hauls.

Anyway, something I noticed last night was that both of my arms are the same color. This time last year and the twenty before, I've had that "trucker's arm" from propping it up on the door while driving.

This might be an odd milestone, but it's a first for me and I'm pleased with the symmetry. I still have the overall "farmer's tan" but I can't ride around naked can I?

Ya I have a farmer's tan too, but I am nice the brown, with a hint of orange, family trait. But it's nice to be tan...


GEEK

Yeah I am "nice the brown" these days too. Real farmer's tan, good thing because after we head down the downslope of peak oil, the more fortunate of us will be farmers.

cool. the farmer's tans are the best. i like to see how sharp i can get the tan line. one time i went out in a different jersey than i normally do and i can back with a nice tri-level farmers tan. dark, lighter, then white bands around my upper arm. awesome!

Check yourself -- Do you have white ends to your tan fingers because they are curled around on the bottom of the bars? This is especially noticeable if you have flat bars.

Check yourself -- Do you have white ends to your tan fingers because they are curled around on the bottom of the bars? This is especially noticeable if you have flat bars.

Further check - Do you have tan ovals on the backs of your relatively white hands from your riding gloves? :)

Further check - Do you have tan ovals on the backs of your relatively white hands from your riding gloves? :)


Even worse - I get burned and then peeling spots - my sunscreen comes off when I wash my hands, and I forget to reapply it since my arms are still coated ;)

My hands are so UN-tanned people comment on it all the time. They are about as white as the rest of me that hasn't seen this summer's sun yet my arms are a really dark dark brown.

Perhaps you could customize a jersey with holes all over it. Then you could have a polka-dot farmers tan that would resemble the red polka-dot jersey I keep seeing. Not knowing much about racing, I don't know the significance of it. :(

A rough sketch of my hands due to cycling gloves:
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3664/921aec2a551jz.jpg

I still have the overall "farmer's tan" but I can't ride around naked can I?

I developed a pretty distinct farmer's tan from working outside for 3-4 months. A couple months ago I got back into biking and have since gotten rid of the farmers tan. I just dont wear a shirt while I'm riding. Well, actually, I dont wear a shirt unless I need to go in a store that requires me to wear one (unless of course its cold outside :)).

Aside from the temperature, I'm curious why you guys wear shirts in the first place? Unless you're wearing a leather jacket or blue jean jacket its not going to do much in the form of road rash prevention. The only other purpose I can see for wearing a shirt/jersey while biking is for fashion. I find it humorously silly that you guys wear spandex/lycra pretty much all the time, mostly for style/fashion. Then you get a farmer's tan and say "I can't ride around naked, can I?"

I'm certainly not trying to offend, and if my previous paragraph is offensive to anyone, I apologize as that was not my intention.

I am genuinly curious why you guys choose to wear shirts/jerseys while biking during warm seasons.

I, personally, have been attempting to rid myself of 'useless' things that for whatever reason I tell myself are necessary, until close inspection. For example, about a year to a year and a half ago I was offered $10,000 for my car. I payed $4,500 a couple years ago. I turned him down. The reason he offered so much for my car is its rarity (I own a 1992 Integra GS-R). I have since reazlied that if I can efficiently get around on an old Huffy Ironman bike, with big stubby tires, hauling my two year old son around, then I certainly dont need a car. Within the next couple of months I'll be fixing up (will sell better with a/c, power steering, etc) and selling the one thing that I never planned on selling.

During my close inspection of all these 'necessities' I have decided that in most cases (at least in warm climates/seasons) shirts are not only useless but counter-productive.

I realize I'm straying a bit from the original discussion, but the question i'm asking is directed to the people that most likely have farmer's tans from biking, so i figured this the most appropriate place.

Again I mean no offense and no harm, just seeking insight into the perspectives of others :)

Pockets.

That and propriety in the workplace.

Pockets.

That and propriety in the workplace.

Do Jerseys have pockets? (not a rhetorical question, i really dont know)

Propriety in the workplace has nothing to do with what you're wearing when you're biking. Many people bring full sets of clothes to work, so I dont see this as being a real issue.

I am genuinly curious why you guys choose to wear shirts/jerseys while biking during warm seasons.

Some of those prefer to cover our "not quite fit" bodies. I've riden without a shirt before and would do it again but a good bike shirt/jersey does 2 things:

1) Wicks away sweat
2) Covers the flabby-bits

Yep jerseys have 3 pockets on the back and they rule. So great to stick things in, your sunglasses, a map, a banana, etc. And they tend to take the sweat off of your body and help evaporate it, and are just nice overall.

It's funny, some people only tan down to their wrists or so, and some people tan right down to the bases of their fingernails (me). Some people don't tan at all and I guess get burned a lot. I seem to have enough tan built up now that if I forget my sunscreen I'm not going to get really fried, but I still try to always put it on. It's just about a daily part of life now without a car, with the biking and walking out in the sun :-)

Many people bring full sets of clothes to work, so I dont see this as being a real issue.

So do I, but I opt to go inside before changing.

I was thinking about getting a biking getup more for laughs than anything, but who knows, maybe it'll grow on me :)

I have two pairs of swim trunks that I wear while biking, each with a velcro pocket on the side. I usually dont sweat much until I stop, so that's not as much as an issue for me. Also, I'm 25% Venezuelan, so I get dark fast and have only burned a handful of times in my life. One of the pairs of swin trunks is made of polyester and dries very quickly. Very comfy :)

On a side note, we went by the only LBS in the area and they have no used bikes whatsoever :( Tomorrow (probably) I shall continue my search for a cheap roadbike at some pawnshops (where the LBS owner suggested I check).

Some of those prefer to cover our "not quite fit" bodies. I've riden without a shirt before and would do it again but a good bike shirt/jersey does 2 things:

1) Wicks away sweat
2) Covers the flabby-bits


I am inclined to agree with InfamousG. While I am in better shape than a lot of the people around me (Indiana ranks high in the number of obese people) I am not in good enough shape that I'm willing to ride around without a shirt on. The sweat wicking thing is good too. Also, It is apparently required that I burn several dozen times before becoming any shade other than that of a paper plate (Scots heritage). So It's just not worth it for me.

Oh, and I've never worn spandex. Not saying I never will, but I don't see it happening in the near future.

I am genuinly curious why you guys choose to wear shirts/jerseys while biking during warm seasons.

Skin cancer sucks.

Skin cancer sucks.

http://www.newstarget.com/007632.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050205130639.htm
http://www.newstarget.com/003113.html
"It's not just sunburn that causes skin cancer: stress is also a major contributing factor according to new research. Reduce the levels of stress in your life, and your resistance to skin cancer more than doubles."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/01/health/main670995.shtml
http://www.swedish.org/111031.cfm
http://www.butler.org/body.cfm?id=125&chunkiid=90212

interesting stuff

The thing those particular articles don't mention, is that when they say "sunlight exposure", they're reffering to about 15 minutes a day, not basking for hours at a time.

We all know the media exagerrates EVERYTHING to insane degrees.

I honestly would not worry about the cancers all that much, at least if you have a very low-fat diet and a rather relaxed lifestyle. (Unfortunately, both the above are antithesis to American values, it would seem.) I would go out shirtless more if not for my two tattoos (as I dislike applying sunscreen. Come to think, I don't even own any sunscreen.)

as I dislike applying sunscreen

me too. I dont like the oilyness. Same with bug spray and lotion etc.

I wear a longsleeve shirt because I don't really tan and I don't want to have that reptillian pocked look when I'm older. So yeah, it's for purely aestetic reasons. I'm hardly stressed out on life and eat a healthy diet yet my arms and face have sun damage and I've used sun screen liberally for years. It's that I'm very white and I live to far south.

I've got the nicest tan in years, thanks to commuting to work. Though I'll admit, it's only on my arms, legs and face!

As for shirtless, I've considered it, but I don't think my chest is really up to par. If I'm gonna give the ladies a show, I should at least have some decent pecs.

i usually wear a plain white t-shirt while ridding, the reason being it's starkness stands out well, i don't sunburn on my arms because i worked on a heat press for years and i think my arms kinda fot literally baked and so now they don't burn, besides what is baked by the press and the sun i too am whiter than paper

Some of those prefer to cover our "not quite fit" bodies. I've riden without a shirt before and would do it again but a good bike shirt/jersey does 2 things:

1) Wicks away sweat
2) Covers the flabby-bits
Change the final "b" in this post to a "t" and you've got my answer! :D