coolio

My new commute has me going directly to the sun in the morning (east) and when I ride home (west). Should I be worried about sun hitting my face so directly? For some reason I thought that sun was only dangerous when it was directly overhead. I haven't really noticed my face any redder. Am I wrong?

Chris_in_Miami

I have the same situation, but the UV rays are not as intense when the sun is low on the horizon. I'm more concerned about it being in the eyes of drivers, so I try to be especially cautious of that during the into-the-sun legs of the commute.

groovestew

The UV index tends to be at its highest at midday. Late afternoon might still be pretty intense. I don't bother with sunscreen for my commute (40 minutes each way).

UV Index Info

tjspiel

It's more dangerous when it's higher in the sky, like say between 10:00 and 2:00, but it can certainly damage your skin at other times of the day.

If it's early in the morning and your commute is under 30 minutes I wouldn't worry about it too much but I'm not a good person to ask. I grew up in an age where people put oil on their skin when out in the sun, not to protect it from UV rays, but to keep it from drying out.

I also believe that limited sun exposure is good for you.

MNBikeCommuter

I've never had problems commuting as it's not during the "prime time." My skin gradually tans rather than burns as the sun increases in strength, so I'm guessing you'll be just fine too since you haven't had any problems yet. One "problem" with faithfully using sunscreen instead of relying on a tan is for that occasional time you won't have it with you but are out in the sun anyway.

Northwestrider

I wouldn't worry about it too much in the morning or evening. To keep it out of my eyes I wear a baseball style hat under my helmet, works fine.

ItsJustMe

Agree with others, in the morning/evening the sun has to punch through a lot more atmosphere. Unless you're particularly sensitive, I wouldn't sweat it.

I started wearing long sleeve shirts even on hot days to keep it off my arms, but as you say it only really hits your face when it's not midday. When the sun is high you may have to think about sunblock on your nose/ears. Or maybe wear a hat with a brim, or a long visor.

green427

I burn easily, but I don't burn much during my commutes. Definitely get burned between 9AM and 4PM.

NukeouT

Any good sunscreen recommendations?

I've read they put some unsafe stuff in a lot of them...

green427

The best sunscreen I've used is made by Neutrogena. Pricey, but works well. Most SPF-30 brands work, but Neutrogena works better.

MTBerJim

+1 I burn so easily I take a fire extinguisher to the beach. It's not a problem for me on the commute.

enigmaT120

I guess if it ever happens to me I'll think of something. After this winter I'll certainly try not to complain though.

jamiller1

I like spray ons because I can keep them on the bike most of the time incase I need it later (bottles tend to have leakage issues). Spray some on your hands rub onto face, then spray the legs and arms. This way I get brown instead of red .

Ray R

Vitamin D is good for you. I wouldn't worry about it.

CbadRider

The best ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

I didn't think early morning sun was all that bad until I went for a walk at 7 am when I was vacationing in Hawaii and got a nasty sunburn.

bhop

I only use sunscreen on my head when i'm commuting, because i'm bald and don't want a helmet hole sun tan.

wolfchild

I don't worry about the sun, I don't even use any sun screen, I like to have a nice dark tan.

zoltani

I'd be more worried about the fact that you will not be as visible to motorists behind you when you are biking into the sun.

coolio

Days are getting longer so there's more sun now. I have a MTB style helmet with a nice visor up front. Doesn't help with this problem, though. Unless I ride looking at my top tube the whole way, ha-ha.