Now that summer is almost here, I’m looking for better ways to protect myself from the sun. I generally dislike sunscreen, but I do wear it while riding.
The helmet visor “Da Brim” (website) caught my attention. Since I wear a huge-ass sombrero-style hat when I’m off the bike, I’m fine with the way Da Brim looks.
For context, some of my summer rides might have me in 8-10+ hours of sun, which isn’t good, even with sunscreen on. If Da Brim can make the experience more tolerable, I’m in!
I’m curious to hear from anyone who has one, and what their experience has been.
I’m in Southern Arizona and I see tons of people wearing them. They’re super popular here. I don’t have one but I really want one.
Wow, that’s great to hear! I’m way north of the border (like, Canada), and even though I haven’t noticed anyone wearing these, I tend to be an early adopter of just about anything. LOL You should see the looks I had when I used “bar mits” on my bike over the winter. 😂
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been meaning to get something in this vein.
A bit of advice for those like me who don’t like sunscreen, long sleeve fishing shirts with SPF protection are awesome for hot weather. They breathe wonderfully and have kept me from burning despite all day rides. I don’t like that they’re all plastic of some kind, so I’ve been looking into hemp shirts, they naturally block uv, and I’ve had good luck with them as well.
I did recently get a set of long sleeved shirts for riding with UPF 50 (spf ratings is for sunscreen 😉).
Even though they are a technical fabric, I do feel like I’ll need to acclimate to the heat, since even with short sleeves it can get really hot on long rides.
I haven’t looked into the hemp stuff, but I also don’t like the idea of synthetic clothing, so I may have a look at more options!
But for my face and neck, Da Brim seems to be a great option.
Edit: grammar
Apologies, I am not familiar with Canadian regulations. However, your unruly neighbor to the south has a common issue.
American sunscreen doesn’t work. European and East Asian (Korean/Japanese specifically) sunscreens use a perfectly safe chemical that has long lasting power and incredible UV protection.
This chemical has been in widespread use for decades in these markets with no statistically significant health issues.
This compound is not used in the US because sunscreen is considered a health product in the US and must be tested on animals before human use.
Consider importing some from specialty sites or find a local Asian beauty shop.
Anyone have a few examples of these sunscreens?
The top ingredients which outperform US approved sunscreen ingredients (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) are: Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL. No idea which brands, doing some digging around myself.
@[email protected] and @[email protected]
FYI, I’m in Canada and have been using La Roche ANTHELIOS XL, which contains Mexoryl XL and is SPF 60.
Been using it for years after my dermatologist recommended it.
Awesome, thanks!
Hah, apparently the American version of that product is what I’ve been using
Iirc, there is a bill up that would change that. Which, surprisingly, has bipartisan support.
Edit: yup, even maga support. Mike Lee thanks AOC for bringing up the issue, and here’s the bill.
It looks like the best regulations currently for UVA and UVB would be the EU.
One thing to look out for with the imported stuff is that it’s not a counterfeit product. There are a lot of reports about that, including a lot of dermatologists testing them live on video and showing some counterfeits being less than 1% of the claimed effectiveness.
Keep safe in the sun folks!
You can just get a hat, cut out the middle and glue it, like Ed Pratt has done.
Buddy looks like he’s getting ready to take off. He’s got his flaps out and everything!
In all seriousness, no. Where I live, the environment doesn’t really necessitate such measures.
The sun doesn’t shine?
He lives where the sun doesn’t shine – Seattle, Washington
Actually I live in Calgary, which is apparently one of the sunniest cities in
North AmericaCanada. I’ve just never felt the need for something like this. I got my sunscreen, and my sunnies. My helmet blocks the rest. I dunno…
The flying nun!
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
lol, I kinda want to get one and put it on my full face MTB helmet for shits and giggles.
Downhill has never been so cool.
Its got wings!
I didn’t know they existed and now i want one. Summers here are brutal.
We nuns cannot fly
I think everyone who has it, is a fan. That is my impression. Has a cool name too, haha.
That looks hilarious, but functional.
Seems like a great idea but those prices are too damn high.
As with anything, I would consider it an investment to last many years. Hell, when someone finds out how much I’ve spent on panniers, a helmet visor for <$100 sounds like a steal! LOL
My point is there are several similar products for much cheaper.
Like this: https://amazon.com/dp/B0081JKJG2
Or this: https://amazon.com/dp/B088GL58HL
Or this: https://amazon.com/dp/B081QGCLH9
The concept is simple enough that it should not be expensive to implement.
The problem with “other solutions” is that they aren’t designed for use on a moving bike, so they don’t have the structure to actually work well. Apparently, Da Brim works in 30mph winds.
I’m fine with paying money for something that works well, especially when comfort and safety are a priority. But I appreciate you looking at alternatives… I was looking too, and found nothing that was the same (for cycling).
Helmet?
