Well after 3 summers of dealing with a horrid
looking rash that occurred after I rode in hot weather, I've FINALLY figured out
what was causing it.
It seems that a combination of my allergy
medication (Claritin, which I started taking thru the summer 3 yrs ago) and the
heat was causing this angry rash on my lower legs. The rash wasn't very
painful, but hot and a bit itchy. Cold water gave me some relief, and
riding in shorts was better than having it covered, but nothing made it look any
better.
It didn't improve with any change in clothing type
or from putting anything on it. So I decided it was "coming from the
inside", and started trying to think of possible allergic reactions (I know some
have similar rashes due to food allergies). It finally hit me that the
rash coincided with the time that I started taking Claritin thru the summer
(instead of just spring and fall). I stopped taking it 10 days ago and
within 2 days the rash disappeared, and hasn't reappeared with a lot of riding
in hot weather.
