Commuting - It's too HOT!!!

How am I supposed to commute to work when it is already 90 degrees by 8 AM (110 for the ride home)?? Do you pack your clothes and shower at work? Does that mean you have to carry a huge pack of clothes, towels and toiletries?? I'm interested, I just can't figure out how to make it work.

I permenantly have 2 changes of clothes at work + towel. I change the work clothes when I take the train to and from work. I still have a backpack, but I hope to change that by getting one of those under-seat bags. Also, you can wear a sleevless shirt or no shirt at all when it is really hot.

Hope this helps

Here in CA it's inconceivable to not have a shower. Practically every company offers these facilities, even small start-ups. To me bike-commuting is as routine as car-commuting: Pack work clothes
Bike in
Shower, change, wash biking outfit, hang-dry
Work
Put on bike outfit, pack clothes, buzz homeMy preference is to pack the clothes of the day every day I bike-commute.

As far as temps, hot temps really don't bother me. I only have to worry about that in the afternoons here anyway. The mornings are rather chilly actually, even in mid-summer. Afternoons can get to 105 fairly often, but still are relatively dry (low humidity). In any event, I just drink gobs of H2O and zoom down the road.

Originally posted by haley
How am I supposed to commute to work when it is already 90 degrees by 8 AM (110 for the ride home)?? Do you pack your clothes and shower at work? Does that mean you have to carry a huge pack of clothes, towels and toiletries?? I'm interested, I just can't figure out how to make it work.

Look them all in the eye and say "I RIDE, YOU DRIVE, I'M FIT AND BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE uh, well, eh , well not bad for someone that is, uh...."

I start riding at dawn and ride the bus home. I tried riding home one day in 110 degree heat and made it but was a little toasty towards the end (19 mile commute). I just change into fresh clothes that I take in a backpack when I get to work. Nobody even knew it was me that was commuting by bike for awhile so I figure I must not be too noticeable.

Originally posted by haley
How am I supposed to commute to work when it is already 90 degrees by 8 AM??

Considered "situation normal" for at least six months of the year around here. To be honest, I have showers but have only ever used them once (when my shower at home was broken). I carry a change of clothes (including a change of underwear) and a can of deodorant. For this I have two panniers (I also carry my lunch and a change of shoes), and I have never even had my shirt creased on one of my commutes, nor have I ever arrived at work smelly.

I've found that as long as I keep moving in the morning, the breeze eliminates most of my sweat until I arrive. If the remaining sweat is immediately dried off upon your arrival, you're probably not going to stink. Make sure you eat something and drink a ton o' water before your way in and drink twice as much before you leave work. Take pants, shirt and washcloth - if you need different shoes at work, leave them there. Avoid using a backpack - get a rack and carry your stuff there - you don't want heat building up on your back! The heat will hardly be your problem with commuting anyway. It'll be the rest of the planet thinking you're some kind of lunatic for riding a bike.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
I've found that as long as I keep moving in the morning, the breeze eliminates most of my sweat until I arrive.
Not me, BnD. I look like I just ran a marathon when I get in. Totally soaked. Disgusting, actually, complete with helmet head. I make a bee-line for the showers.

East Texas in summer from 10 am to about 6 pm is not fit for man nor beast. I am retired, and in hot months try to do my daily ride from about 530am to 800am.

Even at 530am air temp is around 75F. I often come home with my clothes soaked with sweat.

I add half a teaspoon of Morton LiteSalt to my 60oz hydropak and find that I have more endurance and feel generally better.

I eat a high-protein, low carb diet; and avoid Coca-Cola, GatorAide and all other such sugar drinks. Read labels. You may be astonished at the glop people are willing to sell you without regard to the effect on your health.




Morton Lite-Salt 11 oz is 99c
1/4 ounce serving
0 calories
0 carbohydrates
290 mg sodium
340 mg potassium

p 273 "Let's eat right to keep fit" by Adelle Davis
"People who salt food lightly should add 3,000 mg sodium to a day's dietary, and those who enjoy well-salted food 7,000 mg. Normally the intake of potassium should be approx the same as that of sodium, and calcium ntake should be 2/3 or more that of phosphoros."

page 22 Let's eat right to keep fit by Adelle Davis

a similar study was made at Harvard University by Dr Thorn and co-workers who determined blood sugar levels for six hours after meals high in carbohydrates.

A high-carbohydrate breakfast consisted of orange juice, bacon, toast, jelly, a packaged cereal and coffee, both with sugar and milk. The blood sugar rose rapidly but fell to an extremely low level, causing fatigue and inefficiency. A packaged cereal eaten only with whipping cream for the high-fat breakfast, after which the blood sugar inceased slightly, then remained at the fasting level throughout the morning.

The high protein meal consisted of skim milk, lean ground beef, and cottage cheese; the blood sugar rose to the high level of 120 milligrams and remained there throughout the entire following six hours.

To determine the effects of different types of food on energy production, metabolism tests were taken at fcrequent intervals. The metabolism, or energy production, increased only slightly after the meals high in fat or carbohydrate. After the high-protein meal, however , the metabolism rose more quickly than did the blood sugar and stayed high throughout the entire six hour study period.

p 23 sugar, cereals, hotcakes fruit, fruit juice quickly changes to sugar during digestion . in minutes blood sugar may increase from 80 to 155 milligrams ..stimulates pancreas to pour forth insulin; the insulin in turn causes the liver and muscles to withdraw sugar and store it as a form of sugar, or glycogen or change it into fat, thus preventing it being lost in urine. The tremendous amounts of sugar defeat the purpsoe for which sugar is needed -- to produce enegy efficiently. Too much sugar is withdrawn due to the oversupply of insulin; the result, ironically, is fatigue

p 24 in studies mentioned, efficiency for three hours was produced by only 22 grams or more of protein. Meals furnishing 55 grams protein sustained a high level of energy and a high metabolism for six hours afterward.


p35 "Let's eat right to keep fit" Adelle Davis

When you eat more protein than your body can use immediately, your liver withdraws amino acids from your blood and changes them temporarily into protein storage. As your cells use amino acids the supply is replenished from the breakdown of stored protein. As long as your diet is adeduate, the amount of amino acids in your blood is thereby kept relatively constant.

If you ignore your health to the extent of eating insufficient protein, the stored protein is quickly exhausted. From that time on, the less important body tissues are destroyed to free amino acids needed to rebuild more vital structures. Such a process can go on month after month, year after year. Your body continues to function after a fashion. Useen abnormalities set in because blood proteins, hormones, enzymes, and antibodies can no longer be formed in amounts needed. Muscles lose tone, wrinkles appear, aging creeps on , and you, my dear, are going to pot.

It is possible, though not probable, that you may eat more protein than your body needs. After the storage depots are filled, the leftover protein is changed by the liver into glucose and fat, the nitrogen being excreted in urine; the sugar and fat may be used immediately to produce energy or may be stored as fat. Proteins are also used to produce energy whenever too few other foods are eaten to produce calorie requirments.

Vlad -
Liked your post....Tulsa is in the same boat as you heatwise.

I think the salt thing is good, and will start doing it.

What do you do for Potassium?

OldRoadie




Morton Lite-Salt

1/4 ounce serving

0 calories

0 carbohydrates

290 mg sodium

340 mg potassium

Hey, I had a senior moment!...OK!!!!!!!!!!

I live in NorthEast Texas and it gets almost as hot as AZ plus alot more humid. We are at 100 deg. highs right now and I break a sweat before getting to my bike in the afternoon.

On the way in, I leave at 5AM and it is pretty cool. I also don't have to ride far because I take the train most of the way to work. I wear my work shirt and shorts (change to pants at work). If I did have to ride the whole way, I would be soaked in sweat before getting here (even in the dark). I would just have to take a full change of clothes, deodorant, and use wet towels to clean up in the bathroom. It's important to cool down before cleaning up or you will just continue to sweat.

I only care about sweat on the way in because I can shower at home. The heat doesn't bother me as long as I stay hydrated. I ride the whole way home except for one train stop at 3PM. This is the hottest part of the day and I can't complain. Keep moving and hydrated and you will stay cool.

When I'm cycling on a really hot Chicago day, and someone asks me if it's too hot to cycle, I tell them that I prefer cycling in the dead of January to a real scorching July day. In January, it feels pleasant to get warmed up by one's ride and arrive all warm and toasty to one's destination. It's not the answer that many listeners are expecting to hear.....

Vlad - another Adelle Davis fan! That woman was so far ahead of her time it's unbelievable. I've been buying Let's Eat Right... for years (then lending it out and not getting it back) and it amazes me how the rest of the world is constantly dreaming up new fads based on stuff she was writing about YEARS ago.

I'll stick with the eat-gobs-of-homemade-Italian-food and ride-like-a-bastard diet, myself.

Originally posted by ViciousCycle
When I'm cycling on a really hot Chicago day, and someone asks me if it's too hot to cycle, I tell them that I prefer cycling in the dead of January to a real scorching July day. In January, it feels pleasant to get warmed up by one's ride and arrive all warm and toasty to one's destination. It's not the answer that many listeners are expecting to hear.....

Reverse the seasons and you'll find I agree. Not that we get real winters in Queensland anyway. However, I will say this: Given the choice of riding on a real hot day and getting some relief from the feeling of a seabreeze on sweat is far more pleasant than sitting in some car slowly dying of dehyration and breathing in that decidely inferior "air conditioning".

This morning was 0ºC/32F, the cars parked in the street were covered in ice. One guy had his hose out (garden) and was trying to de-ice his car, it was cold. Even with thick gloves my hands were frozen for the first 20min. Bring on summer, 32ºC/89F is more my temperature.

CHEERS.

Mark

This morning it was 27 degrees C or 80 F at 5:30 am!! That's too hot for that time of day. Still a great ride to work, just a little sweatier than usual. Rides home have been hot but bearable this week - temps have been 32-34 degrees C (90-93F) - But it sure feels great to jump in the pool when I get home!! - (the pool is getting too hot too - it's up to 84 degrees F)

80F? I keep the thermostat in my house set to that most of the time.