Touring - 106 Degrees - Do you rest or move on?

I leave next week on my tour... the first 600 miles will be MO - Kansas. No shade. Right now it's 106 degrees with 71% humidity. When you walk outside you can barely breathe.

This got me thinking... if you were in the middle of a tour (or about to start one). Would you rest in this type of weather and let it pass? Or move on?

Trust me, if it's 106 degrees on the day I am supposed to leave. I will be pushing the tour back a week or two.

I rode today... Im in STL... granted I only rode 25 miles, but it wasnt bad at all. Just drink tons of water, and keep moving. It gets HOT when you come to a stop!

Same here in Sacramento...110 yesterday...not much different today.

I'd rest, assuming it would pass shortly. No sense riding a day that may tire you out excessivly and kill your mood.
That said, if its more than a day or two, go out and ride, but make sure you know where water is, and be willing to ride shorter day. No sense being bogged down.

Rise early--very early--and shove off at first light. You can make 30 or 40 miles before it gets brutal. Call it a day and enjoy the hospitality of air conditioning. I camp, but occasionally like to use such excuses to take a motel as early as they'll permit and get a nice long rest for the next push. Are you willing to scale back your tour and end it at a less-ambitious destination? You'll likely enjoy it more if you don't insist on toughing it out in such temperatures.

Best of luck,
Lew

Desert hours; Daybreak until say 8 or 9am, take a longer break (this could be your mid day). If you can make an hour or two more as the day warms go for it. Then stop by 11 or 12 for the day. If you really need to make miles start again in the evening. But seek good shelter (maybe air conditioning) in the middle of the day for sure!!!!

Depends alot on what kind of climatizing you've been doing, but don't let the "Get r Done" attitude get you a case of heat illness.

Where you going to/from? I'm here in Kansas and it has been brutal. Worst week of heat in the last few years. I ride early AM year round so I relaly don't have to adjust much. But it is odd starting out at sunrise and it is over 80 F. Still, my advice is also to start at crack of dawn and ride. It is tolerable here until close to noon. That can get you nearly 6 hrs of ride time.

Spend the rest of the day in the cool, recouping. It's gonna cool off here later in the week and improve next week somewhat. Last several days have all been very close to 110 F or more. That is brutal by any standards.

Rise early--very early--and shove off at first light. You can make 30 or 40 miles before it gets brutal. Call it a day and enjoy the hospitality of air conditioning. I camp, but occasionally like to use such excuses to take a motel as early as they'll permit and get a nice long rest for the next push. Are you willing to scale back your tour and end it at a less-ambitious destination? You'll likely enjoy it more if you don't insist on toughing it out in such temperatures.

Best of luck,
Lew

Wisdom and common sense on a message board. Will wonders never cease!

Bike early, sight see during the day, then try to get a few hours in at night if needed. Its really not safe to bike in unpopulated places during hight temps.

My digital therm. hit 111 degrees today.

You super-humans might be able to live in it... but not I. I have decided to push my tour back until this heat is gone. Like demit said, I don't want to be 50 miles to the nearest town, in the middle of Kansas, and either push on or pull off to the side of the road in 100+ heat.

I live in Kansas City. It is suposed to cool off this weekend; high temps next week in upper 80's - low to mid 90's. That's normal temps for this time of year.