Commuting - Cycling in Extreme Heat...Where to Draw the Line?

I commuted 4 days last week and the final day (Friday) was a real scorcher (100+). Unfortunately next week is also supposed to be very hot. Is it dangerous to commute by bike in high heat? Do people on here have a cut off....commute by bike when it's under 100 but find an alternative when temps get above 100? I felt ok last week. I drank a lot of fluids at work and drank a large glass of water before leaving and drained my one water bottle (need to add a second) by the time I made it home (15 miles one way). But I'm overweight, 40 years old, and have a couple of small kids to worry about. Am I just being pig headed by commutting every day in this heat or is it safe if precautions are taken? Are there warning signs when you are over heating on your bike when you should just shut it down and get someone to pick you up?

Thanks for your advise....and WHEN ARE THE NEW 2007 TREKS AND SPECIALIZED BIKES GOING TO BE OUT!?!?!?!?! I want my new bike....

Can I suggest a Camelbak or similar product? A 70-ounce/2-liter model is nice, that's more water than two of the biggest bottles you can buy. And you can still supplement that with your existing waterbottle.

One advantage is that water in a Camelbak changes temperature very slowly compared to water in a waterbottle, so after you get past the first hot bit of water in the hose, you get nice cool water from the reservoir (or even ice-cold, if you add ice).

For a 15-mile trip in 100°F+ weather, consuming even two large waterbottles might not be enough water. You should probably ask your doctor what warning signs to watch for. I'd just try to mosey along casually and make it a goal to drink frequently. Avoid any bursts of effort if possible. If you see a stoplight that you think is going to change red if you don't speed up, then slow down and let it force you to take a little rest break :)

I work in the heat. Our cut off is a Heat Index of 125 degrees or above. Up to around 100 we just keep on working as normal but keep an eye on everybody, from 100-110 we mandate short water and shade breaks every 45 minutes, 110-125 we mandate breaks every 20-30 minutes. That being said, riding a bike slowly in 100 degree temps would be fine as long as you stay hydrated and take it easy. Get to feeling too warm, pull over in some shade. I don't reccomend heading into an aircondtioned facility, I think that makes it that much harder on the body. FWIW when I lived with out A/C I was able to tolerate heat much better. I am currently 46 years old, and still acclimated to the heat. I like the idea of the camelback. In higher heat/humidty condtions I will wear one at work.

Aaron:)

Coming from an overweight 41 year old, we haven't had any 100 degree+ temps yet here, but I did ride home one day last week when it was 98 degrees, plus a headwind. :( Very frustrating. It really wiped me out, plus I ran out of water halfway home. I didn't want to inconvenience anyone, so I plugged away. I probably won't do that again - I was so wiped out the rest of the night I couldn't do anything (I'm a student taking a very intensive course right now, so if I don't keep up with things my grade suffers - not good).

I don't know about you, but I'm not commuting to prove anything. I do it because I enjoy riding my bike and it is helping me get in shape. Getting a ride home is probably a good idea if it is too hot and you are uncomfortable. I guess knowing when you reach that point is the hard part.

The only thing I can warn anyone about is a mild heat stroke. Not the kind where your whole body is saturated, but the kind where your brain is being fried.

I've had this since I was a kid and forget about it all too often. This comes on when your skull gets to much direct sunlight and begins to heat up the brain fluid. Symptoms set on suddenly and can be very dangerous. Symptoms include nausia and a touch of virtigo. Simply wearing a helmet or a cap will go a long way to prevent this.

Recovery from this condition is water, shade and putting your head down. Throwing up may sound like a good idea at the time but not recommended (personal experience, not medical!). If you can, cooling down in a fountain or a hose will get your spinal fluid temp down faster but this is not always practicle when the symptoms have already set in. You need to stop and take care of the problem immediately when symptoms are appearant.

Some people are more prone to this than others, so this is friendly advice to anyone who may be experiencing the symptoms.

Everyone reacts slightly different. Some are better than others at riding in the heat. If you have not been
doing this ride so much it seems easy, be very careful. Ride slower, that is a huge help. Stop in the shade if you need to. What I do is coast in the shade it's even cooler. Do see the doctor for his advice, we don't know much about you. Look for a route with as much shade as possible.

If you are getting tired don't keep going to get it over with, rest in a cool place. If one rides in the heat long enough and far enough you can adjust to it quite a bit. But one still needs to be aware of potential problems and the first symptoms.

here in Phoenix it is getting up to 115 now in the afternoons. the camelbak is a good Idea, I need to get one. otherwise, stay hydrated, drink a bunch of water before you leave work, and go slow. just creep along, don't try to push yourself.

Fifteen miles in 100 deg temperature is quite doable with little risk. The main thing is to have plenty of water. One bottle is probably not going to be sufficient. Either get a second bottle, or stop half way and refill the one you have. A CamelBak is an excellent alternative. I assume you are changing into appropriate clothes for the ride.

Since you are apparently not used to riding in extreme temperatures, you should look up the symptoms and prevention of heat exhaustion/heat stroke.

I have a Camelback but I switched back to bottles because the Camelback is hot on my back and I sweat pretty fierce under it. I have a 70 ounce resevoir on it, so maybe I'll bring it out of retirement on the really hot rides to maximize my hydration. I agree that the water stays a LOT cooler with the Camelback....the water bottles...even the insulated ones...get warm pretty quick.

Last Friday two things were pretty obvious...one was that I pretty much had the bike lane to myself...very few commuters out, and two...I could really feel the heat coming off the pavement. Fortunately I do have a good amount of shade on my route and you can always generate some head wind to create some cooling.

I'll keep cycling away. Thanks for the advise.

One more thing. I got heat exhaustion when I did the Aidsride 5 years ago before my first son was born. It was extremely hot out on the road and I was blowing through my camelback reserves really quick. Came in for the lunch pit stop and couldn't seem to cool down (it was 110 in the shade). I felt kind of strange and my heart rate wasn't slowing down. I used the entire pit period before going back to my bike. I walked by the medical tent and I saw a bunch of riders with ice bags on their necks....looked like heaven. I asked for one and they said OK but wanted to check my vitals first. They asked how long I had been off the bike and when I said an hour 20 they told me I was done. My 'resting' heart rate was well over 100 BPMs. I didn't know I was in real trouble...but I was. If I hadn't stopped in for that creature comfort (ice pack) I probably would have collapsed on the road.

I commuted 4 days last week and the final day (Friday) was a real scorcher (100+). Unfortunately next week is also supposed to be very hot. Is it dangerous to commute by bike in high heat? Do people on here have a cut off....commute by bike when it's under 100 but find an alternative when temps get above 100? I felt ok last week. I drank a lot of fluids at work and drank a large glass of water before leaving and drained my one water bottle (need to add a second) by the time I made it home (15 miles one way). But I'm overweight, 40 years old, and have a couple of small kids to worry about. Am I just being pig headed by commutting every day in this heat or is it safe if precautions are taken? Are there warning signs when you are over heating on your bike when you should just shut it down and get someone to pick you up?

Thanks for your advise....and WHEN ARE THE NEW 2007 TREKS AND SPECIALIZED BIKES GOING TO BE OUT!?!?!?!?! I want my new bike....


Here's my favorite page on hot weather cycling (http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/SummerCycling.htm).

Now that it's hot, try packing a 2 liter bottle of water. Start drinking about 15-20 minutes before you start pedaling. Don't worry about your speed, coast when possible. 100 degrees is no where near overheating. Safe commuting can be done at far higher temperatures.

Here's my favorite page on hot weather cycling (http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/SummerCycling.htm).
Cute article. 9 miles 150ft glide at 120deg f... and hydration. Indeed do-able but brutal. Note the warning if you need to stop for any length of time (like flats or other mechanical booboo's)

The law requires that public hot tubs remain at or below 104 degrees F. Above this, people may explode... J/K ...get seriously ill.

So with sweat, the breeze of riding, shade, and hydration, your body can tolerate a lot as long as your core temperature is maintained to that 104 degree max limit. I think the key is having the moisture within you to sweat out. I am one of those that starts hydration way to late to keep things flowing.
Then again, I sit in a sprinkler when the heat reaches triple digits :)

One nice thing about the camel back I remember from when I used one is this: I did a mtn bike clinic at Hardwood Hills one summer - we rode about 40ish km of single track that day. It was 38 degrees Celcius, with a humidex of about 48 or so. Very hot and sticky. So, I emptied the camel back (was a low profile one, with a 50 oz bladder and an insulated pack) 5 times that day - 250oz of water. I did not dehydrate or feel wobbly the whole day. The neat part is, the water stayed cold, and so did my back... the cold from the water slowly seeped into my back and felt wonderful.

I don't believe that any heat denver has can stop me from riding. The highest I have ridden in was 105F last summer. As it hits the high 90s I start slowing down and consuming more water. That is about it.

Other outdoor activities are much harder on one. For example, I worked for two hours this weekend on some tall grass with a balky lawnmower that stopped every 30 seconds or so and had to be unclogged each time. I was totally exhausted. By copmparison, a five mile commute in similar temperatures (90+ F) is easy and fun.

Paul

The constant refrain here seems to be "drink water." Drinking throughout the day is better than guzzling on the road. Filling your stomach doesn't help you sweat and makes it hard to breath.

However you prepare, always have a fall back. Most often this means taking a cell phone with one or more contacts to call if you need someone to come pick you up if the heat becomes too much.

Speaking of cell phones, I've heard that in some areas emergency responders check cell phones for emergency contacts when victims are unconcious. Emergency contacts should have the acronym ICE ("In Case of Emergency") in their entry on the phone. That way EMT's won't waste time notifying your hairdresser, LBS, co-worker from six months ago, etc. that you have had an emergency. That's a good thing regardless of the weather.

i too ride in Denver, and there is nothing here to stop me either at 43 and also over on the scale. I use a camel back clone and fill the bladder w/ ice at work before I leave. Even if I take the long way home (15 miles, some 15 minute hills on my hybrid) I still get home w/ ice in the bag. Another trick I learned from my son in the MArines is to wear Under Armor skin tight Tee's. Instant cooling as you sweat, you don't have to soak a shirt before it cools you....
And like everyone else said: "Take it easy"

Tom

Water, water, water. I did construction work in Florida for 12 years and the key is to pace yourself and drink enough water. I don't really have a cutoff for riding in the heat, I kind of enjoy it. To me it's much worse to ride in the cold! I hate those 50 degree days in winter! :)

114 degrees has been doable so far. I don't think it can get any hotter here. Stay hydrated and allow enough time to cruise to your destination instead of hammering. Don't forget to listen to your body, it knows your limits better than a bunch of people on the internet.;)

To add to the water thing. Should you pass a park with a drinking fountain, there are few things in this world that feel better on a 110+ day than a jersey soaked in the drinking fountain and put on again. Here in Phoenix you will have about 10 minutes of nice cool riding before you are bone dry again on days like that but 10 minutes of air conditioning can do a lot to reset your mental heat tolerance.

I am just getting over heat exhaustion. From only about 92 with a small 5 mile climb. Thought I was properly hydrated.
Today a club member suggested I mash smaller gears and work less as one possible solution.
As to heat. Under 95 with a chilled Camelbak. Over 95, doubt I commute on a bike unless it was maybe under 5 miles' distance. Then maybe.

Man, this desert heat and humidity is nothing.
The air is extremely sticky, it's 110 in the shade and I'm just hammering along my six mile way route.
Of course by the time I get to my work-place, I look like a human steam locomotive.
Another thing I've noticed is that I don't even feel that tired after sweating for about two-three hours.
It's after that I begin to feel a little nauseated, then I'll start gulping the larger amounts as opposed to the sips I always do.
But, weather-wise, I'll ride anyday in this heat, as opposed to 50 and lower degree chills.

pffft... drink lots of water with some gatorade, and salty carb filled foods. push hard as ya want.

When the pavement melts and my tires sink in too far to roll properly.

I think that there is a cut off at some degree. I commuted a few days back in extremely hot and humid weather. The 15 mile commute itself was actually ok but I could feel the exhaustion of the ride while I was at work. I think I would have been ok if I was working a desk job, but I am on my feet all day helping people (I hate retail sales). I don't think I have ever slept as hard as I did when I got home that night.

The constant refrain here seems to be "drink water." Drinking throughout the day is better than guzzling on the road. Filling your stomach doesn't help you sweat and makes it hard to breath.

However you prepare, always have a fall back. Most often this means taking a cell phone with one or more contacts to call if you need someone to come pick you up if the heat becomes too much.

Speaking of cell phones, I've heard that in some areas emergency responders check cell phones for emergency contacts when victims are unconcious. Emergency contacts should have the acronym ICE ("In Case of Emergency") in their entry on the phone. That way EMT's won't waste time notifying your hairdresser, LBS, co-worker from six months ago, etc. that you have had an emergency. That's a good thing regardless of the weather.


I have been a Paramedic for 10 years and have never used a cell to notify anyone's family of anything. However, it may be nice for the Hospital...but then, they usually look for the entry labeled "Mom" or "Dad"

Last year we rode the White Rim @ Moab, it was abit hot the first day, 100 plus. By lunch I had ran out of water and was calling the water truck for help. I ate lunch and all but fell to the ground. I had dehydrated my self.
The medical lady gave me pretzils, she said at least suck the salt off, I couldn't believe how much it helped.
I watched this other guy we were with drink 2 gallons of Gatorade before dinner, I don't think he ate.

I do this 14 mile each way thing on Saturdays sometimes, In 100 plus days if I keep pumping water and Gatorade in and I do mean keep pumping I can ride fairly hard, but when I get home I sweat like crazy.
If this is going to kill us, it is a slow way to go.

Camel bak Tip, take 2 liter pop bottle, fill it, freeze it, set it in the sun, when the ice is melted to a 2 1/2" diameter log. cut the bottle open and stick the ice in the camel bak.

I shut up now.
PS: This Thread has been very educational to read, thank you all.

Today I took an 18-mile route home, with some modest hills. It was about 100°F. I took about one gallon of water along (70-ounce CamelBak plus a 32-ounce and a 28-ounce bottle). I drank periodically, and was out of water in about one hour. However, I was setting a somewhat-fast pace for the first part of the ride. I'm in reasonable shape but the last 15 minutes of the ride was a little bit of a "when-will-I-reach-the-refrigerator" grind. I was thinking about my quart of ice-cold KoolAid that was waiting for me! :D

Today I took an 18-mile route home, with some modest hills. It was about 100°F. I took about one gallon of water along (70-ounce CamelBak plus a 32-ounce and a 28-ounce bottle). I drank periodically, and was out of water in about one hour. However, I was setting a somewhat-fast pace for the first part of the ride. I'm in reasonable shape but the last 15 minutes of the ride was a little bit of a "when-will-I-reach-the-refrigerator" grind. I was thinking about my quart of ice-cold KoolAid that was waiting for me! :D

Did you notice all the threads about "bonking" when it gets hot? They all have some symptoms of heat exhaustion with the bonk symptoms. I did about 20 miles with the dogtrike and about 40 on a bike. The mental image of ice cold KoolAid made me just walk to the refigerator for a drink.

..............recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight................

myself I don't need to drink much while diing. my ride is 9.5 miles each way in the morning where the temp is around 85 or so I don't need to drink any but when I get to work I tend to drink up to a lieter or so of water. and over the day 3 to 4 lieters total. going home I may need a sip or two but thats it. get home and I am not super thirsty.

Did you notice all the threads about "bonking" when it gets hot? They all have some symptoms of heat exhaustion with the bonk symptoms. I did about 20 miles with the dogtrike and about 40 on a bike. The mental image of ice cold KoolAid made me just walk to the refigerator for a drink.During the last part of the ride, I noticed that it was hard to hold a really steady line, and also I was feeling rather hot (surprise). It seemed wise to slow down and let my water absorbtion catch up with the need to sweat, so I dropped my pace a lot going up the hills, even though this meant getting passed by a couple different roadies *pouts*


..............recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight recharge the headlight................Awwww, wookit the cute doggie... :) Are your cells depleted...? We can fix that :)

Awwww, wookit the cute doggie... :) Are your cells depleted...? We can fix that :)

:roflmao:

Even if you're prepared for heat exhaustion / stroke, have a look at your local air quality as well. It's usually worse in extreme heat. For example, here's my city (Riverside, CA):

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.showlocal&CityID=211

If you look at the animated maps on that site, you can see what the air quality is like during your ride. Yesterday, it was unhealthy during my commute time, and wow did I feel it in my head -- I have bad sinuses. I did not ride today because it's the same forecast.

If you use a Camelback all you need to do is fill it with ice then add your drink and the ice will keep your back cool!

I use to live in the Mojave Desert of California where it routinely got over 100 degrees in the summer. Sometimes it was just too hot to go out in the day so I waited till evening nad used lights. There were some things I learned while riding in that heat. First you need plenty of cold liquid (I use Gatorade diluted 50%); thus I used those 24oz Polar bottles to retain the cold which you need to bring down your core body temperture. So on a long ride of over 60 miles, I took 3 bottles plus the Camelback, I would freeze one bottle with 50% Gatorade overnight (leave some space for the ice to swell), then the day of the ride I would fill one bottle full of ice and poured in 100% strength cold Gatorade, and the third bottle was filled with 1/2 ice and about 50% Gatorade, then the Camelback was filled with ice then the Gatorade. I drank one bottle about every 45 to 60 minutes and drank from the bottle with the least amount of ice first. The Camelback (a Rogue model) for some reason stayed cooler longer so I drank that last, but you have to blow the fluid in the tube back into the Camelback or it would be hot on your next sip.

I also learned that loose fitting Jersey's and shorts were cooler then tight fitting ones, and white is also cooler so I switched to those. I also learned that I could not tell the difference in body temperture between a expensive $80 jersey or a $12 Walmart jersey!! (the $12 Walmart Jersey has no rear pockets-not a big deal). Also make sure you have a sweat band in your helmet to prevent sweat from dripping down into your eyes.

I also found that various Sunscreen products made me hotter so stopped using them. BUT, if your fair skinned you may want to use Sunscreen and suffer being hotter rather then risk getting skin cancer!!!!

The underarmor trick works with any sythetic tight shirt. Lately, when it is hot, I wear a skin tight (more or less) running shirt with a regular jersey over top. I get mighty toasty until I warm up. When that happens, I cool off very very fast and stay that way since the slightly damp shirt is stuck to me by the jersey (which I keep open at the front for air flow.) Seems counter intuitive, but it works.

jakarta. everyday is hot. everyday is summer.
and yet I cling to my faith to keep pedalling (when alone, not with the family)
and because I work freelance, going to work can be at noon, when the sun is right above your head.
37 degrees celcius (how does that translate into fahrenheit??)


I am the engine.
human power, not horsepower

When it gets well into the 90's, I try to take the MUP home. It's shaded much or the way, which helps a lot. I also start with a full waterbottle of sports drink. I fill it 2/3 of the way in the morning, freeze it at an angle, and then fill it up just before I leave. That gives me cold fluid for the whole ride.

I also keep bus fare in my saddle bag. If my body told me to stop, I could get on the bus. (although I may have to ride a mile from the path to catch the bus.

My commute is short (5 1/2 miles on the road, 7 1/2 miles when I take the path the whole way), but 95F+ heat plus high humidity plus bad air (yes, we have that in Columbus) can make even that dangerous if you're not careful.

jakarta. eve...
37 degrees celcius (how does that translate into fahrenheit??)
37C is 98.6F

Depends on how hard you cycle. This past Saturday (non-commute), I rode in 111* heat with the heat index pushing near 120*. :eek: I went for 15 miles for 1 hour on a slight incline (440' ascent) and drank a gallon of fluids in that ride. The only time I felt like I was overheating and wanted to fall over was at the end of my ride when I have to ride up the mountain to my house. I was in the granny gear with the sun blazing down on me and was going maybe 3 mph. Sweat was pouring off of me, but not evaporating and I got hot VERY quickly. I collapsed on my porch in the shade, but couldn't cool off, felt worse, quickly went inside w/ the A/C blasting and felt better.

As long as you are not pushing yourself (take it easy) and have PLENTY of water & sports drink, you should be okay for an hour. I'm not sure about riding multiple hours in this kind of heat, though.