Fifty Plus (50+) - How to Ride in the Higher Heat and Humidity

If you figure it out I'd sure like to know.........

About the only thing I've found that helps is to ride easier than normal and take a bottle of water to lather me about every 30 minutes or so. It also seems to help to ride in a group so others are sharing your pain!!!

I got it.

Start EARLY 5:30 AM get off the road by 11:00 AM
Use insulated bottles and freeze them overnight.

OR: Do like me for the last 4 weeks. Hibernate in The A/C till things cool down.

I generally avoid riding when humidity is high but I also recently picked up one of the Tri bottle holders that attached to the seat. That with the traditional ones allows me to carry four bottles.

I got it.

Start EARLY 5:30 AM get off the road by 11:00 AM
Use insulated bottles and freeze them overnight.



Agree. When in Florida during the summer months, this is the only way to ride. I try to be finished by 10. In the mid Atlantic states, I merely unzip my jersey and douse my head with water every so often. And back off the pace. But its still not comfortable.

Aside from the early start and plenty of hydration ideas noted above I have found that short, high intensity rides work well for me. In the heat I like doing about 1 hour rides.

I solved the problem of high heat and humidity by not riding. Works like a charm. ;)

I start off between 4:30AM and 5:30 AM--depending when I happen to wake up. The 40 miles plus cool down ride usually takes me about 2½ hours--so I'm done by 8AM at the latest. Often I'm done by 7:30 AM when I start closer to 4:30 AM.

I do what several people already do. I start at 7am and finish no later than 10am and with one frozen bottle and one cold bottle. I'm also able to stop at several places and fill up with extra water if the need arises. I usually ride 30-40 miles twice a week.

Ride at night. I begin my evening rides at around 6:30 PM, and ride until about 9 PM. You'll need bug repellent, but sunscreen is not required. A white jersey, or something
reflective, good headlight, red tail light are needed. I have actually grown to prefer night riding to daytime riding during the summer months. You get to enjoy the summer
warmth, but avoid the brightness and heat of the day. You'll see some interesting sights as well.

I think the key is to assure you stay hydrated and don't let your electrolytes get low. One bottle of sports drink (with electrolytes) and one of water. Alternate and refill constantly. You will actually find you are cooler as you are riding than if you stop (changing a flat in hot humid is TERRIBLE). Also, don't think about how hot and humid it is--think positive-- you are the only one out there riding. It's rare to have the road/trail to yourself :)

train safe--

My approach is a modification of the "don't ride" solution. I just choose to live on the Best Coast so that I don't have to deal with humidity. Even at 115F (at 10% humidity) it is pretty easy to stay cool as long as you have access to water.

On a more helpful note for those on the (L)East Coast: Consider dropping as much weight as you possibly can. I know when we are doing lots of miles on the tandem (I ride stoker, so I don't get the breeze I am used to), I am much happier when I keep the weight off. I suppose this might conflict with pie at times, but you can always skimp on less essential foods like fruits and vegetables.

I resorted to the use of a Camelbak for about three weeks during the heat wave. I put ice cubes in it and added cold water from the fridge. The water stayed cold to cool to tolerable for 2.5 to 3 hours. Also, it cooled my back a bit. Staying well hydrated helped. The pace was a little slower than normal, and as others have said, we started our rides earlier in the day.

Let's see - heat and humidity? How about SE Louisiana in the summer? Yep.. we got both.
Not riding accomplishes nothing but becoming bored, so it's not a solution.

So, when riding over 40 centuries early this summer, my "solution" was basically to start my rides early then grin and bear it (okay, endure it), hydrate continuously and remember to eat salty things for snacks. I probably averaged 5 liters of water/Gatorade minimum and, on a couple rides, am pretty sure I drank 8 liters over 9 hours. That's not counting pre- and post-ride hydration. The salty snacks definitely helped but hydration was the key.

A second, often over-looked, aspect was trying to avoid sunburn - sunburned skin doesn't sweat as efficiently (as well as being painful). So, I wound up wearing lightweight long-sleeve shirts, then switched to technical long-sleeved shirts that I found on sale at a big discount. While they didn't do much for cooling, they did prevent sunburn on the arms. Too bad I couldn't find a decent equivalent solution for my legs.

Living in the desert southwest (Tucson area) does pose a few issues.
Rode 20 miles today starting at 9 a.m. It was already in the 90s with mediun humidity (around 30%).
Less than 2 hours later my computer on the bike registered between 108 and 114 degrees. Agree that's the temp in the sunshine and that'shere I am riding; shade is almost zero out here except for shade from a telephone pole or a big cactus.
Actual high temp for the day at the airport (in the shade) was only 101.
Drank one 8 oz bottle of cold/iced water.
Have ridden in 98 degrees with 98% humidity in Maryland; no fun. Give me the desert anytime!

We don't often get extreme heat but Humidity up around 85+ happens often. The heat does not bother me but the humidity does. Isotonic drinks- and plenty of it works for me. I use a camelback for the longer rides and that is where the isotonic resides and the bottle on the bike is water. Can't empty a camelback over my head easily so that is the reason I have it that way round. But sweat running in the eyes used to be my problem but I now use a cycling cap that when dowses from the bottle also keeps the head cooler.

I guess living in those humid conditions my whole life conditions me to riding in high humidity and temps here (even PI was this way towards the end of boot camp.) I hydrate well before I ride, we have to do this working heavy construction, and take water on a regular schedule when I am riding. If you wait until you feel thirsty it is too late. I cannot handle the isotonic drinks, even at work where a 5 gallon cooler of Gatorade or some type of isotonic is always available. I have fortunately never had heat prostration or a heat stroke but have had to help enough people at work and on rides to know the symptoms and to react to them. Hope you can find a method that works for you jppe, I would not try to just ride through this problem, jmho.

Bill

Tough question, like the other posters have advised, ride early and stop about mid morning and drink lots of water. I started wearing a pair of "sun sleeves" this summer to protect from sun exposure and the moisture wicking helps with the cooling while moving.

Move to FLA, use electrolytes and and lots of hydration, and RIDE A LOT IN THE HOT! Your body will adapt.

Of course, when the temp drops below 60, you won't want to get out of bed...