worrynot

Hello everyone,

I commute twice a week in Dallas, TX. I use a road bike, I wear breathable cycling clothes and carry a 3 liter camelbak mule and I have a question to experts in this room about commuting in the heat.

Last week I rode up through downtown Dallas to Allen, TX, a hot day, and I mean hot! I rode normally, probably pushing myself when I should not have, drank most of my water supply during the 2-3hour commute.

When I finally made it home my legs felt like spaghetti, and I was fried.. the next day I couldn't ride! I felt lethargic, and my muscles hurt, also a slight headache. To make matters worse the effects have been going for a couple of days, no energy - still not 100%. I rode today, took it easy, made stops and cooled down in the shade for a few minutes.

I believe I might be victim of heat exhaustion, so my question is what tips/suggestions do ya'll have with regard to riding in triple digit temperatures for hours on end?

Thanks in advance!

recumelectric

My suggestion is...stop doing that! Just kidding. I've been ranting on more than one post about the Phoenix, AZ heat right now, so I get it. However, I am amazed that you are doing this for several hours. That would be more than I could take during our hottest season.

First, I think you were correct about the heat exhaustion. It does really suck the life out of you for a while. I can remember sleeping all day and struggling to get my eyes open after getting overheated.

Second, here are some prevention ideas. You probably are doing some or all of this already, since you are from a hot climate where people tend to be smarter about the heat.

1) Seek routes with shade. Streets or trails with tall trees, etc. Shade reduces the temperature by 10-15 degrees.
2) Create your own shade. Personally, I'm thinking about an umbrella hat because it creates shade while mostly not touching my skin/head. A visor will also work to cover your face, but you'll still get the high temperature on top of your head. I'm not sure if this is possible with your bike or the speed you may be expecting, but there are some canopy devices out there, too.
3) I like to soak my head with water before starting. It drips down my shirt and everything, and that's fine with me. It usually dries within 15-20 minutes, but it does buy me some "cool time."
4) Stop frequently if you need to. You did the right thing by stopping to cool off the other day. If you happen to have a little restaurant along the way, stop there, go inside and sit for a while, buy something good to drink like Gatorade/Propel if they have it. Lemonade will also work, but I don't like the sugar content because it can potentially hurt you when you're dehydrated.
5) Avoid caffeine before you ride. It's totally dehydrating.
6) Breathe through your nose (not your mouth) as much as possible. It reduces dehydration.
7) Be aware of your symptoms when you start to get overheated. I usually feel a tightening in my stomach when it's time to go inside.
8) Use sunblock. I'm not sure how this works, but I've heard it as a recommendation for the heat more than once. ...At the very least, you don't want a big sunburn to make you even hotter.
9) If possible, don't eat before riding. Food in your belly also increases the dehydration rate.

...One more thing, and this is really kind of unsafe. I don't wear a helmet. Never have. It generates too much heat on my head, and I feel that poses a greater hazard to me. Since a person can die of heat stroke, and since I have experienced many more heat-related problems than crashes, my personal cost-benefit calculation says, "no helmet." Motorcyclists in my state have succeeded in removing the "helmet law" for just this reason. That may be too scary, though, depending on what you're riding and how fast. The speeds that I normally go (pretty slow), combined with the fact that I will now be assuming the recumbent position are additional factors that make this OK with me.
BIG DISCLAIMER: In general, I believe helmets are a good thing. I'd wear one if I lived in a cooler climate.

Hope that helps! And just remember that us southern folk are going to be loving the weather in a couple of months.

nashcommguy

Your answer's in your first statement. You've got to do this commute AT least 4-6 times per week to build up tolerance to the stress. Use the fall/winter/spring months to build up your mileage base and you'll see a huge difference in your tolerance threshold next year. You're certainly hydrating enough during your ride, but your fluid intake may not be enough OFF the bike. I'd monitor that, also. It seems to be taking ALL your reserves just to complete the commute(s) so there's nothing left for recovery time and that's the most important part of your commute. Eat and sleep with the mindset that you're an athlete, because you are. You're not commuting...you're training.

BTW, I'm not trying to be a wise-guy here. I really believe you just need to up your mileage/food intake/sleep/hydration in the non-summer months to make the summer months easier.

donnamb 

Do you drink lots of water before you start riding? That's been helpful for me.

slowjoe66

Dude, when you figure it out, let me know. It's hot here in the summer. Like 95 on average without too much humidity. My commute is only 7.25 each way. It's hotter than hell and I don't care for it after work too much. But I lovvvveee the mornings at 65 degrees at about 5:30. When you figure out how to make that PM commute comfy in Dallas, let me know cause your solution will probably work in Southern Oregon.

cerewa

I'm not surprised riding for a few hours in 100+ temperatures made you feel sick.

I'm not sure consuming the right food&drink is enough to keep you going in this kind of weather. But if you are taking the time to eat/drink the right stuff every half hour, I imagine it could help a lot.

For me, drinking lots of plain water when I get dehydrated will give me a headache. There are a few things my body seems to want when I either get dehydrated or drink a lot of water. Gatorade has some of the ingredients, but not all. Gatorade has sodium-salt (i.e. regular salt) and potassium-salt (potassium chloride) and sugar, all of which your body needs. You can get the potassium you need from some kinds of fruit (like bananas) and you can buy "low sodium" salt alternatives that use potassium.

Another thing that I have found helps me avoid feeling dehydrated is to avoid processed-foods flavorings and use lemon juice or pure rasperry, pomegranate, or cranberry juice (for example) as a flavoring. One reason this is helpful is natural antioxidants and phytochemicals.

I have also found dried, or otherwise well-cooked, onions to be a huge help in avoiding headaches from dehydration/rehydration.

You'll also want to consume something with a useful amount of protein in it. It's possible more "natural" sorts of foods are better, but a tasty energy bar is probably fine too. "Silken tofu" tastes great when blended into a sports drink (probably not a good idea if it's lemon juice flavored) or you can eat peanuts on the side.

Oh, and if you are deciding what kind of sugar you want your energy bar or sports drink to have in it - maple syrup and brown sugar both contain calcium and some other trace ingredients that may or may not help you feel healthier / less sick.

It goes without saying that you'll need LOTS of water as well.

banerjek

Like others say, drink plenty off the bike. I'm not convinced you're drinking enough on the bike though. A liter per hour in triple digits is not much. Last weekend, I drank 8 large bottles in 3 hrs when I was pushing myself and it wasn't too much (temps busted 100 in the valley that day). Also, 3 hrs is enough to justify more than plain water. Electrolytes are in order as well as a minor source of calories.

Your clothing makes a huge difference. Light colors help, and the high tech fabrics make a considerable difference. Something that's not totally skin tight will also feel cooler.

I always want to take off my helmet. Like recumelectric, I think that the bigger danger is sometimes from heatstroke despite the fact that I have been in a crash severe enough to knock me out while I was wearing one. However, I force myself to wear one. Dumping water through the vents is sometimes refreshing.

Artkansas 

Here's the web page I made about riding in 120 degree heat.https://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...merCycling.htm

It looks like you are already figuring out some stuff. You slowed down. Take it easy. As Donnamb said, drink lots before you start. Commute later in the day going home. Sunblock is good for your skin. Actually, I've found a helmet insulates you from the sun for a while. Some suggest wearing a bandana on your head under your helmet and wetting it down so it evaporates as you ride. In summer in the Coachella Valley I'd refrigerate a 2 liter bottle of water for the ride home and drink most all of it on a 50 minute commute. Three liters is not enough for your commute. And you might want to wet the camelbak so that it cools your water by evaporation. And your commute might be a bit too long, especially if the temps are above 107, where it can be fatal if your body temp gets to that point.

Definitely rehydrate after you get home. Include fruit or something to restore your minerals and electrolytes. Actually, I enjoyed riding in such heat.

Big_e

I admire that long trip you took. A short while back I was biking along katy trail and just ran outta gas. Had plenty of water and splashed myself down periodically to cool myself off but started to see purple spots and had to get off the bike and sit (fall!) down.
Now, I always eat a banana before starting out and freeze powerade overnight to have on the ride. A friend of mine who's a physical fitness trainer told me to do this. Stock up on powerade. Powerade replaces electrlytes that you lose and bananas give you potassium and simple sugars that you burn up on a bike ride.
Ernest

nashcommguy

Great site! I'm bookmarking it.

recumelectric

Arkansas,
I loved that site, especially the crusty comments about digging the whole heat scene. ...When in shape and fully weather acclimated, I can get into the hot ride, too.

worrynot,
I'm actually worried for you, especially after reading from others here and re-reading the part about you doing this 2 times/week. It's just not enough to get you into condition and only puts you at high, high risk for a a heat emergency and even death. If you are wanting to build endurance right now, begin by riding your bike at night when it's cooler. (And follow all of the suggestions given on this thread for keeping cool.) You will not get to actually commute until fall, but at least you'll live to do so.

And here's one more vote for what everyone has been saying about water. Drink more, all day long. I practically won't even walk to the mailbox without a bottle of water in hand, because I am drinking water all day long. There is always a bottle or a cup right next to me, both at work and at home. Water = Life.

charly17201

From Living in the Mojave desert at 29 Palms CA years back as a Marine, you MUST hydrate several hours in advance and continuously hydrate yourself during exercise. For those not acclimated to the area, they were limited on physical exertion for 6 weeks! You have to get yourself hydrated enough that you are going to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes.

Every morning you are back at zero because of hours without drinking. A cool morning ride isn't a problem. It's the afternoon return trip that will kill you. Start hydrating at lunch then keep at it through the ride home. Remember Heat Exhaustion CAN KILL YOU!!!

urban_assault

+1

chephy

Just tough it out, comrade! The party is counting on you, tovarishch!

Allen

Honestly, if it is 101ºF or above, I drive.

eAspenwood

over 100 degrees for several hours is gonna be tough to be comfortable in, but here are a couple more suggestions:

-install racks/panniers if u don't already have them, and avoid backpacks/camelbacks, or carring anything else on your body. u can also carry extra water if u need to in the panniers.

-avoid any direct sun on your skin. maybe a long sleeve cotton seersucker shirt. sounds icky to wear long-sleeves in the texas summer but it works for me.

Bikepacker67

Commie in the heat

Red Hot Red?

SingingSabre 

I ride shirtless and with sunscreen in weather up to...whatever it gets in Tucson.

Before I ride, I drink coffee (gotta wake up!) and a ton of water. I go through 4 large Polar bottles of water and ice during my 50 minute 13.6 (love that extra tenth!) mile commute (mostly uphill to work).

I push it hard, even during the days when I take off at noon. Not the best idea, but I sweat a lot and my body is acclimated to heat.

d2create

I'm in Houston so I feel your pain... and more.

Water water water.
Take it easy, don't push yourself.
Then I wear a tank top of Merino wool, and a long sleeve seersucker shirt on top.
Sounds crazy but the seersucker material won't stick to your skin. It provides protection from the sun and as you move the air moves under it and over your skin/sweat and feels like air conditioning. It's almost like riding in the shade! And you'll be able to wear the wool base layer a bunch of times without washing it before it even starts to get the funk.
And for the same reason I WOULD wear a helmet. Helmets have plenty of ventilation and will still give you some protection from the sun.

ok_commuter

Sounds like you have a drinking problem.

ok_commuter

I got a good deal on the Ibex Ventoux sleeveless, so I ordered it. I think it comes in Wednesday. I was wondering if anybody was wearing light wool for riding in this Central Texas heat and humidity. I like your formula and may have to try the long sleeved shirt thing.

OP - I agree with the person who said you should get yourself in shape riding early and late, start commuting normal hours when it cools off, and leave the survival criterion commuting madness for next summer, when maybe it won't be so damn hot. There are days when pushing yourself, on a bike or otherwise, has a high probability of doing more harm than good.

I ride the same days every week b/c of my wife's schedule, so I only do 3 days a week lately but it's those 3 days regardless of rain or shine or whatever. But a couple of weeks ago I shut it down for the whole week when it was 105 on the pavement at 5 pm and so humid the sweat wouldn't leave my skin. I rode home one day going really easy and drinking lots of water, stopped multiple times... this is on a 8 mile commute that is usually gravy for me... and am pretty sure I was heat exhausted until sometime the next day. I hung up the bike for the rest of the week. Live to fight another day, etc...

tbannin

I regularly commute in Wichita Falls, TX which is 2 hours north of you and just as hot. As it may not be 2-3 hours a commute, I do ride road also for that amount of time or longer. I always plan my routes in the summer for long rides around the heat. I always take 3-4 bid bottles of water with me and have at least 2-3 gas stations on my route I am taking just in case. Also I don't just drink water I have two bottles of water and 2 bottles of watered down Gatorade. You are not only losing water when you sweat but salt, potassium, and all kinds of other important minerals. I ride hard so I stop at least once to fill all my bottles again depending on the day and the training. I read something else in the comments also that said you should build up a base and that is very important, especially when riding for hours in triple digits. The more miles you can log in the cooler temps will help in the heat. your body can compensate quite quickly after you have that base of miles. It really is quite amazing. That is my rant....take it or leave it. Ultimately you have to find what works for you. Good luck and eyes up, you never know whats going to happen.

charly17201

When I lived in Bahrain I'd leave the flat at 6:30 a.m. and it was already 120. It was a short ride - 2.5 miles. I'd go running at lunch with 140-150 in the sun. I was the crazy 'old' guy but 39 does tend to be old in the Marines.

rando

Lots of water before you leave, lots of ice water with you, go slow(er). works for me.

jopasm

Got to second the suggestion to check your salt intake. A couple of summers ago I was working outdoors in 100+ degree weather, doing a fair amount of physical labor. I was drinking lots of water, but still feeling sick - almost, but not quite, like dehydration. Did some research online and decided to try upping my salt intake through some slight dietary changes. That helped a lot.

So - check your diet. I grew up on a low salt diet as my family has a history of heart conditions. It's become a habit - I rarely added salt to my food, etc. I started drinking a cup of V8 when I got in from the field (the fully salted kind), adding a little salt to my food, etc. A couple of days of increased salt intake and I was fine.