jon c. 

I look forward to the 95 degree days. But I seldom ride if it isn't at least in the 60s. It's all about acclimation. I ride in the middle of the afternoon in the summer with no problem, but I'm not usually hammering to the point of exhaustion during those times. I'm also riding a lot of shady roads. A few hours of direct sun has a much greater impact. Just be sure you're hydrated and it's never too hot to ride.

wolfchild

Riding in hot weather all comes down to: pacing yourself, not pushing too hard and proper hydration/nutrition.

JanMM

I much prefer riding on a 90F high humidity day to riding in the 20's.

Stucky

I gave up riding in the cold completely. It's just not enjoyable.

Maelochs

You can go out in the hottest part of the day on unshaded roads and push 100 percent---as long as you know the signs and back off before you hurt yourself.

Or, if you want, you can hurt yourself.

Apparently some people live in a universe where heat stroke is a fiction. If you live there too .... charge on.

pdlamb

^This. Every year there's a couple days when the temperature suddenly jumps up 10 degrees more than what you've ridden so far that year. Those are good days to keep mileage and effort dialed back. But keep riding; a month after it gets to 80F the first time, you'll be used to it. Same for 90F, same for 100F. Stay hydrated, and if you start having symptoms of heat exhaustion, take a break, preferably in air conditioning. (Did you know lots of gas stations/convenience stores will let you pay for a snack and eat it while you're in their air conditioning?)

Chuck Naill

A fellow cyclist had stopped up ahead so I stopped. It was 90 and humid. He looked tired and face was red. . I offered some water from a bottle I had not used, but he said he was parked a couple miles down the road.


Another cyclist came up and stopped. Both had bike jerseys. I was wearing a loose fitting button up Columbia shirt. I don't know if that makes a difference, but I've worn these twice after reading a thread here and they are cooler than tight fitting shirts to me. We used to wear long sleeved cotton shirts when putting up hay bales. The breeze blowing over a sweat soaked shirt has a cooling effect.

Kevindale

Modern fabrics used in athletic shirts and especially bike jerseys are designed to be very cool. Unless a cyclist accidentally wears a jersey meant for cold/wet weather, a bike jersey should be about the coolest thing you can wear. I wear 'sun sleeves' on my legs in the hottest, sunniest weather, and stay cooler (and avoid sunburn).

Chuck Naill

I have bike jerseys, but I find the loose fitting cotton shirts a nice option. Perhaps you should give them a try. I got the idea here, https://bedrocksandals.com/blogs/adv...ois-no-problem

drlogik 

A loose-fitting cotton shirt will feel like a rain slicker when it's 98 degrees and 98 percent humidity in the south. Moisture-wicking synthetics are the way to go in my opinion and I'm a cotton lover, btw.

Chuck Naill

You've obviously never worn cotton shirts during hard work since there is nothing resembling a plastic rain coat when using. I usually do not care for cotton and prefer synthetics. Like I said, I have both. I just prefer loose fitting when it's hot.


It was 90 degrees and 80 percent humidity yesterday. It was 90 today with storms coming in. I wore cotton shirts both days and felt cooler than with bike jersey due to the cooling effect of damp cotton as previously explained. Have you ever tried a shirt and compared?

Flip Flop Rider

moving and your sweat evaporating has a cooling effect on you. I use to run in the heat and get really drenched with sweat no matter what I wore. When riding, it's different, and much cooler in my opinion.

Again it's the constant moving and breeze (and acclimation). I'll ride in the hottest part of the day in South Carolina, no sweat (at least until you stop)

Oh and I wear cotton T shirts every time, with dry fit (loose fitting) shorts, and a dry fit golf visor

Kevindale

I've lived in high-humidity, high-heat areas for decades. I wear cotton shirts exclusively when I'm not riding or working outside. When I'm doing yard work for hours in the heat of the day, or building a fence in the summer, however, I wear long sleeve 'sun shirts' made of much the same material as modern bike jerseys. It's much much cooler and more comfortable than long sleeve cotton shirts, and more UV protection (unless it's very thick cotton, which is frankly uncomfortable for me). On the bike I'm acclimated to riding in the sun, in the heat, in high humidity. There is nothing as comfortable as a good bike jersey. A cotton t-shirt is a poor substitute, as is a baggy regular cotton shirt. YMMV.

Chuck Naill

Let's not argue. I have bike jersey's. I just wanted to experiment with a button up top and found that the combination of a more loose fitting button up top coupled with moving in the breeze caused a cooling effect ,explained earlier and by others, that I never experienced using a jersey. What I found is that the top was neither soaked with sweat nor uncomfortable, and certainly not resembling a rain coat.

drlogik 

Chuck Naill,

Wow, really? You attack my opinion? No need to do that.

Yes, I've worked "hard" outside. For a number of years in my younger days I framed houses, felted roofs and worked on road crews. I also worked in a steel mill in South Carolina. Yes, hard work. Yes, I've worn both cotton and synthetics also.

In My Opinion, I found that profusely sweating in cotton was miserable, especially if there isn't a breeze, like in a steel mill. Had Underarmor or Nike Dry been around back in the 70's and 80's that's what I would have worn.

I recently moved back to the South after being in Arizona for 6 years. I've lived in the South for decades. Out in Arizona in the "dry heat" I think cotton is the way to go if "working" outside. It insulates the skin from the hot sun much better than synthetics. When I'm riding I wear synthetics and almost get "cold" on really hot days (i.e. over 110 degrees) because the sweat evaporates so quickly amplifying the cooling effect. Hard to believe but often true. It's why when folks get out of a pool in the Arizona summer they get goose bumps.


-

Maelochs

I am more with drlogik on this one. For years I wore cotton Ts everywhere all the time in a hot, humid climate. I didn't know any better/couldn't afford the (at the time) "new, space-age wicking fabrics."

Riding wasn't so bad because the wind would dry the shirt quite a bit. But once I stopped, or if I were working a really hot environment ... once a cotton shirt gets really soaked it can kind of suck.

I have also hiked and bike a good bit in the Southwest, where cotton did just fine ... and I would prefer it to plastic. But ... I really couldn't care less about others' tastes.

It's like the people who don't believe it is possible to get heat stroke ... it's all fine with me. My mileage varied ... and that's what I go by.

Sangetsu

I've done a lot of riding in the Everglades in the summer, few places are as hot and humid in warm months. What's worse is there are no trees for shade, and no shops, stores, or homes to escape the heat.

#1 Stay hydrated. Drink regularly, even if you aren't thirsty.

#2 Wear sunblock, and use a lot.

#3 Pay attention to your body. As a former Infantryman, and longtime cyclist, I am well acquainted with heat exhaustion. When you stop at an intersection, or slow your pace, beware of dizziness, this is a sign you are overheated. In some cases you can faint, and fainting on an asphalt roadway in the summer is not a good thing. When you are riding, the passing air and your breathing keep your body cool, if you slow down or stop suddenly, your body temperature can spike, and your blood pressure drop, causing you to lose consciousness. Slow down gradually, and pay attention to how you feel.

#4 Take breaks in cool places, like a McDonald's or convenience store.

With acclimation you can endure amazing levels of heat, but it takes time to adjust.

Chuck Naill

Well, I didn't start the argument. I simply said that a button up loose fitting shirt made of cotton felt cool on a hot humid past Sunday when I rode my bicycles. Then I started getting comments that bike shirts were better. I have both. I have experienced both.

mrodgers

Everyone is different and tolerance of heat and humidity is a personal thing. If it was me working outdoors, I wouldn't survive. I helped put a roof on my father-in-law's house. Had to go home halfway through, take a cold shower, and lay down for an hour after popping Excedrin and a lot of water (should have drank Gatorade). I was fine after that and went back to help finish.

My first long ride was in April of last year. It was in the 70's, not too humid being April, and I drank 3 gallons of liquids (including several Gatorades and several glasses of water and iced tea at lunch) in 65 miles.

In August last year we rode a secluded trail 35 miles out to a town for lunch. It was 95° and our typical 90+% humidity. I ran out of water with 10 miles to go with no place to get water. When I arrived at the trail head where the cars were, my head was pounding, I was dizzy, and at 95°, I was shivering and feeling cold. Had water in the car so I slugged that down and drove straight to the store to get Gatorade and slugged that down.

I don't do heat very well, compared to my buddy I ride with who only finished a single waterbottle on either of the rides and the glass or 2 of iced tea he had at lunch. He loves the heat. Me, not so much.

Seattle Forrest

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/o...ting-properly/

jefnvk

I'd be willing to bet if I invited you out to the pond hockey tournament I play in every year, where game temps have been in the -15 to -20F range, you'd quickly realize how folks acclimate to different climates. I wear nothing but a long sleeve shirt and a jersey while playing, and generally don't have an issue. I'm a cold weather person, I don't do well in heat.

And to prove that point, there is no enjoyment I find in being out on a bike at 90F (with or without humidity), I'd prefer 20F any day of the week. Anything over 80F or so starts to get unpleasant to me.

Fastfingaz

Boy you guys are something,,,, none of you answered his question, it's to hot to ride when

TimothyH

Answering questions which were not asked and arguing with things never said is an Olympic sport around here but the OP also asked if there are guidelines to follow. Many responses offered exactly that.


-Tim-

mrodgers

Indeed. I just saw a picture posted elsewhere on a "how cold" thread of 2 people dressed up in full face masks saying they don't like to ride below 40°. At 40°, I'm still in shorts and usually between 40-45° is only when I finally go long sleeve. Face covering is for below freezing temps at which point I go fingered gloves and a jacket as well. 20° was the limit for me using wool socks in my very ventilated shoes. 19° is the furthest I've gotten to, so don't know what happens yet below that.

Fastfingaz

Boy Timmy you sure are a fart smeller,,I mean a smart fella,,,,,,