Raigoki

Hi guys,

Just wondering how do you deal with intense heat? I was riding back home when the sun clearly shows no mercy on me. Then i felt really tired. Even when i drank my water & gatorade, it seems it keeps draining my energy. (that was after 50km mark). How often do you drink during intense heat? My problem is that i don't know when i'm thirsty until my tongue is kinda dry. Is there any techniques for battling the heat?

CliffordK

Whew...
That isn't a good question to ask on a forum with users mostly in the Northern Hemisphere in mid-December.

What are your temperatures?

There isn't a lot you can do other than wear lightweight clothing, keep hydrated, and possibly vary your routine to allow riding in off hours.

Be aware of signs of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.

Raigoki

this morning, it's only around 32-36deg. C. however, due to volume of vehicles (i.e. Jeepneys) it feels like 40Deg. C.
I usually have a backpack loaded with tools, (i.e. wrenches, pump, quick flat patch, etc.) towel, lock, spare tire & 2 spare tubes.)
(and bananas too.)

CliffordK

I've been carrying a pack quite a bit lately, but it can be more comfortable to get some of the stuff on the bike such as using an under seat wedge, or a bike rack.

Fortunately around here, it rarely gets above 90°F (32.2°C), and I'd be inclined to stay in at 100°F (37.7°C).

Insulated water bottles with ice might help a bit too.

bikemig 

I used to ride regularly in hot and humid weather (the Gulf South). It's bad there in the summer. Best bet is to ride early and late in the day, wear a hat, and drink cold liquids. First time I rode with a camel back filled with ice felt like a near religious experience. Hydration bags are a bit of a pain in terms of keeping clean though. I'm getting ready to buy a pair of insulated water bottles as per post no. 4 as I've read good things about these.

caloso

We get your temperatures but not your humidity, which makes it so much worse. My advice is to drink often, and make sure you're getting enough electrolytes. Magnesium is often overlooked. During the summer I will take magnesium supplements, which you should be able to find at most drug stores.

jeff@work

For me in conditions like that I find the worst part isn't necessarily the heat but the strength of the sun. If i cover my skin up so it's not directly exposed to the sun it makes a tremendous difference for me. I've used arm coolers in similar climates to what you're dealing with and found they made a very noticeable difference... if i was to go back to an area like that again I would get leg coolers as well.

If you have access to ice along the way... I know at the Tour of California they would cut up pantyhose and make ice bags with them and then put them in their jerseys... around their necks...

Like others have mentioned insulated bottles help... especially if you can stop and get fresh ice along the way.

bbbean 

Our summer highs are typically in the high 30s or low 40s with typical humidity in the 60-80% range and 90% with some regularity. In the summer we:
1) Drink LOTS of water before, during, and after the ride.
2) Use some sort of bottle mix to add sodium and electrolytes.
3) Eat foods with lots of water (fruit, vegetables, etc)
4) Wear wicking fabrics
5) Acclimate.

FWIW, I don't find that cold water helps that much. Tastes great at a rest stop, but all the water is hot 30 minutes into the ride anyhow, so I just get used to drinking room temperature water. Some field workers swear by putting weak tea in their water.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yep - put the stuff on the bike, not on your back. You need the evaporative cooling. White sun sleeves on arms and legs. White Halo cap inside helmet if you're bald like me. Use a HRM and watch your HR. When it goes higher than it should for your effort, you need to get in the shade and drink until it comes down. For how much to drink, my rule is enough so that I pee about every three hours. If I don't pee, I sit in the shade and drink water and take electrolytes until I can. I use Endurolytes and take one or more caps every hour. It's not safe to ride in the heat the same way you'd ride in cooler temperatures. It's going to take a little longer to cover long distances.

TGT1

That's part of your problem. I ride in S California and it's a different kind of heat, low humidity, but one thing that helps is start drinking small amounts, (about one big mouthful) every 15 minutes or 5 miles (8 km) right from the start. Discipline yourself to take one good swig every 15 min or 8 km. If you feel thirsty it's too late!

I use a 100 oz (3L) Camelback and freeze two 1/2 L water bottles, cut the bottle off and put both frozen blocks in the bag and then one 750ml bottle of Gatorade and top off with water. That's good for about 50-60 miles of 30C-35C riding. The blocks keep it cool for about 3-4 hrs and the 2-1 dilution is about right for me. Ice cubes are done and gone in less than an hour.

Right now the problem is keeping warm though.

NoviceJohn

In addition with re-hydrating and replacing your electrolytes, I also suggest bringing a wash cloth. During the summer, we have 88-96 F temps (32-35 C) and what I learned this past summer is a wet cloth to wet my arms, forehead, and neck makes a big difference.

RickBlane

A good hat.

Plenty of water.

Make good use of any shade available. I like riding greenways and forest trails for the extra shade.

Find a shady spot to lay up during the heat of the day.

njlonghorn

For hot rides, I fill my camelbak bladder up the night before and lay it flat in the freezer. Just before leaving, I run warm water over the connection joint so that I can get the tube to click in. For the first hour or so, I drink from bottles. Once the camelback iceblock starts to melt, I have a reliable flow of ice cold water. If it isn't melting fast enough, I add more water.

Don't try this unless it is really hot out. The solid block of ice against your back feels great when it is 100 F, but not when it is 90 F.

4151zero

This person is hailing from the Philippines


Smog and traffic alone will be the end of most of us stateside riders,given that environment.

Raigoki

I've got to ride last week with the same heat. But this time without the backpack. And it did me wonders. (But the problem is I'm worrying all the time since i didn't bring any equipment... just Money and phone. ) I'll try to drink every 15mins. This might solve my problem on not knowing if I'm thirsty or not.

Thank you guys for the inputs. really appreciate it.

FedericoMena

I ride in 35C weather, 100% humidity in the summer. What works for me is water with lemon, sugar, and a little bit of salt - and a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat. The shirt was a revelation - it ends up pretty wet from all the sweat, but I don't seem to overheat as easily as with a T-shirt.

vic303

I run both Arm Sleeves and Leg Sleeves to keep the sun off, and to move sweat away faster for evaporative cooling. Plus you can wet them down with water and increase the cooling factor as you ride. I've even been known to slip ice into the elbow area of the arm sleeves and that will really cool things down, if you can stand the shock.

10 Wheels

Get some bright Lights...Start early and be done around 10-11 AM

Arm Sleeves will not work in High Humidity Climates.

I tried them..

GreenAnvil

Anything above 85F and I'm miserable, and I live in Florida! My arms and legs were getting cooked to the point of bad rash and burns so now I use skull cap, arm and leg coolers. From late May to mid-September it gets insanely hot so if I'm not out the door by 7a I'm not going to ride.

Regarding hydration I take 2 24oz bottles chock full with my preferred energy drink. It doesn't matter if I put them in the freezer or not as after one hour the water will be warm anyway. Two bottles are good for a 20-mile ride; anything longer I need to stop at a gas station and refill my bottles. I take a sip every 15 min or so and eat a Gu every 30 min to an hour depending on effort.

Worst case scenario I find a shaded area and stop to rest to let my body cool down. It was not fun watching my wife almost to the edge of a heat stroke last summer. If you're thirsty or you're too low on energy it's already too late. Stop and refuel your body.

bgav

To echo what others have mentioned, this works for me and everyone is different due to physiology:

1. Try to heat acclimatize ahead of time. Train in the heat.
2. Prehydrate. Osmo prehydration has worked well for me.
3. Sunblock
4. I wear a cycling cap under my helmet even in the heat. The brim helps keep the sun off my face, it absorbs sweat and keeps it out of my eyes, I can drench it with water which helps cooling and is a huge psychological boost as well. Keeps scalp from getting sunburned if you have short or no hair.
5. Sunsleeves
6. Mesh base layer like Craft Cool Mesh Superlite Base Sleeveless base layer. It actually keeps you cooler than wearing nothing under your jersey.
7. Adjust pace accordingly. Know your limits and back off if you show any signs that you're starting to get heat stroke.