xixiviii

I'm in North Dallas basically and its nice and warm here too.

I have always preferred the 90ish degree range but even my polar bottles only work for around an hour (the ice is probably gone in around a half hour).

I am happy enough with the polar bottles though, if you havent used them they are just a buck or two more than a regular bottle and any bike shop has them.

Pack it full of ice and then fill it up and it will probably get you home ok.

Bikepacker67

Yup. That's my bet.

The "slightly nauseous" (even though it should be "slightly nauseated") comment is a dead giveaway.

</Captain Obvious to the Rescue!>

gbcb

Out of curiosity, what kind of water are you drinking? Make sure it's not purified/distilled water — from what I understand, that's not likely to be terribly helpful no matter how much you drink.

I read somewhere on here a while ago about putting a wet sock around your water bottle. As water evaporates from the sock when you ride, it cools the bottle. Might be worth trying out.

Fribley

I used to work for a tree service herbicide division. We walked power lines and sprayed herbicide to kill brush and trees that would interfere with the lines. Our backpacks full of chemical weighed about 30-40lbs. One day it was really hot out i think high 90's, and becuase of the chemical we were spraying we had to wear long sleeve shirts, jeans, gloves, and eye protection, and a hat. I started to experince symptoms like the ones you described but didnt think alot about them, just kept hiking and spraying. Then at the top of a hill my body just gave out and i fell on my hands and knees and just starting vomiting out of no where, after a few minutes i was getting shivers and chills and couldnt really function for an hour or so, just laid in the shade and took it very easy for the rest of the day. Ever since then i always stop at the slightest sign of nasuea or any sign of overheating and just rest in the shade for a bit, even 5 minutes can give your body the chance to catch up and get rid of excess heat. I have also found it easier to drink water that isnt iced, probably just personal preferance. I would be careful about giving anyone with severe heat exhaustion anything very cold, always a possibility of shock. Granted this entire post had nothing to do with cycleing, but just my personal bout of heat exhaustion and a little about how serious it is. Hydration can stave it off but it is possible to be completely hydrated and still get over heated. Remember a few years back when there was like 4 deaths from football players suffering from heat stroke?

CCrew

Yup. Last stage just before you die..

WillisB

This is just to reinforce what has already been said. Ride slow, drink lots. I have found that temps as low as the high 70's coupled with high humidity can be as dangerous as much higher temperatures. Your sweat can't evaporate to cool you properly under such conditions.

tarwheel 

The first few weeks of really hot weather in summer are always the hardest. We're just getting it now in NC, with highs in the mid to upper 90s expected through the weekend and into next week. I generally dial it back a notch when it starts getting real hot, and of course drink lots of fluids. The heat doesn't feel quite so oppressive after you've ridden in it for a few weeks.

Part of the problem in the South is that it is so humid that your sweat doesn't evaporate and help cool you off. On really hot days, particularly on longer rides, I always make sure to have some Gatorade along with regular water in my bottles. You lose a lot of electrolytes when you're sweating a lot, and that can make matters worse.

banerjek

It is amazing how much water you can go through when it's hot. In those temps, you should be going through the better part of a bottle each way.

crhilton

You should drink about 16oz every hour during the ride. So buy a bottle and bottle cage.

And yes, hydrating at work helps a lot. But you still need to replenish the water during your ride.

DataJunkie

If it is hot enough and I have a water fountain to refill my bottles at, one tends to get dumped over my head.
Screw up your hydration, eating, or sleep and your ride will suffer.

starla

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone's input. I rode the full 20mi RT yesterday, but just turning it down a notch (don't think I went much slower than one gear down most of the trip) made an amazing difference. I didn't feel that much slower (ride was only 3-4 min longer) and physically I felt fantastic! Still hot, but nothing at all like my previous trip.