RI_Swamp_Yankee

Joey, I used to live in NOLA, in midcity, and was in the Quarter more often than not. I didn't have a car, I had a 7-speed cruiser with a sweet springer front suspension (and a dancing hula-girl mounted to the front fender).

In late August, the humidity and heat is so intense, stepping outside at night is like opening the dishwasher - your glasses fog, your clothes go damp. It's 85 degrees, plus!, after mid-night!, and it's much worse during the day.

I rode every day, every-damn-where, sometimes pedaling a-hell-of-a-far to go to a job interview out in Metarie. (I had the long Wald wire-basket panniers, and rigged a broomstick-and-shelf-bracket suit hanger I zip-tied to it. Wet-Nap bath and a fresh t-shirt at a nearby service station, and I was good to go... that crystal deodorant works really, really well.)

Earlier in my life, in college, in Florida, I had a 16-mile round trip commute to my job as a projectionist at a dollar-theater. This included the weekend matinées, so I needed to head out just around noon to make it in time... in July and August... in Florida... on a single-speed beach cruiser. I did OK. No sunstroke... I did pack an extra t-shirt, tho, and drank tons of water and ate a little salty something or other once I was there (popcorn or pretzel).

So, no, I can't imagine a situation where it's too hot to ride daily, unless you're talking about the Sahara or Death Valley.

goldfishin

some of you have limits in the 80's? for christ's sake! mine's probably around 115... probably more as i only have a bike to get around on.

JoeyBike

I think I know that bike. If you had repairs done at Michael's last year I definitely know it, but there is certainly more than one hula-girls around. I think the bike I am thinking of the hula-girl was broken off last time I saw that bike in NOLA. That you?

I gotta remember that dishwasher line!

The Gulf Coast is brutal in the summer. This sounds crazy but I actually do MORE cycling in the summer to stay acclimated to the heat. I work in the garden during hot hours (covered up with hat/clothes/sunscreen) as a conditioning tool. If I start to feel bad (rare) I can just scurry inside.

It's also much easier to keep my weight down in the summer - like biking INSIDE a sauna. I like to be 150, but winter usually adds 5-8 lbs. I'm down to 153. Almost there. Man, that New Orleans food.

degnaw

Below 50, I'll probably wear pants.

Below 45, I might wear a long sleeve shirt.

This was after a winter where I walked home (1 hr walk) from school 4 days a week. In the fall, I'd probably wear more.

Heifzilla

Today was a good example of where I draw the line. It was in the mid 80's with 95%+ humidity. It was, to me, brutal out there for riding. I'm not out to prove that I can do it, or that I am better than someone who rides in comfort in their a/c car. I figure that we humans invented a/c for a reason, who am I to thumb my nose at it?

When riding isn't fun or pleasant anymore is where I draw the line. I'm too much of a princess for any of that

RI_Swamp_Yankee

Where ya at, Joey! - No, this was in 2001/2002; I did land a job, but it was in RI(!) rather than in LA. The economy was terrible (as it is now), so I moved back north.

Now, after many upheavals, I live in Providence, which is notable for its vicious hills. (From North Main to Hope St, it's making me think "Triple crank!" even after getting a 32-t cog out back.) I wish I was back in NOLA. I =belonged= there like noplace else before or since...

Go read some comics on the Moonwalk while the ships cruise up the Missa-sip for me, wouldya? I miss that more than anything, except maybe my old bike.

JeffS

Ok, so five pages later have you decided whose is the biggest yet? Or does that depend on the temperature

JoeyBike

I often think of moving somewhere else. Then I go somewhere else on vacation and remember why I live here. NOLA ain't for everyone, but if it is for ya...it REALLY is.

Hurricane evacuation is getting old tho. Still the only natural disaster that gives a week's notice!

And I guess that wasn't your hula-girl.

JoeyBike

I would guess that any temp over 70 and they're all about the same.

RI_Swamp_Yankee

Mighta been. Was it a red-and-white classic cruiser frame, with chrome fenders and wire-basket panniers? I gave that bike to my best bud to ride as long as he stayed in town... I could cruise right to the top of the dikes with that thing without needing to get out of the saddle. It was built like a tank, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn it was still tooling around town. I went places where the cops wouldn't on that thing on my midnight rides.

Sheeeit, why am I on the computer? I should be out riding, hills be damned!

scattered73

I did 90+ miles in 90+ temps by myself on black top last sunny saturday and no trees on the road to speak of. brought a camelback filled with ice water and 3 water bottles full of gatorade, put two of the bottles in my insulated rack trunk with an ice pack. Drank as much as I could stand refilled as needed and stopped often if I felt I needed to or not. The hardest part for me is drinking down the hot water after the ice melts something about hot water in a plastic container tastes just wrong. Other than that I felt pretty good. I hear you the gulf is pretty nasty this time of year. On these longer hot trips I usually get the 48 oz fountain drinks on my refills if they have a powerade on tap then you have some ice also and they are only $2 or so. That iced powerade is sooooo good I usually give myself a brain freeze but it's so worth it. I don’t have a car so there is no cap on temp I just drink more and stop more and go slower in general.

Artkansas 

Having grown up in Florida and spent many years in the desert, heat doesn't bother me that much. I've commuted in 120 degree temps. It's strangely sensual.

jdmitch

sometimes... you ever jumped in a cold pool?

ItsJustMe

!!! Wow, 60 is perfect riding weather. At about 50 I start thinking maybe I should use a long sleeve T shirt, and maybe even throw on a pair of light nylon running pants ($10 at target).

Chris516

I can ride in all heat. It is the local bike club that, usually won't ride in temps above 85. So I will ride alone, on those days, that the bike club cancels a ride.

PaulH

We went to the National Zoo lastSaturday and walked around in the heat for several hours. I was surprized to find that I overheated reallly badly, something that does not happen on my daily ride home from work. Evidently, the relative wind caused by travel at cycling speeds makes a huge diference. I conclude that the maximum temperature for cycling, if such a thing exists, is way higher than the one for walking. I've ridden an hour home in 100+ temperatures many times.

Paul

duckbill

Two guys from Ontario die and wake up in hell. The next day the devil stops in to check on them and sees them dressed in parkas, mittens and toques warming themselves around the fire. The devil asks them, "What are you doing? Isn't it hot enough for you?" The two guys reply, "Well, you know, we're from Canada, the land of snow and ice and cold. We're just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh?" The devil decides that these two aren't miserable enough and turns up the heat.
The next morning he stops in again and there they are, still dressed in parkas, toques and mittens. The devil asks them again, "It's awfully hot down here, can't you guys feel it?" Again the two guys reply, "Well, like we told ya yesterday, we're from Canada, the land of snow and ice and cold. We're just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh?" This gets the devil a little steamed up and he decides to fix these two guys. He cranks the heat up as high as it will go.
The people are wailing and screaming everywhere. He stops by the room with the two guys from Canada and finds them in light jackets and bucket hats, grilling bacon and drinking beer. The devil is astonished, "Everyone down here is in abject misery, and you two seem to be enjoying yourselves." The two Canadians reply, "Well, ya know, we don't get too much warm weather up there in Toronto so we've just got to have a cook-out when the weather's THIS nice." The devil is absolutely furious, he can hardly see straight.
Finally he comes up with the answer. The two guys love the heat because they have been cold all their lives. The devil decides to turn all the heat off in hell. The next morning, the temperature is below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere; people are shivering so bad that they are unable to do anything but wail, moan, and gnash their teeth. The devil smiles and heads for the room with the two Canadians. He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, toques, and mittens.
NOW they are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like mad men!!! The devil is dumbfounded, "I don't understand, when I turn up the heat you're happy. Now it's freezing cold and you're still happy. What is up with you two???" The guys from Toronto look at the devil in surprise, "Well, don't you know, eh?. If hell freezes over, it must mean the Leafs have won the Stanley Cup."

wink

104 is the highest I have seen.In Florida if you can`t ride in the mid to high 90s you don`t ride a big part of the year.Just don`t push as hard and lots to drink.Did 60 miles on the day it hit 104 but not going to say how slow I was but I am a old guy.

JoeyBike

All of the Cajuns were celebrating too. They thought the SAINTS won the Superbowl!

JoeyBike

Check out the LOW temp Tuesday!

And "This Afternoon" is a typo. It's 97 at 2:30 according to NOAA.



I got out an hour late this AM for my 20 mile Lakefront ride. Felt like my tires were sinking into the asphalt. No one was fast. Everybody just trying to get their endorphins without at trip to the ER. I cut my ride short. So I guess I found my comfortable limit today. The only breeze was the one I made by pedaling. Yuckie.

I would still commute of course. I would just take it easy on the more shaded streets.

Doohickie

Meh. I did a 35-40 mile breakfast ride today. Profuse sweating. I rode to work 4 our of 5 days this week, mid- to high-90s every day. I don't know what my limit is, probably somewhere around 110. My commute is relatively short- 7 miles- so it isn't that hard.

Just drink a lot!

Doohickie

I just wear jeans. They were good enough when I was a kid, so... why not?

nkfrench 

My favorite is mid 60's no wind dry weather and low humidity. I get one or two of these each year.

I think my worst ride was on a bike trail, 100F with higher humidity where I ran out of water. It was a 2-hour flattish ride and I took 40 ounces of water and started well-hydrated. On my out-and-back course I had headwinds on the way back. I stopped sweating and was definitely heat-stressed. I had no place to get drinking water and wondered if I would be able to get back to my car where I had another bottle of water stashed in a cooler. I ended up having to stop every mile and rest in whatever shade I could find as it was still before noon and forecasts were to be around 105F that day.

The sun position also makes a difference. I can tolerate the same temp better when the sun is not directly overhead.

It's not just the weather - it's the ride duration, difficulty, and ability to carry enough water.

Doohickie

It's also whether you have a good riding partner... right, nk?

aoeuhtnsi

I've commuted 30 miles in 10 degrees weather up to 110? It's not particularly pleasant when you start getting to extremes, but it's not a deal breaker. Ice is a huge deal breaker for me.