You'll get flat tires just leaving your bike parked at the rack. Sip on your coffee and then bang whoosh.

Ride in the UK

I don't. I sweat profusely and get changed when I get to work.

I don't skip days because of temperature, though below 5 degrees and over 92 degrees I worry about how the tubes are gonna fare.

How do I stay cool? On scorching dangerous hot days I drink very cold water to keep my core temperature and brain temperature down. I also dress in loose light coloured clothing, tight dress socks that keep my feet cool and dry through wicking and evaporation, I also try not to push myself as hard, though sometimes I get into auto pilot mode and just muscle through till I am where I need to be. I think that last part is the real trick, don't exert so much. More exertion means your muscles produce more heat that your body then has to deal with.

2 years ago we had a day with 101 temp with a heat index of 108 due to humidity. I exerted too much and looking back I was way above safe zone and the effects lasted several days. Only my crazy level of all weather endurance kept me out of the hospital.

So yea, definitely on top of anything else you do, watch how hard you're pushing yourself.

- Andy

+1.
The sweat evaporates with whatever wind I'm creating by riding. The sweat gets worse when I get home and stop. That's when I go stand under the ceiling fan.

Also, I got me a pair of sunglasses that make me look pretty cool, so there's that too.

It's not fun going up a sufficiently long hill in the summer heat + humidity and likewise it sucks just as bad going down hill in the winter.

Staying out of the sun is key. Long sleeve shirt or jersey, preferably white and whatever kind of hat is appropriate for the speed you're riding. Keep your water bottles in the freezer about half full. Keep a pace fast enough to be breezy but slow enough to be eezy. I rode year round a couple years ago in Kansas City, and it was 85 and 100% humidity at 430am when I went to work and 100infinity and still humid when I went home in the afternoon. It wasn't too long a ride, but mostly you just get used to it.

Then I moved to Colorado. Even when it gets hot out here, as long as you have some kind of sun amelioration it's not bad at all.

I wear less clothes. But once I'm down to shorts and sandals, there's nothing left to shed.

My body naturally produces a salty liquid that helps a bit.

Speedo.

Honestly there have been 90+ humid days here, and to cool off I will GO bicycle riding. I was surprised that it was so refreshing! I thought I would cook to death, but I ended up getting cooler.
The air movement takes heat away from your body, like sitting in the breeze of a huge fan. As long as it is below 98 degrees and you are moving over 9 MPH, you should cool off substantially.

Bump. Acclimate.

I drink more water and applaud my decision to go with a pannier instead of a backpack. The combination of water and self-satisfaction usually cools me down enough.

+1! As long as I'm moving, the heat is tolerable.

I ride - drink all the time. Drink all day - even before you ride.

Eh, i dunno. mid to upper 90's and above, really anything at or above body temperature is potentially dangerous due to less cooling from sweat. Yea, on dry heat days sweat helps, but on days when its 98 and 80% plus humidity..... you gotta be careful.

I have recently changed my cool down procedure when arriving home. I put my box fan on "3" the highest setting, and let the air cool me off. The cooler & dryer the ambient air, the better... my ideal is 30% and below and 70 degrees. I do this while drinking water. Doing this has cut my cool-down time from up to an hour to less than 15 minutes on the hottest most active days. It should be mentioned again that i do not ride to and from an office, but ride around to places all day, so this may not be a solution for A to B commuting.

- Andy

You can do that? I gotta get the insulation!


Me, I sweat a lot, even when it's cool out. I'm a clyde, ok, a pachy...

I'm born and bred north of Syracuse and now gratefully living in NC. I've acclimated somewhat after 17 years. I try to cheat the heat as much as possible.

Frozen insulated water bottles. Frozen camelback... They thaw fast.

touring sandals

at least a bottle of clear water and soak:
hair, in back so it runs down the back. It is most critical to keep brain and spine cool...
gloves
shirt, especially shoulders and back. You can loose a lot of heat in small of back due to blood flow
thighs of cycling shorts, this can feel particularly marvelous!
and of course feet (touring sandals!)
stop in stores for cool down and get more water and ice...

Don't forget the sunblock!

Couple weeks ago took a day off based upon weather prediction of 91 and gorgeous. Was gonna do a challenging century. By the time I woke prediction was 93... I turned around when Garmin broke 105... It hit 110 before I got home. Glad I turned around!

[QUOTE=mgw4jc;16922018
Also, I got me a pair of sunglasses that make me look pretty cool, so there's that too.[/QUOTE]
I like that! :roflmao2:

This... but with a shower. Seriously, even when I've ridden at -10deg F I end up sweating profusely by the end of my ride with all my gear.

My wife got me one, wet it wet wring it a little, place around neck, still cool and clammy a hour later in 90 degrees

Last year I wet a white t-shirt and put it in the freezer for a half an hour or so . . . it was crunchy with frost, combined with frozen peas in the backpack. Worked well for my four miler.
This year, I just sweat and bath myself in wintergreen alcohol when I get to work.

I ride a bike. I'm inherently cool.

Ditto that. I leave the house by 6:30 to beat traffic. It's still humid, but good. Going home, I just keep moving. I got 4 miles without stopping today, including a big climb with a traffic light in the middle of it. When you stop, the sweat starts coming out.

There is nothing you can do when it is hot.

Drink lots of water. Lots and lots of water.