How do you guys keep cool...
 

I have missed a few days here due to heat in the afternoon...
I want to know what you guys do to keep cool for a commute.

What do I do to stay cool when it's 90+ and humid?

Nothing.

Relocate .. Temperate rain-forrest on the Ocean, here ...

temperature range here is like AMS NL.


Typically, High in the winter is the Low in the summer, 50F

Pretty much this. I actually like riding in the heat (particularly after this year's horrible/long winter).

You could always ride faster and create your own "headwind."

If it's really bad I'll splash water on the back of my neck and let it trickle down my shirt.

I've been keeping water bottles in the fridge to take with me on my morning commute. I also put on a cycling jersey and try to get to work early to kill two birds: beat the heat and get to work early enough to change before people see/hear me click-clacking along in my hi-vis! Ride home doesn't bother me as much, just ride in the heat and take a shower when I get home.

A wet bandana around the neck. If it's really hot ice rolled in the bandana.

I am a huge science nerd. I have never had a problem with being cool.

Soaking my long sleeve shirt before I ride (wool or poly).

Relocate is the best. I never have said I miss the summers from the east now being out west. I do miss upstate NY winters though (I am talking Tug Hill plateau). I do not like the dreary rain out here, but it is nice to ride.

Be in New England. Ride fast.

The San Francisco air conditioning, aka cold sea breeze and fog that comes in the Golden Gate most afternoons, take care of that for me. I do get hot at the end of my ride, where its typically much warmer then SF, but its a short enough part of my ride I just deal with being hot and sweaty it helps that its a dry heat.

I have heard of a trick but don't know how well it works. Someone told me they wet a light base layer and put it in the freezer before wearing. Never tried it myself.

Take it easy, keep to the shade. Yesterday in fact, having PTO and some time on my hands I talked my son into a 20 miler. He's not an avid cyclist and riding a mountain bike so our speeds were rather slower, around 100 minutes total. 90's normal humidity, never broke a sweat.

Ride in New England. Bring water and gatorade. Rootbeer floats/ iced coffee. Swim mid ride home when it's really hot.

Just ride. It doesn't bother me that much as long as I'm moving. In the same weather yard work would suck but riding is fine.

Just stay hydrated.

Good way to think about it. When we were in Disneyworld, I thought my wife and kids were going to die. Record breaking highs for early June. Coldest day was 103°. They were going to die while I thought, I'd much rather be riding Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad in this than making foamed plastic in similar temperatures at work. I am use to that kind of heat from work (actually, it was a lot cooler than work at the hottest day of 107°), my wife and kids, not so much.

Drink a lot, pick routes where you've got shade, and head for the air conditioning at either end of the commute!

I don't like hot, humid weather but I'm stuck with it about 4 months out of the year living in NC. Here are my strategies:

- Ride early in the morning if possible.
- Wear breathable, wicking cycling clothes.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Cold water works much better for me, so I use insulated water bottles largely filled with ice.
- Choose routes that stay in the shade as much as possible.
- Avoid routes with lots of traffic lights. The hottest part of my commute is sitting at red lights.
- Try to avoid hills if possible. You generate a lot of body heat riding up hills.
- Wear bright clothes, not black or other dark colors.
- Keep moving as much as possible. The wind generated from moving helps cool you down.

i was born cool, dude.

I don't do anything special. I just ride and sweat it out.

If you avoid riding because of the heat, then your body will never get a chance to acclimatize itself...Just keep riding and don't worry about it.

Start with ice cold beer in camel back, pack in extra ice packs, make sure your drinking tube is insulated... :roflmao2:
Just kidding I don't commute to work on bike....

I just tie a rope between my push mower and my mountain bike. Best of both worlds.

has anyone tried the "cooling shirts" or towels that have been advertised on tv...?

Cycling is an exercise, and when done in hot weather, it will make you hot and sweaty...there's just no way around it. HTFU.

Sweat.... sometimes a lot ;)

Here in Soith Florida is hell on earth for 3 month out of the year. I ride to work mostly very early in the morning and come back at night. Still carry two insulated water bottles with ice and before the 55 min commute, I drink at least one ice water bottle, sometimes two depending the time of day. Drink the cold water every 10-15 min, can go 30 at times if I pre drink a lot. The sweat will keep me kool while moving, it's when I stop at the light, specialy running errands during the middle of the day.

Have not try the ice around the neck in a bandana, but that sounds very good for this heat!

Don't move to California, the weather sucks, all that dry heat and stuff.

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.