So, how hot is too hot?
 

It's 95 here in Tucson, I just got home from work and I'm going to go out and play this afternoon. I'm debating on 25ish on the road bike or 10ish riding easy single track on the mtn bike. 95 is getting towards my upper end, but on the positive side there's not much humidity right now.

Just out of idle curiosity, how hot does it have to be before you say no to a ride? Originally being from Seattle, I understand there'll be different heat thresholds.

For me, really stupid hot.

Of all the sweaty sufferfests I've done, there was only one time that I came home and said to myself ... self, I said ... "That was stupid."

That was the day I talked a friend into riding up little GMR instead of heading back to the cars like everyone else. At the time, it was 116 (in the shade, measured by Camp Williams' thermometer). Heading up little GMR climb (5-6% and about 1000 feet) it peaked out at 122 (road temperature, measured by VDO).

A photo taken just before the peak.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...pse4d9d394.jpg

But it's a dry heat! Here is one of the smart ones.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps88cf92e1.jpg

A little too much:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps49039930.jpg

The Tour of California went from Murietta to Palm Springs (124mi) today as well as up San Jacinto (8500 ft), all in the triple digits (114). Granted anyone of us could be a father or grandfather to these kids lol

I usually draw the line at about 100 F. The closer I get to that temp, I scale back the effort

I like the hot weather. This spring(?) if that is what you want to call it, has been overall lousy in the Boston area. Cold and raw most days, with a very rare warm day, a day
when the wind does not have that stinging bite to it.

When it does get very hot and humid around here, I find it perfect night riding weather. On a good hot, humid night, you could say that riding takes on a different form.

Remember Bill, it is not usually as humid out here in the desert, except for July and August. That makes the heat more tolerable... but you do need plenty of cool water.

I live here for a couple reasons , temperature range is one of them.

A friend is returning to Central California, only the high summer begins to be warm enough.
they're perpetually cold the other 3/4 of the year..

I've ridden most of my long-ish (75-100 miles) in the northeast's 95+F humid summer. The trick is to drink lots of water, get some salt into you too, and enjoy the breeze from moving. Don't forget sunscreen, but I prefer a long-sleeve SPF jersey and SPF pants over sunscreen'ed arms and legs.

80º is getting too hot for me. Seriously, I have never been able to handle much heat. Most years, I can avoid those temps by going up in elevation. It's the organized rides that cause me trouble. I've learned to really consider not starting in some conditions, when temps will be above 85º for sure.

I rode South Floridistan for three years. The heat radiating to your feet from the road felt like hot coals on some days :eek:
Im sure the temps off the road exceeded 100 by a few. Like anything else, You just get used to it. Not desirable, but no big deal.
:beer:

Similar to other comments, I've done a lot of rides in the high 90s with humidity in the 80s. Also have done some longer rides in 100+ degree weather with the worst being a double century last year. Day one, 140 miles - 108, day two - 100 miles - but only 102 degrees.

Gotta get acclimated to it, just can't jump in. Of course the usual hydration and proper nutrition.

Would rather ride in the heat than temps lower than 40 any day. Of course I'm from Texas so what do I know??

Richard

+1

BTW ... I couldn't do any of that hot weather riding with out Endurolytes.

Mid 90s and I stay in.

107 - 11-. I love to ride in the Texas heat - sunscreen and plenty of water.

Dang, the only time I've been in Texas was in DFW airport and it was too hot in the terminal.

+1 on the endurolytes

On various tours my wife and I have ridden in 109- 110F several times. Crossing southern Spain a couple of years ago we hit 43C days 4-5 days in a row. We wouldn't usually ride in those temps, but sometimes there is not a choice. Get up early, ride until 1:00 or 2:00, find shelter until about 6:00 PM, and ride until dark is a good approach to hot weather riding. In eastern Oregon the hottest part of the day is from about 3:00 until 6:00 PM. That spike in temperature varies by location, but accuweather.com can give you a good idea of the patterns.

If we are just recreational riding or on training rides we like to keep it < 100F. However, if one our annual tours is to a place that we know will be hot, we will try to get a lot of hot weather riding in prior to departure. That is what got us in trouble in southern Portugal and Spain. We came from an extremely cool Oregon June to a hot dry area with little or no acclimatization. If the humidity is low, I don't really feel the heat as long as I'm moving.


Oregon High Desert in July, 109F, not much shade. We were more prepared for this trip.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...DSCN0184-2.jpg

When I was a kid in Phoenix we would ride our bikes to the city pool... had to have been mid 100's most of the time.

Last summer, I played a game while building base miles: I'd start early on a Saturday morning and stop at noon. The objective? Ride more distance (in miles) than the temp (in degrees F).

it kind of sucks to roll out of bed knowing you're 80+ miles in the hole before you even get started. Get up early enought though and you can "win".

My limit is around 105F. My worst day on a bike was the highest recorded temp in AL in 1980.... July to be more precise. I did about 80 miles that day and when I rode by the bank, it was 106. The humidity had to be well over 95% too.

Hot weather does not keep me off a bike.

Last summer, when about 35 miles into a planned century ride and going up the only sustained grade on the route, I turned back because it was 104˚ F. I knew if I kept going that I would be in big trouble physically. Glad I did because I ended up limping back to home base. The water in my bottles was so warm, I could have made tea with it. Even the mailman stopped his truck and offered me some cold water. I must have looked pretty awful. Now, if it is above 95˚ F at the start of a ride, I'll postpone until a bit cooler. It seems that I am most comfortable when it is right at about 60˚. I could go all day at that temperature.

My range is 34 to 113. I am not the least interested in riding in freezing weather and I don't ride in the rain if I have any choice. But I will get out and do 10 to 30 miles in 100+. Sun Screen Endurolytes, lots of hydration and lower intensity and I am fine. First sign of dehydration and I head for shelter. Then again if the humidity tops 50 percent I am not a happy camper either.

For me much over 100 in strong sun with low humidity is about the comfortable limit. In the peak of summer I like to start rides before dawn. When the bike begins continually drifting towards every scrap of shade it's time to get home.

It can get too cold for me to ride, mostly based on my unwillingness to buy the clothing needed to handle temperatures I so rarely encounter, but too hot to ride just never happens. I'll adjust my effort and I'll take pains to hydrate and supplement electrolytes, but I'll ride no matter how hot or humid. I'll ***** (female dog) about it, but I'll do it.

I'm not sure I have much of a temperature limit, as long as I can acclimate to whatever is in store for a few days. I've been warm at 80F and cold at 105F, it all depends on where I've been lately. When I rode up the Sacramento valley and on into eastern Oregon with the temps at a comfortable 100-110F, it was all good until I rolled into the Canadian Rockies. All the locals were wearing shorts and T-shirts while I was in the store purchasing another pair of wool tights to put over my goosebumps.