Dang

Do any of you folks have any tips that help you stay cool on hot days while you ride? I went out for a ride this morning before it got too hot. They're saying it's going to be 101 F today. After five miles I was still feeling good but decided to replace my coffee with some Gatoraid. As soon as I got off the bike at the drug store BAM! It was like stepping into a oven. And it was only 8:30am. But I saw the Gatoraid TV ads so I wasn't worried. I have no idea how far I rode. But it was all city and whenever I had to make a stop I could feel the oven on again. Keep moving I'd say to myself. Why don't they make streets white? The sweat helps keep me cool though. Had to make two more Gatoraid stops on the way back home. Three and a half hours later I arrived back home with just a slight headache. I felt worse before after a hot ride. This is the time of year I dislike the most about living in Californa.

Bikewer

Hot weather puts stress on everyone, and some handle it better than others. Hydration is very important, of course; even pro racers have been "caught short" with their fluid intake. Even a few percent drop in overall fluid levels can have severe impact on aerobic efficiency.
On the other hand, it's quite possible to over-hydrate, which can be quite dangerous.

I think the "benchmark" most sources reccomend is one standard-size water bottle per 40-45 minutes of medium-intensity riding.

The debate over "sports drinks" vs. plain water will go on for ever, but many authorities are of the opinion that for simple daily workouts, you have plenty of electrolytes in your body already.

dwightonabike

I'm right there with you (in spirit) here in NC. 99 degree days, 95% humidity. Its never too bad untill you have to stop. Then the bugs are as big a threat as the sweat.

A camelback gives you lots of liquid storage, but it will be VERY hot on your back. You don't realize how good that wind on your back feels till you put a backpack on. Another solution would be to get one of those extendable waterbottle holders that can hold larger bottles. Maybe they can even hold a 2-liter? Not sure.

It also helps to try to plan a stop at a lake or stream where you can swim mid-ride. Makes the day 10x better!

RonH

Our temperatures don't get that hot but during the summer months in Atlanta, I carry two Polar water bottles with ice and water in one and ice and PowerAde or Gator Ade in the other - if I'm riding 25 miles or less and I know I'll have a place along the way to refill the bottles with water.

If there's no place to refill the bottles or if the distance is longer, I'll fill my 70oz CamelBak with 1/2 ice cubes and then fill with water. I'll still carry one bottle with PowerAde or GatorAde.

roadfix

Dang! You must live out in the desert. I'm in L.A. and it's still a cool 75 degrees here but I plan on doing a little mountain biking this afternoon up into the San Gabriels to Inspiration Point. I expect 90 degrees up there so in addition to my 70 oz. camelbak I'll be carrying two additional water bottles......there is no 7-11 up there....

manual_overide

Once I get going, a small camelbak doesn't make me feel any hotter than not having it on. I have the Classic version though. Don't know about the MULE or the backpack sized ones

TomM

The past few days here in FL have been horrible, 95+ degrees with 100% humidity at 9 AM. I've just upgraded to a CamelBak Mule from a Razor. What works best for me is to fill(pack it in) the CamelBak with ice and then put water in it. With my Razor, this would last about 50 to 60 miles. I then stop at a store and buy a bag of ice and refill the CamelBak. The Mule has a larger capacity and I am hoping to get a full 100 miles out of it. I'll find out tomorrow. I have found water bottles to be useless down here after 2 hours. They heat up too quickly.

cydewaze

It gets really hot and humid here in MD/DC, and for the most part, I hate it.

BUT...

Oddly enough, I do my best riding when it's really hot and humid. Go figure. Maybe it's my muscles being warm, or maybe it urges me to drink more, I dunno, but I seem to feel stronger the hotter and muggier it gets.

Travelinguyrt

I have 3 cage mounted bottles and freeze them all the nite before I ride. Good for a one way to Palm Beach, return trip I stop at a Wendys chow down chilli and ask to have the bottles filled with ice, always leave a tip, now they remember me.

Eatadonut

ever been to a white beach, or maybe white sands New Mexico? Notice the wonderful blindingness of the reflection? Black is hotter, but I'd rather be sweaty than flat because a driver couldn't see me.

jnbacon

Lots of water/Gatorade during biking might not help that much if you haven't been drinking water all day. It takes time for the water to get in your system. Start hydrating the day before. We have been having 100+ days for weeks now, and no headaches or overheating yet, largely because I drink a lot of water ahead of time.

TomM

Seems like they use to back in the old days. Take a look a pictures of the early interstates.

froze

I use to live in the Mojave desert area of California so I well aware of the heat. I used 24oz Polar bottles so the liquid would stay cooler longer. Depending on how far I went depended on how much liquid I carried. For long rides I carried 3 bottles (the third was attached by a strap on cage by TwoFish around the stem, but Minoura makes several different strap on cages that is better then mine); then I added a 70oz Camelback Rogue. The first bottle I filled 1/2 with ice then poured in chilled drink, this would remain cold for about 1 hour; the 2nd I filled with ice then chilled drink, this would last about 2 hours cold; the third was filled with chilled drink the night before and place in the freezer overnight, this would last 3 hours; then in the Rogue I would fill it 3/4ths with ice and the rest with drink and this would last 4 to 5 hours.

I also learned not to use sunscreen except on the face because it made me feel hotter, BUT this was a personal thing and since I don't burn easily anyway thats what I did. I understand the skin cancer problem and if you feel like thats an issue then riding a bit hotter is better then getting skin cancer.

I also wore white loose fitting clothes because the air is allowed to bellow into the jersey keeping you cooler then tight fitting jerseys. They say the high tech tight fitting jerseys wisk sweat off your body to the outside of the jersey were it evaporates...what a load of crap! I have a $80 dollar high tech tight fitting jersey and I have a white $15 Walmart loose fitting jersey and it's actually cooler then the $80 dollar one due to it's loose fit. I also wear mtb shorts instead of road shorts because they are again loose fitting.

MattP.

I hate the heat. It was about 98 today, but I didn't ride cause my fork is being worked on. I always bring 1 water bottle, and occasionally a camelpak.

roadfix

On hot days I prefer loose fitting running tanks or sleeveless T's. They're so much more efficient in cooling you down than ordinary cycling jerseys....

froze

If Fixer is talking about a regular cotton T, that is not as cool as a Jersey made of 100% polyester. For some reason cotton fabrics do not work well when cycling, this has been known for years; it stays wet longer and when you come down hills the wetness can actually give you chill. All Jerseys made for sport use are made of either polyester or wool, polyester is the fabric of choice these days because it does have better wicking abiltity then cotton. The cheap $15 Walmart jersey I buy is 100% polyester and is just as effective as my $80 "high Tech" cycling jersey. I also have a wool jersey but when it gets over 90 degrees I don't think it's as cool as the polyester, but it won't stink after one ride (though I still wash it anyway) like the polyester's do. I find the short sleeve wool jersey to be more comfortable then the polyester when temps are from 50 to 85; but also long sleeve wool is more comfortable then Polyester in colder temps below 50. But wool is expensive (over $100), especially if you want to be able to machine wash it; so thats why I now buy the $15 Walmart 100% polyester jerseys.

froze

If Fixer is talking about a regular cotton T, that is not as cool as a Jersey made of 100% polyester. For some reason cotton fabrics do not work well when cycling, this has been known for years; it stays wet longer and when you come down hills the wetness can actually give you chill.

All Jerseys made for sport use are made of either polyester or wool, polyester is the fabric of choice these days because it does have better wicking abiltity then cotton. The cheap $15 Walmart jersey I buy is 100% polyester and is just as effective as my $80 "high Tech" cycling jersey; which I don't if any of you have noticed but CoolMax, MicroSpitech, Power XStatic. Airlite, Polysentric, ProSensor etc are all 100% Polyester, their just fancy names to make people believe their getting something high tech, the only ones that are different are the polyester fabrics that add silver something that is suppose to reduce odor-but the silver will eventually wash away! I also have a wool jersey but when it gets over 90 degrees I don't think it's as cool as the polyester, but it won't stink after one ride (though I still wash it anyway) like the polyester's do. I find the short sleeve wool jersey to be more comfortable then the polyester when temps are from 50 to 85; but also long sleeve wool is more comfortable then long sleeve Polyester in colder temps below 50. But wool is expensive (over $100), especially if you want to be able to machine wash it; so thats why I now buy the $15 Walmart 100% polyester jerseys.

Dang

In the vally, rice bowl. The pit! Sacramento!



Thanks for all your advice guys. FYI I did get a more intense headache later in the afternoon. Lasted till I went to bed. Went back out again this morning but left the
bike(s) at home and went metal detecting instead.

desmobob

Oh no! An MD'er?! I just bought a White's DFX this spring. Lately, it's been too hot to ride or metal detect! That should change with the thunderstorms that I can hear rumbling right now....

Good riding,
desmobob

webist

Some weeks it's ride in triple digits or don't ride at all. One just needs to be willing to stop and refill bottles or buy drinks to satisfy the body's needs.

Dang

Cool! NY's a great state to detect I hear. I use to throw my Classic IDX over my shoulder and ride my MTN bike to the American River along the trails. Sadly the IDX has been stolen but I now have a Ace 250 that breaks down smaller so I can take it along with extra water in a back pack. I like the idea of combining two hobbies.

desmobob

Too funny... I bought an Ace 250 myself. It worked so well and I had so much fun with it, I bought the DFX a month later! Now I don't have time to use either of them. Hopefully my work schedule will change and I'll have time for fun stuff.

NY is a great state for detecting; lots of revolutionary era history in my area....

I'm having a lot of fun with my new Bianchi Axis. I can see a mountain bike in my future!

Good riding,
desmobob