Colorado Kid

In parts of the Mid-West and East, there is a nasty Heat Wave going on. What is the weather like where you are at and how are you able to ride in that very hot weather?

KD5NRH

101F...at 8:15PM

I mash the pedals and the bike goes, same as always.

Eds0123

Low to mid 50's in the morning when I leave my house at 5 AM, I wear shorts, 2 acrylic quick dry moisture wicking tea shirts and a long sleeved shirt on top but then sun comes up shortly halfway in around mile 8 or 9 of my commute and it warms up a bit and I slow down so not to get too hot before getting to work, going home at 4:30 PM all this week and past couple days, high 70's to mid 80's dry very low humidity but often and sometimes very windy, I just fill my hydration pack with 2 chilled regular water bottles and I ride home as fast as I can, sipping chilled cool water keeps me cool from inside and prevents my throat getting dry while breathing volumes of hot warm dry air hard and fast, we also have mild winters around here maybe a few inches of snow if any, so yes nice out around here and don't ask where?, we'd like to keep it a secret, .... :-)

Miramooke

I have a relatively short commute but have always found it way easier to bike than walk in this hot weather. Indeed, yesterday I had to walk to work because I needed a new tire, and I was a sweaty mess. Biking creates its own breeze and is so much faster.

I hydrate, take the side roads which offer more shade, wear sunscreen, and it all works out great.

wphamilton

You get used to it. I have access to showers at work, but I rarely need it if I take it easy in the mornings (mid-70's, riding in shaded areas). The home leg, honestly the heat and humidity doesn't really bother me. I suit up, shower and change at home, just like any other workout.

52telecaster

i dont ride quite as hard when its hot like it is now. of course i am not real fast anyway.

wipekitty

In Western Wisconsin, we've maxed out with temperatures in the high 90s, dew points in the mid 70s, and heat indices around 110-115. I commuted 16 miles RT for a full year on the Gulf Coast of Alabama - comparatively, the occasional little heat wave is nothin'

Generally, my strategy is to pre-hydrate, embrace the sweat, replace electrolytes, and wipe down afterward. Clothing changes are often advisable, dependent on distance. Witch hazel is my favorite thing ever for quickly dealing with funk (and I start smelling funky just looking outside).

GeneO 

Yeah, ugh. 35 mi on trails in 95F 98 heat index 74f dew point misery yesterday. I was pretty quick the first half lowed way down the second and hit the wall at 35 mi. Bottles of water and Gatorade + electrolytes from energy gel. This was just a ride, not a commute day, as I was on vacation Chicagoland.

noglider 

I'm OK in it. It's been getting up to about 95ºF (37ºC) here. I sweat a lot. On Tuesday, I shut the door to my office and took my clothes off and ran witch hazel over my body with a paper towel. It worked great. My sweat stopped quickly, and I was dry and cool. I was going to put my shirt back on, which I usually do, but then I saw how drenched it was, so I put on one of the spare shirts I keep in my office. By the time I was dressed again, no one could tell I had just been sweating profusely. It's funny because I feel fine when I'm on the bike. Lucky for me my workplace building is overchilled. Well, it's pretty ridiculous because sometimes I have to wear a sweater in side while there's a heatwave outside. But at least I don't look like a sweat hog.

Witch hazel is great stuff. It's a mild astringent but it has a natural oil in it, and it doesn't dry the skin. It's much better than alcohol.

rumrunn6

gotta find a shady trail. keep expectations low. have a plan in case the ride plan is too optimistic. have a cool plan for after the ride, as-in jump under some water



edit: oh I see this is a commuter thread. wear less clothing. stop & rest in the shade. carry extra water & pour it over your head thru your helmet vents & over your back & neck

SylvainG

Yep, that's what I did yesterday during my 20 km commute back home in 35C (44C heat index). Does help.

pdlamb

It hasn't been really hot here, stopping 5-7 degrees short of the "hot" 100 degree mark. That's just average summer weather. The humidity is the problem, reminiscent of 10 years or so ago when we went a month without the temperature dropping below 80 at night, with a heavy dew every morning.

Commuting is OK, even so. Park the bike, grab the panniers, dash inside, cool off, shower (at work) or wipe down with rubbing alcohol/water, and change into dry clothes. Extending the commute is the tough part; I'm conditioned for 50 minutes, but adding another half hour (or more) turns me into a dripping mess. That means spraying bug repellent on and sitting out on the porch until I stop dripping sweat, then cowering inside the A/C for the rest of the day.

We'll usually get a front come through every week or two to cool things down for a couple days, but this summer has seemed like thunderstorms every afternoon. The one time a cold front came through, it turned around as a warm front the next day and heated things right back up. Another cold front is due today or tomorrow, maybe that'll drop the temperatures 5-10 degrees for TWO days.

Maybe.

Skipjacks

I've been fine during this heat wave...

Of course my bike has been in the shop because I blew out my bottom bracket...but the air conditioning in my car is working well so this heat wave has been a non issue for me.

(Guy at the shop said on Saturday he needed to order the part. I could either wait until today to get it with their regular order or I could pay $13 for shipping and have the bike back on Tuesday. It's 101 this week with humidity at 90%+. I said Friday was fine and saved the $13)

Buddha2499

DanBraden

Go on...

It's hotter than heck here... I beat the heat by sticking to side streets away from those cagers and their heat pumping exhaust boxes. I give myself enough time for my commute (12 mi) in the morning so that I'm not working too hard. I used to bring a change of clothes and take a cat bath, but nowadays I prefer to just wear my slacks and shirt to keep it simple. Sure I'm a bit sweaty but most of us are this time of year. Going home? Well that's the sticky bit, for one its up-hill and for another the pavement has been baking all day so it's very much like standing in front of blast furnace (not something I've done, but I imagine is uncomfortably warm ). So I take it slow, see if there's something to do downtown and maybe spend the hottest part of the day having a drink. Around 8 pm the sun is low enough to not burn and the cagers have finished with their grid-lock and I'm the weirdo in slacks hunched over his aero-bars in the twilight.

Honestly, I don't do laundry that often because my clothes don't stink and since I stopped using deodorant my shirts aren't getting sweat stained either! I know, I know, "No deodorant! PEEE-YEW!!" but the wife doesn't seem to mind so I'm not concerned!

If my commute were greater, I'd go back to wearing the spandex, but for now I can deal.

Also, hydration is key for keeping your BO down, I'm convinced!

noglider 

I don't wear deodorant, either. No one has complained. I know I'm not a totally impartial judge, but I don't think I have a strong odor.

Keiffith

My commute is a short one mile, but I work in a non AC shop. Temps are usually 10* F higher than outdoors in most areas. I stand in areas around machines that are about 110* to 115* F when it's 85* outside.

So I don't worry about showers or pushing it too hard, since I'm going to be a smelly mess anyway.

KraneXL

You would be the worst judge. Ask those around you.

downwinded

This is the first year I have changed clothes before a ride. The morning ride is tolerable. I'm fine wearing jean's on my short commute. The afternoon has been another story. It has been so bad I've started packing shorts and changing before the ride home. Much more pleasant.

noglider 

locolobo13 

It gets hot here. My strategy is to drink cold water before the ride. Take a bottle of cold water with me. It's usually warm water within 5 mi. On a longer ride I can stop at convenience stores, usually, and get more cold liquids.

My other note is pay attention to yourself. If you're feeling lightheaded, dizzy, nauseous, etc. Find a cool place to rest. If you're out in the desert look for shade. For me, in town, it's a fast food place and a med fountain drink. If I don't feel better after 30 min call for a ride home.

wphamilton

As long as you're clean, and the clothes are laundered, there usually isn't much smell. The rank odor comes from bacteria living off the proteins produced by sweat from the armpits (etc). Bathed and freshly washed = hardly any bacteria = not much odor. Barring a metabolic disorder.

pdlamb

Polar insulate bottles help enormously. Fill it with ice, top up with water, it'll stay cool for an hour. (Yes, even in the Arizona desert!)

noglider 

Crazy Wolf, your weather (Phoenix) was on the news here today. Or maybe it was the national news.

RubeRad

Was 107 on Sat, but I got out in the morning for a trail ride before it got too hot. Unfortunately we have no AC for the house as our building is undergoing some construction. I grabbed a laptop and spent the afternoon in the public library enjoying free wifi and AC