noodle soup

If you decide to ride while in Las Vegas, I would definitely do the River Mountains Loop trail.

https://rivermountainstrail.org/

ussprinceton

mpath

Yes, given everybody's input, I think I'll take a pass this go around. Thanks guys.

Chandne

I have no interest in riding above 90. Kudos to those who do and can. I recommend not trying it all at once with a long ride.

Nachoman

I was in Davis (near Sacramento) this weekend and it got up to 108 degrees.
It was a bummer just walking outside from my air conditioned car to the air conditioned restaurant.

Chandne

ha ha ha...yeah I can see that.

BluFalconActual

Smart choice on holding back. Several of us ride in really hot weather, but that's because we are acclimatized to it and even then it's fairly miserable. Coming from B.C. to the desert and riding during a record breaking heat wave could be a really bad mistake.

ReLLiK75

Vegas local here....

Be on your bike NLT 5:30AM if you want to ride here. Red Rock opens at sunrise which is just a little after 5AM. Park at the Albertsons on Charleston and Desert Foothils. Ride the 5.5 miles to the entrance of Red Rock. Start to finish shouldn't take you more than 2 hours, depending on how much time you decide to take in the view at the top of the climb in Red Rock. Once you get to the top, you've got some screaming downhills. There is one more monster climb at 19% but if you hit it doing over 30MPH your speed can carry you about halfway to the top. Once you exit RR and head back to the parking lot, it's all downhill.

There are a variety of ways to add extra mileage after you exist RR, but I'd advise completing your ride NLT 8AM.

Damien09

If your not used to it 100+ is a pain it's currently 113f where I live and dry as a bone at 5% humidity . But it happens every summer so you kinda get used to it but it still sucks

TrojanHorse

Every time I ride red rock I just drive to the park and start inside the loop. I rode on Charleston down to Blue Diamond one year (and back) and about got blown to smithereens by some crotch rockets going by at about 150.

I do like Red Rock though. This year, it was so hot in MARCH (and they were repaving the road) I melted one of my tires. Ok, that was probably the fresh asphalt.

The river mountain trail was really enjoyable too. in March.

Wileyrat

The whole Southwest is in heatwave right now. If you have to ride, you want to do it very early, and be done before it gets too hot. Remember to take into account time for breaks and other issues.

I spent my riding time this afternoon doing intervals.......On an exercise bike in an air conditioned gym.

Btw, high today in Tucson....116

DrIsotope

The 109º air temp this afternoon would have been pretty tough to manage on it's own... but it's the temperature on the blacktop that keeps me indoors. No jokes.

jon c. 

Haven't lived out there in a number of years, but I found that pavement was really the big problem. Playing golf in the dry heat was no worse at 112 than it is here in the Southeast at 96. Surrounded by grass and trees you don't have the radiant heat impact. But riding here at the same relative temps is much more pleasant. I really like heat and even I found riding out there during the day was not fun.

Odd year though. The west is seeing record temps and at least locally we're having the coolest summer I can remember. We've only had a few days in the 90s. Usually, most days are mid 90s starting in May.

robbyville

Thanks for the tip! I go out to Vegas every couple of weeks but have yet to bring the bike with me since I don't know any of the rides and it seemed like the local club went out at hours that didn't work for me.

OP, Probably a good think to take a miss this time around, but still kind of a shame if you could have fit it in. I went on my morning ride today just before 6am. We were already at 90 but was still a lovely ride!

TrojanHorse

That's not asphalt, that's lava.

mpath

So I booked a rental car just now, premium economy, on Priceline. For sh*ts and giggles, I offered $5/day, and they accepted!

Airtorn

Red Rock is a national conservation area that falls under the National Park Service.

Valley of Fire is a Nevada state park.

I live in Vegas. With summer temps, my rides start pretty much at sunrise with a goal of being done by whenever the local news says it is supposed to hit 100.

Wileyrat

Not cycling related, but heat related....

I got home from the gym today, outside temps approx 114 or so, and OUR POWER WENT OUT!!! It was out for two hrs.

I feel sorry now for my bikes sitting out in the garage all day

hsuehhwa

Vegas heat could be a bit too much for folks from BC. Personally I would just enjoy Vegas.


South California is only 4 hrs drive away. There are some nice Tour of California Routes (Mt Baldy, Big Bear...).

DrIsotope

It's not much cooler here, though. Sure, just 103º today, but that means even at Onyx it will be in the 90s. Ninety degrees and 8,000ft? I wish that upon no one.

noodle soup

Yesterday's ride was 118 in the shade, but there are no shady rides in Phoenix. When stopped at a major intersections, the temperature would quickly jump up over 125.

LesterOfPuppets

I finished up my ride out to Carefree and back by 9:26, so temp was still only 99° when I got home. There were some high clouds at times also, so that was nice.

noodle soup

I couldn't get on the road until 1pm.

GuitarBob

That? Borderline crazy (!) and certainly not for the faint of heart.

Here in Tucson, I've aimed to finishing rides by 8:00. After that I ride to and from work, but that's a short, easy ride. Even with that, the temps lately have been pretty impressive!

caloso

106F on the commute home yesterday. It's not so bad if you keep moving and try to stick to shady streets whenever possible. And it's only 20-ish minutes.