vol

It's in the mid 90s here these days. If you leave early morning and go home in late night, not big deal, but what if you have to leave or return in midday, like at the peak of the sun-baking? I thought about maybe taking train for once, but then, if there is a power out and we get stuck in the train with no air condition, how I would regret...

ThermionicScott 

I do a weeklong bike tour in the 90s every year. What do you want to know?

caloso

Right now? No, it's been an unusually cool end of August here. But in a normal summer it is not unusual for it to be +100F when I leave for the ride home. My advice: keep moving, seek a shady route if possible, keep drinking.

crazyravr

Yeap. Love the heat. As an example it was 38C with humid here yesterday and today it is 42C with humid. Take it easy coming in so you dont sweat too much and then do what you want on the way home hehe

pdlamb

No, it's only moderately hot since it's in the 90s right now, and the humidity's only 50%. If it were 104F or over, then I'd be commuting in very hot weather.

+1

Also, if you're riding an hour or less (say 10-12 miles), have a cold drink before you leave, and enjoy the air conditioning when you arrive!

CliffordK

For mid 90's, it isn't bad (humidity is low around here), so just keep moving.

Over 100, it is HOT.

It depends a bit on the length of the commute. If you're say going for 150 miles or so... it helps to take a mid afternoon-siesta

wphamilton

Mostly 90's, not super-humid until the evenings, so it's not a big obstacle. If you're used to it you don't take any special precautions in this weather,

no motor?

I don't. Getting too sweaty on my way in doesn't work for me, but the cold doesn't bother me much.

alan s 

noglider 

It's 94 degrees here now. Yes, I'm riding. My alternative mode is the NYC subway. The platform is hot and crowded and very smelly. I'm better off sweating and enjoying my trip.

Andy_K 

I don't mind riding in the heat. If it's over about 95 I just try to keep to a casual pace and load up a water bottle with ice before I hit the road. Around that same temperature my wife starts telling me I shouldn't be riding.

A couple of weeks this month we've had a lot of smoke in the air. That kept me from riding.

Skipjacks

It was 94 today with 98% humidity on my ride home.

Much sweat was sweated. I did not smell good.

GeneO 

Yep,. 90+ here. Like it hot. 32 mi RT.

locolobo13 

Plenty of people here ride in the heat. Including afternoons. Just take it easy, get used to it gradually, drink plenty of water. If you feel like you're overheating find a place to cool down; fast food, etc.

Harhir

Mid 90s is considered cool here. lol. We had temperatures way above 100 this year and I was riding. ;-)

CrewFan

It's been in the low 90's here and very humid, but I've been able to manage with some water and a moderate pace. My rides home are definitely a bit more relaxed in the heat.

joelcool

In California it's a dry heat, so I can't speak for the high humidity riders out there. I draw the line at 105F. I also watch the smoke index - if it gets to the unhealthy range I won't ride.

My wife keeps a towel out for me to wipe the sweat off when I get home so I don't drip all over the house

alan s 

BobbyG

I don't like it, but I like being stuck in very hot weather traffic even more. It rarely breaks 100F in Colorado Springs as measured however they do it, but being high up (1300ft higher than Denver) it can bee very hot in the direct sun. The thermometers on my bikes will often show 110-120F after being in the direct sun for a few minutes.

This year I bought sun sleeves and a neck shade and have been wetting them sown before and during 90F+ rides and have been more comfortable than I have in years. I've been to Las Vegas in late summer, and the middle east, and while I haven't biked in either location, I'm guessing 105F might be my limit, or possibly 100F.

RoadKill

It's cooling down in Phoenix now that summer is about over. Today should only be about 105 for the ride home which will make for a much nicer ride than most of the last couple months.
If I didn't commute in hot weather I'd only get maybe 6 months of riding in for the year.

noglider 

@BobbyG, those sun sleeves are getting popular. What do you think of them? I have a serious cyclist's tan from riding every day this spring and summer.

BobbyG

I have a pair of yellow sun-sleeves from Performance Bicycle, bought on sale for under $20 early this past spring. The sleeves have worked out better than I expected, except in one respect...retaining moisture, but even so, they are better than what I had been wearing which was either a long-sleeve, button-down cotton shirt with the collar turned up...or a short-sleeve quick-drying, wicking hi-vis jersey by itself, which left my arms and neck exposed.

So now I ride in one of my wick-dry, short-sleeve jerseys, and if it is hot, or sunny and I'll be out longer, I put on the sleeves and a neck shade and they keep me surprisingly cool by merely keeping the sun off my skin.

In very hot weather I wet them down wit the water bottle, then refill it before leaving. The evaporation adds an extra cooling factor.

With the cotton, and cotton blend long sleeve shirts I used to wear, I'd rinse them out after riding home, but they'd take a day or more to dry on the hanger, so I'd rotate a couple, three.

The new jerseys, sleeves and neck shade all dry within a couple hours, so for a lunchtime ride, and the ride home, I'm always putting on dry things. And when I get home, I rinse everything out and it's all dry by morning.

While the neck shade holds moisture for almost my whole 50 minute ride home, the sleeves need refreshing every 15-20 minutes. Not much, but some. One really hot days I began bringing both water bottles so I didn't have to worry about leaving enough water for personal hydration. On one commute where I really pushed it, my arms did start perspiring which kept the sleeves moist.

The other way the sun sleeves are better, is that they take up very little room in my backpack, so I always have them ready, in case I need them. The sleeves, the neck shade and my light nylon bellaclava all pack into a little sleeve inside my backpack.

And one more thing, I thing I pointed out in another post...

My newer quick-dry,short-sleeve jerseys are a little looser, especially the sleeves. So when I wear the sun sleeves, which are more form-fitting, air can flow up into my arm pits and circulate around my upper torso somewhat which also makes for better cooling. At least that's how it works out here in our very dry-climate where the ambient air is usually cool. I don;t know how it would work in balmy NYC, where any cooling effect from evaporation would be less, too.

I'm looking forward to see if they help this winter as a base layer.

Ged117 

I'm fortunate that my commute is only 7 miles so it isn't so bad here at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River despite the humidity. I also change out of my collared shirt and pants into shorts and t-shirt. With the backpack pannier (Two Wheel Gear - really awesome) my back is less sweaty.

Usually I fill a bottle with ice water and go.

fietsbob

Nope, not that hot here..

noglider 

@BobbyG, thank you. And yes, it's humid here. Walking outside is like walking through soup. For some reason, I'm comfier riding than walking.