Bikernator

So I've pretty much done nothing outside that didn't involve a body of water for what seems like eternity. We're on course for a record summer here in Tulsa and I'm damn tired of it. I haven't been riding at all in over a month and I was wondering it I'm just being a sissy or if others had similar rules? Hell, it sounds so unappealing I hardly even linger around in the BF shadows anymore.

I really do poorly in hot weather (some sort of anatomical mis-wire. I can do cold with no problem, but heat really impacts my athletic performace and endurance), so it really lowers the fun level.

I really haven't decided if I'm wanting support or tough love to convince me to ride - or perhaps die...

P.S. If you live somewhere with awesome weather, I refuse to acknowledge your post with the exception of this: piss off...

MLKATO

I feel your pain,litterally. It was 110 here yesterday,today was a cool 95. I don't ride in 100+ or even 90 in high humidity. It's not safe for me as I have some health issues. Unless you are an a elite athleete and in excellent health,I wouldn't try it. Heat stroke,heat exhaustion is not a fun time to go through. I went through it once and it is no fun being strapped on a gurney getting your shirt cut off.

Moozh

yep! Carry along a couple bottles of slushy gotoraides in my pack (too lazy to use a camel-back and clean em and stuff with consistency to keep them clean and in good condition to warrant owning one) and treat the ride as more light-hearted than balls-to-the-wall exercise. If you ride in actual 'mountains' then I feel for ya, but if you ride in the 'woods', there tends to be enough shade to keep the sun's direct rays off you for the most part. Bring chewables, lots of fluids, and a microfiber shop rag for when you need to stop and mop your face and brow. Take the ride easy and dont needlessly push it too far.

In truth I love the heat...absolutely love it and will take it along with the NE humidity and would never ever complain. Doesnt mean I can go at 100%, but I adjust accordingly, probably stay away from the parts of the trails that demand you seriously exert yourself and simply do what I can within sense and reason.

danlikes

wait until it drops below 100 most the time but if there is a nice breeze and some clouds I will ride in +100 I cap it at 110.

Mind you I am only doing about 30 minutes at a time, with about 10- 15 minute break to change out dogs. I ride a mountain bike with my 2 big dogs(Catahoula, and a Doberman) then walk with my Jack Russell.

But yes I find myself sitting more in the heat of August here in the Hill Country of Texas.

CharleyGnarly

Not me. I live in the Southern San Joaquin Valley in CA, and it frequently gets 100+. I used to ride all summer long when I was younger, but I over heated once about 18/19 years ago and have not been able to hack it since. Work or play, when it hits three digits, I call it quits.

fuji86

Anything strenuous is an early dawn AM or late dusk PM ride, otherwise riding mid-day are shorter, quicker and lighter rides, really to get to another place and be a tourist rather than working the fitness harder.

ColinL

I try very hard to avoid it. I'm just NW of Tulsa up here and it's been insane this summer, I agree. I'm on the trail/path/whatever at 8AM on Saturday and/or Sunday for a weekend ride and I've had to give up after work rides almost entirely.

I have been getting up at 5:30 - 5:45 AM to ride, though. There's a big thread, I think over in 41, about morning cycling. Good tips there.

LesterOfPuppets

I do. Not as much when I lived in PHX. One year it stayed above 100 all day/all night for about a month straight. How you gonna take a month off the bike?

Papa Wheelie

Here in Boise, we are currently seeing mid-90 degree temps, with little to no humidity. Riding in the middle of the day is still managable if you take a lot of liquids, but I just prioritize my day so that I can get my bigger ride in in the morning hours (today I was riding from 6:00 am - 7:30 am), and then go for another with the crew in the afternoon. Just take it way slower in the heat.

adclark

Sometimes. It is hot enough now that I wouldn't get to ride much if I didn't. I would prefer to ride later in the evening or early in the morning, but don't usually have the chance. I just carry a camelbak half full of ice, half full of water. Ride for a bit then pause for a minute or two. It can be fairly miserable sometimes, but it is the only way I get to ride.

colorider

Yep. It's been pretty hot in Denver lately so I just make do. +1 for the camelbak with ice. Also even though it's hot there is usually a breeze that helps.

NCMTBIKER

I ride either early am or late pm

mymojo

I'm in Dallas. I was doing OK riding in it until Monday. I rode for an hour in 108 heat - and it was absolutely brutal. I haven't been on the bike since. I'm gonna ride tomorrow, but I'm heading out early in the AM and will call it when I see the sun coming up.

bj.bonnette

I have been about the same. I have been riding 5 or so days a week until this week. I have been siting inside all week. I rode once on wednesday. It has been insane. Ready for the cool down this coming week.

Surlyrider

Another Dallas guy here. I ride 5 days a week, but the temp lately is about 90 when I start and mid 90s when I finish and I have no problems
. Over 100 - sorry, I'm inside.

Rimmer

I've been riding all week, and the temperature doesn't stop me. I've been out at 120F. If you sit still like at a stop light, it gets hot. On the move with the wind blowing, everything is fine with me.

worldtraveller

I ride in the heat, i love it,
as long i keep moving i am good, but if i stop or going up a very long steep climb i feel it
otherwise lots of water and sports drinks

scyclops

A hot day where I ride is like 95 tops, but if I were in your climate I wouldn't agonize over it (but I would have to permanently relocate).
The human body is primarily an air-cooled machine. Which means that as ambient air temp approaches or exceeds 98.6 F, your body has to rely solely on evaporation (of sweat) to dissipate excess body heat. This mechanism works better for some people than others, and becomes less effective with higher humidity. Either way, drinking water before you are actually thirsty is key.
So it's not a question of being tough enough vs being a wuss, it's just whatever your metabolism will tolerate.

FrenchFit 

Love it, but riding performance is compromised...meaning slow.

I did a solo century (flat) on the hottest summer day, it hit 118 at the peak. It was so hot that I couldn't hydrate as fast as I was losing it, so I took a nap under a shade tree to catch up. If there had been serious hills I would have been in trouble.

Funny, biggest problem for me is the eyes...the heat and wind resistance once you get past 16mph or so turns them to stone. Wrap-around sunglasses help.

It might be an age thing. I'm an old guy...and I like the heat now. 30-40 years ago, I doubt if I would have been out there.

Blackman

I live in Fort Worth Texas, and we have had over a month of 100-110 plus weather, I ride in it almost everyday , but i tend to have more problems in urban areas such as parking lots. The asphalt holds a ton more heat making the surface 140+ degrees. Ive had my tires pressurize from the air expanding in them and then get flats. Hydraulic brakes are also prone to heat failure because the fluid takes less time to overheat and cause fade. As long as I'm on an unpaved trail its fine usually, and the humidity is low enough here i did a 2 mile ride at 114 degrees today with hardly any sweat.

So, yes you can but have tons of fluids with you and try to stay out of direct sunlight.

noodle

Hot and humid is prevalent in the summer around Washington, DC. Doesn't bother me once I get a couple of less taxing rides in at the start of the warm months. Done well in dry heat too- played 3 sets of tennis in Southern AZ when it was midday ~119 degrees. Had no issues other than it took 2+ hours to cool down.

I rode 54 mi the other week when it hit 102 on the NJ shore (made it > 40 mi on 22 oz of water; then drank probably twice that in the last 10 mi). Heat reflectivity on pavement is no fun but tolerable as long as I am moving. Riding on a trail is no trouble at all when it is 100+ out for me.

JoeBear50

I just got back to Katy TX (West of Houston) from Custer and Sturgis SD, where it was beautiful and cool. I didn't mind the heat so much before I left, but now that I have had a tast of the cooler climate, the heat here seems to be a bit much. I'll just have to start riding very early in the morning I guess.

jmio

I just moved to Broken Arrow and I definitely have to get my blood thinned out, 4 years up in Ohio for college made me a sissy for heat. Getting on my motorcycle takes some self convincing let alone getting on my bikes, I try to go early morning, or late afternoon, my derailleur hanger is bent and getting fixed right now, booo. but I got out on the roadbike this morning, nice and in the 80's!