Are you bike commuting in very hot weather?
08-29-18, 05:05 PM
#27
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I ride in whatever we get in Wisconsin, which isn't that much. I start early in the morning, to get there while I'm still in the shade most of the way. I handle the heat well enough, but it doesn't get all that hot up here.
08-29-18, 07:08 PM
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I ride in the 20 miles to work in morning, but take bus on the return leg, with a short 2 mile ride home. Here the temp is in the 90’s and high humidity. I don’t handle heat well, as I run hot all the time. Once the high is < 85F I start riding back home, and enjoy our mild winters.
08-29-18, 07:44 PM
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90F this morning in Beantown. Nice on the shady MUP, then hot on the streets into town. I use a Halo sweatband to abate the forehead perspiration, have a cotton handkerchief on the handlebars for occasional wipedowns, iced coffee in the thermos in my cage, and some cool ambient radio in my curbside earbud. When it comes to being outdoors, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.
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08-29-18, 07:49 PM
#30
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Yep, although it's cooling down but commuted in 35C+ (95F+) weather earlier this Summer. Dress accordingly and bring enough water not just to quench your thirst but to cool down your body, Squirting some cold water over your head while stopped at a red light does wonder to cool you down 
08-29-18, 08:01 PM
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Life circumstances makes it that my commute must also be a workout. Go hard, get sweaty, towel off, comb the hair, a little deodorant, change of clothes and no meetings until after I've had a chance to cool off. It works for me. Does it work for my officemates? (We've all got to put up with each other's pecadillos.)
08-29-18, 08:05 PM
#32
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I'm OK with morning and evening, but around noon-2 under hot sun it is too much, and I hate putting on the sticky sunscreens, or wearing extra shirts or sleeves, so I did the unusual and took subway this week so far (except for one day, I rode under midday sun ). No need to make life too miserable for self. I comfort myself by thinking I just reduced my odds of being hit by a vehicle.
08-30-18, 12:03 PM
#33
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It rarely gets above 95F here, though it is very humid and hazy, and the air gets very dirty. So it's not enough to stop me from riding. I really don't mind riding in hot weather, or what passes for hot weather here. And sometimes I get cool breezes off the river.
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08-30-18, 12:04 PM
#34
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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...
08-30-18, 12:39 PM
#35
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We had a couple brutal days of very high humidity and dew point. I rode very gently coming in but I still sweated a little. I keep some wet wipes at work for a quick touch up. There's nothing but a shower that helps on the way home though! I leave at four in the afternoon and that seems to be the hottest time. Since I have gotten old the heat doesn't bother me so much. The cold is a different story... yesterday the heat broke and I scrambled for a jacket this morning. I even wore a light stocking cap on the way in this AM. I dread winter coming...
08-30-18, 04:02 PM
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Yeah, me too. I ride in winter, but I don't like it as much. I want to wear shorts.
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08-30-18, 07:05 PM
#37
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08-30-18, 07:43 PM
#38
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Here is NYC, mid 90s. I rode today, and one side of my face was baked all the way non stop, no shades.
I much prefer cold days. As long as no ice or heavy snow, winter rides was great, you almost own the road as there are no other cyclists, no pedestrians, and the drivers seem to care about your more because you seem so heroic.
I much prefer cold days. As long as no ice or heavy snow, winter rides was great, you almost own the road as there are no other cyclists, no pedestrians, and the drivers seem to care about your more because you seem so heroic.
08-30-18, 08:18 PM
#39
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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.
If I didn't commute in hot weather I'd only get maybe 6 months of riding in for the year.
Never had a day I couldn't make the 12mi ride home, but that would not be possible without acclimatization.
08-31-18, 03:40 AM
#40
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Are you bike commuting in very hot weather?
Similarly here in Boston, I had posted to this Living Car Free Forum thread,"Keepin' Cool on the Commute":
I use the Hubway (now known as BlueBikes) so I don’t have to worry about parking the bike.The subway (and walking to and from the stops) is the slowest of the three modes (for a 2 mile distance).
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...
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...
When I ride, I ride hard, especially on my minimal 14 mile commute for fitness. I do not necessarily need to be pristine at work, and with a pre-ride early morning shower, I’m fine. But if I have to wear nice clothes, I really prefer to fully shower, even after a brief slow ride.
However I have one circumstance where riding as you describe is best. Every June I attend a conference about two miles from my home, for which I dress nicely, and walk there. I recently found though, that if I pick up a heavy duty Hubway Bike Share bike, and ride (slowly), the early morning breeze of the ride itself keeps me cooler than on the walk on a warm June morning, and I get there faster.
However I have one circumstance where riding as you describe is best. Every June I attend a conference about two miles from my home, for which I dress nicely, and walk there. I recently found though, that if I pick up a heavy duty Hubway Bike Share bike, and ride (slowly), the early morning breeze of the ride itself keeps me cooler than on the walk on a warm June morning, and I get there faster.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-31-18 at 08:27 AM.
08-31-18, 08:08 AM
#41
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It doesn't get super hot in Pittsburgh, but it is almost always very humid in the summer. We've had a few days in the mid-90's. I try to ride everyday. I'm a heavy sweater so it doesn't really matter if it's 70 or 90, I'll still soak through my t-shirt if I ride more than half an hour. I need to take a shower when I get in to work in the morning. I'm lucky I have that option. I also have the luxury of bringing my bike on the trolley to avoid the toughest part of my commute if I have a time crunch or if I need to arrive where I'm going relatively sweat free. If the option is available to do my full ride home, I don't let the heat deter me.
