ZIPP2001

What a great half day Friday with the temp getting close to 90 degrees. So, I pulled out the Orbea Occam H30 and headed off to do a bunch of hills out in the woods. Lots of tough climbing today as the trails in some sections where soft and slow. At least after most hills I got a little section to roll out the legs before the next hill came. I'm hoping the high temps are a sign of things to come this summer as I always enjoy riding when it's hot and humid.

terrymorse 

Nope.

All my worst days on the bike were doing big climbs when it was ridiculously hot.

You can keep your heat.

Carbonfiberboy 

Some of my best days on the bike involved doing something really hard and doing pass climbs in the heat was definitely one of those things. Sure I was hurting during, but after felt great. I guess I'm a sucker for accomplishments. One of my strongest memories of rock climbing was seconding a very good climber on a long hard pitch in the hot sun. After belaying him up, I climbed up to my belayer and found he'd drunk all the water. We repelled off and headed for the nearest water source, no big deal.

essiemyra

I was also out riding Friday in that heat. It was a nice day to be outside and riding.

Jimriides

At my age you have to careful of heat. I sneak up on it doing more and more distance as it warms up in the Spring. Mid- Summer I can go out in 80- 95 degrees and be fine as long as the humidity isn’t too high. A patch of hot weather in the Winter and I’m dying out there in the heat.

GhostRider62

I hate climbing in heat. I really do.

Worst I can recall is a climb out of Richland Oregon with my Garmin saying it was 123F and then next day going over old White Bird pass in Idaho into a 30-40mph head and cross wind and 117F making me walk some parts. In the shade it was only 105-110F in Richland proper but the climb was position nicely to absorb the sun. A real treat.

pdlamb

Give the O.P. a break. I got a text from my daughter last week asking, "Am I getting acclimated to this cold because 74 degrees feels ridiculously hot?" If you live in a part of the country where it might hit 80F in a summer heat wave...

rumrunn6

I really enjoy riding in summer heat. smelling drying pine needles & listening to the sounds of nature & feeling the heat. but I've had heat exhaustion on the bike, so has Wifey. one must take precautions

rumrunn6

hehe love the intercut scene of the roadster!
you get a new camera mount? or just hand holding some angles?

terrymorse 

My worst was Climb to Kaiser on the hottest day of the year. Official temperature in Clovis was 114F.

Biker395 

I used to do really well in heat. Yea it would affect me, but in a group, I'd be the last to be affected.

Events over the last few years have convinced me ... that is no longer the case. Even with Endurolytes and other supplements, a really hot climb can definitely kick my arse.

Here is one of the dumbest things I ever did on a bike. We were riding up Highway 39 here in Los Angeles. How hot was it? It was 116F or so. So hot that more than one motorist stopped after passing us to make sure we were OK. I guess they figured that no one in their right mind would be riding in that kind of heat.

Even worse, after getting to Crystal Lake, everyone else did the smart thing ... rode downhill to their cars and called it a day. *I* on the other hand, talked another fool into doing one more climb and heading to Mt Baldy. When we stopped at Camp Williams to water up, the shaded thermometer said 116F. But on the climb, my cyclometer (which had a thermometer) registered 121F (likely the heat of the road adding to the already hot temps).

At one point, I stopped in the shade and took a selfie. My face was beet red. I waited for my partner in crime, and when she showed up, she was really suffering. Got a good pix of her, though.




When we got to the top of that climb, our better sense took over and we headed back to the cars.

In retrospect, what a foolish thing to do! Had heat stroke taken hold of either one of us, it isn't like we could have just whistled down back to Camp Williams and been OK. Live and learn, I guess.

Biker395 

I've not done that one, but I have heard about it. That had to really suck!

terrymorse 

I'm hoping to never see the inside of the Clovis Hospital again.

ZIPP2001

Just using a mini handheld tripod.

rumrunn6

loved it

Carbonfiberboy 

A good thing to know is that heat training works. You get better not only at riding in the heat, but also riding at any temperature. In the summer of the PNW I purposely ride in the hottest part of the day, which is not really hot, but it's all I have to work with.

OldsCOOL

I was out last week for a short hilly ride when it was 86deg here in northern Michigan. I should have known better than to do hills on a first ride and almost 90deg. Why? It’s those 3 H’s that are my challengers on any ride. Too much of any of the 3 or especially 2 of those 3 H’s and it will become a short ride. What are the 3?

Heat, Hills, Headwind. To quote Dirty Harry…A man has got to know his limitations.

rumrunn6

I was guessing hazy, hot & humid. but add hills & headwind & that's quite the challenge!

terrymorse 

Absolutely, I suffer a lot less in the heat after riding on several hot days. As far as improving overall performance, I suspect heat workouts are just another way to increase the training stress of a workout.

pdlamb

Like Lon Haldeman says, "Hot is 10 degrees warmer than you're used to riding."

MoAlpha

Plasma volume expansion, as you probably know. It's a major component of exercise adaptation, independent of temperature, and heat acclimation pushes it further.

Carbonfiberboy 

Google "heat shock proteins." For instance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418130/

Carbonfiberboy 

Also post 22.

terrymorse 

Yes, thanks.

I look at heat as a training stress amplifier. In other words, it's a way to dial up the training load.

MoAlpha

HSPs are part of a nonspecific response to stress and only have "heat" in their name because that's where they were first described. They are upregulated in virtually any kind of stress, including cold. They presumably do have some role in exercise adaptation and/or recovery though.