GhostRider62

I don't understand what you are saying? What is the value of your comment?

Do you have any techniques to share when dealing with repeated 10-15 hour days in the saddle with temps 100-120F?

Milton Keynes

Here in the Midwest it's not unusual to have 90 degree heat with 90% humidity, or more. And being someone who sweats a lot, under such conditions I literally get soaked. I remember riding down the road in the heat in a sopping wet T-shirt. And sweating even more in that situation didn't help one bit. So moisture wicking material was the way to go, since I stay drier and cooler.

Milton Keynes

They have cooling scarves which you throw into some ice water and then put over the back of your neck. They are filled with some kind of beads which absorb the water. I don't know how long they last but at least you wouldn't have to deal with ice melting and dripping all over you and your bike.

terrymorse 

I find that very hard to believe.

90F with 90% relative humidity is a dew point of 87F. Almost the highest dew point ever recorded in the US.

So definitely not "not unusual".

GhostRider62

That would work in most climates. When it is really humid, there isn't much evaporative cooling; thus, the ice.

An ice vest would probably be the best solution, especially if someone hands your a fresh one every hour

rumrunn6

thank you very much again, I tried 1 out. got it surprisingly quickly. you must be very slender? I got the XXL but it barely went on. not sure how they got to calling it XXL. it's exactly what I want, just not skin tight, not with elastic at the sleeves or waist, & not w/ a big red logo right up front where it would be seen worn with any button up shirt. I really don't understand the design or what the manufacturer was thinking. but hey, if they are flying off the shelves then what I think doesn't matter. but I think a lot of big guys like me would buy an standard sized under shirt with porthole mesh fabric. but thank you again, it is very close to what I want

canklecat

Regarding cooling vests, it wouldn't be difficult to rig up one inexpensively. At least good enough to test the concept before investing in a commercially made cooling rig.

I've been jogging with a cheap 2 liter hydration backpack, a decent knockoff of a CamelBak, usually in late afternoon when it's hottest outdoors. I chill the water bladder in the fridge. Even with the insulated backpack I can still feel some cooling on my back. And the water stays cool for my usual one hour to two hour sessions.

I've ridden my bike with that hydration backpack a couple of times, including a 4 or 5 hour ride on the hottest day of the year last summer, and it wasn't bad at all. I definitely needed the water. My usual pair of 24 oz insulated bottles in cages didn't last long. Even with two bottles and a 2 liter hydration pack, I was down to a few droplets by the time I got home. There were no convenience stores or water sources along that route. I'll be more careful if I try that again. I had two flats and I'd bet half my water consumption was during those breaks because there was very little evaporative cooling until I started riding again.

I could rig up something from vests or backpacks from a thrift store, some cheap gel ice packs (my freezer is full of 'em), some insulation facing outward while leaving the skin-side uninsulated or lightly insulated.

Rhondito

I'm in MS and our temps are absolutely miserable right now. Today the current temperature is 91 degrees with a heat index of 102. A couple of weeks ago we were riding with a heat index of 111.
This afternoon we have a mountain bike ride and while it's nicely shaded throughout the trails in the woods, no air gets in for a breeze so it's stifling. During lunch today I went to Academy Sports and bought a neck gaiter that's supposed to have a cooling effect - hopefully it'll help.
I'd never really heard of a cooling vest and a quick google search brought up a lot of options. I think I may be investing in one of those!

pdlamb

You probably know this, but finding a shady spot to fix a flat makes a huge difference. One of my "best" flats was just over a mile from work on a day that was already pushing 90F (and it was a MORNING commute!), but there was a storefront with a porch -- and rockers! 100 yards away.

canklecat

Not a speck of shade on my first flat -- access road along open prairie.

Second flat was near a church, plenty of shade trees, and only about three miles from home -- too far to walk on clipless shoes with Look Delta cleats. I'm starting to reconsider my clipless shoe/pedal setup, in favor of a MTB two-bolt cleat and walkable shoes. I do plenty of walking and easy jogging in midday summer heat anyway, usually 3-7 miles per session, so that distance is walkable to me with decent shoes.

andrewclaus

In temps higher than body temp, my main goal is to support the perspiration--drink water and eat well for electrolytes. Use the sweat for evaporative cooling, or you will get hurt. In high humidity, an additional goal is to augment the evaporation. Rest in the shade and look for a breezy spot. If there's no breeze use your cycling speed to make one. If you can't cool off while riding, stop riding. Pay attention to your brain--if you start getting dizzy, it's almost too late--get medical attention.

Friends in Arizona who are avid hikers in the winter become avid cyclists in the summer, because they know how to use the breeze and perspiration for evaporative cooling. Except for periods of monsoon moisture and higher humidity, it works fairly well. But you absolutely need to support healthy perspiration.

Ditto the comments about covering the skin. Look at what field workers wear--no shorts or tank tops out there. I work on a trail crew of mostly retired folks, and we're all in long sleeves, trousers and wide-brimmed hats. Younger people who come out for a day are usually in shorts and tank tops and ball caps, and suffering by the end of the day.

BCAC

OP here…

I tried wearing wrist sweatbands, to stem the flow, but found that just made me feel even hotter. In fact, the heat/humidity got to me and not only didn’t I do my usual pulls, I got dropped and after struggling along, took a shortcut at around 35 miles towards home. Had to stop in the shade for ten minutes, that really, didn’t seem to help much and I did the last 10 miles or so, not having much fun at all.

I purchased Areotech coolmax jersey and their bib and have used them on a couple of hot rides, definitely without the wrist bands. Back to my usual form and I guess the bottom line is, I sweat a lot. But not quite as much as I did, and I don’t overheat, which I’ve decided is my main priority.

I’m going to buy more of these jerseys. No affiliation.

https://www.aerotechdesigns.com/mens...ng-jersey.html

Carbonfiberboy 

Bruce Lee had the sweat glands removed from his armpits. It's very possible that this contributed to his death in the heat.

canklecat

I'd forgotten about that. I remember Bruce Lee's death shocked some fans to the extent that they fabricated ridiculous death scenarios, including (1) he was killed with a hammer by a gang of ninjas, (2) it was an inside job, (3) he isn't dead, he's just in hiding with Elvis.

Reminds me, I stopped using anti-perspirant or even deodorant before hard workouts, especially summertime bike rides and runs. I noticed that even a typical bar type deodorant clogged my armpits enough that I started sweating more profusely elsewhere. Even my chest over my sternum started pouring sweat to compensate for the clogged up armpits. It didn't solve any problems, it just created new problems. So now I use deodorant or antiperspirant only on days when I don't workout, and even then only when I'm planning to go out. Otherwise my cats don't care how I smell.

andrewclaus

Heck, I ran out of deodorant right before COVID and haven't bought any more. That's one monetary advantage of social distancing.

Carbonfiberboy 

I quit using deodorants when I graduated HS. They actually make one's body odor more objectionable. That's how they sell that stuff. It's rather like cigarettes. My wife is of the same mind. We never use the stuff. The only smells we produce are those good ones. Certainly no BO at all. I'm sniffing my armpits - smells like clean cotton. Sometimes we meet males or females on the trail and OMG they reek. Just don't do it. Thinking about it a bit more . . .it happens that we don't eat meat, just fish. I don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not. Meat-eaters out there, it's time to experiment. I'd guess it'd take a month to get deodorant-free, as they say about dietary choices now.

rowerek

I live in Florida, and over the time I have developed some rules regarding heat. For running it has to be 79F or lower and dew point 73F or lower, for biking due to the wind chill factor 81-82F might be still ok. I avoid sun as much as I can, running usually in the early morning before sun is the problem, biking evenings when shadows are very long and sun weak. If it is too hot and too humid, I do not go out to exercise, there is no pleasure and no need to get very hot, very sweaty and close to heat exhaustion/stroke. The hottest months are July and August, and there are only very few days cool enough for running or biking. During the hottest months to keep fit I switch to swimming and weight workouts at home.

Many people do not mind heat and humidity as much as I, I can see runners middle of the day when temp is about 90f, and feel temp over 100F, humidity in 80%-90%, however, these are mostly much younger folks.

canklecat

After riding with a couple of friends Monday evening I was reminded of how different we can be in tolerances for heat and hydration.

It was a 26 mile ride at moderate pace, with the temperature in the 90s, heat index at 100, although it cooled quickly near dusk. I drank two full 24 oz bottles, refilled once and drank half of that refill. The other guy drank less than half of his bottle. And that's pretty common for him. We've ridden often before and he rarely finishes an entire bottle even on 50 mile rides that end near noon in summer.

In total I rode 42 miles, including the commute to and from the group ride. By the time I finished I drank at least four full 24 oz bottles, two of which had electrolyte powder added. And I was thirsty all night and got up several times to drink water.

That's a lot even for me -- and I usually drink more water than most folks around me in cycling. I'd guess Monday's situation was unusual because I also jogged five miles Monday late morning, finishing at noon with the temperature near 90. I carried a 24 oz insulated CamelBak in my hand, with electrolytes, and finished it. And I was thirsty all afternoon before the bike ride.

It's possible the extra electrolytes prompted me to drink more to reach the right balance, but I usually dilute my electrolytes by double the recommendation. I just prefer it that way and it's usually fine. I don't like drink mixes that are too sweet, and the stuff I prefer -- DripDrop -- uses very little sugar, just enough to aid osmolarity, per WHO guidelines for oral rehydration solutions.

I also added some creatine in a powdered mix that includes amino acids, etc., and the creatine can increase the need for water.

But I drink a lot of water under most situations. During long walks and jogging sessions -- more than 5 miles -- I wear a hydration backpack with 2 liter bladder and usually finish it, especially when the temperature hits 90F or higher. Usually it's plain water to avoid needing to clean sticky drink mix residue out later. Occasionally I'll add sugar-free electrolytes, but I find those cause bloating and make me belch during a run. Some folks, including me, need a little sugar to easily digest electrolyte solutions -- WHO research discovered there needs to be a balance between salts and sugars for quick and effective oral rehydration.

But I can't imagine drinking only half a bottle on rides of 26-50 miles in temperatures over 80 degrees. I'm guessing some folks get enough salt and sugar in their diet to compensate. I add very little salt to food and generally avoid salty foods like chips.

andrewclaus

Ditto the differences in people. I've done a lot of desert hiking in the western US, sometimes traveling up to 50 miles between water sources. I was invited on a tough desert mountain traverse by another hiker with similar experience, whom I'd never hiked with before. I started our 15-mile day hike with three liters. He had six liters and wondered about my load, but he trusted my judgment of my own needs. When we finished the hike, his water was gone, he was thirsty, and he hadn't peed in a while. I was still sipping water as we reached the trailhead, and had to stop to pee before we hit the parking lot.

And I have a climbing partner who travels with half the water I do. He's a runner and is pretty dialed in with dealing with hydration.