pepperbelly

Are y’all riding in the heat? Here in N Texas it has been over 100* for a while and no end in sight. It was 83* and humid this morning so getting out early won’t work and it is hot all evening and night.
Is my bp med making the heat harder on me or have I just got soft?
I have been going to the gym almost everyday and riding the indoor stationary bicycle and watch ESPN and Chive TV. .

big john

Acclimation is important. We had an unusually cool winter/spring and when the 100s came, I started gradually. I don't know about BP meds and what they do to your heat tolerance.

GhostRider62

I had been riding in 90-95F and high humidity for several weeks. It was only 80F today and low humidity. I had to wear a wool jersey because it felt cold.

Trakhak

Your habits from riding in temps under 90 degrees F don't apply for over 90. Drink far more water while riding. Ride at much lower effort levels. Finish your rides before 10:30 a.m. or so.

andrewclaus

Mid 90s here lately haven't stopped me. But 100s probably would, except maybe short errands.

I bike toured through a "historic heatwave" in the Midwest ten years ago, temps everyday in the 100s, dewpoints in the upper 70s. I still made 80 to 100 miles/day, camping every night. That was necessity and I made it work, with early starts, long mid-day breaks in A/C in towns, ride again in to the evening. A steady SW breeze made nights comfortable enough to sleep. When the heatwave broke and temps reached the 80s, it almost felt cold.

Hondo Gravel

No riding in 100+ . Walk for a few hours at night for me better than nothing.

pepperbelly

It’s funny but I used to be acclimated. I worked outside everyday in jeans and boots for a city’s public works dept. Played softball a couple of evenings during the week and tournaments on the weekend. No problems at all.
Since I retired in 2020 the heat kicks my butt.
I gotta figure something out. I know not to go out and do much in the afternoons.

SpedFast

I've started riding earlier so I'm back to base by 7:30AM and showered and having coffee by 8: This last week I've also had to trim about 5 miles off my normal ride which I'll make up for when it cools down again. haha

big john

I always worked outside, too. After I retired in 2019 I was worried about this, among other things. I've been doing ok by starting with shorter rides when it's hot. The last 4 weeks have been 100 plus and I've been doing climbing rides and finishing by noonish. Just have to make sure I have enough water.

I have avoided chasing faster riders during the heat.

downtube42

There's another thread of aging and heat tolerance. It's real, no point denying.

You can ignore it and accept the risks; that's a choice. Or mitigate the risks with behaviors and technology.

When I did my brief stint in west Texas, I tried all the above. Night rides were the most effective at a healthy approach. I did some all day rides over 100 using every method I'd learned growing up in the hot and humid Midwest, and survived. I did a TT at 115F. Not recommended but possible. Hydrate, cover skin, manage effort, seek shade when stressed, being a friend.

Ultimately I moved to the PNW. That's a behavioral adaptation to heat.

big john

I like this solution. If I knew where to go and had the nerve...

pepperbelly

I will just get out and try it when I have a chance. I may still avoid afternoons.

Random11

The heat doesn't seem to bother me, and I've never decided not to ride because it was too hot. But it's been in the mid-90s here, not over 100, so I can't say that 100 degree heat would not bother me. On the other end of the temperature spectrum, I've also never decided not to ride because it was too cold, and have done lots of rides in the low 30s. But one day last winter it was below freezing and I went for a ride and found my limit. If it's below freezing, I'm not riding. So maybe if I ran into 100+ days I'd find my limit on the other end too.

OldTryGuy

As I type the temp. is 83°F and hoping to get out after the SpaceX launch with a window of 12:15AM to 2:15AM. Sun is a killer and that's why I do night rides.

bikemig 

It hasn't been as hot in central IA as in the South and Southwest. Still we had a few days in a row where it hit the high 90s. I did my rides those days early in the morning on a path that is largely shaded by trees and cut my rides short (no more than around 15 miles). Everything I've read about age and heat tells me to take it easy. In the winters I use Zwift and ride the trainer. That might be the best choice on really hot days as well.

jon c. 

We haven't seen the record heat here that others have. We've been in the mid 90s but that's normal. And I love the heat. But this year for the first time I've had issues developing tension headaches hours later or the following morning. Seems to connect to exertion in the heat but is distant enough to be unsure.

pepperbelly

It’s still 95* at 10:30. It’s supposed to be 84* at 6am tomorrow.

pepperbelly

It was 107* today and didn’t set a record.
This is starting to remind me of 1980.

Carbonfiberboy 

IME if you're relatively thin and go out often, drink plenty of water and use a bit of electrolytes, it's possible to adapt to most anything. I've done pass climbs in over 100°. It takes acclimation. There is the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. Nobody dies though many don't finish. This year, a woman set the course record, under 22 hours, with temperatures a bit cooler than usual - daytime temperatures stayed under 120°.Runners show up a couple weeks early to acclimate. There's over 8000' of climbing. So don't complain, train.

canklecat

Texan here too. I start on heat adaptation early in the year, exercising at midday whenever possible. Usually by July I'm heat adapted well enough to bicycle at easy to moderate effort but this year has been brutal. In previous years riding in midday heat was no problem, but I turned 65 a few months ago and it's catching up with me now.

So I've switched to brisk walking for 3-7 miles a few days a week, mid afternoon at the hottest. It's easier to regulate my perceived effort. With bicycling hills are always a struggle even in the easiest gear, and there's no coasting uphill. I'll do a little brief jogging during the walks, usually for 30-60 seconds at a time, but never force my body beyond the comfort zone. That heat penalty adds up quickly.

For walking and jogging I always wear a hydration backpack or carry a liter thermos of ice water with electrolytes. For cycling I always carry at least two bottles, one with electrolytes, the other plain water -- and sometimes wear the hydration backpack as well. My go-to electrolyte mix is DripDrop. There are others but DripDrop works best for me. Nothing magical, no secret ingredients, just the formula adopted by the WHO for a standard oral rehydration solution, including a small amount of plain sugar which helps with rapid absorption in the stomach and gut. Plain water and artificial sweeteners tend to make me feel bloated when I'm drinking a lot of water to stay ahead of dehydration.

I've been riding late at night, sometimes after midnight. Cooler, less traffic, I only need to watch for critters and debris. I use two bright headlights, one of which is NiteRider's brightest, a Lumina Dual 1800 with a shaped cutoff beam like a motorcycle or motor vehicle lamp -- wide enough to cover shoulder to shoulder on a two lane blacktop, but doesn't spill over into the eyes of oncoming traffic. Pricey but worth it.

My backup lights are a Lumina Micro or L&M 500, usually aimed at the right shoulder to check the fence lines for deer. I mostly ride on rural roads and it's pretty common to see several deer between the shoulder and fence lines. The little extra light usually makes their eyes pop just enough to warn me.

staehpj1

I get my rides in at or before dawn depending on conditions when it is hot and humid here in Tallahassee. It helps that my daily rides are typically not real long. I ride an hour or so of mostly singletrack every morning. If necessary I use a helmet mounted light. For some reason I find the shortish rides more adequate when trail riding than I would if road riding. I come home from an hour of single track feeling like I had a good workout. An hour of road doesn't do the same for me. I guess it could if I rode with more intensity for the short ride.

We have had some pretty hot weather too and ours comes with high humidity. Not as hot as you have had maybe, but in any case the coolest time is generally at around dawn and it helps to be out before the sun is beating down on you.

Acclimateing and hydrating are also factors to keep in mind.

shelbyfv

I could ride in the heat just fine, until I couldn't. Like a switch was thrown when I was age 72. Don't take chances. If you've suffered from heat exhaustion you know the dangers are real.

skidder

Temps and humidity were both above normal here in Southern California this past week. Up near 90F in mid-afternoon (mid-70ish in the morning) and humidity up in the 70% range made it muggy and miserable. I still went out riding in the mornings, just take a little extra water and stopped along the way to put some on my arms/face/hair to help with cooling. Its no help riding along the beach as the humidity near the coastline gets even more oppressive in these conditions.

pepperbelly

I wish our temps were near 90*.

pepperbelly

That’s my other problem-I’m not yhin. I am steadily losing weight on keto. I’m getting there.