Dealing with heat

catzz66 said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc.
I also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip
ties and it is working out great so far.

Inland rides in San Diego put us into 90+ degree heat. Not much
humidity, but with 4-5hrs exposure--especially when climbing--it takes
its toll.

While I don't want to start the whole 'hydration pack vs.
frame-mounted bottles' thing, I take a hydration pack filled with (in
my case) Gatorade Endurance formula. I'm using a 70oz pack and I go
through all of it on most rides.

In terms of hydration, you have to stay ahead of thirst. The old
adage: drink before you're thirsty, eat before you're hungry.

There also /is/ a certain amount of adaptation/acclimatization that
will take place . . . eventually. Your body gets used to the heat.
Getting to that point is the challenge ;-)

I also tend toward the light-colored jerseys on the really hot days
(every little bit helps, right), putting the zipper down as far as
decorum permits ;-)

Some people swear by those cycling-specific head scarves/do-rags. The
theory--aside from keeping sweat out of your eyes--is evaporative
cooling. For the same reason, some people like wearing a wicking
(polypropylene or ~) base layer under a jersey. Experiment a bit with
clothing. There's a lot of high-tech stuff out there. Some of it
works quite well.

Stay cool....

You asked the question of the day! 8D

I just got back from a 6km ride, temp about 30C (86F).

My roommates went out for a hike at 8am and were still out when I left for
my ride at 11:20.

When I got back I had a HUGE grin on my face and my roomies were saying
"Chris, you really shoulda gone out earlier. How the heck do you deal with
that heat? It's nasty!"

I LOVE the heat - it's like a huge warm hug. I'm used to MINUS 30 in the
winter and I hate being cold.

OK - to address your question - I do these things:

- don't eat a lot before a ride on a hot day.
- "pre-load" the fluids - usually a large glass of half water, half
cranberry juice.
- take three magnesium supplements and two multi-vitamins with the juice.
- bring a bottle of water/juice mix with a teaspoon of salt mixed in and
drink about a bottle an hour. (half or full quart, I think?)
- clothing: coolmax shortsleeved jersey, offwhite in colour (reflects a lot
of light & the mesh breathes very well)
- microfiber "bermuda shorts" - breathable, comfy (not form fitting), and
wick moisture away
- cotton/poly blend "boxer brief" underwear - keeps things from *ahem*
sticking...
- thin synthetic socks and jungle moccassin loafers; generally keeps feel
"coolish" though I'm sure I don't have the best footwear (I'm using platform
pedals, not clipless)

Hope this helps!
Chris

"catzz66" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day till I
broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a few weeks.
When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most days. Now it is
quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc. I
also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip ties
and it is working out great so far.

"catzz66" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc.
I also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip
ties and it is working out great so far.

Since you ride with running shoes and use zip ties, you probably ride in
cotton T-shirts and cut-off jeans. In my experience, the most significant
thing you can do to deal with the heat is to go to your LBS and buy proper
tight-fitting jerseys and shorts. If you think they are too expensive,
calculate the cost per hour of use.

And pick up a pair of clipless pedals and shoes. That will make riding much
easier.

PS I went out for a two-hour ride at noon yesterday and the temperature was
a chilly 65.

catzz66 said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day till
I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a few
weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most days.
Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I'm down here in the "Butcher Holler" regions of North America, and
dealing with the heat is uber important so you don't end up being a
statistic.

Riding in the morning or eve is a must of course an hydration is
paramount. I bought a hydration pack last year and it's the best thing
I've ever done for cycling, as I sweat *a lot*. I pack mine with ice, then
water, so the ice's melted but the water's still cold after a couple hours
hammering. As I mentioned in a different thread, I always start out with
two clean washcloths in different jersey pockets, and I stop every twenty
minutes or so, soak one in ice cold water from the hydration pack and wipe
my face, bald head, and arms with it. The spare is in case my glasses or
such need cleaning.

Take care of your feet and saddle contact points in the summer. I do
sometimes wear cotton socks BUT my shoes are well ventilated, usually I go
for a nice pair of Coolmax or similar wicking material. You do not want
your feet to get fungusy and crunky.

Good wicking cycling shorts, be they baggy or tight, and pay attention to
whatever folds and bits you've got. Vaseline, neosporin, and zinc diaper
cream can be your best friends. Saddle sores tend to heal very quickly if
you nip them in the bud, but let them go and EEK!

Most important is to listen to your body, if you start to get dry mouth,
dizzy, or just generally feel like garbage--find some shade pronto and
cool down.

Alfred Ryder said:

Since you ride with running shoes and use zip ties, you probably ride in
cotton T-shirts and cut-off jeans. In my experience, the most significant
thing you can do to deal with the heat is to go to your LBS and buy proper
tight-fitting jerseys and shorts. If you think they are too expensive,
calculate the cost per hour of use.

And pick up a pair of clipless pedals and shoes. That will make riding much
easier.

PS I went out for a two-hour ride at noon yesterday and the temperature was
a chilly 65.

This is just my first time biking through the summer riding as much as
this and most of my hot weather clothes are for running. I bought some
high tech stuff for winter riding and was planning on doing the same
thing for summer.

Using platform pedals for now, but I have look-style pedals when I get
ready to switch and get some shoes.

As for the zip tie mounted bottle cage, one of my bikes is steel and I
just wanted to see if I could do it with zip ties first. I've got the
brackets to mount it on the frame when I get around to it.

I use thermally-insulated water bottles and mix lots of ice with my
water/sports drink. The thermal bottles seem to keep stuff cold for a
long time; upwards of a couple of hours in 80-90F weather, if you do it
right. There's nothing like a nice cold drink to perk you up on a
long, hot ride.

-JR

catzz66 said:

Alfred Ryder said:

Since you ride with running shoes and use zip ties, you probably ride in
cotton T-shirts and cut-off jeans. In my experience, the most significant
thing you can do to deal with the heat is to go to your LBS and buy
proper
tight-fitting jerseys and shorts. If you think they are too expensive,
calculate the cost per hour of use.

This is just my first time biking through the summer riding as much as
this and most of my hot weather clothes are for running. I bought some
high tech stuff for winter riding and was planning on doing the same
thing for summer.

Look at the online store sales (Performance, Nashbar); you should be
able to get shorts and jerseys for $20 or so each. I don't know that
the shorts really help with the heat, but they do make things more, er,
comfortable. Jerseys help a bit, but IMHO the two most important things
in dealing with the heat are drinking lots of water and riding in the
heat enough to get used to it.

Quoted message said:

Using platform pedals for now, but I have look-style pedals when I get
ready to switch and get some shoes.

Sounds like a reasonable approach. Have fun!

Pat

"catzz66" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day till I
broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a few weeks.
When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most days. Now it is
quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc. I
also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

You need isotonic and not just plain water. When you sweat you lose
elctrolytes (salts) and you need to replace these. Isontonic drinks will
give you the elctrolytes easily absobed into you system and will give you
some sugars for energy too. Drink *before* you are thirsty and keep
drinking.

Cheers, helen s

Quoted message said:

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip ties
and it is working out great so far.

catzz66 said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc. I
also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip
ties and it is working out great so far.

It's hot here, too, but I had a marvelous 20-mile
ride Sunday morning, starting at 5 AM...what a
beautiful time of day!

My problem is that I don't have a water-bottle
holder on my bike, and just like with panniers
and fenders, I'm too lazy to go buy anything. I
know, it's like $5 and 10 minutes, but inertia
is all in my life sometimes 🙂 I do know where
all the water fountains are in town. I also
discovered that the black raspberries are ripe
now, so I spent several stops rehydrating on
berries 🙂 So I drank a couple glasses of water
before leaving, stopped at a campground after
about 10 miles and spent 5 minutes drinking,
stopped a couple times to eat berries. That
worked for me.

Scott

: You asked the question of the day! 8D
:
: I just got back from a 6km ride, temp about 30C (86F).
:
: My roommates went out for a hike at 8am and were still out when I left for
: my ride at 11:20.
:
: When I got back I had a HUGE grin on my face and my roomies were saying
: "Chris, you really shoulda gone out earlier. How the heck do you deal with
: that heat? It's nasty!"
:
: I LOVE the heat - it's like a huge warm hug. I'm used to MINUS 30 in the
: winter and I hate being cold.
:
: OK - to address your question - I do these things:
:
: - don't eat a lot before a ride on a hot day.
: - "pre-load" the fluids - usually a large glass of half water, half
: cranberry juice.
: - take three magnesium supplements and two multi-vitamins with the juice.
: - bring a bottle of water/juice mix with a teaspoon of salt mixed in and
: drink about a bottle an hour. (half or full quart, I think?)
: - clothing: coolmax shortsleeved jersey, offwhite in colour (reflects a
lot
: of light & the mesh breathes very well)
: - microfiber "bermuda shorts" - breathable, comfy (not form fitting), and
: wick moisture away
: - cotton/poly blend "boxer brief" underwear - keeps things from *ahem*
: sticking...
: - thin synthetic socks and jungle moccassin loafers; generally keeps feel
: "coolish" though I'm sure I don't have the best footwear (I'm using
platform
: pedals, not clipless)
:
: Hope this helps!
: Chris

Okay, I'm confused. you actually think 86 F is hot?

Pat in TX

catzz66 said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc.
I also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

Buy a good light. I get out at 4AM on weekends when it's hot, 5:00 AM
weekdays depending on my work schedule.

Quoted message said:

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip
ties and it is working out great so far.

Being as cheap as I am, I sometimes strap a 2 liter bottle filled with
water to my rack.

Alfred Ryder said:

"catzz66" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I've been wearing light colored clothing, drinking lots of water, etc.
I also tried wearing sandals instead of running shoes and that seemed to
help as well. Usually I ride before the sun gets all the way up and the
heat has not been a problem, but on the weekends I ride longer distances
and can't really avoid it.

P.S. I put an extra bottle rack on my old steel frame Fuji using zip
ties and it is working out great so far.

Since you ride with running shoes and use zip ties, you probably ride in
cotton T-shirts and cut-off jeans. In my experience, the most significant
thing you can do to deal with the heat is to go to your LBS and buy proper
tight-fitting jerseys and shorts. If you think they are too expensive,
calculate the cost per hour of use.

And pick up a pair of clipless pedals and shoes. That will make riding much
easier.

I put more miles on my Lake SPD sandals than my shoes. They are great
whenever the temp is over 65 degrees.

Quoted message said:

PS I went out for a two-hour ride at noon yesterday and the temperature was
a chilly 65.

Scott said:

My problem is that I don't have a water-bottle holder on my bike, and just
like with panniers and fenders, I'm too lazy to go buy anything. I know,
it's like $5 and 10 minutes, but inertia is all in my life sometimes 🙂

Even *mart stores have bottle holders and hydration packs these days, I
prefer the packs since they stay cooler in our brutal sun, but cages are
nice to keep the weight off of your back. At any rate, I used to do the
"water fountain" critereum around here when I first set up my single speed
w/o bottle braze-ons. Fun for a while, but drinking big every thirty
minutes is not nearly as efficient as taking fairly constant little sips,
which are absorbed more easily.

Put "hydration doohicky" on your list next to BVDs, turf builder, and
blank CDRs--you'll be glad you did. 🙂

wafflycat said:

You need isotonic and not just plain water. When you sweat you lose
elctrolytes (salts) and you need to replace these. Isontonic drinks will
give you the elctrolytes easily absobed into you system and will give
you some sugars for energy too.

Depends on how far you ride. Short rides and you're not going to need any
extra fuel, but some say a bit of sugar and salt aid H2o absorption, I
just do plain water and feel fine.

For longer rides, 2+ hours for me, I'll slightly sweeten my hydration
pack's contents with black currant syrup (so it's barely pink and perhaps
20% as sweet as regular beverage dilution) and a quarter teaspoon of table
salt. Works for me, though I'm sure the fancier store bought stuff is
better for ultramarathon type endeavours. Black currant syrup trumps them
all in flavour--you can get it at international or Polish grocery stores.

Pat said:

Okay, I'm confused. you actually think 86 F is hot?

Pat in TX

86 here in Tennessee with the midday sun and humidity in the 80s as well,
is very very hot. When your sweat sticks to you like jello--it's hot!

I rode a few days ago in 95 degree heat with 25% humidity--that, however,
was perfectly bearable. The faster you went, the cooler you got. Nice.

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Okay, I'm confused. you actually think 86 F is hot?

Well... it'll be 96 tomorrow... and we do get 100+ from time to time.
I guess my point is, what some consider hot, others don't.

: 86 here in Tennessee with the midday sun and humidity in the 80s as well,
: is very very hot. When your sweat sticks to you like jello--it's hot!
:
: I rode a few days ago in 95 degree heat with 25% humidity--that, however,
: was perfectly bearable. The faster you went, the cooler you got. Nice.

Right now, it's 95 here and the humidity is 32%.

Pat in TX
:
:

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 10:56:37 -0500, catzz66 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I started riding again last fall and had been riding about every day
till I broke my arm and collarbone which knocked me off schedule for a
few weeks. When that happened, the temps were in the 70s and 80s most
days. Now it is quite a lot hotter. How do you all deal with the heat?

I ride early in the morning. According to the Weather Channel web site
it's now 92F at 2:41pm here in Aurora, Illinois. It wasn't that bad at
8:00am.

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

C.J.Patten said:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Okay, I'm confused. you actually think 86 F is hot?

Well... it'll be 96 tomorrow... and we do get 100+ from time to time.
I guess my point is, what some consider hot, others don't.

It's not unusual for it to be near 80 in the a.m. and mid 90s by the
afternoon this time of the year in North Texas so the time of day makes
a lot of difference.