What do you do when it's too hot?

[chutch]

I hate the heat- which is rather surprising since I am very cold natured. But, my body does not like physical activity in high temps and humidity. Here in NC those days are more frequent and will be with us quite a while. I'm still commuting by bike to work but am starting to pull out the trainer during the time I would normally be on my road bike.

What do you do when it's too hot (or when other conditions prevent you from riding)?

[spokewench]

Pull out a good book, cozy down with the cat on my lap, grab a beer or a margarita and relax!:D

[kelownagirl]

I hate the heat- which is rather surprising since I am very cold natured. But, my body does not like physical activity in high temps and humidity. Here in NC those days are more frequent and will be with us quite a while. I'm still commuting by bike to work but am starting to pull out the trainer during the time I would normally be on my road bike.

What do you do when it's too hot (or when other conditions prevent you from riding)?

Ride really early, crank up the a/c in the car/house and do indoor chores (or go shopping!)

[aicabsolut]

Soak my jersey and my head with water before heading outside...

I'd much rather ride when it's too hot than when it's too cold, but then I grew up in a swamp.

[solobiker]

I don't do very well in the heat either, luckily here in Colorado we don't get the humidity. We have had a long string of days with temps in the upper 90s to low 100s. When it is hot like that I go in the evening, take the day off or ride my spin bike. I did go for a run today after work and it was pretty difficult because of the heat.

[Blueberry]

Heat I can usually convince myself to do. Days like today in NC where we're at 90+ degrees and under both an air quality and heat advisory I can't make myself do. I just don't feel good riding when the ground level ozone is that high.

CA

[sundial]

I do ok if the temps are in the low 90's, but if it's more than that I head indoors. I know I *should* get on the trainer, but it hasn't called to me yet. What I did last night was kinda fun. I dug out my NiteRider light, mounted it on my mtb, and took a quick ride in the neighborhood after dark. It was so peaceful and serene. Watched the lightning bugs, a few deer, and the stars. :)

[SlowButSteady]

I rode Sunday here in SC--at 2 pm. Doubtless it was in the mid-nineties.

I didn't take enough cytomax (my little boy left one of my bottles full of something a month ago and it was too scuzzy to take with me).

The sun was broiling.

I'm dumb enough to do it again.

I am busy with family meal preparations, house cleaning, etc in the evenings.

and by the time it cools off significantly, it's bascially dark.

[TxDoc]

The heat does not bother me much, I'm more of a whining cyclist in the Winter... but if it's really crazy hot and humid I bring extra water and electrolytes, and sprinkle some cold water over the skullcap and the jersey every 5 miles or so while I'm riding.
Some friends that ride with me do not tolerate the heat well, and bring little ziplock bags with crushed ice. They just put three or four of those baggies in the jersey pockets or in the cage rocket holder, and get some ice out when they need. I've never tried it but it works for them.

[kelownagirl]

I rode Sunday here in SC--at 2 pm. Doubtless it was in the mid-nineties.

I didn't take enough cytomax (my little boy left one of my bottles full of something a month ago and it was too scuzzy to take with me).

The sun was broiling.

I'm dumb enough to do it again.

I am busy with family meal preparations, house cleaning, etc in the evenings.

and by the time it cools off significantly, it's bascially dark.

I do that a lot too. And often I forget to wear sunscreen....:rolleyes::o

[pardes]

Last year I was the first one to say that I couldn't possibly live without air conditioning. I blamed the reliance on mild asthma and being old enough and solvent enough to be able to afford it.

Then the central A/C blew up. I couldn't arrange having it fixed immediately due to intense work hours and so I pondered the fact that most of the world lives without A/C and I would try to see what it was like. I'm a chemist and a Boomer and I like sociological and chemical experiments.

A heat wave came and I stripped down to nothing and laid in front of a fan. The hotter and stickier I got the more I was determined to see what was on the other side of the misery. More misery.

The dogs were inconsolable. They panted and stared at me with acid looks and flopped their bellies on the tile floor. One night it was so bad that I stood in the shower three times (with the Dachshund once) and laid in front of the fan until I dried off and then did it over again. It was a long night.

The weather broke and for the rest of the summer it was just warm and muggy and eventually I didn't think about it anymore.

At the start of this summer, I decided I had learned how the rest of the world feels and decided to buy a window A/C for my bedroom so I could get to sleep without ten showers a night.

I'm astonished to see that now I don't really like cold A/C air and keep the control to about 80 degrees. In fact I installed it in the bedroom next to mine and sucked it into my bedroom with a fan because it was way too cold to be in the "cold" room. For the true lovers of A/C this would be equivalent to smoking a cigarette through a veil.

The dogs have adjusted as well though the Dachshund threatens to call child protective services every whipstitch when I don't turn it on as soon as I get home. She's easily bought off though with a slice of cheese.

Meanwhile, the benefit of this is that I can bike in the worst of heat and as long as I have enough cool water to drink I am fine. I don't even think about it as being "hot." This is a complete turnaround from a lifetime of summers where I couldn't EVEN BEAR to be outside even in mild heat. What a revelation.

[emily_in_nc]

What do you do when it's too hot (or when other conditions prevent you from riding)?

I run on the treadmill in the gym (or lift weights). I walk early in the morning (weekends only), and I pick the coolest day(s) of the week to ride. I wish I had access to a pool as I'd love to swim on days like this! I won't ride on a day like today -- as CA said, it was upper 90s with humidity and Code Orange ozone warning. My friend and I are waiting for Thursday to ride after work. High of "only" 90. :D

Fall will be here before too long....

Emily

[Blueberry]

pardes-

I've certainly acclimated better than in previous years. And I do keep the AC well above where I used to. I'll actually ride in the 90's - it's the bad air quality that scares me. Of course, I am sure that I don't need AC as much as I think I do:rolleyes::rolleyes: But I have animals who were in severe heat distress the last time the AC went out...

CA

[Flur]

We've had a relatively mild summer and I couldn't be happier about it. I hate A/C and would rather sweat it out, but DH can only take so much, so the compromise is that we won't put in the window units until it becomes unbearable for him. This summer we've gotten through to August without ever putting them in (YAY! fingers crossed, knock on wood). I try to keep most of the lights and electronics off when we're not using them to keep the place cool, and we run the fan in the bedroom at night.

Years of avoiding A/C have conditioned me for riding in the heat, and since we've not had many days over 100 this year I can pretty much ride whenever I want. I'm more worried about how fast it will get cold here. Sometimes we get snow as early as October, and it can snow as late as May (this year it definitely did!), so I'll take the heat!

[PinkBike]

IMHO it's never too hot to ride. today when i came to work (2:30 in the afternoon) it was 107 degrees, muggy, and now with about two hours to go it is POURING rain!

last thursday nite when i got home from work at 11:22 p.m. my weather station said it was 101 degrees! did i mention it was 11:22 p.m.! the only bad part is when the dewpoint goes up past 55 we can't run the swamp cooler, gotta switch to A/C. i'd much rather have swamp with doors and windows open.

i rode a couple hours saturday afternoon when it was 108 degrees and the dewpoint was 61. if sweat droplets were fat globules i would be a Schleck.

we parked our cars on May 19th and have driven exactly 4 times since then. everything is by bike. what a blast we're having!

[Crankin]

I can take riding in the low 90s when there's no humidity involved. However, that's practically never here. I used to just head to the gym when it was really hot and humid, especially when there's an air quality alert. Now I might ride early in the AM, take a hike/mt. bike in the shady woods, and go to the gym. I've done a few hot and humid rides this year; it takes me a few weeks to acclimate. Basically, though, I develop headaches in the summer when it gets like that and I try to do too much.
My range for really comfortable riding is pretty narrow! I do best between 58 and 72. Personally, I couldn't live without AC. But, I think my definition of comfortable AC is different from most of the people in New England. This comes from years of living in the desert; we keep our AC set on 78. In AZ, we kept it at 80 or 82. Most people around here keep it on 70! I would be freezing. And a lot of the time, it's on to keep the humidity out. I have mold allergies and once that gets into the house, I'm dead.

[chutch]

I'm in awe of those of you who can tolerate it to ride- just as I am in awe of my husband whose favorite road riding weather is when it's snowing :rolleyes:

Fall is my favorite time of year to ride. For now, I'll stick to the trainer and maybe do a little weight lifting, yoga, and Pilates.

[kie_fujo]

i hit my trainer. actually i use my trainer more than i'd like because my daughter is out of school and she can't ride her bike yet. we go on the tag along sometimes, but it's not the same!

[mayanorange]

<- big furries + anything above 75 (well to be really honest 50) degrees + anything above 40% humidity = hot slobbery doggies! I run the AC for them but also for me because the humidity gets to me. I grew up in Upstate New York where it was only super hot 3 wks out of the year, so I guess I never developed a tolerance. My 2 yrs in CA I was out mtn biking in 90+ degrees and was fine- but sweating works out there. Here I just sweat continuously since the sweat can't evaporate into the air and get heat exhaustion very easily. I have been known to stay inside on the trainer because it's too hot.

[emily_in_nc]

I am working at home today (another hot, humid one) and am getting ready to do a Rodney Yee yoga tape in the A/C. I don't keep it really cool (80), but it's a must for keeping the humidity, and resulting mold and mildew, out of the house this time of year in NC!

Emily

[aicabsolut]

This thread is interesting.

I don't really mind bad air quality days so much. It's just my eyes that turn all red and itchy. I've had to race on code orange days, and I've done some training rides on code red days. I just try to take it easy (but obviously not in the race) and soak myself often. I must have humidity if it's hot. If it's cooler, say in the low 80s or below, low humidity is so nice. However, once it gets hot, I need the humidity or else I start feeling sick and get heat exhaustion symptoms quickly. I won't be able to keep up with the soaking, because the jersey will dry too quickly. I grew up in a hot climate with high humidity, and so my body is accustomed to working hard while soaking wet. Sure, sweat evaporating cools you better, but not if you're not used to it. If it's in the 90s or above with intense sun, there'd better be 50%+ humidity for me. Without it, I start feeling like I'm not sweating at all, so my body thinks it has shut down, I guess. Then I start getting the goosebumps and feel nauseated. Not good. Riding in the evenings usually isn't much better for temperatures, and then all the bugs start coming out.

[Aggie_Ama]

If I avoided heat I couldn't ride from April-October. :rolleyes: I pour water on my head, ice down the sports bra and just acclimate. If I am not feeling like it I hike (ahhh shade) or mountain bike.

Now if it is cold, I can't deal. I whine and stay home or go for a run.

[shootingstar]

Before moving to Vancouver, I did cycle regularily and did loaded cycling trips in temp. up to 35 degrees F and 100% humidity... For quite a number of years.

To deal with this, found that heading out on bike early in morning by 7:00 am at the latest and finish at 10:00 am at the latest. On such days, if it was a trip, I preferred to avoid high noon..and restart cycling mid-afternoon.

If there was a smog alert, I did try to head out even early earlier and make the ride shorter. Or not go at all that day.

When I don't cycle when it's hot...admittedly I am a bum in front of computer or something else.

[sundial]

.....I'm not riding in 95 F weather anymore. After yesterday's ride, I came home and had a headache with intermittent nausea. Not good. I didn't feel right for the rest of the evening. I may have reached a point that I can't tolerate cycling in the heat like I did even last summer.

[tennisgirl43]

I ride really early in the morning, and try to ride shady routes. But still with the humidity as high as it is here, the heat kicks my butt. I end up taking a nap in the afternoon sometimes. Hydrate, hydrate, hyrdate!!

I also play tennis, and played singles last night at 6.30 - it was 95 degrees. Talk about brutal! In that case, hydration, icy towel on changeovers to wet down my face, arms, chest, legs - wet down my hair, etc. Still, on long points, i get that pounding in my head and nausea. Yeah, I know. It's stupid to keep playing, but I do.

[Tuckervill]

I don't think I mind the heat at all--it's the sun beating down on me that does me in. I worked out in the garden all morning--it was about 90, and I sweated through all my clothes...but I was in the shade the whole time.

We have a bank sign in our town that always shows a temperature about 10 degrees hotter than everyone else. The sign is always in the hot sunshine no matter the time of day.

On my tour, I was definitely getting heat exhaustion, with the chills and nausea. Thankfully, I didn't have a headache, too. That would have been the end of me. I recovered quickly.

Karen

[Aggie_Ama]

I say I don't mind the heat but I have been passing on commuting and carpooling instead. A couple weeks ago I rode the 26 miles home in 100 degree weather, once I got home I laid on the couch sick. I was nauseated, couldn't cool down and had a tremendous headache.

Shade is important and my commute has little shade. The pavement will amplify the already scorching heat.

[Blueberry]

I'm still nauseous and have a headache after my ride this AM. Not to mention by back is cramping up again:( Seriously - I did everything except just not ride at that time/temp. Guess that's what I'll have to stick to.

CA

[OakLeaf]

It's been a crazy summer for me (as really they all are the past few years :mad:) but in general, when it's "too hot," I make sure and get out in it and get acclimated to it. Shorter, easier workouts at first (supplemented with indoor workouts if needed) - very close attention to fluid and electrolyte replacement - and before long it doesn't seem "too hot" any more. It really doesn't seem to be a problem as long as I'm exerting myself.

ETA: Heat exhaustion used to be a problem for me on the motorcycle (where as a recreational rider, I'm not getting my HR super high, plus I'm wearing gear). An evaporative cooling vest did the trick - love that thing. I got my inexpensive but very serviceable TechNiche (http://www.techniche-intl.com/content/blogcategory/5/27/) vest from Rocky Moto. I'd post a link, but their website isn't working right now. I'm not sure you'd get enough airflow on a bicycle to make it work, but it's something to consider. They do sell them even for stationary applications like traffic control - but those evaporative neckies really never worked for me. They stayed plenty cool on the outside, but next to my skin they just served as an insulator and made me even hotter. The advantage to the vests is that they're thinner and lighter, so they don't insulate me.

[sundial]

I don't think I mind the heat at all--it's the sun beating down on me that does me in. I worked out in the garden all morning--it was about 90, and I sweated through all my clothes...but I was in the shade the whole time.

I rode out on the open farm roads with no shade and between the sun beating down and the incessant heat rising from the road it took it's toll on me. Then when I rode the mtb in the woods on another day in 90 F weather, I felt great. I just hope I didn't make the mistake of getting too hot to where I can't tolerate heat and high humidity. :o I hope no one else gets sick. Be careful out there.

Today we have much cooler temps with the rains that have moved in. Tomorrow when I ride it will be 68 F. :)

[cyclingmama]

I ride early early in the morning (head out at 5:30 on weekdays, 6:30 on weekends), or I go to a spin class or use the treadmill in the nicely air-conditioned gym.

[csr1210]

When I'm in office clothes and makeup, I can't stand the heat, but, ironically, if I'm working out or something active, I can deal.

We usually wait in the evenings until it's under 100 -- usually around 6:45 or 7. We do okay then, but it takes a lot more out of us when we do Saturday rides and don't get back in until 1 or 2. I'm assuming the difference is the intensity of the sunlight rather than actual heat for me (though I'd love 70s about now!!!). 100 without blazing sun = not too bad with lots of water. 90s with blazing sun = much harder. We had storms last week and did an evening ride in the 80s which was sooo much better - we were surprised how much faster we were.

Christy