What to Wear on a Humid Ride?

[Velocivixen]

I'm going on a bike ride today and it will be very humid, up to 78 by noon and eventually up to 89 by 4:00 pm. which is somewhat unusual for us. I plan on wearing mountain bike shorts (Fox "Townie" shorts), but was wondering whether I should wear a short sleeve loose cotton tee shirt or a technical fabric, but tight jersey (Castelli "Perla"). I know that when cotton gets wet you stay soggy, but the top is looser. Tight equates to hot in my mind.

Thanks.

[pll]

I'd use the technical fabric, since it allows for faster evaporation. There is point, though, at least for me, where nothing helps (and I'd still take a technical top over cotton). It's very humid this morning here (76 degrees, 87% humidity) and I ran 5 miles. I lost 1.76 lbs and had to wring my top... Plan to get additional water in your route. Drink, baby, drink!

[OakLeaf]

Definitely no cotton. Once it gets wet (which will take about 45 seconds in humid weather), it might as well be vinyl for all it will breathe.

As loose a knit synthetic as you own. Tighter against your skin is only a problem if the fabric doesn't breathe (e.g. the cooling base layers that are meant to be just as snug as a warm base layer) - it's the distance between fibers in the fabric that you really need to be loose.

And besides the water, be sure to replace electrolytes. You will definitely need to replenish sodium, calcium and magnesium if you'll be out all day in the humidity.

[limewave]

Tech! For sure!

I have a mesh cycling jersey. It is THE BEST for humid weather. I love that thing.

[Owlie]

Technical fabric, definitely.

[Velocivixen]

@limewave, mesh sounds nice. Can you see through it?

Thanks everyone. I do use Nuun electrolyte replacement in my water. We're wingin' it regarding distance and will depend on what we decide. At this moment it's only 64 degrees with 96% humidity and supposed to be humid w/ mostly sun and a few clouds. I think predicted humidity is 87%. We just aren't a humid place in the summer. Our heat is typically "dry".

Okay...Castelli it is. Man I don't like jersey sizing. I wear a small/extra small in everything else on top and I wear a Large in this jersey and you can see literally every bump and bulge! :0

[limewave]

@limewave, mesh sounds nice. Can you see through it?

Not as bad as I thought. There's a pretty design on it, so even though you can "see through it" you really don't see through it. It's noticeable when I wear a black sports bra underneath, but otherwise it hasn't been an issue.

[Owlie]

@limewave, mesh sounds nice. Can you see through it?

Thanks everyone. I do use Nuun electrolyte replacement in my water. We're wingin' it regarding distance and will depend on what we decide. At this moment it's only 64 degrees with 96% humidity and supposed to be humid w/ mostly sun and a few clouds. I think predicted humidity is 87%. We just aren't a humid place in the summer. Our heat is typically "dry".

Okay...Castelli it is. Man I don't like jersey sizing. I wear a small/extra small in everything else on top and I wear a Large in this jersey and you can see literally every bump and bulge! :0

Yeah, Castelli jerseys seem to be very form-fitting. I wore mine yesterday and was mistaken for a guy by a bunch of twelve-year-olds. I don't know how, considering...

[Norse]

Tech absolutely. Although it may seem counterintuitive, I also wear a sleeveless wicking base layer and it actually does help keep me cooler.

[Velocivixen]

@Owlie, sorry, but that's funny! lol Are you big busted? (don't mean to be personal). I'll say it though...I'd never be mistaken for a guy, especially from the front. I've been cursed with big b00bs.

Happy riding everyone.

[Cynedra]

up to 78 by noon and eventually up to 89 by 4:00 pm.

That is our normal to slightly cool weather for summer. I ridden both ways and it is definitely better to go tech - even if it is a cheap Target Champion wicking top. Cotton is horrible.

[Owlie]

@Owlie, sorry, but that's funny! lol Are you big busted? (don't mean to be personal). I'll say it though...I'd never be mistaken for a guy, especially from the front. I've been cursed with big b00bs.

Happy riding everyone.

I'm not particularly busty, but there's enough there that makes me wonder how they made that mistake. The jersey is mostly black, which may have something to do with it. Apparently in the mind of these twelve-year-old boys, a road bike with a rider in black and red means that the rider must be male. :confused:
/threadjack

Norsegoddess--I have a short-sleeve wicking layer, and it does almost nothing for me once the humidity levels go above a certain point. Interesting.

[Norse]

Norsegoddess--I have a short-sleeve wicking layer, and it does almost nothing for me once the humidity levels go above a certain point. Interesting.

Maybe it helps that at the same time, I usually have some booby ice tucked down the sports bra and more ice in the back center pocket. I highly recommend booby ice for hot, humid rides. :D

[westtexas]

I say definitely go with the technical fabric. Riding in Houston a few weekends ago was just ridiculous and I was glad to have fabric that wicked. You will still drip though, or at least I did. My poor top tube had to be washed after I rode, it was so gross.

[Velocivixen]

UPDATE: I went with your advice and wore technical. It was very humid and warmer especially as we moved away from the Willamette River and the breeze slowed. Glad I wore technical. You are all so wise. ;) Thanks.

[shootingstar]

Technical fabric (which means polyester or with rayon blend) jersey but light/bright colours on a hot, humid day. My short sleeves are not tight around my arms. Only black tops, if it's sleeveless which for me, is an off-bike top.

I tend to wear my jerseys not tight against my body anyway...which to me, is liberating. I can't, I'm quite small-boned and small all over, anyway.

I actually never wear tank tops nor sleeveless tops when I cycle. AFter all these years of cycling..last 18 yrs.

(I'm actually glad, cause I can see the difference in skin quality after years of cycling sun exposed skin vs. areas with less. I don't worry about wierd tan lines, my natural skin colour isn't stark white anyway.)

[marni]

Tech absolutely. Although it may seem counterintuitive, I also wear a sleeveless wicking base layer and it actually does help keep me cooler.

I have a sleeveless Craft wicking underlayer that I absolute will not ride without in the spring summer and fall here in hot and humid Houston. Even when I am not sweating, it provides a layer between me and the slimy feeling jersey fabric. In this case, two layers are definitely better than one. I also have arm coolers that not only keep me cool by wicking away the sweat, but also protect my arms from sun heat.

In the late fall, winter and early spring, I will wear either the craft as an underlayer or if its a bit colder, I have a wool underlayer that I love.

marni

[Velocivixen]

Thanks for the input. I did feel icky wearing my jersey and I'm not sure why. I am going on that same ride again tomorrow under similar conditions and I am wearing my Lucy training tank, which is my all around go the the gym, go running sleeveless tee shirt in a tech fabric, but it doesn't look "shiny" like the Castelli. Of course it doesn't have pockets, but I have other places to keep things. ;)

[Norse]

I have a sleeveless Craft wicking underlayer that I absolute will not ride without in the spring summer and fall here in hot and humid Houston. Even when I am not sweating, it provides a layer between me and the slimy feeling jersey fabric. In this case, two layers are definitely better than one. I also have arm coolers that not only keep me cool by wicking away the sweat, but also protect my arms from sun heat.

In the late fall, winter and early spring, I will wear either the craft as an underlayer or if its a bit colder, I have a wool underlayer that I love.

marni

I totally agree about the anti-slime factor that a wicking base layer helps to provide. I have not tried the arm coolers but did get a pair for DP for her birthday as she commutes to work by bike and doesn't always like to coat on the suntan lotion - she absolutely loves them and sings their praises.

[Catrin]

Maybe it helps that at the same time, I usually have some booby ice tucked down the sports bra and more ice in the back center pocket. I highly recommend booby ice for hot, humid rides. :D


Boobyice...I like that :) I've only done this once, during a very hot and humid mtb skills private session, and I was surprised that the ice actually didn't feel cold! It did help though :)

[limewave]

Boobyice . . . lol. We have a vagifreeze system in our house.

[jelee1311]

I wear the tech fabric tank from Target and it works well, better than my sleeveless jerseys. My ride leader recently sent me an article about keeping cool during rides. It said to use a tube sock filled with ice tied around your neck. So last week it was close to 90 when I went on my ride and the icesock kept me cool. It does melt all over your top so that helped keep me cool as well (thank goodness my shirt wasn't see through):p I'm sure it looked kinda dorky but my wimp factor in the heat makes me not really care. Maybe next time I'll try the boobyice

[buffybike]

I live in Florida so I know a thing or two about humidity. Good quality technical fabric is the only way to go IMO. I've found that I really like the Under Armour Cool max shirts under a sleeveless jersey. They're really tight and long sleeve which seem counterintuitive to wear when it's 99 degrees with 80% humidity, but somehow the breeze created while riding make my skin underneath feel "cool". I don't get it...I just know it works. In addition, we drink lots of water ( at least a bottle per hour) and use an electrolyte supplement. My skin's surface was so salty after today's ride that the salt was visible all over my arms/chest and I felt itchy all over.