How do you deal with the heat?

[Blueberry]

I'm looking at the weather forecast for the upcoming week, and it's brutal. Multiple days over 100, and humidity that will probably be 80+%.

So - how do TE Members deal with the heat?

[HillSlugger]

Ride early in the morning. Hydrate well. Include salt tabs.

[indysteel]

I ride in the woods.

[Veronica]

I don't know what to tell you about the humidity - but on my Telluride/Moab ride, all our days were well above 90 and I got through it by wetting my head and my Cool Wings or my arm coolers. The evaporation made a huge difference. It was a very dry heat though - I would guess humidity below 20.

Go early in the day if you can, keep your rides short, maybe do intervals if you're hoping to maximize training. But if you're just riding for fun - keep it fun.

Veronica

[Artista]

I'm pretty heat tolerant. I'll ride in the heat as long as I'm properly hydrated to begin with. I consume electrolytes and wet my hair and jersey if I'm riding for more than an hour.

[tulip]

Ride early and ride lightly. I got sick the other day after only 7 miles because of the humidity and because I was dehydrated from 2 days of traveling. I went out way too hard. It was not fun and I had to be rescued by my brother. Oh, and I didn't eat breakfast beforehand either. I made all the mistakes.

[Koronin]

I still haven't been able to acclimatize to the summer heat and humidity here in eastern NC to just walk outside to get to the car to go to work. It took me about 2 years to get semi used to the summer weather in Charlotte, NC, but 2 years and I'm still not even closed to being able to deal with the summers here yet. Don't know if I ever will be. This weekend the temps will be close to 100 plus high humidity, I think I'm just going to go to the beach and swim if I do anything at all outside.

[OakLeaf]

I'm fine in heat once I'm acclimated. The trouble is the weather has been so variable in the last couple of years, it's hard to acclimate.

[malkin]

Not very well.
My ancestors were bred to live in a fog in a bog.

[solobiker]

I don't do well in the heat at all. On the weekends I head up to the mountains to escape the heat. On weekdays..I don't want to get up any earlier then I do for work ( I am at work by 5am) because I get up at 430am so I do my workouts inside.

It has been over 100 for a week here....blahhhhhh

[Owlie]

I ride in the early mornings, on shaded paths. I do soak my jersey, or at least the front and sleeves, if needed. I also don't push it. My rides on those days, until I've acclimatized (and even then) are slower and shorter. If it's really hot, I don't ride. I am not very heat-tolerant.

[jessmarimba]

Other:
I sit on the couch and whine about it. :p

In all seriousness though, I am fine outside until it gets above maybe 95. Even then I might be ok, unless there's a hot breeze and you feel like you're inside the toaster oven.

This week, though, I've been sitting on the couch and whining :) Coincides nicely with my running recovery.

[Artista]

This week, though, I've been sitting on the couch and whining :) Coincides nicely with my running recovery.
You earned the privilege of whining inside after that run!

[tzvia]

If it goes north of 100f, or there is high humidity over 90f, I try to ride in the morning or evening. Otherwise, I load up the bike into the back of the trusty Tundra (trucks rule) and head for rides where there are the cooling sea breezes if possible.

For my commute, I take the trusty Tundra if it is going to be over 100f; call me a wimp that's ok. I have ridden home in 102f in jeans and it was not fun. Now I take cycling shorts and a shirt, and change before going home in the heat. I use those arm coolers (yea they help) and I freeze one of my two water bottles, which melts real quick but is better than nothing, to pour on my head.

It's easy to get overheated and get sick, so I take it easy when it's really hot. I take some extra cash to buy water or electrolyte drinks at the minimart and I use routes that pass by parks with shade and bathrooms, so I can duck in and get some water on my Headsweat and shirt. I also pack a small vial of sunscreen to reapply after a good sweat or wetting.

[Blueberry]

You all have made me feel a bit better about not being tolerant of these temperatures. Up to 90, I feel like with proper feeding/taking it easy and riding well within my abilities, I can tough it out. Over that, I'm just plain miserable.

Sadly, coolers don't really help with the climate here. It's too humid. Koronin and I are dealing with similar climates. Coolers don't hurt - and I wear them for sun protection, but the evaporative advantage isn't there. There is also no where close to get relief (mountains/beach).

I don't have a goal event right now (I need one, but that's another thread) - so no real training direction. Good and bad. My current plan is to ride the trainer (Spinervals) and hit the gym. Cross training and/or swimming are on my agenda for the really hot days.

[ny biker]

I generally am fine on hot days when I ride after work, starting around 6:30 pm. On very hot days I will wear my cool wings and wet them once or twice during the ride. My usual post-work route is mostly on quiet streets that are noticeably less hot than the bike path next to the highway where I start/finish.

For daytime rides, I'm usually okay if I avoid riding between 1:00 and 3:00 -- the position of the sun in the sky is more important for me than the temperature. I did learn the hard way that even 10:00 am can be too hot for riding after several days of 100 degree highs.

[Catrin]

I leave for work by 6am and have to go to bed rather early...so while I would LIKE to ride early/late it isn't really possible. I have to be off the bike by 7:30 at the very latest if I've any hope of sleeping.

100 degree temps are rare here, so hopefully these next few days will be the only time we go here this summer...I will ride up to 94ish depending on humidity. Thankfully my knee is in recovery mode this week so I was taking the week off the bike anyway.

[Crankin]

If it's during the week, I ride at 5 AM. If it's on the weekend, and it's a longer ride, I try to make it in a shady area, which is pretty easy to do around here, as well as go early. However, sometimes, it's a "planned" ride and I deal with it by riding slower, dousing myself with water, and eating lots of Shot Blocks and plenty of Nuun.
If it's very hot, humid, and there's an air quality alert, which happens sometimes (not too often), I go to the gym, or take a brisk walk.
For the first 5-6 years that I rode, I would go to spin class during a heat wave. I haven't done that in a long time. If I feel like it's dangerous, I am more apt to go into the woods and hike or trail run.
For me, anything over 75 or so feels hot. Being in the bright sun bothers me, because most of the riding I do is in very shady areas. Like Oak says, I do better if I can acclimate, but here in the east, the weather is not consistently very hot. Three years ago, we had a very hot summer. I was fine, because I had just done my tour in Spain, where 4/6 days it was about 100 degrees when we were riding. That was not fun.

[OakLeaf]

Running Times has a couple of really good articles this month.

http://runningtimes.com/Print.aspx?articleID=26451
http://runningtimes.com/Print.aspx?articleID=26454

No one's mentioned pre-cooling, and I've never done it in any kind of formal way, but it's easy enough and a lot of athletes do it.

[tealtreak]

Tstms
Hi 101 °F Friday
Night

Slight Chc
Tstms
Lo 76 °F Saturday


Slight Chc
Tstms
Hi 101 °F Saturday
Night

Partly
Cloudy
Lo 77 °F Sunday


Hot

Hi 101 °F Sunday
Night

Partly
Cloudy
Lo 77 °F
yeah- June in Richmond- riding at sunrise ...just not acclimated otherwise (born and raised s of Cleveland..) Last summer I tried riding at 10:00 in 97 and puked and fainted... not fun

[maillotpois]

Water poured over me - soak the jersey; ice in the sports bra.

[Artista]

ice in the sports bra.
:eek:

[Catrin]

Water poured over me - soak the jersey; ice in the sports bra.

Done the first two, afraid to try the third :eek:

[maillotpois]

Ice in the sports bra is amazing - really helps cool the core temp when its over 90 outside. I seriously consider it a huge advantage over men. :D

Also ice in tube sock around the neck.

[Tri Girl]

I never acclimate to the heat. I grew up in SW Arizona, so you'd think I could handle it, but I cannot. Not the humidity anyway. We have temps in the 100's with humidity in the 60-80 range all summer long and it just kills me. I've tried it all- cool wings, neck coolers, pouring water on me regularly, etc. I get heat headaches that debilitate me for a day after long workouts in the heat, and last year I started developing heat rash on my thighs after long rides.
This year I have resigned to not struggle through it.
I run at 4 am (when I have to do long runs of 15+ miles) so I can finish by 7 or 8 am. I started riding my mtn bike again so I can ride in the trees and the shade. I haven't ridden my tri bike in I don't know how long because I just don't want to deal with the heat and the sun. There are no shady rides in this part of the country.

I do LOVE ice in the bra, tho. In fact, lately I've been putting one of those very small gel packs in the freezer and sticking that in my bra for long runs. Talk about keeping you cool! ;)

[antkate]

Ice cold soaker scarf...makes all the difference.

[Thorn]

Ice in the sports bra is amazing - really helps cool the core temp when its over 90 outside. I seriously consider it a huge advantage over men. :D

Also ice in tube sock around the neck.

Ice to the back of the neck. Hands down the winner over ice in the sports bra for me -- the ice on the neck cools me off more as the ice melts down my back instead of dripping onto my bike if I try the sports bra.

I have a 15 mile commute and I won't drive just because it is hot. When I get to work I put a container of ice water in the freezer at work. At the end of the day, I have a block of ice about the size of a baseball.

I tie a knot into my Buff such that I have enough for a beanie on one end and into the remaining tail, I place that ice block. Put the Buff on the head and the ice rests at the base of the neck. When I start out it can be a little too cold, but on a 90+ degree day, it quickly just becomes a cool spot. By the time I get home, that baseball sized block is just a sliver and my core temp survives. I'm not saying I don't feel the heat, but I'm not in distress.

[Melalvai]

I pedal slowly and easily (no mashing). I don't pedal at all if I'm going over 8 mph. It's slow, but that keeps me from working too hard.

[solobiker]

Ice cold soaker scarf...makes all the difference.

DH and I were doing this on our hike last weekend in the mountains as we were hiking back to the car. It felt great to get it cold and wet in the streams and then wrap it aound our necks. Loved it.

[cosc]

I try to get out early to beat the heat, but when touring or on a organized ride you try to make the mileage for the day by hook or by crook. When it is hot,
I will take many more longer breaks to cool down before continuing. Often around 5:00 pm heat will relent and I would finish riding in the cooler temps.
You definitely need a sweatband for humid-hot weather. Icees are a great thing in your insulated water bottle-just don't wait too long to enjoy. My dh takes advantage of irrigation sprinklers or hoses to stay cool.

[ny biker]

The pros fill sections of pantyhose (knotted at each end) with ice and put them under their jerseys on their backs.

[Jiffer]

I dont' know if it's been mentioned yet, but dumping water on your head, on your legs, on your everything . . . is a HUGE help. Particularly the head, I think, as it helps cool the rest of the body. On super hot days I also soak water into my shorts (around the thighs) and squirt it down my shirt into my bra, on top of my shirt, etc. It takes a while to dry and it helps keep your body temp cooler, which really helps.

I've done rides where I had one bottle of sports drink and one bottle of water, for the purpose of squirting myself. I refill the water when possible to keep pouring on my body.

[Koronin]

yeah- June in Richmond- riding at sunrise ...just not acclimated otherwise (born and raised s of Cleveland..) Last summer I tried riding at 10:00 in 97 and puked and fainted... not fun

I'm also from that general area of Ohio. Born and raised in Warren, which is about an hour and a half or so south east of Cleveland. (Right between Cleveland, Oh and Pittsburgh, PA).

[denda]

I can take a lot of heat. So it doesn't really bother me.

[goldfinch]

I am sitting in my motorhome with the airconditioning on, avoiding the heat. Me and heat don't mix at all. I don't seem to adapt well.

[Giulianna23]

Ok .....so yesterday I suffered hell but made it home. I am not a person that sweats a lot but even going about 6-7 mph or maybe less a was pouring. Heat + Hot Wind resistance + up hill...I am surprised I made it. I had to stop when I was about 1 mile away from home and rested for about 15-20 minutes...I just had too. I got home sored, exhausted and on fire! couldn't even say hi to my kids..had to turn on the fan because the AC wasn't enough...it took me a good 15-20 minutes to kind of cool down ..took a shower laid in bed and fell asleep right away...woke up 3 1/2 hours later...went out to get dinner for the kids. I fell sorry for them that they had to wait so long to eat dinner . I ussualy cook dinner for them as soon as I get home :(

Today...I am just going half way and will have my sister in law pick me up at a gas station.
If it was a flat ride or downhill I would go for it at a slow pace but no...my way back home half of the ride (last 4 miles or so) is up hill and/or up inclined long road. And that's when I truly get a good workout..but today ..I can live without it. :) Tomorrow is another day :D

[Blueberry]

We are supposed to break our all time record high today. It's HOT. Our house AC can't keep up. The gym AC is dead, as in they are shipping in a new part, so that pool is closed until Monday. Bleh. I'm holed up in the AC. Will either ride tonight (probably after dark) or ride the trainer today.

[lovelygamer]

It depends on how hot it is as to what I might decide to do. If it is in the 90's, I will ride early or late. I actually really enjoy early morning commute weather-cool and quiet.

If it is 100 or more, I don't ride -at all. We are experiencing that right now in Maryland. I rode yesterday at near 100 but I won't ride today or tomorrow because it is over 100. My asthmatic tendencies really get to me in the heat.

[Susan Otcenas]

We don't have heat. I'd love some heat. And sun. Can you all send some our way??

Today
Jun 29
73°F
61°F
Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN:
20%


Sat
Jun 30
73°
59°
Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
50%


Sun
Jul 1
69°
53°
AM Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
30%

Mon
Jul 2
74°
55°
Partly Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

Tue
Jul 3
69°
52°
Few Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
30%

Wed
Jul 4
75°
52°
Mostly Sunny
CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

[Blueberry]

We don't have heat. I'd love some heat. And sun. Can you all send some our way??


House exchange?:p:p:p

We're supposed to be triple digits through Mon, and the 90's through most the 10 day forecast.

[GLC1968]

What heat? I live a few miles from Susan. ;)

Actually, that's one of the BIG pluses about moving here. Unlike Susan, I hate heat. Oregon weather suits me very well.

[Veronica]

It's a beautiful 82 degrees here currently, 35% humidity, breezy... it was 64 when I ran this morning at 6 AM. Of course just two weeks ago it was over 100 and we're heading for another warm spell. I wish every summer day was like it's been this week. :p

Veronica

[GLC1968]

You're (all three of you) about to have a TE Flood of visitors if you're not careful!

Spare couch? Floor? Outside shed? :p

We have a spare room! And a barn if you don't mind goats for roommates (though they sleep out in the open this time of year). :)

[ny biker]

So I'm debating what to do this weekend. I'd like to go for a ride on Sunday. There's a club ride that's described as "very shady" that starts at 8:30 am, with a 51-mile option. But that would have me riding past noon, and even if it were 100% shaded by tall leafy trees I think I would be struggling in the >100 degree heat. So as much as I'd like to check out this shady route, I'm leaning toward doing a shorter ride closer to home that would have me finished by mid-morning. I know a route that has good hills and has a decent amount of shade, and it easily shortened if I start to feel bad.

(I guess I'm not debating anymore, it looks like I've made a decision...)

[Owlie]

We don't have heat. I'd love some heat. And sun. Can you all send some our way??

Today
Jun 29
73°F
61°F
Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN:
20%


Sat
Jun 30
73°
59°
Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
50%


Sun
Jul 1
69°
53°
AM Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
30%

Mon
Jul 2
74°
55°
Partly Cloudy
CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

Tue
Jul 3
69°
52°
Few Showers
CHANCE OF RAIN:
30%

Wed
Jul 4
75°
52°
Mostly Sunny
CHANCE OF RAIN:
10%

This sounds ideal. Can I come over?

[OakLeaf]

I went for my run at 7:40 this morning. Outside of racing, that's the earliest I've run in 35 years. When I got home I leaned over to stretch my hamstrings, and sweat poured out of my bra, all over the carpet. Literally poured.

The particulates never dropped out of the "yellow" range all night.

[OakLeaf]

Nice visual, Oak! :p

Did I mention I sweat a lot? :D :eek:

[Cynedra]

I was just checking the national temperatures and most of the country is hotter than us. That just isn't right. So if you don't want as cool as Susan, but can take some heat, head to Florida. I watched mine temps versus a place I used to live in Ohio and well most of the time we were cooler even overnight.

[marni]

got up at o dark am this morning to ride.(6;15) knocked off a 32 mile ride, came home and noticed the salty sweat rings are back all over the garage floor whenever I stand still to check the bike.

The dogs both get their salty highs as I walked across the kitchen to the bedroom, and they weren't even licking my legs but instead the floor where I had walked. Incidentally this was upon my return at 8;00 AM.

I'm thinking it's about time to move the bike indoors under the ac vent in front of the fan except for the weekly group training ride.

sigh....

I'm thiking

[malkin]

Drive West? :D

If you head west, be sure to go all the way to the coast!
North might be a better choice!

[sarahkonamojo]

When it is this hot (100f), i go swimming. The sun is too intense here.
In the 80's low 90's I will ride early or late to survive.
This year with the Colorado fires, air quality can be a concern.
Give me some Oregon weather!
S

[Grits]

Record breaking high temps here in NC! Scheduled our ride for 7:30 this morning and only did 30 miles so we would be back before the temps got into the 90s. We just made it. If we want to go further, we have to leave earlier.

I also freeze one bottle of water the night before for squirting to cool my core (and drink if needed) and partially freeze my electrolyte bottle so it stays extra cold for the ride. BTW, I'm using camelbak elixir tablets, lemon lime or orange (if I want caffeine). I like the taste, and it is easy to clean my bottles. I make sure I get enough carbs from food on the ride.

[Red Rock]

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would give you my 2 cents worth. Like those in CO, UT, NM and NV, I am currently roasting over 100 degrees these days. It's hot in the AM when I want to go and do something. However, for speed and effeciency I have limited my exercise to the morning. I'm staying inside on the treadmill and doing a home workout with weights. I still freeze a water bottle to take with me to the treadmill and I am adding electrolytes to my daily water drinking routine because of the heat. I notice that I have cramps if I do not keep on top of it.

During the winter we did a spreadsheet on our indoor/outdoor exercises that I think helped a lot of us. Doing that helped get me back into some sort of shape, now I'm building on that from the winter. So far I have been on the treadmill every other day for an hour plus my at home weight routine. So I'm doing much better. I hope that when the weather starts to cool down again, i will be able to ride better and go do my trail "runs" or hikes outside. :D

Red Rock

[ny biker]

I think I'm probably about to contradict some of what I said earlier in this thread, but after a 10-day heat wave with one more day to go, I have absolutely no desire to go out and ride my bike, at any hour, regardless of the temperature. My experience in the past has been that it's more uncomfortable, and dangerous, after so many days of high temps, because the roads and ground have absorbed so much heat.

Last weekend, at the start of the heat wave, my routine was so thrown off by the storm and and loss of electricity, and there were so many trees down and traffic lights not working, that I decided to just not do any bike ride at all. On Wednesday, I went for a 15-mile/90 minute hilly ride in the morning, and it was okay, but I did find that I had to ride slower than usual. When I stopped for a minute in the shade, my heart was beating pretty fast and it stayed fast longer than normal after stopping, so I could tell my body was working hard to try to keep cool. (So I took my helmet off and took a nice long break, and poured some water onto my Coolwings.)

I will probably set the alarm very early tomorrow, and maybe I'll go for an hour ride here in my neighborhood. But then again I might just look at the thermometer and decide to stay indoors and work on cleaning out a closet instead. And hope that the giant thunderstorm that arrives with the approaching cold front doesn't knock out anyone's electricity...

[Bike Writer]

Hot Hot Hot just like every place else. 100 or more 3 times in the last week. Since I'd been sidlined I have had a little re-entry back into riding, however nearly all of my riding has been confined to campaign riding (door to door) in neighborhoods. I've been out some in this heat for an hour or two max, a couple of weeks ago when it was just hot out but not exactly insane hot I was out for a few hours but it really wacks me out.

Plus I pour water out of my body, it's so much it's hard to call it sweat, it just pours. I take towels to wipe myself off but they only work so well.

Like ny biker says, after so many days of heat, everything outdoors is overbaked. I was out early today for a bit and later in the evening too for a bit. The rest of the time was spent in AC doing very little.

The heat wave is supposed to break overnight. Looking forward to normal temps.

[lovelygamer]

111 heat index here today. I have ridden maybe 10 miles in two weeks. I miss my bike. I can't ride when it's over 95 degrees, heat index over 100. Just can't. I did swim one afternoon.

But, I hear that tomorrow is only 94 and after that in the 80's. I plan to ride as much as I can this week. I have two cycling advocacy events early in the week, and they will end at night. Those will be some of my first night rides. I have only done one night ride so far.

I am especially looking forward to fall's cooler weather and a new bike fit right to me. :)

[PamNY]

I think I'm probably about to contradict some of what I said earlier in this thread, but after a 10-day heat wave with one more day to go, I have absolutely no desire to go out and ride my bike, at any hour, regardless of the temperature.

I'm starting to feel the same way. I did a short, slow ride a few days ago and felt I'd done 100 miles. I don't know if it was physical or psychological.

Looking forward to predicted high temps in the 80s next week.