Etreme Heat

[BIKEAWAY]

Is there anything to help you in hot humid muggy weather for riding longer distances? We have come across a hot humid spell already in June and I really would like to try to put some miles on this weekend. It seems I get headaches after about 15 miles in this weather. I am taking pottasium pills and drinking lots of water before and during breaks.

[DeniseGoldberg]

The best solution I've found is lots and lots of liquid.

I ran into what seemed like weeks of hot & humid weather - in the 95 to 105 degree fahrenheit range - on my cross-country trip back in 2002. I went through a lot of water and Gatorade on those days. My 70-ounce Camelbak carried water, and my water bottle cages carried bottles of Gatorade. On a really hot day I went thru a minimum of the 72 ounces of water and probably 6 to 8 water bottles full of Gatorade. Careful though - you need to find the right level of liquid (enough, but not too much!) for the length of your rides. The liquid consumption I mentioned was while I was on the road pretty much all day riding my bike and hauling my gear in a trailer, usually riding distances in the 50 to 75-mile range.

Are you drinking while you riding, or only when you stop? I'd recommend drinking often while you are on the bike, and I find that I need the Gatorade (or equivalent) on those really hot days.

--- Denise

[BIKEAWAY]

I can try but I am not coordinated for that yet. I think I should move my bottle holder so it is more accessible.
I have not tried Gatoraide so maybe I should fill a bottle with that.
Depending on how far--I have only gotten to 30 miles so far is how I stop. I ty to go 12-15 miles per break.
I have a 40 mile ride coming up and i want to be prepared. Are those backpack water bottles good? I think it looks kinda dorky but I am on a mission so....

[DeniseGoldberg]

...I can try but I am not coordinated for that yet. ...Are those backpack water bottles good? I think it looks kinda dorky but I am on a mission so....

If you're not comfortable grabbing a water bottle while you're moving I suspect that something like a Camelbak would be better for you. You can clip the hose to the strap of the Camelbak. Some folks manage to clip it so they can bite on the valve (to release the liquid) without using their hands. I'm not quite that coordinated, so I use my hand to place the bite valve in my mouth, then my hand can go right back to the handlebars.

I use a Camelbak Rogue which has a 70 ounce bladder. There are also smaller capacity Camelbaks as well as women-specific versions (smaller bladder, shorter pack). And there are lots of other brands out there too. I recommend heading to your LBS and trying these on to attempt to find the one that is most comfortable for you. The one I use does not have much extra space in it - it's just got room for the water (bladder) and things like keys and ID. Some are full packs. But - since you're not used to riding with something on your back I'd recommend going with a minimalistic version.

It will get easier, really!

--- Denise

[bikerchick68]

hiya bikeaway...

are you road biking or mtn biking? On a road bike here's how I learned to get my water bottle while riding without crashing and killing myself...

place your left hand towards the CENTER of your handle bars and remove your right hand... sit up some and ride one handed... do not reach for the bottle, just get used to the feel of one handed riding...

next (after doing this several times) do the same thing but this time reach with your right hand (left hand is in center bar steering) down to your downtube where the cages are... slide hand down to water bottle and gently pull it out...

OK... so now ya gotta get it back in... left hand centered, steering, glance down and look at bottle cage... then place bottle at top of it and push downward to slide it back in... if you drop the bottle LET IT GO! THEN stop and go back and get it... do not try to wildly reach for it... LOL... learned THAT lesson! Do this several times on a straghtaway for practice... after a while, like anything else, it becomes second nature... It is extremely helpful to be able to drink while riding without having to stop...

[cyclingnewbie]

I have a very hard time with the heat (anything over 72 degrees is too hot!) and get headaches. I use Cyclomax or Gatorade in my water bottles. I usually dilute them with water, Kool-aid or fruit juice (or some combination there of). And, I also carry a bottle of plain water in case the other stuff gets to be repulsive. I also allow myself to slow down to a speed that I can handle in the heat. I had a bad habit of worrying more about how fast I was going than how I felt. Sometimes if I just slow down for a while (and I mean really slow down) a headache will disappear on its own. And, I find that I have no trouble reaching for my bottles if I just stop pedaling while I do it. Unless you're in a race, why make it harder than it has to be?