No riding for a week

[lauraelmore1033]

I only managed to change my saddle before I was drenched in sweat from head to toe. A couple of laps around the block to fine tune the fit and I was DONE. Came in and saw that the cats were strewn across the floor (with foster babies, that makes 6) in front of the fan. Looked like a crime scene.

[arielmoon]

Hot here is a fact of life. BF said his computer read 108 at one point on our ride on Sat. We did 22 miles out and back.*shrugs*

[OakLeaf]

It's all what you're acclimated to. Let's not let this turn into another one of the p*ssing contests like "my weather and my hills are bad, and yours aren't."

I like heat, and the one summer I spent in Florida, I didn't hesitate to go running at noon when it was 90-95°F. Shades of "mad dogs and Englishmen;" if the natives did their workouts outdoors at all, they'd go in the early morning or after sundown.

But the weather has been so cool here this year that on the two or three times the temperatures have topped 85°F, everyone's really suffered.

To give you an idea - "normal" temps for this time of year would be daytime highs of 85 most days. As it is, with the changing climate, no one knows what "normal" is any more. I've ridden in long-sleeved jerseys three times this past month, and when I did my laundry yesterday, there were two long-sleeved wool base layers in the load. We haven't turned our AC on since 2007 (hope it still works!).

Riding in temperatures you're not acclimated to is dangerous and requires care, period, whether that temperature is 115°F or 85°F.

[redrhodie]

I'll take 50º over 90º any day. I just got back from a very humid ride (and it's only in the 70s today), and I feel like a chewed up piece of gum. Ick.

[Biciclista]

my DH is doing ramrod and his plan is to ride as hard as he can early, to get as far as he can during the cool part of his day.
Whatever is hot for anyone is hot. I would never live in places like Florida or Texas because it's too hot. A lot of people live in the Pacific NW precisely because they are weather weenies, so our true colors really come out when we get stuck in a heat wave.

[shootingstar]

my DH is doing ramrod and his plan is to ride as hard as he can early, to get as far as he can during the cool part of his day.
Whatever is hot for anyone is hot. I would never live in places like Florida or Texas because it's too hot. A lot of people live in the Pacific NW precisely because they are weather weenies, so our true colors really come out when we get stuck in a heat wave.

Sounds like a 4:00 am start or earlier for raleighdon, which actually would be lovely time and a real morale-booster for rest of day.

THis morning I set off just before 6:45 am and was done my 42 kms. under 2 hrs. Appreciate hills at this time under rising sun shade and their cooling descents.

As for Canadian snowbirds in Arizona and Florida, presumably some choose to fly home north shortly before now or now, when the heat isn't as oppressive.

In a way, I'm glad to have lived elsewhere in Canada and cycled first for many years, under far greater constant humidity and heat. Makes me more grateful for the NW coastal weather...yea, hmmmmm, except for the constant rain later.

I truly prefer to cycle in 40-65 degree F weather with not much humidity.

[Triskeliongirl]

Are you serious. You won't ride in the 90s????? I only wish it were in the 90s for my commute home. Its been in the low 100s here. My upper limit is 105 (but I also won't ride below 40, maybe you gals are willing to go cooler than me).

[Aggie_Ama]

Sorry gals! It is completely what you are used to, as a native Texan it wouldn't bother me but if I lived where it was abnormal it would. Do you guys have AC? Stay hydrated, ride early and hope it passes.

[shootingstar]

Are you serious. You won't ride in the 90s????? I only wish it were in the 90s for my commute home. Its been in the low 100s here. My upper limit is 105 (but I also won't ride below 40, maybe you gals are willing to go cooler than me).

I only gave a preference. If I have no choice, then I will / have done so enough times in past, especially when one is on a bike trip or needs to do functional cycling to get to/from work/shopping, etc. Southern Ontario has reached 90+ degrees F with 100% humidity for summers on some days. When that happens usually there is a smog alert for large metropolitan areas in that part of Ontario. It's not just Los Angeles, etc. in the U.S.

Right now, we don't have A/C. All our windows flung open for cross-breezes. Initially it surprised me, being in a building not old. We have a floor fan somewhere. He squirreled it away in a storage rm. in building's basement. But not necessary, just abit stuffy.

Cycling at freezing point is fine in Vancouver, BC (as long as the wind is not 40 km. per hr.)..it's just the black ice problem..at times.

[Biciclista]

Are you serious. You won't ride in the 90s????? I only wish it were in the 90s for my commute home. Its been in the low 100s here. My upper limit is 105 (but I also won't ride below 40, maybe you gals are willing to go cooler than me).

that's really hot for us, Trisk. Imagine being a polar bear in texas. that's kind of how we feel today.

[shootingstar]

Let’s say you step outside and see that it’s a mild and beautiful morning at 30 degrees. While your clothing may keep you warm enough while standing in that 30 degrees, if you start riding the open road and approach 70 mph, it will feel like 15 degrees to you.

cycling at 70 mph often can only be achieved by going down a very steep descent. And even not that many people want to reach that type of speed on a bike all the time. If it's 30 degrees F (instead of centrigrade which is hot) to ride at 70 mph is actually dangerous (and probably rare) because the probability of black ice is very real. At least where I live where we do have some long steep hills but still can ride in the middle of winter.

Introduce yourself abbey under the first main topic of general-cycling. There's a topic thread to give us the goods about yourself.

[OakLeaf]

I don't think 70 mph is even possible. The question has been discussed at some length on other forums. High 40's is common, a few people I know have hit 50 (if you trust their computers ), apparently the highest speeds on the TdF are in the low 60s (but then, they're winding technical descents, so they wouldn't necessarily be reaching terminal velocity).

Anyway, abbey is a spammer; the forum software is stripping the links out of his/her posts. Ignore away.