Hot Riding preparation

[Penny4]

When it's this hot I carry a bottle just to squirt on my head between the vents in my helmet. Makes a huuuuuuuge difference.

I have to do this too. I squirt a bit on the back of my neck at almost every stop just to keep myself from getting too overheated. I usually freeze half the bottle so the water will be ice cold throughout the ride.

I also set my watch to beep every 8 minutes to remind me to take a drink.

[velo]

I also set my watch to beep every 8 minutes to remind me to take a drink.

This is a great idea! I have a hard time remembering to hydrate.

[Dogmama]

You can get an electrolyte mix that has no sugar. It is Electro-mix and made by the Emergen-C people. I think I got mine from Vitacost.com. That has really been working for me lately.

[Owlie]

My scalp sweats like crazy, so if I pour water over my head, I end up regretting it three seconds later. I wet down the front of my jersey, either with the water bottle (I use the dregs at the bottom that are too warm to drink) or in the sink at bathrooms.

I'm still trying to work out food so that I get enough electrolytes. I can't do real food (beyond almonds or something) when it gets hot, and I only barely tolerate Clif bars (depending on flavor). I take dilute Gatorade with me (I'm too poor to experiment with the other stuff) in one water bottle, water in the other, and sometimes a Camelbak with water and ice. The only problem with the Camelbak is that my back starts to regret it once the water warms up, both temperature and discomfort-wise.

There's a place where I used to ride with a shaved ice stand. That was the best thing ever after a hot ride. Not exactly healthy, but I didn't care!

[malkin]

Good grief, it is so hot, dry and windy here that I may never ride again!

[Bethany1]

Good grief, it is so hot, dry and windy here that I may never ride again!

It's so hot, humid and windy in Nebraska and I feel the same way...LOL. Next week will be 95 temps.

I only did 4 miles and it nearly killed me yesterday, but I was on my fat bike. I just figure shorter trips will have to do.

[malkin]

Yesterday I could hardly go outside!

This morning I went outside early to do some of the work that didn't get done yesterday. It was already mid 70s at 7:00 this morning! Now that the sun is up, it will be hide inside for me.

[ny biker]

My scalp sweats like crazy, so if I pour water over my head, I end up regretting it three seconds later. I wet down the front of my jersey, either with the water bottle (I use the dregs at the bottom that are too warm to drink) or in the sink at bathrooms.

I'm still trying to work out food so that I get enough electrolytes. I can't do real food (beyond almonds or something) when it gets hot, and I only barely tolerate Clif bars (depending on flavor). I take dilute Gatorade with me (I'm too poor to experiment with the other stuff) in one water bottle, water in the other, and sometimes a Camelbak with water and ice. The only problem with the Camelbak is that my back starts to regret it once the water warms up, both temperature and discomfort-wise.

There's a place where I used to ride with a shaved ice stand. That was the best thing ever after a hot ride. Not exactly healthy, but I didn't care!

If you're relying on diluted gatorade, you're getting very few electrolytes.

Can you have gels? Gu Roctane has lots of electrolytes, and Power Gel has boatloads of sodium. Jelly Belly sports beans taste great (I like the orange ones best) and are decent sources.

[Crankin]

Malkin, new insulation, venting, and windows (as well as a new roof) has made a huge difference in our energy efficiency, and how warm/cool my house feels. Last week, when it was about 98, with moderate humidity, our AC didn't click on until about 2:30 PM.
I certainly understand that feeling of brutal heat and I don't miss it.
I had a swamp cooler in my first house in AZ, as well as AC. When we were showing it, in May, it caused the doors to swell so much that when our agent was bringing people around in the house, she couldn't open half the doors to the rooms, as they were stuck, and you really had to pull to get them open. It wasn't even monsoon season yet, but that thing just put too much humidity in the house for me. Needless to say, we did not get one in our next home.

[malkin]

I like the humidity ours swamp cooler provides, because it isn't too much--we can still open and shut the doors (well, they work as they usually do-some of them still stick, but that's another story!) but is as noisy as a jet engine, and it running it at night is like sleeping next to a jet engine.

Last night we had a better arrangement of fans, so I slept ok.

I'm just taking it moment by moment and dreaming of living in a more hospitable climate!