How do you deal with the heat?

[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

[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.

[antkate]

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

[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.

[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

[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.