Dealing with the heat

[Catrin]

Warm weather has finally arrived in Central Indiana - 50s last week, 88 today and tomorrow As someone who has avoided the sun/heat for years this is going to take some adjusting to, I also have asthma.

I am thinking that it would be better for now to ride in the evening so that I start when it is close to the high temp for the day but then it cools - rather than starting in early afternoon and have the temps climb as I overheat. I do have good sunscreen.

My Trek has only one water cage so am using my Camelbak as well - which doesn't hold 50 ounces as I though! I swear the packaging said 50 ounces, but I can only put in about 1 and a half bottles, so it holds about 25 ounces. That just isn't enough for this kind of weather The local Performance is having a huge tent sale this weekend so am going to see if they have them on sale.

So I am planning on hydrating as much as possible prior, during, and after riding. I tend to not drink enough anyway - barely drank 25 ounces yesterday during a hard 3 hour hike - and only drank half a bottle during a 1.5 hour bike. That was with the Camelbak - which was much better than my usual water intake.

Is there anything else that I should keep in mind? Will be careful what I eat before a ride as I suspect the heat will make my stomach more touchy. Time will tell.

[OakLeaf]

If you're getting a new Camelbak, make sure you get one with a waist strap, so you can wear it low and put the weight on your hips when you ride. That's the only way I can do it without hurting my back.

Put ice in it (and in your water bottle). It'll stay cool and melt as you need the water to drink. Some people swear by insulated bottles, I don't bother with them because they're supposed to be so hard to clean.

After you take a drink, blow into the drink tube to force the water back into the bladder. That'll keep it from getting hot in the drink tube.

Arm coolers really work if you don't sweat heavily... I do, and to me, they're great up until they get waterlogged, and even then they aren't much warmer than bare arms - well worth it if you're prone to sunburn and/or you're concerned about toxins or the sweat-blocking properties of sunblock lotions.

I need to replace electrolytes any time I drink more than a couple of liters of water. If your rides are short enough that you don't need calories, but hot enough that you need to replace electrolytes, Nuun or Endurolytes are non-caloric. The downside to mixing anything in your water is that you don't want to pour it over your head - which is another great way to cool yourself.

[Catrin]

If you're getting a new Camelbak, make sure you get one with a waist strap, so you can wear it low and put the weight on your hips when you ride. That's the only way I can do it without hurting my back.

Put ice in it (and in your water bottle). It'll stay cool and melt as you need the water to drink. Some people swear by insulated bottles, I don't bother with them because they're supposed to be so hard to clean.

After you take a drink, blow into the drink tube to force the water back into the bladder. That'll keep it from getting hot in the drink tube.

Arm coolers really work if you don't sweat heavily... I do, and to me, they're great up until they get waterlogged, and even then they aren't much warmer than bare arms - well worth it if you're prone to sunburn and/or you're concerned about toxins or the sweat-blocking properties of sunblock lotions.

I need to replace electrolytes any time I drink more than a couple of liters of water. If your rides are short enough that you don't need calories, but hot enough that you need to replace electrolytes, Nuun or Endurolytes are non-caloric. The downside to mixing anything in your water is that you don't want to pour it over your head - which is another great way to cool yourself.

Thanks - I will keep this in mind. My rides these days average around 2 hours - but we will see this evening I am heading out at 6 and it is supposed to be 89 degrees...

I swung by my LBS to check out their Camelbaks, and they insisted that my Aurora will hold more than I have been able to fit. I have not, however, tried to take the bladder out That might have been the problem... tonight I will take my 'Bac and a bottle of Cytomax - it does have electrolytes in it until I can pick up some Nuun...

Update - I did manage to get the bladdder out - it was so simply that I missed it More importantly I managed to get 3 bottles of water in the bladder this time and it is now in the fridge for the next hour and a half until I leave. If I decide later this summer that longer trips require a larger Camelbak I will look for one with a waist strap - that makes sense. Yesterday was the first real time I have used it and didn't find it cumbersome - but of course it was only 1/2 full!

[TrekTheKaty]

Take it slow and easy for the first few weeks. We ride early to avoid the heat. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. Not just during your ride, but before and the rest of the day. I still feel crummy after riding for the first time this summer in 80 degree heat yesterday.

(Taking the bladder out of your camelbak will get more in it. By holding mine at a certain angle under the tap, allows me to almost 8 oz more in. Pack will expand considerably with a full bladder).

[chicagogal]

Yeah. If it is supposed to be crazy hot out, I get out as early in the day as possible, as mornings are the coolest part of the day (when there is still enough light). And yes, the heat can really takes it toll. Both your fluid and your fuel requirements will go up when it gets hot, so DRINK and EAT often. You need to stay on top of this, because if you get behind, you are risking bonk, heat stroke, and dehydration.

The first few hot days are the hardest, so rest assured that your body will (probably) get accustomed to riding in the heat, and riding won't be quite as exhausting as on those first days of summer heat. But if the temps get high enough that the weather reporters are putting out warnings for folks to stay indoors, consider not riding, or riding a shorter distance/time because there are some temps that body just won't be able to handle.

[tctrek]

Today was my first ride after getting my cast off from broken wrist. I've been off the bike since March so, I missed the spring and all the beautiful days and went out today to 87 degrees... it was 72 degrees when we started, but heated up fast. We rode a 25 mile route that's pretty easy with just a few hills, but it still kicked my butt.

I think that I'm drinking enough, but have to work at drinking more.

[ny biker]

Arm coolers really work if you don't sweat heavily... I do, and to me, they're great up until they get waterlogged, and even then they aren't much warmer than bare arms - well worth it if you're prone to sunburn and/or you're concerned about toxins or the sweat-blocking properties of sunblock lotions.

Interesting -- I got the cool wings last summer and found them extremely helpful. The first day I wore them, I soaked them in cold water at a water fountain, and they dried very quickly.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDE_CW.html

I like the jacket style because I can wear them with tank tops.

I generally ride one day per week after work, which means riding in heat and humidity during the summer months. I find the location of the sun in the sky makes a huge difference -- it might still be pretty hot and humid at 7 pm, but the lack of strong sunlight makes it okay. Whereas I tend to have serious problems during the afternoon when the sun is highest.

I've also done my share of summer rides in late afternoon, starting at 4 pm or so. It's definitely better than riding between 1-3 pm but can still be pretty hot. I would make sure to have some kind of electrolyte replacement for a 2 hour ride at that time of day.

Also you're right about watching what you eat earlier in the day. Try to avoid heavy/high fat meals, because they take longer to digest so they can weigh you down while you're riding even if it's hours later. You might need to play around a bit with the timing of what you eat during the afternoon so you don't bonk during the ride.

[Blueberry]

The local Performance is having a huge tent sale this weekend so am going to see if they have them on sale.

REI has all camelbak's on sale through 5/31 - 25 % off IIRC.