"feelin' hot hot hot"!

[makbike]

Call me crazy but I love to ride when it is hot and humid. I would much rather out in this weather than when it is cold. Don't get me wrong I too love winter, the snow, etc but once the temps drop below 55 I'm forced to ride indoors on my trainer. Riding in the hot, humid conditions which invade the Ohio Valley from July - Sept is wonderful. One simply has to make sure they stay hydrated and that they pace themselves while riding.

[Kano]

Things I don't miss about humidity:

NOT drying after showering.

Unmanageably wavy hair

NOT drying after showering

mold

mildew

being constantly sticky

DRIPPING with sweat

Never mind dripping -- RUNNING sweat

NOT drying after showering!!!!!



Not long after moving to Boise, small daughter, who's now very tall, and I got off a plane in Minnesota. INSTANTLY, our noses felt like we were trying to breathe through them with them pinched shut, and dear small daugthter looked up at me and asked, "How do people breathe here???????"

And that wasn't a humid day, in Minnesota terms!

Karen in Boise

[pyxichick]

Whenever I get off a plane and come back to MN I notice the humidity, too.

It's interesting how some people prefer hot and some cold. I wonder if we have slightly different body temps and that's why.

I was just wondering the other day if there is such a thing as heat induced asthma, because I definitely have a harder time breathing when it's above 80 degrees or so.

I also feel like you can always put on more layers if you're cold, but there's nothing to do if you're hot. And the main reason I prefer cooler weather: no bugs in my eyes!

Kate

[bikerHen]

I just got back from a week in North Carolina. This was my first introduction to real humidity. I got up early and rode every morning as soon as it was light, but the humidity was still around 85% everyday. It was so bad one morning my glasses were fogged up the whole ride.

I rode a bike my sister pulled out of her shed; it was too small, the chain made enough noise so every dog was out waiting for me, and it weigh a ton. But I was so happy to have a set of wheels, I didn't care. Except the part about the dogs. I have never seen so many dogs waiting to chase me. I turned down one road and there was a pack of dogs waiting in the middle of the road.

More power to you ladies who live with humidity! bikerHen

PS: Humidity really does make your skin feel nice.

[Kano]

I was just wondering the other day if there is such a thing as heat induced asthma, because I definitely have a harder time breathing when it's above 80 degrees or so.

First, gross alert:

I think our boogers swell when we get into the humidity. Heat isn't so much the issue, cuz it takes longer for it to be too hot to breathe in a desert! Well, that's my experience anyway!

I also feel like you can always put on more layers if you're cold, but there's nothing to do if you're hot. And the main reason I prefer cooler weather: no bugs in my eyes!

Kate

Oh, you're right, Kate! No bugs in cold weather! Hmmm, skeeter on my monitor! And yes, I'd just as soon add layers, since I run out of layers to take off....

Karen in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Supposed to hit 100 degrees with very high humidity and blasting sun both today and tomorrow- I think I'm going to take a break and catch up on my work and obligations instead of trying to ride today or tomorrow. Will be back on my new bike on Thursday. (well, I "might" see if I can get a quick ride in before dark, if it has coolded off enough)

[tulip]

I don't mind it, either. We get it bad here in DC (right, Tulip?). Today when I was riding, the sweat was literally pouring off me on the downhills. Better than having to wear wool socks with those chemical foot warmers, in addition to putting the chemical hand warmers in my gloves AND still being cold!!

Well, I kindof like riding in the cold, too. This year's coldest ride was 19F in February, looks like this year's hottest will be tomorrow at 100F or so. Today I'm off the hook because I had a filling replaced at the dentist this morning. Even though the novacaine will wear off by the time I head for home, riding in the heat and humidity requires one to be 100% healthy and not on some nerve-altering drugs like novacaine. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Selkie]

Tulip -- I can't believe it! You are the tough gal and you let novacaine keep you off your bike? haha. Just kidding. Smart move, as it was hellacious when the sun was out. I just got back and out of the shower. My face is still beet red from getting in my miles (105 heat index), but I encountered only a handful of folks on the trail. Therefore, I will NOT complain.

[tulip]

They had to give me a double shot of novacaine (dentist said that people with high metabolisms have to have more for some reason, in any case, I could feel the dentist at work in there at first (before she started drilling!)).

Today I did ride to work. I normally drink about half a water bottle on my 14 mile commute, but today I drank 2 for good measure. We'll see about tonight...I might bum a ride from a coworker who lives near me. I don't need to be a hero or anything.

At some point I'll figure out how to post pictures and I'll post a picture of my February snow ride with my folding bike with studded snow tires. It was great fun, and the picture will cool us all off!