well idk about you all, but here in richmond virginia, and most of the rest of the state for that matter, it has gotten hot! for now our average daytime highs are in the mid to upper 90’s (fahrenheit) and the nighttime lows only go down to the mid to upper 70’s. so i was wondering what everyone does as far as coping with the heat in the summertime. if you’re anything like me you don’t like letting a little hot weather stop you from riding.
usually i will do 1 of 3 things. i have a few underground parking garages in downtown richmond that have some great street spots so if i’m riding in the daytime and want to pride street i’ll go to one of those spots because it’s usually 20 degrees coolers down in these parking garages. i have a bunch of nice muni trails around as well and since most of those are in the shade it’s not too bad to go ride some decent muni for a while. also, i sometimes just wait until nightfall and go have a nice night session downtown. still makes for a hot sweaty ride, but not nearly as agonizing as it would be in the daytime.
so what are some of you guys’ strategies for staying cool, but still being able to enjoy riding?
And you could deflect even more sunlight if you add a white/silver tutu
Alright, here comes the honest part:
A buff worn around your head is good for keeping the sweat out of the eyes.
A light-coloured tricot made of artificial fibre is better than riding half-naked, like my avatar does.
Only it produces tanlines… that’s a question of taste.
I live in North Carolina and it gets quite hot here. I find riding in the morning works quite well. It is supposed to get up to 99 today so I rode this morning at 6:30 am before it got too hot. When I ride pavement I try to ride on greenways that follow a stream since I’m usually guaranteed to be riding in the shade. Even when I ride in the afternoon it usually isn’t too bad if I ride in the shade.
I live in Austin, Texas. I ride primarily 36er. I’m a commuter and hill climber. I actually ride better and stronger the hotter it is. I love the heat. I drink as much water as I can before, during and after the ride. Also, if there is a convenient store on your ride stop and get some gatorade. Have fun.
Get rid of your cotton clothing, and wear breathable/wicking fabrics. I used to think those clothes were a gimmick, but they work really well for keeping you cool. You can get some shirts/pants that don’t have any of those fancy graphics on them.
Lose some weight – seriously! It takes less effort to ride with less weight.
Take off your helmet frequently during breaks. You lost most of your body height from your head.
Oh god, I’ve been riding topless most of the time recently but apart from that… I just ride less i think, which is frustrating, but i can’t deal with it
When it’s hot and hilly I fill my camelbak and put a frozen Gatorade next to the bladder. Part way through the ride I get the half frozen Gatorade, shake it until it’s like a slurpee. Great treat. Also the above clothing hints are key.
Wow, excellent suggestions in this thread! Here’s what works for me (includes some repeats, but also my versions of some of the above):
Avoid the hottest part of the day. Where I live, that’s mid-afternoon until sunset (low humidity). For you East-coasters it’s more like the middle part of the day
Riding at night can be a blast if you have a good place. Beware of parking structures, since they’re usually private property so you may eventually get rousted. Lit parking lots work nice if they have good pavement
Stay hydrated! For my Camelbak, I only use water. But the sports drink next to the bladder is a great idea. Water alone will not be enough if you do a lot of riding in the heat; you’ll need electrolytes. Sports drinks or gels work well.
I also love a Camelbak with ice in it. If you fill it up with ice and then put water over that, it’ll be cold for many hours.
In Japan at Unicon XII, we learned about the wet towel idea. A wet towel around your neck, over your head or otherwise nearby is a great way to lower head temperature.
Indeed, wicking fabric is usually cooler than skin.
The parasol/umbrella works, but if you’re riding on a tightrope consider it cheating.
