who is riding in the heat?

[neal1975]

anyone out there today or last few days? too hot for me-

i can hear my bike crying in the closet-

[Angela]

We rode over the weekend (and yes it was very hot and humid) and riding very early or very late, staying hydrated and riding slower than you would if the weather is not so hot and humid can keep you on the trail. We always carry small hand towels and a two gallon thermos with water and an ice pack in it for a quick wipe off and cool down after a ride - it feels awesome! It seems a lot cooler once you are in the woods under the trees!

[yetichick]

Had a bit of a downpour at our house last night, so didn't head over to FATS. Monday evening, though, we rode. There was one truck in the parking lot when we got there, and 3 more when we left. We made sure we were hydrated before we left the house, and continued to drink water out of our packs while riding. We sweated, but never got overheated--was a great ride!!! You could sure feel the difference between being under the trees compared to when you popped out onto a power line!!! Love riding in the southeast in the summer, versus back when we lived in Tucson! You don't have to hit the trails at 5:00 in the morning! ;D

[quiver]

You have to learn your limits and get acclamated to the high temps. If you normally ride 15 miles at a time in the fall or spring... ride 7 or 8 and slowly built up to your normal. After a few weeks of buiding up, you will be just fine. You just want to avoid big jumps in your workout load that will cause you to get dizzy, nauseous and dehydrated. Thats when it gets dangerous.

I also run, road bike etc... to build up heat tolerence. It sometimes takes less of a time commitment than MTB typically does.

So like everyone has said... drink plenty of water (also drink a lot before you leave the house!), Ride early if you can.... Riding late really doesn't do much for me... at 8pm its still 99 degrees.... and build up slowly.

I have to be at work at 8:30am, so a lot of times we will meet at fats at 6:15am, get an hour or so ride in and shower and head to work....

[seenvic]

Worked at HKSP Saturday in the heat. Toughest loop I've ever done on the Lake Loop up there.

Sunday, rode HKSP Lake Loop and Plum Branch. It was hot. We were done by noon and covered about 20 miles.

Going to try the early am thing at FATS soon. Planned on it this morning, but FATS is soaked this morning.

[yetichick]

Jun 16, 2010 6:44:24 GMT -5 quiver said:

You have to learn your limits and get acclamated to the high temps. If you normally ride 15 miles at a time in the fall or spring... ride 7 or 8 and slowly built up to your normal. After a few weeks of buiding up, you will be just fine. You just want to avoid big jumps in your workout load that will cause you to get dizzy, nauseous and dehydrated. Thats when it gets dangerous.

So like everyone has said... drink plenty of water (also drink a lot before you leave the house!), Ride early if you can.... Riding late really doesn't do much for me... at 8pm its still 99 degrees.... and build up slowly.

Great advice from quiver. Neal1975, if you are not used to riding in the heat, you do need to build up to it and don't want to overdo it. Pick a trail with bailout points (all of FATS is good for that). Don't ride as hard or as long as you would in cooler weather until you get acclimated. You sure don't have to stop riding, though--just be smart about it.

While quiver doesn't like to ride in the evenings, we do. After 5 it definitely doesn't feel as hot as it does in the middle of the afternoon. Starting between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. works rather well, too. We have to be at work at 7:15 a.m., so riding before work doesn't work well for us. You will have to decide when to ride according to your own schedule.

[dgaddis1]

I'm in the 'ride when you can and just deal with the heat' camp. Definitely have to get acclimated though. I've done plenty of 2ish hour rides in 100+ degree weather and felt just fine. But that was after getting well acclimated.

[Mark Y]

One note; some folks are more heat sensitive than others, and those probably won't get "acclimated". I am one of those and just have to be very careful about pacing and listening to my body. The difference in my heart rate between cool weather and hot weather on the same trail is 20 bpm or more. My legs give out before my CV system does when it is cold and vice versa when it is hot. I can overheat just walking around, and have been that way all of my life; so it is pedal slow and stop a lot.

[brianW]

I am in the 'ride when you can" camp also. When it's hot i just slow down and drink plenty of water. Also some cold water at the car helps a lot for after the ride. Most Saturdays i can manage a 3-4 hour in the early am. Try to get another ride sometime in the week.

[azdrawdy]

The heat doesn't stop us. It may very well slow our pace down, but because most of the riding is indeed under the tree canopy, we just hydrate and press on.

What does stop me is riding in temps below 40. Spent years in Europe, rode on icy, crunchy trails, still have tons of very cold weather clothes. Bought a case of Grabber Toe Warmers this year. Just don't find that enjoyable. Cold, wet temps are one of the main reasons we joined Gold's this year.

MD

[bikerpanda]

The heat is my biggest enemy. I am like Mark Y, Ive been this way my whole life. If it is 60-70 degrees outside, I am in shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt walking around and probably still hot.

I still ride in the heat but I stop a lot and drink more than usual.

[neal1975]

I rode yesterday at bartram around 7, and it really wasnt too bad. Just drink tons and tons of water and keep a moderate pace and it isnt that bad i guess. its when it gets in the 100+ temps and sicky humid that really takes all the enjoyment out of it for me. I get to feeling kinda faint and nauseous sometimes.

I cant wait for fall when its 70 ! woo