Mikebike125 said:
I went out riding yesterday 88 degrees F. I rode out about 9.5 miles and I began to feel the skin on my legs tingling and my lips begin to tingle. I thought I had enough to drink but I wasn't sweating as much as I thought I should with that heat. I think I was in the beginning stages of Heat Stroke.
What should/could I have done differently to not have this happen again if I need to ride in hot weather like this? What do you guys, girls do?
1. Lots of water and electrolytes are needed for hot weather riding. Plan on drinking at least a 24 oz bottle each hour in moderate 88F weather. I go up to two bottles/hour when it's sunny and mid-to-high 90's. You can add salt to water, use an endurance sports drink, or take fancy electrolyte tablets to keep things in balance.
2. For longer rides in the heat, you'll need to plan your route to include water stops where you can refill every 20 miles or so. An option would be to carry extra bottles in your jersey, or a Camelback.
3. Slow down. Recognize that the heat puts added demands on your heart, diverting a good bit of blood flow to the skin for cooling. My HR runs about 10 degrees higher than normal on a hot (eg, 95F and sunny day).
4. With your troubles on a short ride in "only" 88*F, sounds like you need to do more summer riding to have your body adapt. Build up your mileage slowly.
5. Use plenty of sunscreen. Sunburn only adds to your heat stress over the course of a long day.
6. Finally, ride early in the AM or in the evening whenever possible; not in the mid-day sun. It's possible to ride a century in 100* weather, but it's certainly not something I go out of my way to do.