Riding In Warm/hot Days



Tao2015

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May 20, 2015
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Hello cyclists everywhere,

I am beginner cyclist and an engineering student at the University of Calgary, Canada. As the summer is almost here I decided to tackle the problem of riding in hot temperature. I am at the concept generation stage and I would like to design and build a solution that makes driving in the hot summer days a pleasant experience for everyone. I would appreciate your feedback about some of the questions I am trying to answer.

- Is driving in high temperatures a pressing problem that you would love to find a solution for?
- Are there any other solutions out there, and are they effective?

All your insights are highly appreciated.
Thanks :) ,
Tao
 
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The best solution is to ride everyday. Then you adapt.


I find clothing that blocks the sun to be effective. Lots of water either for evaporate cooling or conduction cooling ( works best on the back of the neck or the armpits).
 
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Go early, drink fluids and don't stop lest you overheat. Oh yeah, do not ride in a mountainous area like I do.
 
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"- Is driving in high temperatures a pressing problem that you would love to find a solution for?"

No. Hitting the Max AC button on the dash does it for me.

Oh...riding. I sweat. I drink. I sweat some more. Hasn't been a problem in the previous 44 years of riding.


"- Are there any other solutions out there, and are they effective?"

Lighter weight Lycra helps. Becoming used to working hard in the heat helps. Staying hydrated helps. After the typical Ohio winter weather I look forward to riding in hot, sunny weather.
 
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Honestly, there is a deeper problem when riding in the cold. Riding on a hot day is easier because the wind hits you. I have not had a serious problem with heat as long as I just stay hydrated. When riding a stabilized bike, people use fans, but other than that there is no solution.
 
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Hypothetically speaking, would having a small cooling device attached on the bicycle improve the quality of the ride?
 
As a sport, enduring the elements is part of the experience. The "hard" riders consider riding in extreme weather as rite of passage. Sweaty clothes and tan lines are your membership card.

Everyone does have their limits and when the weather gets really hot a humid, I have to back off on either the duration or intensity of rides. The usual solution of going earlier or later in the day is the simplest. Light reflective clothing also is a plus. Carrying extra water and dousing yourself is good too. When all else fails, I'll jump in the nearest lake.

I considered making misting systems, but I would rather drink the water I am carrying.

Whatever device you come up with will have to be lightweight, compact and more effective than a bottle of water or a slurpee stop for cyclists to consider it.
 
I actually enjoy the extreme heat. The hallucinations and the partial blackouts make the ride go by faster.
 
Tao2015 said:
Hypothetically speaking, would having a small cooling device attached on the bicycle improve the quality of the ride?
It might help a bit when you're stopped waiting for a light change or re-grouping on a no-drop group ride. That's when your eyes get flooded with sweat, and your glasses fog. :D

I try to pick routes without a lot of delay potential (traffic lights, crossing busy roads, etc) in hot weather. Easy in rural areas like mine. I'm also near the coast, so there's almost always a nice breeze, and temps about 10 degrees cooler than farther inland.
 
"Hypothetically speaking, would having a small cooling device attached on the bicycle improve the quality of the ride?"

You mean like an ice cold beer in a custom carbon fiber coozie?

Sure. It might take more than one, but it would improve the quality of my rides.
 
I hate being hot and sweaty. HATE! What usually helps is staying hydrated and making sure I'm doing another form of physical activity (lifting weights) when I'm not cycling so I feel good about the heat and sweat. Hope that makes sense.
 
Having lived in the both extremes of the climate spectrum on this planet. Being outside as much as possible is the solution. The body adapts, no devices needed. Drink plenty of fluids, in both extremes. And proper hydration starts the day before.
 
If the heat was an issue while riding, then I wouldn't ride that day. It's something that we all get used to while riding, and plenty of us like riding in hot weather. I know I do up in the mountains because it makes everything feel a lot more rewarding as far as I'm concerned. I'm not going to attach a fan or something to my ride, either.
 
This summer is extra hot so I am advising bikers to take a sabbatical from their cycling activities. Although cyclists are power trained and not susceptible to heat stroke, it is better to be safe than sorry. We are currently experiencing temperatures of more than 35 deg so we'd better be conscious of the heat. By the way, I will be buying a new bike after the summer season.
 
You can get used to. Choose light clothing and you will not feel the heat. Otherwise change the time you go out cycling. If you find it difficult during the day, you can go out cycling in the morning or late in the evening.
 
9lines said:
You can get used to. Choose light clothing and you will not feel the heat. Otherwise change the time you go out cycling. If you find it difficult during the day, you can go out cycling in the morning or late in the evening.
Pardon me but I cannot get used to the unbearable heat. Light clothing wouldn't help with the excessive humidity here. Maybe it would help if I would not wear any clothing at all, hahahaaa. But seriously, biking in this kind of hot weather may cause undue fatigue and worse, a heat stroke. For amateur bikers like me, it is best to shy away from biking for the moment.
 
For me, I love to ride when it's sunny and hot... I don't feel like riding when it's a cloudy day. It's like the heat, sweat, and the sun energizes me; I enjoy it. Some people are not used to riding in the heat of the sun. I would recommend to them to drink lots of liquid and wear light clothing when riding. But believe me, you will get used to the heat of the sun as time passes by and when you get a lot of riding experience.
 
Wear your helmet. Preferably a white one because white tends to reflect light. You will need it to deflect the sun's light rays. When I ride in the summer heat it doesn't seem to affect me. My sweat cools me down, plus I am of dark complexion so I am not really in danger of heat stroke.
 
On days where the heat and humidity are too much, I usually just avoid cycling and take the bus or something if I need to commute. It's not so bad mountain biking because it's always shaded, but I hate biking to work in the heat and getting there all sweaty. If it's hot and I need to be out on my bike I just make sure to dress appropriately and stay hydrated.

I'm not sure if it's enough of an annoyance that I would buy a specific product to keep me cool while biking, I'm sort of used to just dressing for the weather and making the best of it.
 

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