Hot Weather Riding Tip

V-Tom

V-Tom

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Okay some of you are going to say what the heck does a Canadian know about Hot Weather riding? Isn't it like someone from California or Atlanta talking about cold weather riding? I know about it because I ride a lot and I ride in the USA a lot. The last big rides I did (down to North Carolina last July and Grand Canyon the September before that) had multiple days where temperatures were in the 95 to 110 range and had a peak of 126 in Death Valley.

And since I do live in Canada I am simply not used to hot weather. We do get the odd spell where it hits the 90's but it isn't normal although in those cases we stil have to be careful.

A while back I learned what to me might have been a life saving tip. I am sure many of you know about this or perhaps have better tips. .
Drink Gatorade (or similar Sport's Drink) in the heat. One time I was at an event and I think I was on the verge of a heat stroke. Temps were around 100 with lots of humidity and we had just had a hot day of riding. I was so lethargic when I got back to my tent and pretty much passed out. A friend gave me a bottle of Gatorade and in a very short period of time I went from almost passing out to being full of life. Even though I had drank lots of water I lacked the electrolytes and was in a bad state and the Gatoraide brought me back.

My wife and I ride a lot and whenever we get into hotter weather we make sure to have or get a Gatorade. We also do this when we are doing any outside activies in the heat.

..Tom
 
I make my own using lemon juice, water, salt and sugar. Cheap and effective.
 
Yep you lose alot of salt in sweating.
I eat alot of salt, so i dont think this applies to me
 
Coconut water is apparently almost ideal for electrolyte replacement. There are other salts aside from sodium chloride that are lost, so electrolyte replacement drinks have an edge. I'd recommend avoiding bottled Gatorade if you have a choice. The powder stuff is cheaper and doesn't have high-fructose corn syrop. Plus you can easily mix at 50%—too much sugar can actually dehydrate you from osmosis of fluids from the body into the intestine.
 
Use a camelback or hydration knapsack to drink on the go.
The stuff made for distance athletes (ie triathletes and marathon runners) is great too and packs more use than gatorade!
Kiwi's are also a natural source of electrolytes in addition to being very high in potassium and vitamin c.
 
Yeah I had that same ...almost passed out woozy feeling on a long loop in Northern Quebec - even tho not a hot day I was in the sun and the sweat evaporates and you don't realize how dangerously dehydrated you are getting.

So ANY long ride it's easy enough to get into trouble. That day started out at 9 degrees in Rouyn-Noranda and the way the road curved slowly south I was facing the full sun all day.
One of the worst rides ever the last 50 km into Ottawa to my daughter's place... into the sun in end of weekend traffic....slept for two hours at her place after tanking up with fluids and then rode another 80 or so to a motel outside the city.

Got well drenched the next day ...go figure. :D
 
cleaver said:
Coconut water is apparently almost ideal for electrolyte replacement. There are other salts aside from sodium chloride that are lost, so electrolyte replacement drinks have an edge. I'd recommend avoiding bottled Gatorade if you have a choice. The powder stuff is cheaper and doesn't have high-fructose corn syrop. Plus you can easily mix at 50%—too much sugar can actually dehydrate you from osmosis of fluids from the body into the intestine.
Click to expand...

I've heard that you can use coconut water as IV fluids. Its also sterile.



Sent from my tablet using my paws
 
cleaver said:
Coconut water is apparently almost ideal for electrolyte replacement. There are other salts aside from sodium chloride that are lost, so electrolyte replacement drinks have an edge. I'd recommend avoiding bottled Gatorade if you have a choice. The powder stuff is cheaper and doesn't have high-fructose corn syrop. Plus you can easily mix at 50%—too much sugar can actually dehydrate you from osmosis of fluids from the body into the intestine.
Click to expand...

^^^^ THIS! It's my Summer go-to and all I bother taking to the beach to keep hydrated. Just watch for the sugar-added ones.


And wearing a bikini under the gear :cool:

NOT you Tom...
 
Last edited:
Nyx13 said:
^^^^ THIS! It's my Summer go-to and all I bother taking to the beach to keep hydrated. Just watch for the sugar-added ones.


And wearing a bikini under the gear :cool:

NOT you Tom...
Click to expand...

Pictures please A! :)

..Tom
 
Not necessarily a hot weather tip, but a general touring tip. If you're like me and you're doing a lot of miles in a day, food is generally limited to Mcdonalds or Wendys. Picking up some grapes or bananas are a good source of vitamins and energy.
 
cleaver said:
Coconut water is apparently almost ideal for electrolyte replacement. There are other salts aside from sodium chloride that are lost, so electrolyte replacement drinks have an edge. I'd recommend avoiding bottled Gatorade if you have a choice. The powder stuff is cheaper and doesn't have high-fructose corn syrop. Plus you can easily mix at 50%—too much sugar can actually dehydrate you from osmosis of fluids from the body into the intestine.
Click to expand...

Coconut water is also an effective laxative.......everything in moderation!
 
Here's my tip anyway....soak a bandana, neckerchief or buff in cold water and put it round your neck just before setting off on a hot ride. Cooling the carotid can make things a bit more comfortable in a hot helmet. You'll need to soak it again in about an hour or so but I find this really helps.
 
Wearing Vnm gear really helps in the heat. Riden with out it and all I can think about is riding with no gear on and that is not an option. Found it makes riding more pleasurable and keeps you focused on riding and not how hot it is wearing all your gear.

Plus 1 on the coconut water:) There are also powder forms of electrolite replenishers which have no sugars and taste good. You just mix it in with your water and keep hydrated.
 
^ Forgot that too....the Adidas store was selling off some compression Climacool stuff not so long back, the ones with support bands across the back, really cheap around $20 ish...those things are awesome for hot weather riding, they feel cool as soon as you put them on and wick amazingly well keeping the skin cool, allowing sweat to do what it's supposed to do plus the "elastic bands" on the gear that I thought were a gimmick do actually support muscles and work against fatigue. I have 3-4 different types of compression tops and the Adidas ones work better than the Underarmour ones for riding.
 
jc100 said:
^ Forgot that too....the Adidas store was selling off some compression Climacool stuff not so long back, the ones with support bands across the back, really cheap around $20 ish...those things are awesome for hot weather riding, they feel cool as soon as you put them on and wick amazingly well keeping the skin cool, allowing sweat to do what it's supposed to do plus the "elastic bands" on the gear that I thought were a gimmick do actually support muscles and work against fatigue. I have 3-4 different types of compression tops and the Adidas ones work better than the Underarmour ones for riding.
Click to expand...

I haven't used any stuff with the elastics in it, but wear moisture wicking clothes when doing any long rides. I wear the same riding suit all year round (Aerostitch Roadcrafter two piece).. from -16c to temperatures above 50c. The difference is what is underneath. My suit vents so well when the vents are open it feels like Air Conditioning when moving. It feels cooer than some mesh gear I used in the past.


Oner neat thing I was able to do when in 50c+ weather in Death Valley was to stuff my jacket pockets with the contents of a bag of ice. This really worked well!

Even with all that it is important to keep hydrating. You lose a LOT of body fluds in hot weather and sometimes I think the moisture wicking gear can mask it as you don't feel that hot. It works so well by using the mostiure you have perspired to cool you so you can lose a lot without realizing it.

..Tom
 
If I might add from a medical standpoint.

"jc100" cooling the neck area. +1
Pouring cold water on the head is not a good thing. The brain thinks that the rest of the body is cooling down and treats the organs as if everything is normal.
Whereas, it is not normal and continues to heat up.
To cool somebody down, cold towels around the neck (jc100) in the armpits and the groin area. Massive shrinkage lol.
Plus of course, 911 when necessary.

If your fellow rider is becoming dis-oriented, possible going into heat stroke. this is life threatening.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/heat-exhaustion
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom