Hot Weather Riding Tip

jc100 said:
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.
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I'd be careful with this one, my friend did this in China we were walking the Great Wall and it's DAMN HOT there..anyways when we came back down, basically the water under the towel was trapped and was superheating or something, she had burns and bubbles all over the back of her neck =S
 
bboySushi said:
I'd be careful with this one, my friend did this in China we were walking the Great Wall and it's DAMN HOT there..anyways when we came back down, basically the water under the towel was trapped and was superheating or something, she had burns and bubbles all over the back of her neck =S
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Those burns and bubbles were from water droplets acting like tiny magnifying glasses with the hot sun. Keep the skin covered and you'll be fine.
 
When touring, I go out of my way to always have a full bottle of water either in my top case or tank bag, and to drink water or a sports drink at every fuel stop. My very first tour, about 9 years ago, I ended up dehydrated, and nearly passed out while riding between Ottawa and Montreal. I spent about 20 minutes sitting in the shade in the middle of nowhere, then found the closest store and bought a gatorade.

The water I carry might get warm, but warm water is WAY better than no water!!
 
In addition to the gatorade, and VnM gear, I wear a mesh jacket and sometimes a cotton t-shirt. I'll pour water all over my shoulders and chest till I'm pretty wet. When you get up to speed, it feels amazingly cool! But it only lasts ~30 mins or so.

I disagree with the Wendy's or McDonald's for food but agree for using the facilities and cooling down in the A/C.
 
MacDoc said:
and the free wifi at McDs to upload your trip photos :D
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McDonalds locations have consistently had the fastest wifi. Doesn't matter where I am, it's always reliable. Washrooms are for the most part super clean too.
 
Avoid caffeine on hot trips even the cold one, lots water and good food is better than Gatorade. I had a bad memory of throwing up blue gatorade.

Listening to your body and knowing when its time to rest is better than soldiering on. Make it a conscious effort to drink water while on the road that is where the camel back works. One camel back of water for every tank of gas. You are dehydrated bad when it hurts to drink.

I use a wicking long sleeve shirt designed for whitewater rafting, its wicking and very comfortable. Covering exposed skin is also better than exposing them to air specially if the temp is above 35 C.

At 40 C+ heatwave through traffic in chicago a cooling vest helped us.

Freeze water bottle the night before a trip and put them in a insulated lunchbag you'll have cold water for the whole day.Chilled and frozen fruit like kiwi, grapes are nice to eat.

Avoid traffic.
 
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rafiki911 said:
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.
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I would avoid sugar-free electrolyte replacement drinks. The sugar helps the body absorb the salts. See: http://rehydrate.org/ors/ort.htm in the "Physiology" section.
 
djez said:
Freeze water bottle the night before a trip and put them in a insulated lunchbag you'll have cold water for the whole day.
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Great advice. Last year riding down south, cool water became gross warm water really quickly and didn't make me feel very hydrated. This year I know better! Will grab some ice before heading out from motels/rest stops so it lasts longer.
 
Or take my advice, ride in shorts and t-shirt.
 
Evaporative vests - I don't leave home without it. When they're dry they pack down to almost nothing, so it doesn't take up much space. They do less good in the high humidity - better when it's dry - but every little bit helps.

I made the mistake of doing a trip from Toronto - Colorado in my Aerostich 2-piece Roadcrafter. It's a great piece of gear, but not in the hot weather. Going across the Plains in the 100+F weather was agony, the first thing I did when I found a motorcycle shop was to pick up a mesh jacket.
 
Gatorade and other similar drinks are too high in sodium and can cause other problems. As been stated, coconut water is your best bet.


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Pedagogue said:
Gatorade and other similar drinks are too high in sodium and can cause other problems. As been stated, coconut water is your best bet.


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I'll just repeat that coconut water is a mild laxative here. Nothing wrong with Gatorade, I've seen it used to rehydrate animals too.
 
jc100 said:
I'll just repeat that coconut water is a mild laxative here. Nothing wrong with Gatorade, I've seen it used to rehydrate animals too.
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coconut water is a laxative ,only if you are chugging coconut water all day and nothing else. IMHO, water is all you need. drink lots of it and "mark your territory" at a few rest stops.In any case, if you are that dehydrated that you need electrolytes and salts and sugars and what not, then perhaps you have finished your riding for the day!
 
Its funny. .. im not hating on gatorade or coconut water but back in the '40's, '50's, '60's etc im sure water was good enough for them so it can be good enough now.

Drink lots of water often, stay hydrated, stay cool and dont over extend yourself. Know your limits.

And contrary to thought, keeping your skin covered with long shirts and long pants is better for you than having exposed skin on those long rides through killer heat.
 
More of a day ride tip, use a Camelbak and the day before freeze it half full of water, flat, with the opening facing up. The day of your ride fill up full with water. Put on under your jacket and you'll be cool most of your day. This block of ice will cool your core, back, chest, and is quite refreshing. Drink the water as your day continues. When empty fill up with ice cubes and add water..
 
Something to look out for on longer hot rides is are you peeing? If not then you are in danger of dehydration. Evaporation will remove a lot of fluid on a motorcycle ride and it is imperative, as stated many times before in this thread, to drink lots. I like to make time and not mess around when on the road but in the heat always drink a large Gatorade or juice at each gas stop. I read an article on this subject years ago and one of the contributors was a urologist and he stated that some of his worst patients were bikers that failed to keep hydrated when touring and had serious problems. Keep well.
 
What I do (with full gear):

Grab a bottle of water or something every time (or every other time) you fuel up?


If I'm not on the highway:

Crack open visor, let the air flow.

Unzip jacket half way.
 
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