Summer is my favorite time of year. I enjoy the warm/hot weather and the longer days. But, the first few days of riding in hot weather can be a challenge until I get used to it. Yesterday, was one of those challenging days.
Wilting In The Heat
It was hot (90 degrees with decent humidity) when I headed out last night for my after-work ride. This was my 1st ride this year in temps over 85 degrees plus I was still recovering from some sort of mild illness that I got over the weekend. I started riding and almost immediately noticed the heat coming up from the road. It felt good but my body wasn’t performing like it normally does. I found it hard to average much over 17mph and my efforts were strained to say the least. Realizing this I just finished out the ride without making much of an effort to push things. I ended up riding for 60 minutes. When I got home I was soaked with sweat and more tired than normal. I recovered quickly and felt fine within 10 minutes but I was definitely affected by the heat.
Time To Adapt
I know from previous years that it takes me at least 4 or five rides in hot weather to get used to it. So that means I should be fully acclimated by this weekend as every day is predicted to be over 90 degrees with higher than normal humidity. I’ll just have to take it a little easy, not push it, and let my body adapt. My guess is that most of us need to adapt to the heat the same way. So, if you are facing the 1st round of hot weather on your bike, take a little time to get used to it.
Help Your Body
There are several things you can do to help your body adapt to the hot weather:
- Start out slow- don’t immediately start to hammer right at the beginning of the ride, take some time to let your body get used to activity.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- Proper hydration is always important but hot weather makes it mandatory. Don’t cheat your body out of the liquid it needs, make sure you drink enough throughout the day and on your ride. Also, make sure you get enough electrolytes.
- Wear the right clothing- Lighter colors are better in the heat. Also, use one of those “sweat vac” things that you wear under your helmet. They really help in keeping your head cool and keeping the sweat out of your eyes.
Bring On The Heat
Once you adapt to the heat you should be fine. Just make sure to play it smart and cut back if it becomes oppressively hot. Drink enough fluids (with electrolytes) and wear the right clothing. If you do those things riding in the heat can be enjoyable.
Ride On
