Cycling in the heat.

[godivatrailrider]

I'm hoping to get away tomorrow for a 2 nighter heading first to Cannock then up to Wrexham and back to Shrewsbury.
3 fairly easy days, especially day 2 & 3. Day two is about 45miles but I'd be up early 6 ish and on the road for 7am. I'm slightly concerned I could arrive at my planned evening stop mid afternoon... and there's a pub nearby ! Could get messy !

I've cycled in heat along the Loire and around the Gironde and I'm here to tell the tale.
But with all the panicking naysayers, those little alarm bells start sounding.

I'm see it as on opportunity for a lite packing trip, no need for a sleeping bag or jacket etc... I'm not overly concerned tbh.
Take lots of water. I'd have about 1.5 L in the 2 bottles on the forks and another 2L in an Ortlieb water bag (thanks for the idea Roger !).
I'd keep these well stocked.

Electrolytic salt tablets, 1 or 2 a day.

A wet beer towel is fantastic for keeping cool, especially worn around the neck

Regular stops in the shade as and when.

Maybe a lunch time snooze under a tree somewhere. Get out of the 12:00 till 14:00 sun.

Sun cream. I have a bit of a tan, and tan well, I'm not fair skinned or red headed. Factor 30 or 50?

Sunglasses

I have a cycling cap which'd be lovely when wet.

Any reason to not go and enjoy the weather?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Sounds like a good plan. Certainly better than calling a 'National Emergency' because it's likely to be quite hot for a couple of days ... hardly a Russian invasion is it?

[RIP]

The "wet beer towel" sounds a handy thing to carry all the time TBH...

As for a sunshade, this is what we need I reckon:



(anyway, enjoy the trip, at least you'll have a breeze riding along, and Sat/Sun are supposed to be far cooler than Mon/Tues?)

[pistonbroke]

I survived 2 very hot long distance events here in Spain, the Badlands which is a 700km race through the deserts and mountains of Andalucia held in early September and the CAT700, a similar distance near where I live. There were times in both where temperatures were well over 40°c. My policy was to get going very early, pre dawn so the temperature rise was incremental and didn't just hit you. Alcohol is not your friend, a small cold beer at the end of the day is fantastic but leave us at that, the law of diminishing returns definitely applies and waking up with dehydration headache and mouth like a budgie cage floor is not a good start to the day. Getting a cold shower or dip in a river, lake or the sea does wonders for sleeping. Topping up with water at every opportunity is essential and as you said soaking your cap works for about 20 minutes. It's been in the mid 30's here for the last month,it's just a matter of acclimatisation, if you listened to the "experts" you'd never do anything.

[faustus]

I'm on the slightly more concerned end of the spectrum because it's forecast to be 38 here on Monday, right on the edge of the red warning, and preparing to stay inside and keep cool and shady. Keeping kids cool and getting them to actually sleep will not be fun - nor for me either tbh. I think an emergency scenario isn't such a bad idea when it's likely to be the hottest day or two ever recorded, especially with every ambulance service already in crisis mode.

I don't cope that well exercising in the heat so I guess it depends, but the max UV period is 11-3 at the moment, and i'd be going for factor 50 just to be good to your skin (see today's news story about skin cancer rates in men!). If you're prepared and OK with the heat then do it, and you can always find some shelter/air conditioned co-op if you need!

[redefined_cycles]

Sorry, haven't read the full thread but James once explained how to keep water cold (or hot) with your down/insulation. I've managed to ride some extreme heat using that input.

Yesterday i left my water bladder in the car. Wrapped in a Patagonia synthetic sleeve (Ledburner made it me for not much money - I just gave him the worn jacket) and covered over with a Rab down jacket. Left it at about 1900 and went did a night shift. This morning at about 1000 I remobed the bladder from the car to put in fridge. Felt really cold nd could have drank it straight down in the 23 or 27 degrees it was this am. Yesterday the temps were about 20c...

Thanks again JamesO.

[redefined_cycles]

Oh... and anyone I always see om such days I always remind em to keep drinking (water) enough that they keep wanting to go for a weewee. It's so important and by just doing this you don't know how many lives you might save pre-emptively (the US and our military only kmow that word for hitting Afghanistan with carpets bombs [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pentago ... g-1.402024] ... not that pre-emptive*).

*anyone that finds any of this info useful please do consider sponsoring me. I'm trying to stop the hunger crisis in Afghansitan becoming an all out famine like what Saudi caused in Yemen...

[redefined_cycles]

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/peakitt (please help ).

[godivatrailrider]

The "wet beer towel" sounds a handy thing to carry all the time TBH...

As for a sunshade, this is what we need I reckon:



(anyway, enjoy the trip, at least you'll have a breeze riding along, and Sat/Sun are supposed to be far cooler than Mon/Tues?)

Cheers Reg.
I've used beer towels for a few years now. They're heavier than a micro towel thing but they stay wetter for longer, and once wet, they don't need much to keep them wet. Just to cool the face & head is ace and around the neck .... I feel it really keeps me cooler, and that is all that matters !

I'm off today and Mon & Tues. Ideally today til Sunday would have worked best for me, and it's been much cooler today. Politically, Sunday - Tues is better for her, but much hotter for me.

[lune ranger]

I’ve cycled in some big heat and been deployed into some very hot counties (don’t recall any carpet bombing…)
I actually find cycling to be one of the most bearable activities in very hot weather - far more pleasant than sitting around for example. I think the breeze you create helps a lot. Just drink well, let thirst and urine colour be your guide and avoid getting burned.
35-40 may be hot here but it’s pretty standard elsewhere.

[Lazarus]

I would echo that moving equates to a breeze so its better than not moving. The rest is just good hydration[ and a swim if overly hot but the relief wont last long ] and factor 50 sun cream applied often

[jameso]

I'm not much good in the heat and I found a Shimano Transit long-sleeve shirt to be a total revelation for hot weather riding (Provence / Haute Alpes, Wales in 30+ degrees last year etc). It's a light coloured, close-weave polyester shirt with rear shoulder area venting. Suprisingly wind-resistant fabric, gaps at the button areas aside. I feel far cooler with the breeze it directs up my sleeves and the way it flaps at speed than I do wearing a generic roadie top. Covering your arms and directing air up a sleeve over sweaty skin seems closer to the idea of dipping your forearms in a stream or fountain than exposing them to the sun with a short-sleeve top - evaporation causes cooling and cooler air channelled up and around you makes sense to me. Flipping the collar up to protect ya neck is a good feature of a shirt.

Shimano don't make it anymore but there will be other options - hard to find though. I bought a second one before they sold out in the UK. Don't get me started on bike brands discontinuing great items like the Transit shirt in favour of more tight sleeve roadie generic tops ..but I suppose most riders want a pro-tour costume and all the aero over more practical items for general riding ; ) I love a shirt that flaps on the downhills. Literally a cooler top. Loosen your clothing and your attitude will follow, etc

Factor 50 for suncream, I'd buy factor 100 if they made it. I tend to buy small tubes of the sunblock stuff they sell for babies + toddlers.

[godivatrailrider]

Now up to 38C forecast which is pretty fricken hot and I've twinged my lower back gardening yesterday so I'm putting this trip back a week. No point in killing myself.
But thanks for all the advice.

[Boab]

If your running tubeless, remember to check sealant levels and spare tubes for holes and what not. Not much fun sorting out a puncture in direct sunlight at the moment...

[voodoo_simon]

Jersey that has a full length zip, had mine fully open on the climbs today and made a difference

[Richard G]

I survived 2 very hot long distance events here in Spain, the Badlands which is a 700km race through the deserts and mountains of Andalucia held in early September and the CAT700, a similar distance near where I live. There were times in both where temperatures were well over 40°c. My policy was to get going very early, pre dawn so the temperature rise was incremental and didn't just hit you. Alcohol is not your friend, a small cold beer at the end of the day is fantastic but leave us at that, the law of diminishing returns definitely applies and waking up with dehydration headache and mouth like a budgie cage floor is not a good start to the day. Getting a cold shower or dip in a river, lake or the sea does wonders for sleeping. Topping up with water at every opportunity is essential and as you said soaking your cap works for about 20 minutes. It's been in the mid 30's here for the last month,it's just a matter of acclimatisation, if you listened to the "experts" you'd never do anything.

Hey buddy, have you written up anything about Badlands anywhere? I've just been offered a cancellation spot and I'm definitely interested.

Maybe I'll just have to hope it's not as hot as that time we cycled in the heatwave...

[pistonbroke]

Buenos tardes Rich, yes I did a full write up it was entitled Racing in a Time of Covid and wasn't very complimentary about the organisers' attitude to the large number of UK based riders who, through no fault of their own, couldn't ride due to travel restrictions and their total abandonment of anyone who wasn't an Instagram star. They went missing from day 2 onwards and I only knew I'd finished when I got a phone call from dot watching MrsPB rather than getting to a manned finish line, I wasn't tail end Charlie either, 23rd overall and first over 60. I'll dig it out. The route was a curate's egg as well, many stunning landscapes and Instagram friendly video clips but also miles of depressing riding through the Mar de Plastico fruit farms, for me the highlight was the last day's 4am start to climb Pico Valeta, straight up to 3200m in the dawn light but due to the National Park banning them from racing through this area, it doesn't feature this year, the finish is quite a way from the start in Granada and there's you have to make your own way back. Apart from that it was fine

[pistonbroke]

viewtopic.php?t=18167#p248244
Here it is.

[Richard G]

viewtopic.php?t=18167#p248244
Here it is.

Cheers. I need to make a decision today or tomorrow and this'll be helpful.

[pistonbroke]

No problem Rich, just as a matter of interest, are the organisers offering a late entry ie were you on the reserve list, or are you taking someone else's entry? When I did it they were very hot on identity, checking passports or identity cards. As the report says, the event took place between 2 lockdowns and there were dozens of Brits that couldn't ride due to travel restrictions when returning to the UK so I guess they were checking that the correct riders had turned up. I did a race over Easter and bumped into a German guy who id ridden with on the Badlands, he had tried to get an entry this year but despite him pleading with the organiser, he'd not got in.

[Richard G]

No problem Rich, just as a matter of interest, are the organisers offering a late entry ie were you on the reserve list, or are you taking someone else's entry?

I tried to sign up within the first half hour when it went live, and it was full. Asked to be put on a reserve list, and I assume this is the result of that.

[pistonbroke]

Aah fully legit then.
Not trying to talk you out of it, I'll leave that to the writeup but this year could be problematic regarding water supply. Before the 2020 event I contacted the organisers to ask if there was a cue sheet showing places where water was available as there was no indication on the GPS track they sent out. They, eventually, replied that they'd not added fonts as they couldn't be relied on in September, the original date was May and whereas most villages had a water supply post winter, by the end of summer they could be dry. This year has been the hottest and driest in living memory with farmers literally going to jail for stealing water and sinking unauthorised bore holes. The sponge that is the Mar de Plastico where out of season fruit is grown using millions of litres of water can't be helping the situation. I carried 3 litres and cut it very fine on a couple of occasions, chancing upon a natural spring towards the end of a 100km section where there was literally nothing to eat or drink. Hopefully they will have taken note of the situation but given their assumption that everyone finishes in 2-3 days, I'm not convinced.

[Richard G]

This year has been the hottest and driest in living memory with farmers literally going to jail for stealing water and sinking unauthorised bore holes. The sponge that is the Mar de Plastico where out of season fruit is grown using millions of litres of water can't be helping the situation. I carried 3 litres and cut it very fine on a couple of occasions, chancing upon a natural spring towards the end of a 100km section where there was literally nothing to eat or drink. Hopefully they will have taken note of the situation but given their assumption that everyone finishes in 2-3 days, I'm not convinced.

Yeah, that's pretty much decided it. Was leaning towards no due to work commitments, and potential water shortage would be the final nail in the coffin.