REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Overheated

1046 Views 16 Replies 14 Participants Last post by mumbles, Jun 24, 2009

iampinkandorange

Discussion Starter · Jun 21, 2009

I burn up when I ride. It's stays in the 90's where I am with 50% humidity during the summer. I'm new to riding but I need breaks constantly to cool down. Are there any tips to not get so hot on the trails? I wear sunscreen, light colored clothes, and the rest of me is warm and not too hot, it's my face and head that are so hot to the point of giving me headaches from the heat. I also wear a camelback while I ride and drink water constantly.

Will ice water help? Should I wet my hair down before I ride? Any other tips?

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

Swthrtsuzy

· #2 · Jun 21, 2009

I have the same problem. Texas is so dang hot that it's sometimes hard to even want to go out and ride. I get up at 6am so that I can ride before it really starts to get hot because I have the same problem as you. My head's always been the hottest part of my body. A new helmet with better ventilation might help you. Also, if your helmet doesn't have a visor, it actually does help. I wouldn't wet your hair because it seems to me that when I go outside on a humid day without blowdrying my hair, it just makes me that much more miserable, so it might actually make it worse. YMMV. The ice water might help, though if you stay out for longer than an hour or so, it might get warm anyway.

It sucks, but it's something your body will eventually kinda acclimate to and it won't seem so bad after a while. Good luck.

formica

· #3 · Jun 21, 2009

Note, I changed the title of this thread from "?" to "overheated" hopefully to help OP.

~formica

eschmid

· #4 · Jun 21, 2009

Here are a few things I have tried to stay cool on really hot rides: wetted then braided my hair, poured water on my helmet and stuck it in the freezer until ride time, dampened or soaked synthetic riding shirt before ride, soaked bandana and worn it around neck, taken a quick cold shower with riding clothes on (not shoes and socks) immediately before mounting the bike, put ice water in the hydration pack, ate 1 or two popcicles right at the beginning of a ride, added electrolytes (w/o sugar) in the hydration pack or in extra water bottle, brought an extra water bottle just for pouring on me, and made sure the ride goes by swimming hole. Use evaporative cooling to your advantage!.Anytime there is liquid evaporating from your skin, you are getting cooler. Using the above methods, I've gone on some rides in 104 degrees. Funny but I was the only one out there...

NicoleC

· #5 · Jun 22, 2009

iampinkandorange said:
I burn up when I ride. It's stays in the 90's where I am with 50% humidity during the summer. I'm new to riding but I need breaks constantly to cool down. Are there any tips to not get so hot on the trails? I wear sunscreen, light colored clothes, and the rest of me is warm and not too hot, it's my face and head that are so hot to the point of giving me headaches from the heat. I also wear a camelback while I ride and drink water constantly.

Will ice water help? Should I wet my hair down before I ride? Any other tips?

This sounds pretty normal. The heat index is about 105 when the weather is like that. Having lots of vegetation nearby helps drop the temperature and of course shady trails help keep you from cooking in the sun.

tiffanyinanthem

· #6 · Jun 22, 2009

effort

Same problem here. I'm in Phoenix and summers are brutal. I agree with what everyone has said so far.

Personally, what I've learned is that I cannot really go as hard in the heat and I just need to scale back my effort so that I do not get overheated. If I keep the effort on the lower end, I can deal with the heat much better.

Tiff .

iampinkandorange

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 22, 2009

I'm in Texas and it was about 100 today, maybe hotter. Fortunately most of the trails here are shaded about 75% of the time. But I still had to stop several times because I was getting too hot. But I went and got an underarmour shirt which helped greatly and is much better than a t-shirt, brought along ice water, had to pour water on me once, and just tried to take it easy.

I wish I had enough hair to braid!!

My boyfriend had an idea today to bring those ice packs that you can squeeze and break and they get cold if I do get too hot. I also plan on wetting and freezing some rags to stick in plastic bags and bring as well.

Thanks for the tips everyone!

H0WL

· #8 · Jun 22, 2009

Yup, it is wicked hot here in Austin right now; the 10-day forecast calls for 100+ every day. We are having August weather in June.

One of our riders here uses some type of neck wrap with a gel in it. You soak it and then tie it around you neck -- it keeps evaporating and cooling you down.

There is also some type of upper body wrap that was originally designed for wearing under body armor. It is the same principle as the neck wrap. It is gel filled, and is soaked in water before wearing. Those that use it swear it keeps them much cooler.

Hammer Nutrition makes something called Liquid Endurance that is supposed to help with the heat.

You might want to google "heat exhaustion" and "heat stroke." This is such a wickedly hot summer already that it is probably good to have a general awareness about these conditions and what to do or not to do if you encounter the symptoms in yourself or someone else.

deanna

· #9 · Jun 22, 2009

tiffanyinanthem said:
Personally, what I've learned is that I cannot really go as hard in the heat and I just need to scale back my effort so that I do not get overheated. If I keep the effort on the lower end, I can deal with the heat much better.

This is pretty much what I do... here in the midwest it can be quite humid so sweat doesn't evaporate well to help cool the body, it just adds to the misery! I've learned on hot days just to ride slower and not stop (if possible) so that the wind created by moving helps to cool me off.

NicoleC

· #10 · Jun 22, 2009

I know the neck wraps make you feel much cooler (and they do!), but I don't think they actually make you cooler. So you should be vigilant for signs of heat stress if you use one.

Something that seems to help me is to let my body get acclimated to the conditions outdoors first. This can be hanging out for an hour before the ride or just having the windows down on the way there. No going straight from an air conditioned car to the trail.

One of the best tasting things you'll ever have after working (or playing) outside on a hot sweaty day is sliced cucumbers with salt.

LyNx

· #11 · Jun 22, 2009

Our weather down here is always either hot or hotter, with humidity over 60% constantly and more like 70%. Best advice as given above is to make sure you have a helmet with good/loads of vents and ride either real early before the sun starts to warm things up to much or ride late when it starts to go down - we do a regular weekly night ride here for that very reason, that and makes it easier for guys/gals to finish up with work and get there.

Yes, add ice to your hydration pack, as much as you can fit in there if it's that hot out. What I will do is take along a bottle of cold/ice water as well as my hydration pack and occasionally squirt it through the vents in my helmet and down my back and on my arms and legs if it's really hot - seems to really help, especially in still hot weather/places where there's no breeze to help cool you.

Oh and just in case you aren't, you should be riding in a nice light "Cool Wick" type jersey, not a T-shirt, they'll kill you.

CycleMainiac

· #12 · Jun 22, 2009

I see you are in the land of Hotter Than He[[, but it's a dry heat right?

Lots of good advice above.

I will add hydrating all day, actually making high hydration a daily endevor/habit regardless of whether or not you are riding that day.

I always fill my water pack up with ice then water when it gets hot out side. I also carry a bottle with ice water specifically for pouring on my head through the vents and down my back. I learned real quick how to tilt my head just right so the sweaty water does not run back into my eyes. It feels ohhh soo good.

When helmet shopping, you pay for AIR. Meaning helmets with greater airflow or more vents cost more. A white helmet is cooler than a colored helmet.

Always take extra water and electolite replacement and leave in a cooler for the end of your ride. Consider adding a recovery drink to the cooler for after the ride.

I used to have very bad headaches after hard hot efforts. I found that taking a second multi vitimin with minerals helps. For me I am pretty sure it's the magnesium and manganese (sorry, I am a terrible speller) that I deplete and when I use suplements with both of these I do not have the head aches. Most electrolite replacements have magnesium, but the only one with manganise that I know of are the Hammer Endorolites.

I like your frozen wet rags idea, try sticking/holding them in your arm pits when your are way hot.

One place we ride often has a spring. In an emergeny I know how to get to that spring. I have even heard of Bike Patrol guys shuttling water from the springs to a rider they found in distress else where on the trail. Some places I ride I know how to leave the trail and go to a house and use an outside water spicket to cool off in an emergency or before I end up in an emergency.

Heat stroke/exhaustion is SERIOUS

Anyone here have an outdoor shower for after rides? When/if I build a garage in my back yard it is going to have an outdoor shower/bikewash/dogwash on a carport area.

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verslowrdr

· #13 · Jun 22, 2009

CycleMainiac said:
...Anyone here have an outdoor shower for after rides? When/if I build a garage in my back yard it is going to have an outdoor shower/bikewash/dogwash on a carport area.

Dang that's an awesome idea... add a little cooler for ice cold beer and a comfy deck chair to chill on for a few minutes and it would be like heaven...

Consuela

· #14 · Jun 22, 2009

Excellent advice, ladies! I also slow down and take it easy on hotter days. To add to the already sage advice...

I like to use Nuun to add electrolytes to the water in my camelbak to help keep me hydrated. There are lots of good hydration products out there. I use Nuun because it doesn't have any sugar added. Bottomline, water alone won't rehydrate you when you are sweating out all your sodium, etc...

www.nuun.com

DeSoto Arm Coolers - They are made with DeSoto's special Skin Cooler fabric. They also make Leg Coolers, Cool Wings (for tank top), base layer, and also a Skincooler Helmet Beanie. I've only used the Arm Coolers and wear them to help protect from the sun. Yes, my arms do feel cooler with them, especially once I start pedaling and get a little breeze moving past my arms.

The best price for sleeves I found when shopping was here:
http://www.tri-zone.com/Details.html?cat=13&item=DSACL

But, the best sizing charts were here:
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodDE_AC5.html

Helmet Beanie:
http://www.desotosport.com/products/product.asp?Category=accessories&ProdID=SHB9

Keep cool,
Consuela

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VanHalen

· #15 · Jun 23, 2009

Hot season in AZ, and still riding! But,...

No epic rides, stay close to the parking lot

Pre hydrate like mad!

Take it slooooow, and take lots of breaks

Anytime you find shade (which is tough in the desert), take advantage of it!

After a couple rides you get used to it somewhat

LARGE camelback + all the extra water possible

Sunscreen

I usually ride triathlon style, dinky shorts and a top, can't ride with too many clothes on

No riding in the heat when my monthly friend comes and hangs out, that is instant heat stroke for some reason... :madman:

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CycleMainiac

· #16 · Jun 23, 2009

2

Our local Queen of Cool showed off her Six Six One under the armor gel core cooler thingy last night. She also had the gel filled neck wraps but I missed getting a pic of it.

Before putting it on

on under the jersey

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mumbles

· #17 · Jun 24, 2009

Get a polar ice bottle, fill it 3/4 full and freeze it solid. Add water or other liquid right before you ride. Its nice to have something ice cold along with your camelbak. Ice cubes in the camelbak melt quickly.

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