How to Ride in the Heat:

(See tomorrow’s post for a ride report on last night’s Solstice Celebration Night Ride.  It’s late, and I already have this column “on the spike.”)

It’s warm now.  If I’m reading the tealeaves correctly, it’s going to get warmer.  A lot warmer.  That El Nino thing has about disappeared.  That was the system that gave us such a long spell of cooler and wetter.  My best guess is, it’s gonna be a hot one.

I like heat, but there are some reservations, and precautions.

Adapt:  Give yourself time to become fully acclimated to the increased temps.  In our climate, the changes seem to come abruptly.  This can catch us by surprise.  Be aware of the changes, and allow for them.  Slow down a bit until you have had a week to two weeks to become accustomed to a given range.

Expect the Changes:  Heat stress hits you in multiple ways.  First, your body is working harder.  It takes effort to deal with the temperature alone.  You have to process a lot of moisture, and the heat itself applies loads to you.  A big caution:  Do not go as hard.  Increased athletic effort causes the body to supply less blood to the digestive system.  Guess what?  You need the digestive system to process the water that you had better be drinking.

Less Oxygen:  Honest, it’s true.  There is less air in the air.  The phenomenon is one that pilots are familiar with.  It’s called density altitude.  Two things affect this,  Temperature and Humidity.  As both increase the density altitude increases.  In our area we can see density altitudes of around 5,000 feet.  That means that it’s like riding your bike on a hot day, a mile above sea level.  So you are getting about half the charge of oxygen for each lungful of air.  So you’re working harder.

Optional discussion of density altitude:  (It’s okay to skip this section and go to the next.  This is here for those with inquiring minds.)  As air heats, it becomes less dense.  This is because it expands.  Humidity also decreases the density of air.  Each water molecule in the air displaces one molecule of oxygen or nitrogen.  A water molecule is a lot less dense (and less useful for breathing) than an oxygen molecule.  So the effect is that there is less oxygen available to support effort.  It’s exactly as if you were at a higher altitiude.  And remember, half the atmosphere is below 5,000 feet.

High Heat = Slow Down!!:  When the temp rises into the high 90s, or higher, you simply must decrease effort.  Attempting a PR at these temps is a fast way to end up in the emergency room.  At this point, it can still be a lot of fun, and good exercise to go out and ride, but stay within yourself.  Do not overexert.  Remember, as soon as you begin to go harder, your core temp starts to rise.  Likely, your cooling systems are already working hard.  Back down and live until it gets cooler.

Incidentally, it’s not a bad idea.  On the hottest days, avoid the hottest hours.  Ride in the morning, or evening.  If you find yourself stuck out on the road, seek shelter and water during the period between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.  (This is, typically the hottest time of day here in the Atlanta area.)

The practical techniques:

Start hydrating before you get on the bike.  If you are a bit dry before you start to exercise, you are going to be in trouble sooner.  Begin drinking regularly at least eight hours before riding.

Carry more water.  You’re going to need it.  You should be drinking one to two liters (bottles) every hour.  You will need to reserve one bottle for dousing.

Douse yourself.  The equivalent of a half mouthful of water, squirted through the front vents of your helmet, can have an incredible cooling effect.  Do this every ten to fifteen minutes.

Bring a bandana or two.  A dampened bandana, draped around your neck, will help drop your temperature.

Remember the sunscreen.  Skin that has just started to sunburn, is skin that has lost over half of its ability to cool you.  Apply a good strong (SPF 30 or higher) sun-block before you ride.  Put it on thick.   Reapply regularly.

With a little caution and savvy, it’s possible to ride through the Summer here, and have a blast doing it.  Good luck, and sunny days!