BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

http://bicycling.com/blogs/ramblingman/2012/06/08/how-to-beat-the-heat-while-cycling-this-summer/

Favorite line:

"Here are ten Mandrola rules for dealing with the heat:

1. Vote for an environment-minded progressive."

thanks for this. i am now rethinking the 85-mile ride i had planned for tomorrow.

It's doable but you need to plan. Start early, plan to drink twice as much as you would. Moderate your effort.

Favorite line:

"Here are ten Mandrola rules for dealing with the heat:

1. Vote for an environment-minded progressive."

An environment-minded progressive might promote planting trees along country roads to provide cyclists with shade.

Thanks for posting this, Chris. I did not realize how dangerous the NSAID's like ibuprofen, aspirin & naproxen are when dehydrated.

For real. I popped two ibuprofen during the last third of the Rachel Carson a couple years ago. It sure did help my aching feet, but I too didn't realize the risk. I was fighting a serious battle with dehydration that whole long hot day.

Thanks Chris.

Just another hint...

You can help your body to cool by using ice. During Memorial Day 100 mile PMTCC ride reddan put an ice into a sac and he put it around neck. I put a lot of ice into a bottle and put under my jercy between shoulder blades and close to my neck (on a road bike it bottle does not slide down due to a body position). Ice was gone after next 20 miles but we felt great.

Oh yeah, I always carry ice with me, I keep it in my saddle bag.

I am really bummed - I have the whole week off work and had planned to spend 4-5 days riding to DC. I was wary about planning to do it in July; it just worked out that I had the time and opportunity - but looking at the forecast it's just not going to pan out. I'll try again in October.

I just cannot take the heat, if it's 70 I'm hot and 90+ is ridiculous. I was like that even when I was young and skinny - I could never hack it and it completely sucks.

Now I am concerned about this nsaid thing. I'm of a certain age where one occasional Advil can keep a day from being miserable. Are there any pain relievers that are less potentially problematic?

Can't you just, get hydrated?

@salty - I feel your pain. I hope you can find a creative vacation alternative (is Ray's air conditioned? cheap airfare to the west coast?) good luck!

@edmonds: I think the strong warning was about NSAIDs in combo with dehydration. I'm not a doctor, but maybe if you stay hydrated it's not so dangerous?

Ok, if it's in combination with dehydration that it's most dangerous, then I probably don't have to worry, I hope (?).

I don't take a pain reliever before this kind of activity, maybe a day after something hard, and I'm usually drinking water like a sewer. But still that is scary, I do not want to F up a kidney.

Save the NSAID's for after the ride.

Staying hydrated is a must, as well as replacing lost salt during the ride. You can sweat out 1 to 2 grams of salt per hour on a hot day. If it's a long day, you can start cramping up & feel sick if you're not compensating for salt loss. I've learned that lesson & now never go on a long ride without Clif Margarita Shot Bloks & substituting gatoraide for water after the 2nd hour or so.

On the 5-Boros ride this year, they were handing out Parmesan cheese chunks. (Parmigiano Reggiano was an official sponsor). It was an interesting way to take in salt & calories.

On Sunday I knocked out a 35 mile ride before 10 am, was in the pool by 10:15, chugged 2 12 oz cans of v8 juice (not low sodium, awesome recovery drink), and plenty of water. This seemed to avert dehydration. No nsaids were necessary.

This morning is beautiful out. Ride now.

The drug ecstacy will totally muddle your fluid regulation, so using it in extreme heat is vaguely Russian roulete-like (on top of the general RR that goes with any illicit drug).

I did only a 31 miler this morning starting before 7am and drank all 70oz in my hydration pack. I didn't think I would need a bottle, but I am glad it was there in case I decided to go a bit farther and didn't have access to a drinking fountain. Hope everyone has been playing it smart out there. I saw some cyclists on the road yesterday as I drove home from work when the heat index was > 100 degrees. It was actually the only time in recent memory that I was glad to be in a car with a/c instead of on the bike.

Yesterday I did 100 miles for the first time in my life. 100oz Camelback and 2 water bottles wasn't enough. Left side of my body roasted and felt a little nauseous the rest of the day. Then still had to spend the rest of the day doing promised outdoor family activities. Never again will I push so hard in this heat. No I didn't play it smart.

Yikes. I am worried about the metric century tomorrow even though the temps should be cooler.

I have just confirmed that I do not do well in temps over 80 degrees with high humidity. No matter how much I hydrate, I end up with a migraine and feel like shit.

I get those migraines too. It was a real pain trying to get any exercise in the summer when I lived in Tennessee. Sometimes I can prevent them by drinking a lot... but not always. Sometimes a Tylenol+caffeine combo or a Maxalt taken at the first signs will get rid of it... but not always. And it sucks. A lot. I sympathize.

From my sailing experience, light and white clothing seems to help

I still haven't totally averted the headache though

Anybody else get reminded of sun sickness from D&D?

i never drink gatorade but i went ahead and chugged some yesterday, thinking back on that article that mentions the need for sodium replenishment. this may be crazytalk, but i feel like the heat is more tolerable when i'm riding and working and being active. cause then it makes sense to be sweaty and hot and exhausted. when you're just standing in the heat, it's awful. it's like, WHY is it so hot.

i had a lot of nice people along my courier route giving me free bottles of water and telling me i was a hard worker. i had my own water, and i don't work THAT hard, but that's the effect that a very red-faced, sweaty person has on empathetic people.

also, i highly reccomend these: http://www.nuun.com/products Pop one of those in your camelbak, and you're good to go.

i know articles say not to use caffeine, but i always take excedrine migraine at the beginning of a ride and feel fine. i didn't this time (because of the article) and i ended up with one. i guess it is better to listen to your own body instead of an article and do what you know works.

I don't feel like the 1st link has anything to back up the caffeine prohibition. Use whatever you normally use.

I also had problems today with the heat. I had plenty of water but still felt a little dizzy after about 40 miles. My guess is the direct sunlight hitting me my whole ride is more the problem than the temperature.