The unbareable heat

mountainlion

I got to a main roundabout today and as I tried to pull off I suddenly got cramp. I looked a right idiot. I sweat a lot though so got a few salt sachets from mcdonalds. Just be careful if you're drinking a lot.

chris_bass

junglist_matty wrote:

STOP MOANING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You obviously didn't ride any miles in the winter, the last 6 months prior to mid June are the worst 6 months of weather we've had for a long time.... We had no more than 10 good days of weather in Spring and winter was bitterly cold thanks to that NE wind that just wouldn't go away

I'm happy for the hot sun, please stay!!!!!!!! I don't care about sweating a lot, just drink a lot to compensate! It's so much nicer to ride in bib shorts with an unzipped jersey than in full length thick winter leggings, two pairs of socks, overshoes, thermal top, windstopper top, skull caps under helmets and the equivalent of ski gloves!

100% agree, you definitely won't hear me moaning it's too nice!

Alitogata

Mr.Duck wrote:

Yesterday was so hot I could barely stand it. I was in a T-shirt, but within 5 miles even my bare arms were dripping wet with sweat. Coming home I walked the first 2 miles or so trying to burn less energy per minute, struggling on under the heat of the afternoon sun. I did feel I was nearing my limit when the wind died down. This was like 28°C weather. I can't even imagine what it would be like in Australia. I would have to collapse into some shady spot before I passed out.

I was wondering what sort of clothing you wear on the hottest days? The tops of my arms are looking really dark and sun tanned. Does anyone wear long sleeve cycling jersey or something else to protect from sun damage? Gloves too? I have a baseball cap but it's made of cotton and it's not very cool at all. Is there a big difference with a special cycling cap? Apart from the obvious not getting dehydrated, is there anything in perticular that you do?

You need short sleeved light colored summer cycling jersey. Avoid lycra tights though and try trousers made of cotton or linen, in light color too, short or longer.
Use a 50 spf sunblock on your arms and face and generally on every part of your body isn't covered with clothes. As for your head it is better to use a helmet than a hat in such hot weather, better one with a lot of holes in order to let air circulated above your hair. It keeps your head cooler than any kind of hat in such heat, ( and safer of course). Have always your hat with you for the times that you don't wear your helmet. ( if you intend to walk or whatever). If you feel dizzy then throw a little water on the back of your neck and let it dry.

Drink lot of water before you get thirsty. A nice trick to keep your water cool is the follow.
Put a plastic water bottle half filled with water in the freezer. When you need it fill the rest with cool water and cover the bottle with a thick layer of newspaper paper. Keep it in place with two elastics. Whenever you've drink the water, ( during your bike ride), you can refill it with tab water, or bottled, whatever you like. The ice will be still there fore about 5-6 hours no matter the heat, ( here in Athens we cycling during the summer under 30-35C the cooler of the summer days).

folsom1

Liking the idea of the half frozen bottle to refill with water mid-way. Never thought of that before!

Clothing wise, I've been fairly happy with a loose wicking top and baggy linen shorts. And gallons upon gallons of water/energy drink...

Alitogata

folsom1 wrote:

Liking the idea of the half frozen bottle to refill with water mid-way. Never thought of that before!

Clothing wise, I've been fairly happy with a loose wicking top and baggy linen shorts. And gallons upon gallons of water/energy drink...

Energy drinks don't help.. they are usually full of sugar or other sweeteners which make you feel more thirsty in the long run. And they don't give you more energy.. if you get dehydrated your system shuts down anyway.
Prefer lot of cool water and some electrolytes replacement ( once a day) and you'll be just fine. Don't forget to cover your bottle with the newspaper paper. It is not wise to let plastics heated under the sun, ( because then you will drink the plastic with your water) don't mention that the ice will melt. Paper is the best insulating material.
I haven't manage to find good insulated cycling water bottles yet though I have bought many of them, even those who claim that can keep water cool. ( Camelbak, polarbear etc). Perhaps they can keep water cool in lower temperatures. But don't work for me.

And another tip.. Keep your bottle case, ( and your bottle) on the seat post and not on the lower tube. Your body's shadow will not allow the bottle be exposed on direct sunlight.

apreading

Alitogata wrote:

Energy drinks don't help.. they are usually full of sugar or other sweeteners which make you feel more thirsty in the long run. And they don't give you more energy..

Sorry - dont agree there and its a contradiction to say they are full of sugar yet dont give you more energy...

Alitogata wrote:

I haven't manage to find good insulated cycling water bottles yet though I have bought many of them, even those who claim that can keep water cool. ( Camelbak, polarbear etc). Perhaps they can keep water cool in lower temperatures. But don't work for me.

Slightly worrying, just ordered a Camelbak chill as I have a Zefal Actica which did a good job on a 6 hour sportive but didnt seem secure enough for me to be happy as it didnt properly fit any of my bottle cages. Used it as my second bottle, with energy drink in the main one and just water in the Zefal - mainly to have a cooler, more refreshing alternative to the energy drink which was my main fluid. Didnt use the water much as I tended to get water from the feed stations, but had a few gulps at different times and it was still cool(ish) at the end - after temps up to 33deg C according to my Garmin. So I would say it worked well. Was hoping the Camelbak would be at least as good and fit the bottle cages better...

Alitogata wrote:

And another tip.. Keep your bottle case, ( and your bottle) on the seat post and not on the lower tube. Your body's shadow will not allow the bottle be exposed on direct sunlight.

That may have helped the insulated bottle, because it was on the seatpost where the main bottle was on the down tube...

Alitogata

There's a whole issue about the so called energy drinks which it wouldn't be good to discuss in this thread. So I'll write just a few things just because we referred to them.

Energy drinks can't give you the energy you really need in order to ride long distances and keep your body properly hydrated, as they can "cheat" your body to take less water than is really needed, especially in hot climates.
Most of these energy drinks have lot of sweeteners, soda ( which is the worst for your body while your are training), artificial flavors but no real and constant energy value.
Sugar and artificial sweeteners ( usually they use the second for the energy drinks ) are not the best way to take energy because they boost for a moment your energy levels and then let you down in worst condition than previously, while you need more water to absorb them which you don't really take as your stomach gets bloated from soda, or feels full. That is the reason why when you start drinking energy drinks, you feel that you need more and more of them. This stuff cheats your thirst.
It is better to get energy from something eatable.. 6 almonds f.e can give you double the energy of one energy drink, for longer and is not that much food to eat it while you ride. These make you feel that you need water, so you drink more water which is the normal way to get hydrated and the best way to do so. ( don't forget to get the elecrolytes supplement.. 1 dose of Almora or something similar once a day works fine).

Camelbak and Polarbear bottles didn't work for me but here we have more heat, and perhaps these bottles are made for cooler climates.
I know that a plastic water bottle with a newspaper on the outside isn't the coolest thing to have on your road bike, but it seems to be the most effective to keep water cool in the heat. If I find anything better though I will inform you.

Mr.Duck

I don't think cotton shorts are a good idea. Not breathable, gets wet and stays wet, not very lightweight, wears holes in it, and is a bit restrictive (non stretchy).

Maybe Alitogata means strength when he says energy? Something is getting lost in translation. Sugar is very easily converted by your body for energy. Lots of energy per gram too.


What sort of bottles to people use? The classic cycle water bottle seems flawed. The mouthpiece is left exposed so there will be a small amount of diesel soot and other commuting crap built up on it when you go to put it in your mouth. A bit like the black crap the builds up on your chain. Yuck. I am using one of these...



It wedges in the cycle bottle holder very well. It's also 750ml which is a good size. And it has a cap to cover over the mouth piece.

Alitogata

I apologize if I 've lost it in translation. English is not my first language and I don't speak neither write in English, except in cycling fora. I'm leaving in Athens Greece but I'm not native English speaker. But I'm good on what is Greek for you . The rest are .. English for me. :P
So what do I mean when I'm talking about energy? Well ...what the manufacturers of those drinks mean when they sell "energy drinks"? Do these things give you more power, or strength, or "energy" or whatever to keep on pedaling in heat without feeling dizzy after some ( many) km?

If this was the case then we wouldn't need to eat before after and in between our rides, but we would drink this stuff and would be just fine. No food, no water, just this supposed perfect replacement of both in a bottle.

Sugar is not the best way to replace lost calories and does not give the power to continue in the long run. Just a boost for very little time and then our system runs off and slows down again.

The best way to keep on pedaling no matter weather condition, is to eat well before any ride and drink lot of water before during and after the ride in order to be hydrated properly.


You are right about the cap of the water bottles. That is another reason why it is better to keep them in the seat posts bottle cage and not in the other on the down tube, at least when you're commuting. Another reason is that the bottle never jumps of the cage when you hold the bicycle downstairs on Metro/subway. ( I'm always talking about commuting. Any kind of races, audax and such things are another story).

Btw...I suppose that London subway is totally unbearable during this summer's heat.

Are you allowed now to take your bicycles in subway trains? When I was living in England it wasn't.
Something good that happened here in Athens is that the last years we can take our bicycles with us in all subway, Tram, Electric Railways and suburban trains, ( after lot of lobying from local cycling communities) and thank gods these trains are all well air conditioned so when heat is too high I take some times the train to go to my destination. I'm talking about 35-40+ C of course, because lower temperatures are not a problem if you know how to deal with them.

The Rookie

Most 'energy drinks' are actually stimulants and any energy is sweetner (unless they are diet/low cal).

Sugary drinks are a good way to get an instant burst of energy, but it doesn't sustain well unless it contains complex carbs that slow the release, instead you get a sugar high and then a crash which is worse than not having had it to start with.

Good 'sports drinks' with electrolytes are better than plain water once you are excercising for a long time, for shorter rides etc water works just as well.

Over drinking is worse for you than under drinking, the so called "drinking ahead of the thirst" can cause very serious effects in excess including (though rarely) death, the human body has evolved over millions of years to tell us when to drink, don't try and be smarter than it!

jonomc4

Well yesterday was the first time the heat got to me - it wasn't the heat so much as the really high humidity.

chris_bass

The Rookie wrote:

Most 'energy drinks' are actually stimulants and any energy is sweetner (unless they are diet/low cal).

Sugary drinks are a good way to get an instant burst of energy, but it doesn't sustain well unless it contains complex carbs that slow the release, instead you get a sugar high and then a crash which is worse than not having had it to start with.

Good 'sports drinks' with electrolytes are better than plain water once you are excercising for a long time, for shorter rides etc water works just as well.

Over drinking is worse for you than under drinking, the so called "drinking ahead of the thirst" can cause very serious effects in excess including (though rarely) death, the human body has evolved over millions of years to tell us when to drink, don't try and be smarter than it!

sweetners are generally zero calorie so would have no benefit to energy, no sugar energy drinks generally contain caffine, taurine and things like that.

regular hydration is fine, you would throw up long before you drank enough to kill you, assuming you arent popping e's on your ride anyway!!

Alitogata

The Rookie wrote:

Most 'energy drinks' are actually stimulants and any energy is sweetner (unless they are diet/low cal).

Sugary drinks are a good way to get an instant burst of energy, but it doesn't sustain well unless it contains complex carbs that slow the release, instead you get a sugar high and then a crash which is worse than not having had it to start with.

Good 'sports drinks' with electrolytes are better than plain water once you are excercising for a long time, for shorter rides etc water works just as well.

Over drinking is worse for you than under drinking, the so called "drinking ahead of the thirst" can cause very serious effects in excess including (though rarely) death, the human body has evolved over millions of years to tell us when to drink, don't try and be smarter than it!

You said it better than me.. :oops:
There's no way to die from excess water drinking in such heat. Don't forget that body sweats in order to keep his temperature in normal limits.

The reason of drinking water before you get thirsty while you ride, is to avoid get dehydrated and feel dizzy because then you need a lot of time and rest in order to recover and continue. Not the best of options when you want to go on time in your destination.

Mr.Duck

It is possible to die from drinking water, but you have to have something specific wrong with you for it to happen. It won't happen to a 'normal' person. One example is if you take ecstasy. It can stop your body from being able to regulate how much water you pass. So if you drink too much, the pressure builds until your brain swells up and you go into a coma and die.

Alitogata, if you are thinking of something like Red Bull as an energy drink, then yes, it's bad. It has caffeine in it, which is as diuretic (makes you pass more water). So it would dehydrate you more than plain water. But you could make your own energy drink made by mixing water with some sugar and a little bit of salt. Instead of sugar, you could put in lemon juice for the potassium in it. This will be needed if you can out in the sun for hours at a time, sweating constantly. Because if you get too low on potassium, you can get tired, weak, cramping in arms and legs, vomiting or even fainting.

This info is found just by some quick searching on the internet. I'm no expert

Alitogata

So.. let me tell you something that I've noticed and it is a little irrelevant with our discussion but quite relevant with the heat.

When the weather is sunny and hot in Britain, it is cooler in Southern countries. And when North Europe has very bad weather, ( no matter if it is winter or summer ) the weather is the opposite on the South of Europe.

This year's July is one of the coolest Julys I can recall for a decade. Temperatures at about 28-30 C, lot of cool winds, instead of 40+ temperatures that are very usual for this month.

Same happened the summer of 2006 when I was living in England. There was a hot summer there, and a cool summer here.

This year's winter wasn't that cold too here, and you had lot of snow and cold and for very long time. Isn't that strange? Have you noticed it?

Mr.Duck

Yeah, it's becoming more erratic thanks to global warming. Eventually, I think the UK will end up like Canada.

peat

Today in Oxfordshire - perfect.

A fresh and sunny 22degC. Luverlee.

chris_bass

Mr.Duck wrote:

It is possible to die from drinking water, but you have to have something specific wrong with you for it to happen. It won't happen to a 'normal' person. One example is if you take ecstasy. It can stop your body from being able to regulate how much water you pass. So if you drink too much, the pressure builds until your brain swells up and you go into a coma and die.

Alitogata, if you are thinking of something like Red Bull as an energy drink, then yes, it's bad. It has caffeine in it, which is as diuretic (makes you pass more water). So it would dehydrate you more than plain water. But you could make your own energy drink made by mixing water with some sugar and a little bit of salt. Instead of sugar, you could put in lemon juice for the potassium in it. This will be needed if you can out in the sun for hours at a time, sweating constantly. Because if you get too low on potassium, you can get tired, weak, cramping in arms and legs, vomiting or even fainting.

This info is found just by some quick searching on the internet. I'm no expert

I think that is what I was trying to say but you put it a bit more eliquently than me!!

Alitogata

Mr.Duck wrote:

Yeah, it's becoming more erratic thanks to global warming. Eventually, I think the UK will end up like Canada.

Hm.. I think that UK will end up more like Spain. Warmer winters and hotter summers. And South Europe will end up more like Morocco and such countries..
When I was little child, ( long time ago in the 70's ) we had colder winters and not that hot summers. Summers started to become reeeeeeallly hot after 1986. That year we had for the first time a heatwave of 40+ temperatures that lasted 10 days and killed lot of people back then, mostly old and sick and unable to deal with the heat.

Then gradually people got better equipped to deal with heat...
I think that you'll have to think this option for the years to come. British weather will be synonymous to summer holidays