Beat the Heat today

[Mikey]

Here are some helpful hints to stay cool on our afternoon rides today.

1) drink plenty of water,
2) carry additional water to be able to carry out #1
3) break up your ride with a stop in an air conditioned building.
4) Call a friend/cab/bus to pick you up, preventing heat stroke does not make you a wimp
5) before you head out, dunk your shirt (works best if not cotton) in cold water and wring it out, extra evaporation from the cold wet t-shirt should help to keep your core temp down.
6) keep the speed down, it’s only a race to the emergency room.
7) drink more water, sports drinks are okay if you plan on being out for more than a half hour.

Good luck, be smart.

Topic

[PotomacCyclist]

Stock up on Camelbak Chill Jacket insulated bottles. Same size and weight as typical 22-oz. bottles, but the thin insulation helps to keep water cold for a little longer. It’s not as effective as a Thermos though, so don’t expect miracles. After 90-120 min. in the hot sun, the water will get warm no matter what. Even freezing half the bottle, then topping it off with cold water just before you leave, won’t help after a couple hours. It’s best to find a nice ice truck to draft off of and grab some ice along the way.

[creadinger]

On my touring bike I like to use a handlebar bag. On hot days I freeze a bottle of water the night before, and then wrap it in a hand towel and put it in the bag. It guarantees I’ll have ice water when I want it. You have to keep the air from getting to it though.

[off2ride]

Right on K. I’ve seen a few blowouts in the shop due to over inflation. Actually, they didn’t over inflate it. The heat expanded the tire then the tube found a weak spot then BOOM!!! Always look at the TPI (threads per inch) rating. It’s like buying comforters…the higher the TPI, the more $$$ it is but it sure is more durable. I’ve also seen road bike tires that are porous. Whassup with that? I forgot what brand they were but I will NOT be buying them that’s for sure.

[KLizotte]

@off2ride 24036 wrote:

Right on K. I’ve seen a few blowouts in the shop due to over inflation. Actually, they didn’t over inflate it. The heat expanded the tire then the tube found a weak spot then BOOM!!! Always look at the TPI (threads per inch) rating. It’s like buying comforters…the higher the TPI, the more $$$ it is but it sure is more durable. I’ve also seen road bike tires that are porous. Whassup with that? I forgot what brand they were but I will NOT be buying them that’s for sure.

Huh, I didn’t think of the tire expanding; only the tube. Makes sense though.

I’m seriously thinking of getting 25 mm Armadillo All Condition Elites (120 TPI) though I doubt any tire would have prevented tonight’s fiasco – user error for sure. The heat cooked my brain a bit. I’ve got them on the hybrid and 3K miles later haven’t had a flat on them.

Hope y’all still got electricity. Storm has finally passed and I’m so happy I still have A/C.

[off2ride]

Since the pressure was at max, there was no room for expansion. It’s a rating they put on there. Yes, get the Armadillo’s for everyday/all weather riding. They haven’t failed me yet. It’s been 2 years or so with no flats on my daily commute. If you’re in DC today, swing by. We have those tires. I’ll even put them on for ya.

[Terpfan]

I read the headline and had a small chuckle since the heat’s gone on since 6/29 consistently and won’t cool down to below mid-90s until after the weekend.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

Whew I don’t understand how people can commute in this heat with a big backpack. I guess folks have road bikes with no rack fittings, or they just don’t know about racks and bungie cords.

[dbb]

@FFX_Hinterlands 24194 wrote:

Whew I don’t understand how people can commute in this heat with a big backpack.

I do so because I think my body provides a bit of extra shock/vibration damping for the laptop I carry. When the pack gets funky, I empty it, wash it down and hang it to dry in the sun (sequence is critical for this operation). The back pane on the REI Osprey pack seems pretty funk resistant.

[mstone]

@dbb 24196 wrote:

I do so because I think my body provides a bit of extra shock/vibration damping for the laptop I carry. When the pack gets funky, I empty it, wash it down and hang it to dry in the sun (sequence is critical for this operation). The back pane on the REI Osprey pack seems pretty funk resistant.

forget funk–I need air. the laptop can sit in a little cozy on the rack.

[Terpfan]

@FFX_Hinterlands 24194 wrote:

Whew I don’t understand how people can commute in this heat with a big backpack. I guess folks have road bikes with no rack fittings, or they just don’t know about racks and bungie cords.

It actually doesn’t bother me that much plus when I ride sans backpack I feel like I’m eligible for the Tour with my newfound speed.

[Mikey]

@pfunkallstar 24015 wrote:

The sun started getting to me by West Falls Church – but I was pretty close to home. Stopped twice to refill my water bottle with tepid fountain water. UPSIDE – NPS put out a sprinkler by the Lincoln Memorial – nice.

I know! I met up with a friend after work to ride to the bus and luckily chose the Lincoln because it was easy to get to. I spent an extra 10 minutes riding through the sprinkler, cooled me down by at least 20F. Thanks NPS

[Mikey]

@FFX_Hinterlands 24194 wrote:

Whew I don’t understand how people can commute in this heat with a big backpack. I guess folks have road bikes with no rack fittings, or they just don’t know about racks and bungie cords.

They were doing a fridge cleanout at work today, didn’t have time to wash my dishes at work so in the morning I put the 2 things I had in the fridge into the freezer, then on the way home I put the frozen glass wear (I think it was soup) into my backpack. Nice cool pack.

[jordash]

From June 29th:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/4IEpX.png?1[/IMG]

What’s worse is for city riders, the heat from the asphalt adds even more to the index. Don’t stop drinking water until your stream is white / light yellow!

[Author]

Replies