4 Hot-Weather Cycling Tips

Warm summer nights usually means hot summer days, and that means riding in the heat. And I'm not just talking about the temperatures being hot or kind of uncomfortable. I mean knock-down, drag-out, pizza oven-searing heat like it sometimes gets here in Silicon Valley. Recently the county medical officials report advised us to stay indoors for any activity, not just exercise.

My advice is, if you don't want to ride in the heat, then don't. There are enough medical conditions, many of them critical or life threatening, which can occur when riding in the heat. If you really don't want to go riding, that's OK.

More: 2 Tips for Cycling in the Heat

If you have a bunch of type A friends or if you are type A and just have to work out, head on over to the gym and get your groove on there. No one should feel forced to ride in extreme conditions.

If you do want to ride in the heat and you're not mentally certifiable, then there are a few things that you can do to make things as enjoyable as possible. Here are four useful tips you can use to beat the summer heat.

Ride Early and Late

The first thing you can do is to change the time of day you ride. Early morning is the coolest part of the day. If you can get out at sunrise, as many of my friends who live in Arizona do in the summertime, that can cut the riding temperature by as much as 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The evenings are also a cooler part of the day and are reasonable alternative for those who can't get out in the morning. But if it is really hot, the decrease in temperature in the evening can be minimal. And, if you do go out in the evening, use a light if you are trying to squeeze in a ride just before it gets dark.

Use Geography to Your Advantage

Playing the geography game can also help. Adiabatic cooling means that the air temperature cools by about 3 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1000 feet of altitude gained. If it is hot down low, go high! When the heat descends on Boulder, head up into the Rocky Mountains. You can either climb up to higher ground and get in a workout or drive up to altitude and start the ride from there.

Another geography trick is to pick areas that are not as hot. The air is usually cooler close to the coast. If you're stuck in a hot valley, a short trip over to the coast might provide more pleasant temperatures for exercising.

More: Summer Cycling Gear Guide

Conversely, as you head inland from the coast, the temperatures will usually increase significantly. When it's 70 degrees on the the Los Angeles coast during the summert, it can be 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit just 20 to 30 miles inland towards the mountains.

Because of the Pacific Upwelling, those who live near the San Francisco Bay Area have lots of fog in the summer. This prompted Mark Twain years ago to remark, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." While that can lead to some chilly riding in normal weather conditions, the fog can be a godsend if it's hot. Unfortunately, the fog along the northern California coast usually burns off by mid-day, so plan accordingly.

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Head to the Shade

I have a number of cycling routes that have lots of tree-lined roads. The shade of the trees can provide significant protection and some much-needed cooling during heat waves. For the spring and fall I do the opposite. I have plenty of planned routes that are exposed to the sun where it's warmer and dries out quicker after a rain.

Be Aware of Signs for Heat Stress

There is also cooling that occurs when you are riding down the road because of the evaporative cooling of your sweat. If you stop getting that cooling effect, it is a good indication that you are in danger of heat-related stress such as heat stroke.

You should also be aware of frequent stops on busy roads. When you're stopped at a red light, the sun-baking rays can be totally debilitating. For this reason, when I ride in the heat I try to use roads which don't have a lot of stoplights. Even though it's hot, you still must obey the rules of the road. Trying to sneak through a red light because it's hot just adds another element of danger that no one needs.

In Part 2 of this article I will discuss more ways to beat the heat.

More: Thermoregulation and How it Affects Your Cycling

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