The Biking Hub: Mountain

Tech tips » Cory

Riding and training in the summer heat

Edit: This writeup was originally posted in 2005 at about this time of year. I’m bringing it back to the front because the advice is just as good now as it was back then.

When you get into the heart of summer (like we are here in British Columbia) your riding habits are bound to change. For me, that means fewer rides that start at 10a or 11a and more that start at 8a. Or it means that I just go for a cruise on the road after dinner to get some spin time on the bike.

Marla Streb recently posted an entry on her website about what can happen to a very fit rider when they’re not prepared properly for high temperatures. Unfortunately, Marla’s experience isn’t an isolated one — I’ve done the same thing and, let me tell you, it’s not an experience I’d wish on anybody (actually, I’d wish it on some people but that’s just me being small).

Here are a couple of things you can do to avoid overheating while biking during the summer:

• Don’t take the weather for granted. You can experience heat exhaustion even on overcast days.
• Make sure you have lots of water, even if you’re only going out for an hour.
• Dress appropriately and layer clothing (if necessary). Even when it’s chilly at your starting point, the temperature will likely be significantly higher in the hills when your body warms up and the sun is shining down.
• Bring a cell phone. Sure it’s added weight but if you do overheat, you have a relatively easy ‘out’.
• Don’t ride as hard as you would in more favorable temperatures. You don’t need to go full out on every ride.
• Don’t be afraid to get off your bike if you think you’re overheating. Dealing with heat exhaustion is not something you can ride through.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 25th, 2006 at 9:07 am and is filed under Tech tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.