Vernon Motorsports Hot Weather Riding

It's hard to say what's worse - riding in intense heat or intense cold. In cold weather, you at least have the option of bundling up. Plus, when you're freezing your behind off, you're often in a heightened physical state that mimics clarity. Heat is thick and heavy. It makes you feel sleepy, or worse, like you're slowly suffocating.

Most neophyte riders are surprised to learn that stripping down is the worst thing you can do when riding in hot weather. Besides being irresponsible, riding with skin exposed will quickly dehydrate you. The sweating process is designed to cool you by building a film on your skin, which is cooled by air moving across it... but not tearing across it at highway speeds. The moisture is gone before it can do its job. Covering sweaty skin with apparel that allows for controlled air circulation has the same effect as a swamp cooler. It regulates your body temperature while protecting you from sunburn (a classic way to ruin a tour) and the fatiguing effects of heat and turbulence.

When it's really hot, you can exaggerate this air-conditioning process by wetting your clothes every time you stop for gas. Most of the time wetting a long-sleeves cotton shirt is the way to go. If you cool your torso, where most of your body's blood supply is at any given time, it will quickly lower your overall body temperature. A drenched cotton bandanna or cool dana worn around the neck has a great cooling effect, too. Ideally you want a jacket that's ventilated, but not so airy that the moisture on your skin dries before it has a chance to thourghly cool you.

It's really important to monitor your physical status on hot rides. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real dangers. The former occurs when your core temperature reaches 102 degrees, and the latter when it hits 105. If you start to feel even slightly dizzy or sick to your stomach, you need to stop immediately. The best way to avoid heat exhaustion is to drink plenty of water, more that you think you need. The evaporative effect makes it impossible to tell how much fluid you're losing.

In the worst conditions, leaving a couple of hours before dawn can get you to your destination before peak heat gets to you. Do whatever it takes to cool your heels. Like extreme cold, serious heat will slow your pace, but it doesn't have to ruin your ride.