When is too hot

Miairhead

Miairhead

Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
561
Location
Otsego, MI
Bike
'10 NT 84 BMW R100RT Ural
Today with the 95 degree day in Michigan, I wonder if it was too hot to ride. Yes I rode about 225 miles, but it was HOT. If I was on a trip, I wonder if I ride 2 days like today in a row. I won't ride tomorrow, other responsibilities that do not involve the motorcycle (96 y/o uncle chores).

I was ready for an air conditioner on my motorcycle. I think I work on a dry ice invention to cool on days like this today.
 
I know the feeling - it was 102 around here today. I was going to take a ride-to-eat in the morning, but my daughter called me today and asked if she could come for a few days. Sorry, but I'd much rather spend time with her than ride. :smile:
 
Family always trumps riding. It nice when you can do both, but sometimes family wins: bike sits.
 
I hit 115 headed to California once... actually, after about 98, it all feels the same to me... lol.. I can do hot.. cold I'm not too crazy about..
 
Mellow, I'll take the cold over the heat. I commute year round into Austin. I can dress for the cold and with heated gloves I've ridden in the teens plenty of times, but in the heat, the most I can do is change into light wicking clothes under my mesh armor for the ride home. Cooling vests don't work here in Texas as you know because of the high humidity. I tried a blue ice fireman's vest for a season, but it gets exhausted and contributes to the heat build up before I even get out of Austin, so I gave up on that idea. When stuck in traffic in full sun, the temps regularly exceed 125 degrees, sometimes I wish I hadn't put that ambient temp thermometer on the bike, but it's good to know when the roads start freezing. So far I have only cried uncle one summer, I think it was 2011 when we had something like 80 days that it was over 100 degrees. By mid-August I started taking the car (Ahhhh, AC) until the heat broke. I was washing the lining of my helmet every week that summer! I grew up in New England, so I love the heat, but only up to a certain point.
 
MarkinTexas said:
Mellow, I'll take the cold over the heat. I commute year round into Austin. I can dress for the cold and with heated gloves I've ridden in the teens plenty of times, but in the heat, the most I can do is change into light wicking clothes under my mesh armor for the ride home. Cooling vests don't work here in Texas as you know because of the high humidity. I tried a blue ice fireman's vest for a season, but it gets exhausted and contributes to the heat build up before I even get out of Austin, so I gave up on that idea. When stuck in traffic in full sun, the temps regularly exceed 125 degrees, sometimes I wish I hadn't put that ambient temp thermometer on the bike, but it's good to know when the roads start freezing. So far I have only cried uncle one summer, I think it was 2011 when we had something like 80 days that it was over 100 degrees. By mid-August I started taking the car (Ahhhh, AC) until the heat broke. I was washing the lining of my helmet every week that summer! I grew up in New England, so I love the heat, but only up to a certain point.
Click to expand...
Yeah, commuting is a whole different animal... I only do trips, commuting 20 miles to work for me is just a tease on the bike and I feel jilted... if I can't do at min 300 miles it's just not worth getting on the bike... I might go into work on the bike on a nice moderate day but that's it.. one traffic jam and you need to bring extra clothes in the summer.
 
Mellow said:
I hit 115 headed to California once... actually, after about 98, it all feels the same to me... lol.. I can do hot.. cold I'm not too crazy about..
Click to expand...

Now your talking. 102° ambient temperature is when it starts to get uncomfortable here in So Cal. The key is that you have to stay moving. Sometimes that is a difficult thing to do here in LA traffic.

Back in the 1990's, I used to strap a Misty Mate around my waist and spray it on me occasionally on those hot Antelope Valley Days when out riding to the San Fernando Valley.

9003_img1_L.jpg
 
I find that my heat tolerances have dropped over the last few years, but I have always believed we all have our own levels of functionality and tolerance. Having that said, I always use a cool neck wrap and an evaporation vest.
 
I don't like heat at all. Anything over 25C is uncomfortably warm for me. I should have been an Eskimo.
When riding in hot weather I use a Summer full mesh jacket for maximum air flow and have used it many times down to 15C with just a T shirt underneath.
That is comfortable for me unless it gets below about 12C.
If it is going to be over 30C I freeze my water bladder (see the link) the night before and wear it on my chest in an insulated bag.
This not only gives me icy cold water to drink but also inbuilt cooling on my chest as it slowly melts.
Sometimes it is too cold on my chest, even for me and even inside the insulated bag!
It holds 1.5L and at 30C will still have ice inside after 4-5 hours of riding.
If the morning is cool but the arvo will be hot I put it in the Top Box in its insulated bag and it will still be frozen solid at lunchtime when I put it inside my jacket.

https://www.anacondastores.com/camp...cks/denali-summit-hydro-bladder/BP90041473001

Macka
 
Macka said:
I don't like heat at all. Anything over 25C is uncomfortably warm for me. I should have been an Eskimo.

Macka
Click to expand...

77° F (25° C) is the perfect temperature and 86° C (30° C) is in the Goldilocks Zone with the relative humidity not exceeding 40%. The drier the air the better. Over 100° F (38° C) is where thing starts to get uncomfortable for me. I grew up in the desert of the Antelope Valley a typical Summer day was about 110° F (43.3° C).

The most important thing when on a motorcycle in the heat is the airflow to the rider. Mesh gear will allow large amounts of air to flow through and regulate the body's temperature. Hydration is an important thing for the rider.

On long rides, you should always bring something to drink with you, at a minimum water or a sports drink with electrolytes. Stopping every so often to fuel up both the bike and yourself is recommended. Also cooling down in some air conditioning does not hurt either. The rider can dehydrate without noticing it, especially in the drier climates where you may not notice you are sweating.

Be safe out there this Summer.

giphy.gif
 
This is a recurring discussion. Many people argue (correctly, I believe) that in air temps above 94F, you should limit airflow over the body. Skin temp is approximately 94F and air hotter than that actually raises your core temperature to potentially dangerous levels. I've been most comfortable above 95F when I've worn an LD-Comfort long sleeve shirt and closed the vents on my 'Stitch. I wet the sleeves and chest of the LD-Comfort shirt, keep the cuffs of 'Stitch wide open and regulate airflow by opening or closing the front zipper on the 'Stitch.

This has worked for me and kept me comfortable for a full tank's ride in Southern California, Arizona, NM, CO, and KS. It didn't work so well when I rode to Key West and east of San Antonio in temps of 104F.

Oh, well....

Hydration is always critical, no matter what the humidity.
 
The amount of heat a person can take is different for each individual. Also the humidity is a large factor. You can acclimate to a climate some but it is still different for everyone. Also it is said if you ever go too far into heat exhaustion or heat stroke you are more susceptible to the heat after that event. The differences in people can be large. I was working on a roof in the afternoon sun one time with a guy that seems almost unaffected by heat. I am not at all like that, I sweat lots. After I started dripping all over the roof I warned my working partner I had about 30 minutes before I would have to leave the roof and sun. He was comfortable.

The question with bike riding is when does it become not fun anymore. Also different depending on the person.


Brad
 
Phil Tarman said:
This is a recurring discussion. Many people argue (correctly, I believe) that in air temps above 94F, you should limit airflow over the body. Skin temp is approximately 94F and air hotter than that actually raises your core temperature to potentially dangerous levels. I've been most comfortable above 95F when I've worn an LD-Comfort long sleeve shirt and closed the vents on my 'Stitch. I wet the sleeves and chest of the LD-Comfort shirt, keep the cuffs of 'Stitch wide open and regulate airflow by opening or closing the front zipper on the 'Stitch.

This has worked for me and kept me comfortable for a full tank's ride in Southern California, Arizona, NM, CO, and KS. It didn't work so well when I rode to Key West and east of San Antonio in temps of 104F.

Oh, well....

Hydration is always critical, no matter what the humidity.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have often thought about this and wondered if I should use the frozen Hydration Pack under my Touring Jacket which has minimal flow through ventilation.
It would keep the cooled air around the Pack within the jacket.
The problem seems to be that I always pick up the "flow through" jacket in warmer weather.
Next Summer (December-February for me) I will try it out!

Macka
 
Brillot2000 said:
I found this article online regarding Riding In Hot Weather - Keeping Cool On Your Bike.

riding-in-hot-weather-02.png
Click to expand...

The only issue I have with that diagram is most of us ride behind a bike w/fairing and windscreen... So, that bubble if air that's created by that situation helps keep us cooler by far. Most of the time in the summer I'm using a mesh jacket AND a camelbak or similar hydration device. The most important part of that diagram to me is the water requirements. Many will also ride gas stop to gas stop and drink then - I've been guilty of that one - but you can't get enough water... you'll get full before you replenish so you're taking one step forward and two back every time... using a hydration pack or stopping more often - is what your need to keep yourself hydrated and let your body do what it's supposed to.
 
Macka said:
Yes, I have often thought about this and wondered if I should use the frozen Hydration Pack under my Touring Jacket which has minimal flow through ventilation.
It would keep the cooled air around the Pack within the jacket.
The problem seems to be that I always pick up the "flow through" jacket in warmer weather.
Next Summer (December-February for me) I will try it out!

Macka
Click to expand...

Comfort and Hydration are two different things... You can dehydrate in 40 degree temps if you don't drink water... even though you might FEEL comfortable...

I know it sounds a bit weird but when I ride in the heat I embrace the misery... lol.. I told you it sounded weird.. I take a deep breath and just acknowledge my environment for what it is and relax.. then, I use my brain and realize I have to stay hydrated because my body already knows what to do, my brain's job is to give it the tools to do so... water.. yes, something w/electrolytes will also help but water is my number one concern. Then, your brain has to pay attention... squeeze your fingernails.. if they stay white and don't go back to pink then you are getting dehydrated, if you're getting a headache - stop and rest... little signs.. but, if you're sweating like crazy... GOOD!
 
I know as I get older, heat does seems to bother me more. Of course I guess lots of things bother me more. You can dress for cold. Heat you have a different issue, Gore-Tex or similar fabrics can help. I always wonder where some rider in a pair of shorts, and muscle shirt thinks they are beating the heat. At stops many times wearing gear you get asked aren't you HOT? I try and tell riders to at least where a long sleeve shirt and pants on a ride. I think next hot ride I slip dry ice in my groin to stay cool.
 
This discussion and some previous ones has led me to understand how to ride cooler in hot conditions. Trouble is, I'm not very good at it. I need to refine my tactics a bit and maybe upgrade some of my equipment. Also, if you avoid riding in hot conditions, you never learn how to do it well. I have a vest made out of some of that super absorbant material that I wet down and wear under my riding suit. It helps a lot in 95+ degree weather. Buy sometimes I pull over to go into an air conditioned building, drink water and rest, put my feet in a river, or walk through a lawn sprinkler and sit in the shade. There is a time to quit being the tough guy and become the smart guy.

In the article posted by Bruce above I liked the reference to hot tar snakes. We have a bunch of them around here. I'd like to add that wet tar snakes are slippery too. Don't expect normal traction when truning or braking on them, you won't have it. Wet paint on pavement is another hazzard too. Ride safe.
 
Phil Tarman said:
This is a recurring discussion. Many people argue (correctly, I believe) that in air temps above 94F, you should limit airflow over the body. Skin temp is approximately 94F and air hotter than that actually raises your core temperature to potentially dangerous levels. I've been most comfortable above 95F when I've worn an LD-Comfort long sleeve shirt and closed the vents on my 'Stitch. I wet the sleeves and chest of the LD-Comfort shirt, keep the cuffs of 'Stitch wide open and regulate airflow by opening or closing the front zipper on the 'Stitch.

This has worked for me and kept me comfortable for a full tank's ride in Southern California, Arizona, NM, CO, and KS. It didn't work so well when I rode to Key West and east of San Antonio in temps of 104F.

Oh, well....

Hydration is always critical, no matter what the humidity.
Click to expand...

I had to learn this from Phil and others - mesh is not good at high temps.

On my first ride to Spearfish a few years ago, I wore a mesh jacket and pants. Temps were in the upper 90s, with the occasional small-town bank thermometer telling me it was over 100. I was hurting.

After that ride, I bought some LD Comfort underwear, and changed over to a textile Klim jacket and pants. Like Phil, I closed the front vents and keeping only the rear vents open. The wet long sleeve shirt worked wonders. Think of it this way - do you open your car windows when you have the air conditioning on?

Because I live in a very high humidity area (deep south Texas, right on the Rio Grande), I tried a Macka vest to keep me cool - didn't work worth a damn - only when I went out west into the semi-desert. The only time I wear my mesh jacket now is during my very infrequent in-town rides of 10 minutes or less.

Yes - its still hot out there, but I believe the wet composition shirt coupled with a textile jacket does the best job of keeping heat from getting dangerous.
 
Jim, now you did it. TAR SNAKES in heat. One a curve you can not miss them and you'll slip on them. Wide snakes can cause a real issue. Here road crews dump fine gravel on snakes, and maybe in a week dust that off. I don't think it helps much with added gravel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom