Well, as luck would have it I just got back from spending a week in Chicago on Saturday. The highest temperature I saw there for the week was about 85. On Friday, I think it hit a high of about 76. Back home to texas and a nice ride in the tripple-digit heat yesterday. Ick... If you are out riding in the heat, make sure you are WELL hydrated. Hydrate before the ride, during the ride and after the ride. BTW - anything with caffeine in it is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. Same goes for alcohol. Most people are very surprised that covering up keeps you cooler...and you don't risk sunburn. That doesn't mean to put on your winter jacket, but if you have one that will breathe it will do you better than not wearing one at all. Ever see the arabs strolling across the desert in tank tops, shorts and sandals? I was trying to figure out whether or not the nice officer would understand that I was riding excessively fast to keep the bike cool in the heat? Just rambling.... --Fullstate
Has anybody rigged up a Camelback for hydration? I use that for my bicycle rides. With a full-coverage helmet, I don't see any alternative unless one stops to drink...... I wear a ventilated leather jacket....it's find as long as you keep moving......
Well, I did.... but the airlines lost my luggage and it will be here tomorrow (Tuesday). It probably won't be quite as cool, though. OK OK, bad joke, but I'll take ANY kind of cold front right now. Be patient, Grasshopper. You, too, will soon be riding again. And it will be much cooler when you are. ;-) BTW - how goes the healing process? Darned Police!!! Why is it they don't like to pull people over when it's raining, but they don't mind when it's hot? lol --Fullstate
Yes... they work, but keep 'em out of the sun if you can or you are just taking in warm water. That is better than nothing, but it's still nice to stop and get a cold drink. That also lowers your body temp. If I am not mistaken, they even make some motorcycle type attachments for your helmets. Don't quote me on that one, though, just thought I read about them somewhere. Yeah, I have a Joe Rocket Phoenix mesh jacket that I love. You can kind of tell you have it on if you are sitting still, but it's like it's not even there when you are moving. Also keeps the sun off me pretty good. Another trick that my friend learned me (j/k) - take a nylon backpack, stop at your 7-11 and buy a bag of ice, fill the backpack full of ice. It will cool you down instantly, and the water will seep through the backpack into your clothes and evaporate. This also helps keep ya cool on those really hot days. --Fullstate
I use a CamelBak frequently when riding. I've used it in the Texas heat and the cool dry air in the Colorado mountains. I fill mine with water and ice and have no problem drinking with my full-face helmet in place. My bike will go between 250 and 300 miles on a tank of gas, and with the CamelBak I can almost last that long even in very high temperatures. Staying hydrated is extremely important as I guess you know or you wouldn't have asked the question. It is also a good idea to not ride in just a t-shirt on your upper body, and not just for the obvious abrasion protection offered by a jacket. Keeping some of the moisture from your body inside a jacket also goes a long way to avoiding dehydration. The old evaporative cooling trick of wearing a soaked t-shirt under your jacket helps a lot, as do some of the new cooling vests, etc. BTW, to avoid the hot water in the tube problem with your CamelBak, just remember to blow before you suck...LOL Bill1100 - Dallas, TX 2000 BMW R1100RT
So you get to suffer in the heat, then. You can really bake out there. Thank goodness the cool front is here, it's only 109 with the heat index. Ahh, yes..... hey now, I only got it over 100 once this weekend and it was for a very short stint. --Fullstate
