This isn\’t Wichita Falls, but you don\’t have to be doing the Hotter\’N Hell 100 to have heat-related cycling problems.

About a month ago, I did a long Sunday ride of 45 miles or so. An hour or so afterwards, big-time orthostatic hypotension set in; and it felt like my heart just wasn\’t slowing down. I didn\’t seem to be cooling off, either. My apartment is poorly insulated at best; and a hot, sunny day wasn\’t any help.

 

Sun sleeves are a big help. When I first put them on, they feel hot; but after I start riding, and begin to work up a bit of a sweat, the wind from my own motion keeps my arms a little cooler. Even better, sun sleeves eliminate the need for sunblock! Some cyclists include leg sleeves in their hot-weather riding gear. I haven\’t tried them, but I suspect that they\’re worth having.

Getting back to my ride, did I need to drink more water? Should I have downed more electrolyte drink? Was I insufficiently acclimated for the pace I was trying to maintain, which wasn\’t really that fast? Was I tired to begin with? Here are some tips for hot-weather cycling.

We began to get heat indices over 100 degrees before the end of June. Maybe I should aim to start those long rides at 6 am, not 7 am, so as to finish by 11 am at latest. I know this much, I\’d better get used to riding in the heat. We\’ve got about three more months of this! And this isn\’t Wichita Falls!