Everything has its FAQ list; and cycling follows suit. What\’s at the top of the cyclist\’s FAQ list? That\’s hard to say — my top question might not be another person\’s — but weather is a good candidate!

Will it rain; or will there be blazing sunshine? At present, \”How hot will it get?\” cannot be ignored. Yesterday an excessive heat warning was issued at 9:00 am; and such conditions make adequate hydration vital. I got plenty hot during the ride back home from the salvage store; and naturally was rather concerned about how to manage today\’s long ride.

Another item on the FAQ list is, how many layers do I need when the weather is cold? They say it\’s better to be slightly under-dressed than to pile on too many clothes and get overheated; but take along a spare layer just in case. If you have to stop for some reason, you don\’t need to get chilled.

Another big question is, how about fueling for a long ride? What should I take; and how much of it? Will something \”light\” do; or do I need something denser? And again, how hot will it get? Energy bars with half-melted coating are a mess and a nuisance.

Weather, clothing, and fuel; now what else is there? Oh, of course; is my bicycle ready? Are the tires at the correct PSI; and do the brakes work?

Reconnaissance

Today\’s ride (61.60 miles) was almost a metric century; and I did some reconnaissance, too. If I\’m to do a century ride, I need to know the distances between my stopping points; especially as I\’ll have to do a certain amount of doubling back. That\’s another FAQ for the long-distance cyclist: how far is it between rest stops? Frequently given advice: don\’t bypass them!

I started out at 4:55 am, because I knew it would get very hot; and I sure drank a lot of water! When I use my Camel-Bak, I fill up the reservoir; and also take a spare bottle of water. I empty the bottle into the Camel-Bak as needed; and then refill it. Today I refilled that bottle four times; and I also drank more Nuun than usual. I must have gotten two gallons or so of fluid in me.

As it turned out, the excessive heat warning wasn\’t in effect; but the heat advisory was. As the ride went on, I noticed that my heart rate was in zone 3; but my breathing felt like zone 4! I figured it was because of the heat; and had to slow down.

Another FAQ: what is the direction of the wind? I\’m so glad it was behind me on the way back home! Bucking a headwind in this heat is a bit much! When I was ready to head back home, I saw that the clouds were building up; and here and there they obscured the sun. That was a welcome relief!

There\’s a 50% chance of T-storms this afternoon; and I\’m glad to be home ahead of bad weather. Oh — yet another FAQ: how close is that lightning?