Liberating

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mattheus
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Re: Liberating

Post by mattheus »

Has anyone mentioned Zebra's stripes? Apparently they keep them cool.
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kylecycler
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Re: Liberating

Post by kylecycler »

Jdsk wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 1:18pm
kylecycler wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 1:14pmTrouble is, the main shock-absorbing component of a helmet is expanded polystyrene, so it insulates your body heat and doesn't let it escape through the top of your head. Either that or it insulates you from the heat and keeps you cool. Or both - so does that make it a draw?!

Which is it (science was never my strong point!)?
It's complicated... at least three sources of heat, colour of surface and effects on transfer by radiation, air speed, air temperature, evaporative loss...

Jonathan
Thought so (meaning, I thought it would be complicated!). :lol:

Re. colour of surface, I found it interesting when watching pro cycling recently that the New Zealand national champion's jersey is all white, not all black as you might expect, presumably because it reflects the heat (or would absorb it if it was black).
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pjclinch
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Re: Liberating

Post by pjclinch »

Jdsk wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 1:18pm
kylecycler wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 1:14pmTrouble is, the main shock-absorbing component of a helmet is expanded polystyrene, so it insulates your body heat and doesn't let it escape through the top of your head. Either that or it insulates you from the heat and keeps you cool. Or both - so does that make it a draw?!

Which is it (science was never my strong point!)?
It's complicated... at least three sources of heat, colour of surface and effects on transfer by radiation, air speed, air temperature, evaporative loss...
While it is complicated, my personal anecdote is that during the > decade I always wore a helmet for every trip I told myself it was never really that uncomfortable... and in the nearly two decades since I've never been as uncomfortable about the head as I was back when I wore a helmet (in my case always a well ventilated one, typically a Specialized) on a cooking day.

As a slaphead who burns easily I'm quite familiar with hats and use them a lot, and the only time I put them on to be cooler (as opposed to not burning or keeping my eyes shaded) is when I've just soaked them in cold water, to add to sweat as an evaporative cooling aid. Of course, evaporative cooling is a whole lot easier when the water had somewhere to go, not generally the case when trapped between a hot head and an inch of waterproof polystyrene.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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kylecycler
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Re: Liberating

Post by kylecycler »

Right enough, if the water is trapped it would be like the water between your body and a wetsuit (not that I've ever gone diving or worn one, I just know the theory), which actually keeps you warm.

I still found it helpful, mind you, when I was up in the Highlands, to pour water through the vents of my helmet all over my head at the tops of the climbs!
Jdsk
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Re: Liberating

Post by Jdsk »

kylecycler wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 4:03pm Right enough, if the water is trapped it would be like the water between your body and a wetsuit (not that I've ever gone diving or worn one, I just know the theory), which actually keeps you warm.
Two different effects involved: conduction (in both situations) and evaporation (in head to air, but none underwater).

Jonathan
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Cowsham
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Re: Liberating

Post by Cowsham »

freeflow wrote: 22 Jul 2021, 12:56pm I find a thin cotton cap under a helmet is effective. Excessive sweat drips off the peak. Moderate sweat is evaporated from a surface somewhat better at letting sweat evaporate than my scalp. The top of my head doesn't get sunburned. In extremis I can rotate the cap to provide moderate neck protection. I wear a helmet based on personal, practical experiences.
I use a bandana under the helmet and let the excess material cover the back of my neck to keep it from burning. I carry another in my bag to swap out for a dry one.

I've also went with a scoopy cap in my backpack or rack bag and swapped it for the helmet when it gets really hot strapping the helmet to the rack or hanging it on the bars to let it dry out.

I need something on my baldy head to keep it from burning or getting AK's. The scoop or helmet overhang keeps the sun off my nose and lower lip. I find I need arms and even hands covered so a long sleeved very light cotton top and light cycle gloves are a must. I envy people with great skin who can stay out all day and don't burn.
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kylecycler
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Re: Liberating

Post by kylecycler »

Cowsham wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 6:40pmI envy people with great skin who can stay out all day and don't burn.
Question I should know the answer to but don't: are those 'who can stay out all day and don't burn' any less susceptible to skin cancer? I don't tend to burn all that easy but I've had folk put the wind up me in recent years about it (probably quite justifiably).

(Downside is, the one time I went touring so far it was weather like this, just not quite so hot, and after all the warnings I used such high factor sunscreen that I came home as pale as I was when I left!)
ossie
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Re: Liberating

Post by ossie »

The weather's cooled problem over :wink:

I tour with a baseball cap, that's liberating but wear a helmet on the road bike as I did today. I get sweat dripping from above my right eye, always on the right (rarely the left ) with a lid in hot weather. Then it goes down behind the sunglasses and I'm basically blind in that eye :mrgreen: ..lets not mention buzzy things that get trapped in the vents. On one occasion I was stung 3 times before I managed to pull over and rip my lid off ...dangerous things these helmets.
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Cowsham
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Re: Liberating

Post by Cowsham »

kylecycler wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 7:00pm
Cowsham wrote: 23 Jul 2021, 6:40pmI envy people with great skin who can stay out all day and don't burn.
Question I should know the answer to but don't: are those 'who can stay out all day and don't burn' any less susceptible to skin cancer? I don't tend to burn all that easy but I've had folk put the wind up me in recent years about it (probably quite justifiably).

Yes people with swarthy skin it seems are less susceptible to skin cancer than us Lilly skinned whiteys.

Same as our white cat is much more susceptible than a cat of colour ( not even sure I'm allowed to say that ) to getting cancer on the tips of his ears.

I've tried and failed to get sun cream on his ears but he's much too skittish and bolts as soon as he sees me reaching for the bottle or smells the stuff. He's a big strong cat so if you try to hold onto him he'll rip you to pieces getting away.
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Blondie
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Re: Liberating

Post by Blondie »

TrevA wrote: 21 Jul 2021, 5:19pm Have to say I’ve stopped wearing my helmet during the current heatwave and it’s been liberating. No more having to wipe sweat off my brow every couple of miles. I still sweat but wear a headband which soaks it up. Without the helmet, I can shed enough heat through the top of my head to stop me overheating. With a helmet, even with a sweat band, I’m overheating after 5 miles or so.

I’ve had a negative reaction from a few riding mates who continue to wear theirs. I will probably go back to wearing a helmet when it cools down but I’m quite enjoying the freedom at the moment and feeling the wind in my hair.
You’ve seen the light. A nice cycling cotton cap does a great job in hot weather and rain.
mumbojumbo
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Re: Liberating

Post by mumbojumbo »

From MSales

[quotOn a club run I was told that I looked good on the bike but I would look better in a helmet.
"No, I would look a pratt like you."e][/quote]

I always admire such rapid fire wit
Here is a similar riposte heard on the same club run.

"Better to look like a prat than behave like one"
mumbojumbo
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Re: Liberating

Post by mumbojumbo »

[quoPost by mattheus » 23 Jul 2021, 1:25pm

Has anyone mentioned Zebra's stripes? Apparently they keep them cool.
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User avatarkylecycler
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Re: Liberatingte][/quote]

This is because their camouflage means they are chased by predators less frequently ,and thus remain cool.
Mike Sales
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Re: Liberating

Post by Mike Sales »

mumbojumbo wrote: 25 Jul 2021, 6:15am From MSales

[quotOn a club run I was told that I looked good on the bike but I would look better in a helmet.
"No, I would look a pratt like you."
I always admire such rapid fire wit
Here is a similar riposte heard on the same club run.

"Better to look like a prat than behave like one"
Perhaps I was a little hard on him. After all he had not had the chance to read the arguments against helmet wearing on this Forum....
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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pjclinch
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Re: Liberating

Post by pjclinch »

Blondie wrote: 24 Jul 2021, 5:47pm You’ve seen the light. A nice cycling cotton cap does a great job in hot weather and rain.
Having used cotton ones for years I'm now using a synthetic Walz three panel in summer and find it generally more comfortable (for winter they do nice merino ones with earflaps, they do cotton too)

I also use a cotton duck Tilley T1 bucket hat if it's very sunny, as that gives sun protection to my ears and a bit at the back too. With the turned down brim it works better on the bike at anything like speed than a "normal" Tilley.

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SimonCelsa
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Re: Liberating

Post by SimonCelsa »

pjclinch wrote: 25 Jul 2021, 2:28pm I also use a cotton duck Tilley T1 bucket hat if it's very sunny, as that gives sun protection to my ears and a bit at the back too. With the turned down brim it works better on the bike at anything like speed than a "normal" Tilley.
I frequently wear a Tilley, the model T3. 'Guaranteed for life, replaced free if it ever wears out'.

Unfortunately it did actually wear out after 6 years. Did they honour their replacement policy?....................................Yes!!! Highly recommended.
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