Highest Temperature for a Leisure Ride

[Psamathe]

Not going out for a ride today (house painting) but with the warmer weather I was wondering if people have a max. temperature they would go out for a leisure ride (appreciating that humidity, hills, wind, etc. also play a part).

Just struck me that warmer weather here is normal everyday temperatures e.g. south of France/Spain so people touring will he enjoying such temperatures.

Ian

[mjr]

We've had this discussion on KLWNBUG's facebook recent, after we rode out last Sunday when it was pretty hot here (just over a week after we were riding through flash floods... we ride in most conditions except ice or gales). Following the advice is enough for most people to avoid problems: wear a hat (mine has a flap covering my neck), stop in the shade when you can, don't push too hard, wear light loose clothes, have plenty to drink (we have added water stops to rides in the past - our navigators are pretty good at adapting like that), eat salad and juicy fruit, stop for lunch over the hottest part of the day and so on. I think we'd only abort if no-one fancied it or if the roads are melting too much.

Much of Europe gets far hotter far more often than we do and I have ridden in a tropical summer, although only for a few hours and not fast. I went to market this morning, making an effort to go earlier than usual (no sense riding in high sun if I don't need to) and now I'm back at an improvised shady garden desk, drinking an alcohol-free isotonic recovery beer

[al_yrpal]

About 26 degrees for me. On the allotment this morning picking beans, watering and weeding. Saving the ride for another day.a lot of shucking to do right now.

Al

[mercalia]

wont put a foot out until late afternoon - too sunny and hot here in london.

[Mick F]

I've cycled in many countries during my time in the RN.
Tropical weather ......... lots of it.
Singapore in summer, Malaysia, Kenya, Indonesia, Bahamas, NYC in July, Bahrein, Israel, Jordon ......... to name a few ............ all hot.

What we've got here now is very very different and far more uncomfortable than anywhere I've cycled abroad.

[Ben@Forest]

About ten years ago cycling towards Biarritz we passed a pharmacy with one of those digital displays which alternates between time, date and temperature. It read 42 Centigrade. I don't know if that was accurate but on about every half hour we were stopping to get a can of drink each, refilling water bottles (two each) with bottled water and drinking the rest of the water. By half an hour later the water bottles were dry and it was the same process again.

Once our pit stop was a bar and the customers inside insisted on buying us beers - so it must have been hot!

[Goosey]

I've been cycling today and it's been 39 degrees C. Fine whilst riding, but hot when you stop

[Tangled Metal]

It's the stopping part when I suffer. It only has to be minutes at the lights and I start sweating badly. When I'm moving I find the breeze generated maintains a reasonable temperature. Then at the end of the ride I'm sweating buckets again.

If it was really hot I'd just go slower or change my plans to sit it out until it cools down a bit.

[jezer]

I've been out today, and I usually hate high temperatures. We were mainly on country lanes, so not much stopping. All drivers seemed to be in chill mode, and they behaved impeccably without exception.

[Philip Benstead]

IN 1979 I went on a 29-day tour of Greece during august, the report temperate in Athens never drop below 100 f / 38 c
On the tour I went into a cool building and saw a thermometer it read 84 f.
I feel on some day it went up to 40 plus in central of the country
I have cycles in southern France in august where pharmacy with one of those digital displays read 54 c.
The secret is to wear loos fitting white t shirt and baggly shorts , keep your wrist and ankles uncover and place damp rag on your medulla oblongata to prevent heat stroke.
Drink lot of water before the ride and during the ride.

[53x13]

I cycled on Rhodes a few years back when they were having a particularly hot summer. We were in the north of the island where it was 51C, cycling to the south it peaked at 55C but we had a lovely strong sea breeze to cool us. Even so, if you stopped for 30 seconds it was oven like and the only option was to get moving again.

I slept outside on the balcony of or apartment on the warmest nights as it was the only way to get any sort of kip