I did get heat stroke in the Jura as it was well over 40C and a non-existent trail meant a 3hr spin in the relative cool of the forest turned into 6hr death march on the tarmac acquiring water from campsites along the route. That wasn't fun.
It’s the thing I always try to hedge my bets against, you get a good trail downloaded and halfway around a mountain the access is gone or the roads slid down and that 3hr ride turns into a grim *2 survival ride home.
I tend to keep positions of petrol stations in my favourites and water fountains on the gps.
Assuming that quaint bar is going to be open when your passing can be a bit meh.
I’ve been stung a few times 🙂
Its why I’m finicky on the 35-40c stuff too many diversions from the route and I’ll bail out early.
It’s why you always need a power bank and a working phone for when it gets too much fun.
Just me on the turbo trainer in the conservatory then?
Seemed an ideal week for a block of heat training ahead of a likely hot event soon!
I've not long finished the zone 2 Zwift Insider Micro Races, quintet of 4min no draft TTs, turbo indoors as usual... But soaked baselayer and more fluid than normal. 🤪 🤪 🤪 🤪 🤪
As others have said it's all acclimatization. This weather has been dropped on us in May rather than July so it feels worse.
I did the hot 6 months in Europe in the van with the MTB in 2016 and I'm not sure it rained more than once.
I would regularly do 6 hour+ rides (most without any form of uplift) in places like Lake Garda, Slovenia, The Alps, Provence, rural Spain, the Pyrenees and once you got used it and nailed your drinking and fueling it was fine.
I did get heat stroke in the Jura as it was well over 40C and a non-existent trail meant a 3hr spin in the relative cool of the forest turned into 6hr death march on the tarmac acquiring water from campsites along the route. That wasn't fun.
You contradict yourself there.
There are limits and even the fittest can get into trouble. Like altitude sickness our bodies deal with it differently.
I think 1990 football World Cup they changed rules so players could access water constantly.
Greg Callaghan had a terrible time after one of the EDR races last year and was quite sick by his own admission. Nino Schurter trained in the heat intentionally.
Cycling has an advantage in some ways in that you pass through air at speed, but the benefits of that varies depending on humidity. It can be worse for roadies because of the heat of tarmac too.
Acclimatisation is definitely the factor - its why you may be hearing people comment how 30 degrees in the UK feels hotter than high 30s abroad.
The in laws have a place on Gran Canaria, and we spend around 6 weeks there each summer. Heading up into the hills within the first few days is brutal - but after a week or so its almost bearable.
Yep, it takes around 10-14 days for your body to physiologically adapt to heat stress, the problem with the UK is that we often have quite jagged temperature changes, so one minute it's 12˚C, the next day it's suddenly 30˚C., so you just get pitched into it, a bit like rolling up from the UK to southern Spain.That used to be a killer when i was part timing it. Working in the UK then getting a start in a race down in the south of France in May. Thankfully on a proper team, so i really could pour 6-7-8 litres of water/mix down my neck during the day...
I stopped at a couple of the mountain streams and soaked my base layer in it.
Done some events where we've done that in the sink just to get from the hotel to the start...
I’m acclimatised , under 20c and I’m cold but 30+ is still hot to be arsing about in, I’m not hammering the climbs without a bit of effort and questioning my sanity on whether it was the right day.
You can’t acclimatise to heat/sun stroke and that’s the problem zone.( heat exhaustion is the start on a slippery slope of woe)
Race teams have easy access to water during a ride and people watching that they are drinking/eating enough.
A long ride in heat needs waay more than 2 little bottles on a frame.
I always thought hydration was a bit of a marketing thing in the U.K. for flogging stuff 99% of the time but once your in a hot climate(and now you are for x days ) it’s important.
34 miles, 3,900ft yesterday between 10.30am-5.00pm on the Geometron, 475ml bottle on the bike, 550ml bottle on the hip pack, 1.5 pints and an ice cream at the Square & Compass, 2 sets of bottle refills and 1 swim in the sea.
I tend to keep positions of petrol stations in my favourites and water fountains on the gps.
Assuming that quaint bar is going to be open when your passing can be a bit meh.
good tips.
I've never had much of an issue riding in heat as long as I keep moving and don't run low on water. Typing that now does look like tempting fate - that is two more things that could go wrong...
Whatever, we're all different but I don't get not going on a ride the past weekend because it's a bit hot.
Got a 100 mile audax on Saturday and delighted to see the temp is forecast to be mid 20s.
Bumped into a guy at the weekend wearing one of these Castelli caps, so I've taken a punt to see if they are as good as he reckoned
Castelli A/C 3 Cycling Cap - White – Start Fitness https://share.google/1stswhCIP3M9Vk3nD
Early morning run then a swim so far today. The water in the pool is slowly getting warmer, swimming in water above about 31°C is a better way to overheat than cycling at 35°C IME. I'm not sure what to do for the rest of the day, anything other than sitting in front of this computer is going to be hot and very sweaty. For those cycling in southern France, most of my water stops are churches, graveyards, public toilets or village squares. Spain we find more problematic and sometimes end up knocking on doors.
Yeah
As others have said it's all acclimatization. This weather has been dropped on us in May rather than July so it feels worse.
I did the hot 6 months in Europe in the van with the MTB in 2016 and I'm not sure it rained more than once.
I would regularly do 6 hour+ rides (most without any form of uplift) in places like Lake Garda, Slovenia, The Alps, Provence, rural Spain, the Pyrenees and once you got used it and nailed your drinking and fueling it was fine.
I did get heat stroke in the Jura as it was well over 40C and a non-existent trail meant a 3hr spin in the relative cool of the forest turned into 6hr death march on the tarmac acquiring water from campsites along the route. That wasn't fun.
You contradict yourself there.
There are limits and even the fittest can get into trouble. Like altitude sickness our bodies deal with it differently.
I think 1990 football World Cup they changed rules so players could access water constantly.
Greg Callaghan had a terrible time after one of the EDR races last year and was quite sick by his own admission. Nino Schurter trained in the heat intentionally.
Cycling has an advantage in some ways in that you pass through air at speed, but the benefits of that varies depending on humidity. It can be worse for roadies because of the heat of tarmac too.
Yeah I did a bit.
Point was, you can acclimatize - up to a point - but there is temp where even if you are entirely "ready" you can still get in a pickle when something doesn't go to plan. Turns out for me that was 40C+ and an extra 3hrs on the bike out in the sun.
Even for those who live in the extreme heat/humidity it worth avoiding if you can, if you go the US South during the summer and you're up early due to jet lag, you'll see all the locals out for their runs at 6am before the heat - and they live there!
I suspect your username may be correct!
so one minute it's 12˚C, the next day it's suddenly 30˚C., so you just get pitched into it, a bit like rolling up from the UK to southern Spain.
Exactly. I pointed out to my wife that last Thursday we headed out for a day out and I was wearing jeans, t-shirt, shirt and had a coat with me for when it got cold later that evening. It didn't cool down, it just heated up through the day and got hotter over the next few days. From a cold-ish spring morning to a baking summer's afternoon with nothing in between.
Even for those who live in the extreme heat/humidity it worth avoiding if you can, if you go the US South during the summer and you're up early due to jet lag, you'll see all the locals out for their runs at 6am before the heat - and they live there!
That's the same here. If i turn up at trails on a Saturday at 9am everyone is heading home.
But the first time I went to Cairns it was July - deep "winter" at about 6pm I could see the whole city out walking dogs and running. It was 32 degrees and as humid as a bath. I thought "why aren't they doing this at 5am it would be much nicer?" At 5am the next morning I stepped out of the hotel to go for a run. It was 32 degrees and humid as a bath.
Acclimatisation is definitely the factor - its why you may be hearing people comment how 30 degrees in the UK feels hotter than high 30s abroad.
Somewhat. This current heatwave is an example of it since we jumped from below average to record breaking high in a week. Where I am it from the 18th to the 25th it went from about 15 to 33. Thats not really in a sensible adjustment range.
There is also the humidity factor. Depending where "abroad" is then the UK relatively humid climate 30 degrees is going to hit a lot harder than a dry climate high 30s.
Even for those who live in the extreme heat/humidity it worth avoiding if you can, if you go the US South during the summer and you're up early due to jet lag, you'll see all the locals out for their runs at 6am before the heat - and they live there!
I used to live in Houston and got up to run before the heat got too much (and so I could commute before the traffic got too much) It really pissed me off that I couldn’t lie in on the weekend.
I did a 100km MTB-lite/Gravel-plus route around the Surrey Hills on BH monday..took 4 bottles with me (2 on the bike, 2 in an osprey bumbag).. was out for about 7 hours in total as just left the garmin running when i stopped - i must have got through about 12 bottles and a few cans of pop on the ride! Was roasting!
I stopped in a pub garden adn was tipping the tap water straight over my head and down my back - when i'd left the pub garden the water had already evaporated! Also, filling bottles up with icy water, about 10 minutes later they had warmed up!
Was a bonkers idea in hindsight!
DrP
There is also the humidity factor. Depending where "abroad" is then the UK relatively humid climate 30 degrees is going to hit a lot harder than a dry climate high 30s.
This is key.
As I understand it, humidity is a key issue with UK climate change. Surrounded by the sea it means places like NI and Scotland will have more moisture / light rain, that South East as well as blistering hot heatwave ephisodes that are longer and more common will see significant jumps in humidity during those events. And as a result, the whole UK will see more storms during heatwave and other times of year. Almost a 'forgotten' issue.
