Riding in the heat

We are having a heat wave here as I write this - hottest ever recorded.

Here’s what I do when it gets hot:

• Clothing - UV proof long sleeves and long pants. I use a brand from Australia which is very loose fitting. Loosely fitting is much cooler than tightly fitting clothes. I also wear road shoes with lots of air vents and socks with moisture wicking capabilities. Tight "technical" clothing does not cause evaporative cooling during long arduous trips the way the clothing manufacturers advertise. The pores in the material clog.  But loose, light weight, high weave, UV protecting clothing really does help keep me cool and protects from the sun much better than sunblock.
   
• Water - Do not drink a lot of water when cycling in the heat!! Water depletes electrolytes and you will fatigue/boink early. Do not drink a so-called ‘power’ drink such as gator aid or similar. Any caffeinated sugarized drink will harm the gall bladder, liver, etc. particularly when under exertion. My own water bottles are filled with tomato juice to which I add sea salt, a little turmeric (an Ayurvedic aid for heat), and some spices to my personal taste. I also add a large scoop of whey protein powder to each water bottle. I have never boinked with this mix when riding in the heat, although I certainly have with other drinks. And oh yes - small sips as you ride along, not long drinks. Carry more than you think you will need! A good rule of thumb which works well for me is drinking one-quarter to half a litre per hour.
   
• Sunglasses - Wrap around, UVA- and UVB-proof. They must also beshatter proof to laugh off small stones which cars can send your way! If you need prescription lenses, wear your glasses with a wraparound overframe (available quite inexpensively from any optometrist). Wraparound lenses block UV ingress from the side.
   
• Sunblock - lots of it on the face, earlobes, back of neck. I use a brand which blocks UVA and UVB but does not contain nanoparticulate matter. Titanium Dioxide is an excellent natural sunblock but when processed by the drug industry into sunblock, is machined down to nanoparticle size which when applied is absorbed directly through the skin. Once absorbed it can enter the blood stream and causes all sorts of potential problems in the liver, gall blader, and brain. Other sunblock materials are even worse. Do your homework - read the list of chemicals and understand the implications of each before just assuming the brand you like is save.  Get something which works but does not make for potentially worse problems as it accumulates in the body.
   
• Food - Anything with glucose will aggravate heat fatigue. Fructose is much better. Generally I do not like ‘power bars’ - a careful reading of the ingredients shows even the best not to be that great. There is almost nothing in the scientific literature on the efficacy of power bars, other than studies paid for by manufacturers. Most powerbars result in temporary sugary elevation which gives the illusion of energy but really take a toll on the body over the long term. I make my own vegan powerbars with lots of oats - take a look at my recipe here. There are plenty of healthy recipes - find one you like. It only takes about half an hour or so to make a month’s supply.
   
• Helmet - Despite all the advertising to the contrary, the fact is that fewer holes provide the best cooling and sun protection. A properly designed helmet will maximize cooling air intake somewhat like a ram scoop, jetting air over the scalp. My helmet has only five openings, but it provides maximum cooling compared with any others I have tried over the years. Mind you it cost more, since it is well designed. Fewer openings also keeps the hot sun from the scalp. Don’t fall for the myth that a lot of air vents are better - the opposite is actually the case, again assuming your helmet is well designed. The US Helmet Saftey Institute recommend few holes too, but for a different reason - if you are in an accident there is less chance that an object will penetrate your helmet if there are fewer, and smaller, openings therein.
   
• Survival blanket - For really hot weather riding in no shade, I carry a survival blanket. It is coated with a highly reflective Mylar coating and weighs just a few ounces. Hanging it over the bike with me under it provides me with instant cooling shade.
   
• Rest - I rest more frequently when it is really hot, even if I do not feel tired, and tend not to push nearly as hard. The sun can fool you into thinking you are stronger than you are. Rest often!
   
• Misting spray - I do not use a mister. I have found that most run out of water pretty quickly. They add weight as well. And they really do not provide much by extra cooling. Loose clothing for me is the very best, since the air gets under it an provides shaded evaporate cooling.

At any rate, after a sleepless night in the hot weather I went for a ride in the mountains at 6:00 Am this morning. Whoo - even at that time it was really hot. Nothing moving. A brown haze from one end of the valley to the other. A stench in the air from a few farmers out spaying their crops with lethal chemicals. Sigh. But I soon climbed high above them, and the air became sweet again. Above the tree line it was still very hot, but lovely. I kept stoking the engine with my tomato juice cocktail, and wall was well.  Wonderful views. I went slowly, drank frequently, and reached the summit of the mountain in just a few hours. The ride back was mainly downhill, so I was cool and comfortable despite the heat when I returned home - a great ride.

Finally while on the topic of riding in the heat, I should like to say a big thank you to various governments (especially the United States and China) for failing to meet a single international environmental commitment over the last five decades, and for quadrupling the amount of greenhouse gases produced during the same period. An additional big thank you goes to the United States for creating roughly 50% of the world’s pollution, then denying that such reckless greed and avarice makes any difference to climate change. Deep breath... one, two, three... there, I feel much better now