Weather

[quixoft]

Anyone riding in this "Nature Hates Central Texas" weather? I upgraded my brakes and rotors(and went way overboard for Central TX of course) this past week and rode Brushy this morning. It's just flat out gross. I don't mind riding in the heat but this humidity feels like Houston.

Honestly I think late afternoon or early evening when it's ~100 degrees but less humid is better than 80 degrees in the morning with a 10000000% humidity.

Will be back out tomorrow morning to suffer yet again.

If you're interested in temp, humidity, and other data in the Round Rock area I have a personal weather station I sync up with Weather Underground. Has some nifty charts and table data.

Round Rock Weather(near the hospital on 620) 
 

Edited July 2, 2023 by quixoft
Added weather data link for Round Rock

[throet]

52 minutes ago, quixoft said:

It's just flat out gross.

Best description I've seen. I'm not even going outside these days let alone riding trails. Had the pleasure of going this past Sat-Sun nights without AC - definitely gross. 

[mack_turtle]

At this point I just read the heat index and don't go out if it's much above 100. That means not riding at all most days with this kind of weather. I think of this part of Texas summer as similar to winter in most of the rest of the country where it is cold and snowy.

There's a reason why temperatures and humidities with numbers this high are considered to be dangerous and I don't want to mess with it. I've tried all of the helpfully suggestions to acclimate, hydrate, eat, and dress appropriately for this kind of heat, but the bottom line is that putting my body through this kind of stress is just not fun any more.

I've been saying that I'd rather go out later in the day when it's hotter but dryer but now I'm starting to rethink that. Riding in high humidity is uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I'd rather be merely sweaty than in the hospital with heat stroke. If that means only riding on weekends because there's no time before work in the morning on the weekdays then I guess I just don't ride that much anymore.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by mack_turtle

[Ridenfool]

I rode RHR both the Saturday and Sunday before last weekend. Full laps each day, starting mid morning and finishing in temps of about 90ish (heat index higher). The following Monday afternoon I was throwing up, feeling awful, and now after over a week since I still feel drained.

It isn't worth the risk to health to macho up against this foe. Being unable to dissipate the heat will take you down.

Air temperatures above 92 do not remove the heat from the body via conduction, convection, nor radiation. It is really bad juju to be stewing in your own juices.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Ridenfool

[AustinBike]

Just spent 10 days in Chicago, needed a jacket. Came home to this shit.

I ride early and hydrate. A lot.

I have found that I can *generally* acclimate and can ride through the really hot stuff, but that is because I can ride every day. I think if you are sitting in an air conditioned office all week and don't get out into the heat until Saturday morning, you're screwed.

I'd look into doing some early morning rides just to get your body in shape.

[hurronnicane]

Rode yesterday morning, about 8:30.  Rode fairly hard for just over an hour and spent the rest of the day trying to recover.  Got a headache about an hour after the ride and it lasted the rest of the day.  That seems to be my biggest symptom from riding in the heat.  Only three more months of this hopefully.

[mack_turtle]

I just got back from Seattle where it was 50s and 60s. I got off of the plane and some local Austin person said to me. "I'm so glad I'm back in this weather! Seattle was so cold!" It took every ounce of self-control not to say back to her. "Yes, I love the spectre being in the hospital with heat stroke!"

I'd love the luxury of early morning rides but that would mean waking up at 2:30 in the morning because my work day starts early. I keep it as warm as I can stand in the house all day, but when I go to the office the state agency uses taxpayer dollars to keep the five-story office building that is never more than 30% occupied at 60° all day.

Because I was out of town and in a place with non-lethal weather, my last ride was last Tuesday and it took me 3 days to recover. That was before the true heat settled in.

Edited June 22, 2023 by mack_turtle

[ATXZJ]

I've been following the weather down there and it looks brutal. Miss the people we met, and rode with in ATX but that's about it. I've never lived in a place that made me want to quit MTB as much as central TX. 

On the other hand, riding in the am in El Paso is completely fine even during summer days. Heat index goes down here due to the wind (which has its own set of issues). We're also seeing single digit humidity at times.

As a bonus we were in Cloudcroft NM Sunday and it was mid 70s during the day. Good to have that kind of weather and also lift assist DH in Ruidoso within 2.5hrs. 

We survived on zwift and gym days during the summer in CTX.

Edited June 22, 2023 by ATXZJ

[WhoAmI]

Yep, our regular Tuesday R&I at Walnut Creek took off at 5:30 p.m. this week, and our SN ride will be happening today around 5 p.m. as long as we don't get more rain.  I'll be riding to the ride, which takes me about an hour. 

Like the advice given here and other places, hydrate all the time, not just on the ride.  Wear lighter color clothing.  Ride earlier or later if you can't take the heat.    I like to fill my CameBak half full of water, freeze it so that the intake tube is not obstructed, and then fill it with cold water right before I ride.  I have cold water throughout my rides and the bonus of helping prevent or at least slow bacterial growth.  I know poeple don't like wear backpacks, but this works well for me and don't feel hot wearing one.

[rockshins]

Yep I fill my camelback about 40% full of water, blow some air inside, lay it flat in freezer with the tube on top so water will flow and cold side is backside. 
I do better in the humidity over the heat for some reason, sweating buckets is annoying but feels kind of good. Sometimes there is a breeze in the am. I just suffer in the late afternoon heat more and am afraid of the dark, so morning rides for me. I also don’t drink anything special, Gatorade powder so I can water it down and I make my own salt drinks. Seems to work just fine, I know there are better mixes that are healthier etc, but haven’t really seen an improvement and I am just a weekend warrior. 

[quixoft]

3 hours ago, WhoAmI said:

  I have cold water throughout my rides and the bonus of helping prevent or at least slow bacterial growth.  I know poeple don't like wear backpacks, but this works well for me and don't feel hot wearing one.

This is what I do. Ice water in the backpack and a Yeti full of ice in my truck for refills. I usually ride out to the trails from Round Rock(I live near the hospital off Wyoming Springs) but in this weather I just drive out and park at Redhorn or the park by Peddlers Pass. Shaves about 30 minutes of boring street and regional trail off my ride which I'm fine with.

It definitely takes some acclimation. If I feel even a bit off I'll stop the ride and just go home. I've jumped into Brushy creek a few times to cool off.

If you are riding in the grossness, make sure to do the following:

• Cold water!
• Hydrate before riding
• Hydrate during riding 
• Hydrate after riding
• Take frequent breaks(I usually stop and rest every 10-15 minutes).
• Take a dip in the creek or at least get your head and feet wet to cool off(helps a ton just head and feet)
• Don't push it too hard
• If you feel the slightest bit off(headache, queasy, extra tired) stop, rest, hydrate, cool off, and go home.
• Make sure someone knows where you're riding just in case of emergency and stay in contact(I text my wife every rest stop in this weather and tell her where I'm headed)
• Sun screen!

[quixoft]

16 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

 

I've been saying that I'd rather go out later in the day when it's hotter but dryer but now I'm starting to rethink that. Riding in high humidity is uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I'd rather be merely sweaty than in the hospital with heat stroke.

 

The problem with high humidity is that your sweat is unable to evaporate fast enough for your body's natural evaporative cooling effect to work because the air around you is already saturated. This prevents your body's natural cooling method(sweat and evaporative cooling) from working properly as the sweat can't evaporate and transfer heat from your body to the air to cool you off.

Dryer weather(even if hotter) will evaporate your sweat quickly and cool you better. With high enough humidity your sweat won't evaporate at all and because water has high latent heat, the sweat that isn't evaporating will actually warm your body up more.

Using moisture wicking clothing in high humidity(not cotton) will help.

[Barry]

4 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

Heat index goes down here due to the wind (which has its own set of issues).

As much as I love Franklin MTNS, it's the only place I've ever been annoyed by a head-wind on a mountain bike. 

[AntonioGG]

16 hours ago, Ridenfool said:

Air temperatures above 92 do not remove the heat from the body via conduction, convection, nor radiation. .

You forgot the biggest difference maker and why it’s better to ride in the hotter part of the day but with lower RH:  evaporation.

it’s not about it being yucky/gross if you’re dripping in hot sweat.  That’s a symptom of the problem, not the effect.  @quixoft beat me to it above.
 

those of  you that ride in baggies instead of close fitting technical clothing have yet something else going against you.

[ATXZJ]

1 hour ago, Barry said:

As much as I love Franklin MTNS, it's the only place I've ever been annoyed by a head-wind on a mountain bike. 

It's brutal sometimes. Wife did a women's group ride her first time and it kicked her ass. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by ATXZJ

[Ridenfool]

1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

You forgot the biggest difference maker and why it’s better to ride in the hotter part of the day but with lower RH:  evaporation.

it’s not about it being yucky/gross if you’re dripping in hot sweat.  That’s a symptom of the problem, not the effect.  @quixoft beat me to it above.
 

those of  you that ride in baggies instead of close fitting technical clothing have yet something else going against you.

Well, no, that is the point folks should better understand. When the air temp is high enough the evaporation does not carry heat away from the body. There is no reduction in body temperature from the process.

Here's a reference I found in a search:   Link to Article

"Temperature

Elevated ambient temperatures affect the body’s ability to dissipate heat. Heat flows from a warmer body to a cooler one by means of conduction, convection, or radiation. If the surrounding air is warmer than the body, heat transfers into and accumulates within it. The body responds by increasing skin temperature, which may reverse the transfer and aid in heat dissipation, but the body has its limitations.

Air Velocity

Air velocity affects both evaporative cooling and convective heat transfer. When the air temperature is less than skin temperature (approximately 35 C or 95 F at rest), increased air velocity increases sweat evaporation and the removal of heat from the body. However, if the air temperature is significantly above skin temperature, then air movement in fact increases the rate of heat transfer from the air to the body, the same mechanism that makes a convection oven effective."

 

There are many other studies on what elevated body temperature can do to organs and mental processes, and none of it is very nice.

I am in agreement on covering skin in hot weather to reduce further heat gain from sunlight on the skin. There's a reason that people who live in the desert essentially walk around wearing a white tent.

I've found Columbia's Omni-Freeze Zero long sleeve to be particularly effective and keep an arsenal of them.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Ridenfool

[hurronnicane]

Today’s attempt at managing the heat almost worked to perfection on a ride at Pedernales Falls.  I stashed a frozen water bottle near the road at one of the points where Madrone crosses the county road.  An hour or so into my ride I retrieved the water bottle and used it to pour ice cold water on my head.  The next couple of miles were shaded and I was feeling pretty good with a mostly downhill route back to the car.  That was when I had a flat and realized that my CO2 inflator was in the other pack.  That left me with a three mile hike out pushing the bike.  There are few things worse than self inflicted suffering.  

[Ridenfool]

Never give Murphy a reason to act. 😏

I've countless memories of things like that.

[mack_turtle]

I rode Saturday morning when it was still cool, but it warmed up fast. Moderate pace, drank tons of icy water before, after, and during the ride, along with food and electrolyte mix—before, during, and after the ride. Still had a massive non-alcoholic hangover in the afternoon that I had to sleep off.

I'm not sure what to try next, but weekday rides are out for the foreseeable future because afternoon temps will certainly be worse for me.

Edited June 26, 2023 by mack_turtle

[AustinBike]

I did 2 GB rides this weekend.

Saturday was 87% humidity and miserable. Could hardly finish the 14 miles.

Sunday was 73% humidity and marginally better. Rode the first 10 miles with no stops, but by the time I got to the g-outs in <unmentionable trail> I could not make it up and had to walk those up instead of riding them. To be fair, I generally walk a few of them, but this time I walked all of them.

I find that if I am in motion I can continue fine, but sharp climbs in really hot weather take it all out of me.

[Ridenfool]

There is a technical term that describes that particular condition you shared.

"Soup sandwich" 🥵

Edited June 26, 2023 by Ridenfool

[ATXZJ]

I found there were only three options during the summer :

A.Gym

B.Travel

C.Gravel

Did all three and it kept me from quitting. Gravel bike was the best purchase I made dollar for dollar of the three. Even a basic bitch gravel walking path in parks were enjoyable compared to riding a MTB in a ditch at 5mph.

And drifting a cross bike is kinda fun too 😁

Edited June 26, 2023 by ATXZJ

[St.Bernardo]

C. plus a mid-ride beer stop is a life saver.

[Barry]

I'm not entirely sure why anyone would opt for heat activity on gravel, which, like road, is largely in the sun. Whereas MTB is largely in the shade. I'd say just stay clear of short punchy climbs. In ATX, skip Ken's , skip the GB and skip deception. Ride Walnut, SubNinja, and shady bits of SATN. 

[mack_turtle]

45 minutes ago, Barry said:

I'm not entirely sure why anyone would opt for heat activity on gravel, which, like road, is largely in the sun. 

I think the idea is that you're moving faster, so sweating wicks off and cools you more efficiently than when you're crawling through rock gardens on a heavier bike in the deep woods while the sweat just collects in your clothing and weighs you down more. I know I can move a whole lot faster on roads and gravel paths on my groad bike than I do while riding a mtb on mtb trails. You're also less likely to be in more humid creek beds (Barton Creek trails under that canopy feels like a steamer), so spending the same length of time riding "gravel" terrain is slightly less punishing. Yeah, the sun is wicked when you're more out in the open, though. I just bought some lightweight long-sleeve shirts and some cooling skull caps to try this. I'm only riding morning for a while, which means weekends only for me.

Edited June 26, 2023 by mack_turtle