Weather

[RedRider3141]

I too have been riding 10:1 neighborhood/ Regional Trails than single track. The amount of air flow vs effort is upside down on MTB trails. 

[AustinBike]

1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

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.

Interested. Have any links?

 

[mack_turtle]

23 minutes ago, AustinBike said:

Interested. Have any links?

 

generic Amazon stuff, really.

Ergodyne Chill skull cap - $11

Hanes Cool Dri long-sleeve, grey $22 / pair

PFFY arm sleeves, $6/ 3-pack. I bought these because I have a pair of white sleeves from a bicycle brand, but only the one pair.

 

I'm staring to accept that my German genes just don't belong here. I was in Seattle last week and I didn't want to come back to this hellhole.

Edited June 26, 2023 by mack_turtle

[ATXZJ]

2 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

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.

100%

 

7-8am rides are so much nicer on gravel at speed rather than rock bike riding in a ditch 

[mack_turtle]

Anyone know what's going on with the body chemistry of people who gush about how they "love this hot weather!"? I keep hearing this and something does not compute. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, both are miserable. But i keep hearing randos saying that they wait to go outside when it's well over 100° in late afternoon and go running or just sit in the sun and wait for death, apparently. Are they mutants? Did They make a deal with the Devil? Are they just trolling? Is this something millennials don that I don't understand?

Edited June 27, 2023 by mack_turtle

[AntonioGG]

3 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I'm staring to accept that my German genes just don't belong here. I was in Seattle last week and I didn't want to come back to this hellhole.

(one of my favorite movies).

 

Seriously, for me gravel/road vs shady trail has to do with how strong the sun is at that time and the humidity.  There are times when even a fast road ride feels awful with the super heated asphalt at 140°F.  @Barry beat me to it...I hadn't realized I typed a reply at some point in the past days and never posted it saying almost the exact same thing: No BCGB, No Deception, No Thumper.

[AntonioGG]

11 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

Anyone know what's going on with the body chemistry of people who gush about how they "love this hot weather!"? I keep hearing this and something does not compute. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, both are miserable. But i keep hearing randos saying that they wait to go outside when it's well over 100° in late afternoon and go running or just sit in the sun and wait for death, apparently. Are they mutants? Did They make a deal with the Devil? Are they just trolling? Is this something millennials don that I don't understand?

I think loving 100°F weather is maybe being boisterous, but I can tell you that used to love the cold, hate the heat, but now I prefer the heat (not triple digits but...) and dislike the cold. 

We've rehashed this in the past (probably every year, just like us looking at properties in the northeast or northwest...).  Part of acclimation (acclimatization?) is your body learning not to get rid of so much sodium.  I think most people don't realize how much sodium they lose, and most replacement powders/pills/drinks don't have enough, and I think to top it off vegetarian people, or whole food people (i.e., not so much restaurant or processed food) naturally have less sodium intake.  For reference, if I'm not doing my custom mix (25oz with 600mg sodium + 25oz of water per hour during the summer) and I'm working in the garage or yard, I'll do a double shot of pickle juice (Nathan's pickles) per hour or so.   I think you get headaches b/c you over hydrate without enough sodium, but I could be wrong.  I used to get those when I was in college and rode the BCGB until I started adding significant salt to my drink, which means you need extra sweet stuff b/c salty water is nasty.  I can't remember what your experience was with the powders I shared with you.

[Barry]

13 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

No Thumper.

I thought that went without saying. 

[Barry]

13 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I keep hearing this and something does not compute. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, both are miserable.

So are there government jobs available in San Diego?

[WhoAmI]

18 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Interested. Have any links?

 

@Nandoturned me onto these, and they do feel cool when riding plus provide a SPF of 50.  

[quixoft]

19 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

Anyone know what's going on with the body chemistry of people who gush about how they "love this hot weather!"? I keep hearing this and something does not compute. I don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, both are miserable. But i keep hearing randos saying that they wait to go outside when it's well over 100° in late afternoon and go running or just sit in the sun and wait for death, apparently. Are they mutants? Did They make a deal with the Devil? Are they just trolling? Is this something millennials don that I don't understand?

A lot of it is just acclimation. I grew up working on my grandpa's farm in S. Texas summers. Ever baled hay in a barn and post holed fence lines all day every day when it's a 100+? You get used to it.

While I don't go out of my way to exercise in the heat, neither will I avoid it because it's "too hot". On the flip side I'm huge pansy when it comes to cold. I can't do northern winters. Spent a week in Chicago in January a few years back and thought I would die daily just walking the 10 minutes to my conference from the hotel. I literally thought my toes would fall off even with proper socks and winter boots. I will take 120 heat indexes over sub freezing temps every single time. 

I do like to mow the lawn in the mid afternoon heat.  It feels good to get a good a sweat going. No idea why,  I just like it. Probably a psychological thing from seeing my grandpa working outside in south Texas summers his whole life and he was always happy and just went about his work never complaining.

Edited June 27, 2023 by quixoft

[mack_turtle]

Sometimes I feel like early morning doesn't feel much better than late afternoon. It's not my imagination.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/27/weather/texas-heat-wave-nighttime-temperatures-climate/index.html

See also: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-weather-new-era-extreme-heat/

This is not a normal summer, historically. It might be a new normal.

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by mack_turtle

[AustinBike]

On 6/26/2023 at 5:26 PM, mack_turtle said:

Ergodyne Chill skull cap - $11

I have some "lighter weight" On-One beanies that I use in the winter. Thoughts on using these for the summer? 

https://on-one-bikes.co.uk/products/on-one-seamless-skull-cap

They say "warm in the winter and cool in the summer"

Is it possible for them to do both or do I need a Cool-specific cap for summer?

[mack_turtle]

I haven't tried it yet, but I often wear a lightweight tech-fabric cycling cap under my helmet. It's white, so it reflects sunlight more than it absorbs, and it breathes. Manages sweat pretty well, too. Also mitigates sun exposure on your skin if you don't have hair without slathering sunblock all over your dome that will inevitably be washed off by sweat and friction from your helmet.

[AntonioGG]

I have the lightweight on-one beanies.  I don’t wear them in the heat.  They don’t wick very well. I have 3 different beanie brands all sweat wicking.  I wear for:

1. Preventing sun tan leopard spots on my bald head (I don’t like putting sunscreen on my head and having it drip in my eyes)

2. Wick sweat

3. Something clean between my skin and the helmet.  Keeps the helmet less grungy and my skin from breaking out.

 

I also wear the Pearl Izumi arm sleeves which feel like air conditioning when wet and when you move (wet them on dry hot days before going out!)

recently I’ve gotten a couple of long sleeve Columbia shirts.  These are perfect for working outside. 
 

for all these to work as intended they need to have good skin contact.  They can’t be baggy.

[AntonioGG]

On 6/27/2023 at 11:36 AM, quixoft said:

  It feels good to get a good a sweat going. No idea why,  I just like it.

I am the same way and I didn’t grow up on a farm.  I especially like to get a good sweat during winter and as spring starts.  I think it is unnatural to be sedentary in a low to mid 70’s and the desire to do some work and sweat stems from that.  

[quixoft]

1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

I have the lightweight on-one beanies.  I don’t wear them in the heat.  They don’t wick very well. I have 3 different beanie brands all sweat wicking.  I wear for:

1. Preventing sun tan leopard spots on my bald head (I don’t like putting sunscreen on my head and having it drip in my eyes)

2. Wick sweat

3. Something clean between my skin and the helmet.  Keeps the helmet less grungy and my skin from breaking out.

 

I also wear the Pearl Izumi arm sleeves which feel like air conditioning when wet and when you move (wet them on dry hot days before going out!)

recently I’ve gotten a couple of long sleeve Columbia shirts.  These are perfect for working outside. 
 

for all these to work as intended they need to have good skin contact.  They can’t be baggy.

Pretty much the same as you. When I shave my head I wear one of those under armor thin moisture wicking beanies for the same reasons. Sweaty sunscreen in the eyes sucks and I like something between my skin and helmet as well whether that's hair or a beanie. When I grow my hair out I don't wear one.

I just got some replacement long sleeve moisture wicking shirts from Hanes on amazon and will be trying them out tomorrow morning from 8-9am at Brushy. I'll let you know how they feel.

[AntonioGG]

2 hours ago, quixoft said:

When I grow my hair out

Humble brag!

2 hours ago, quixoft said:

I just got some replacement long sleeve moisture wicking shirts from Hanes on amazon and will be trying them out tomorrow morning from 8-9am at Brushy. I'll let you know how they feel.

In my experience the wicking shirts/sleeves doesn't do anything--and may be worse--in summer mornings (b/c of humidity and lack of evaporation) than bare skin (unless you're in an exposed area with no shade).

[AntonioGG]

I looked up my beanie brands:  Headsweats, Sugoi (my favorite) and Specialized.

[AntonioGG]

I just spent 90 min working on my backyard.  It’s cooler but it’s worse.  I’m soaked in sweat.  Did the same thing yesterday in the afternoon and feels much better.

[AustinBike]

The official word on these:

The first 10 minutes that you are wearing it you think, what the F was I thinking????

Then, about 20 minutes in, you realize the benefit. At the end of the ride it is a soaking mess.

Pro tip: Put it on and then roll the bottom edge up ~1". If it is covering your ears it makes you way hotter. With it rolled up it also does a better job of catching the sweat.

 

[quixoft]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:40 PM, AntonioGG said:

Humble brag!

In my experience the wicking shirts/sleeves doesn't do anything--and may be worse--in summer mornings (b/c of humidity and lack of evaporation) than bare skin (unless you're in an exposed area with no shade).

The top still stays bald when I grow it out but I'm tall enough that most people can't see it! I just pretend it's a full head of hair as a last gasp to hold onto my youth.

I tried the loose, long sleeve shirt this morning and you're spot on. Did an easy ride at Brushy from 7 to 8 this morning and it was just a heavy, sopping wet mess at the end. I'll be going back to the tighter, short sleeved BCG "moisture wicking" shirts from Academy that are around $10. They seem to do the best for me at a decent price.

4 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

I just spent 90 min working on my backyard.  It’s cooler but it’s worse.  I’m soaked in sweat.  Did the same thing yesterday in the afternoon and feels much better.

I'm with you. 97 degrees and 40% humidity at 5pm is better than 79 degrees and 80% humidity at 8am in my opinion. Those are yesterday's numbers at my house in Round Rock. I know what the heat index charts say but my body tells me a very different story.

I have a personal weather station at my house in Round Rock if you're interested in seeing the chart data for temps and humidity in the area.  

Personal Weather Station Dashboard | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)

Edited July 2, 2023 by quixoft

[AntonioGG]

1 hour ago, quixoft said:

 

I'm with you. 97 degrees and 40% humidity at 5pm is better than 79 degrees and 80% humidity at 8am in my opinion.

I feel the same.  I have researched temp probe pills to track core temp because I would love to have that data.  I could just stop and take a sublingual temp I guess.

[AustinBike]

14 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

I feel the same.  I have researched temp probe pills to track core temp because I would love to have that data.  I could just stop and take a sublingual temp I guess.

It hurts a bit, but you probably have a meat thermometer in the house somewhere. It will tell you to stop working when you are well done.

 

[CBaron]

On 6/27/2023 at 11:36 AM, quixoft said:

A lot of it is just acclimation. I grew up working on my grandpa's farm in S. Texas summers. Ever baled hay in a barn and post holed fence lines all day every day when it's a 100+? You get used to it.

While I don't go out of my way to exercise in the heat, neither will I avoid it because it's "too hot". On the flip side I'm huge pansy when it comes to cold. I can't do northern winters. Spent a week in Chicago in January a few years back and thought I would die daily just walking the 10 minutes to my conference from the hotel. I literally thought my toes would fall off even with proper socks and winter boots. I will take 120 heat indexes over sub freezing temps every single time. 

I do like to mow the lawn in the mid afternoon heat.  It feels good to get a good a sweat going. No idea why,  I just like it. Probably a psychological thing from seeing my grandpa working outside in south Texas summers his whole life and he was always happy and just went about his work never complaining.

Funny, I came here to say nearly this exact same stuff.  ^^^

I too grew up in South TX.  My first car didn't have AC and I owned it for 3 yrs and drove it all over TX without giving it much thought.  More recently, I had a job that allowed me to bike commute to work.  I found that if I road year-round, I could pretty much ride in any weather...blazing heat and freezing cold.  Although I like the heat MUCH more than the cold.  I will say that as I get older (50's), I find myself a bit less tolerant of each extreme.  But I sorta think thats a product of me getting 'softer' over the years....I coudn't imagine have a car without AC for 3 yrs now.  🙂

Additionally, I do think our attitude towards (things) and our mental state about (most anything really) riding plays a strong factor into stuff.  Anyone here familiar with David Goggins?  I find his story facinating and try to use his philosphies to steer my own thinking a bit about riding, life and such.  I do think there are limits to certain aspects of riding (and life), but I tend to think we ease up LOOOONG before we ever really brush up against those limits.  YMMV.