Riding in the Heat

John Anthony

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Joe,

Great thread and timely to boot, especially with all of the areas plagued by uber hot temps.

John
 
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Well, I happened to be the one who ended up in the ambulance, and want to thank all those who showed concern and help. Part of it I do not remember, but was REALLY surprised how fast it came up.... I was feeling fine one minute and sweating and unable to stand the next! In 67 years never experienced anything like it. I remember being helped into a pickup with air conditioning, looking out the window and seeing Dinkies face and started to come around right away. EMT guys were great and professional. Anyway, thanks to all, and those during the day that kept asking how I was and if they could do anything for me. What a great group, Just hope I'm not the ( butt ) of alot of jokes. :D Does anyone remember Dinkie running over to the ambulance with a camera?




Thanks for the tip Joe. I have another bit of advice. Never leave the house in July or August!!!

I happen to be a panty waist. I bought one of the cheapie evaporative cooling vest and tried it on one leg of my trip when it was 100+. It did give you the feeling of being cooler but it didn't last long. I am fortunate to have a cooler when I travel and I made good use of it on this trip. I think I spent $1012 on ice though. I drank a bottled water at every stop, ate bananas and oranges like a silverback and I faired pretty well. Diet and metabolism is important in the heat. And when you pull into Cody, WY and the cheapest hotel is $130/nt but it's 98 degrees somehow that $130 doesn't seem so bad. :D
 
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First: Normal body temp is 98.6, give or take a degree. If the air temp blowing on you is above that . . . button up! Keep the air OFF your skin. If you're wearing mesh, put in a liner or your toast.
+1 If I'm short on space I don't even take my mesh with me anymore. I find that the useful temp range for mesh is a very small window. Maybe 75 to 85F tops. I put my First Gear jacket back on with a vent or two open at 85F. At 95F I'll put the cooling vest on underneath it. The vest works just as well and lasts much longer.
 
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I remember being helped into a pickup with air conditioning, looking out the window and seeing Dinkies face and started to come around right away.
Now that's a scary way to wake up!! Usually we're passing out after looking at him, but then again, there's usually some Honey Bourbon or Redhot involved.

Glad you were OK. We have to deal with that alot here in Florida. I've seen it happen to people on the golf course many times, including myself. Never miss a chance to hydrate.
 
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Just hope I'm not the ( butt ) of alot of jokes.
We'll had a little fun with ya afterwards but it's serious stuff and like you said you were fine then down.. just glad you weren't riding at the time. Perhaps your story will help someone in the future.
 

Dinkie Diesel

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A serious matter, no doubt. Bobert, I took pictures of the whole event. I'll save them for when I really need them. :D I'm just happy you rebounded as quick as you did.

The only man I know that had such a powerful #2 they passed out. You're my hero! Then dangling your feet in the cool stream with my BIL was so cute...
 
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For some reason, I'm getting tears in my eyes.

A serious matter, no doubt. Bobert, I took pictures of the whole event. I'll save them for when I really need them. :D I'm just happy you rebounded as quick as you did.

The only man I know that had such a powerful #2 they passed out. You're my hero! Then dangling your feet in the cool stream with my BIL was so cute...
 

st1300doug

All comments are sincere. I'm 57 yrs. old. Just cannot take the heat like I use to. And...on meds. that make me ill in 90+ temps. So, I just don't do it anymore. 101 here today, 104 projected tomorrow. Missouri has seen over 26 days of 90+ temps. I was going to the National BMWOA Rally in Sedalia Mo. But....not w/the 100 degree burner desert heat. Stay safe out there friends. Praying for RAIN.....
 

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My longest hot ride was 11 hours at 105 degrees F in the northeast - high humidity. What I did:

A. Started the ride at 5am when it was 85 degrees F before sunrise.
1. Brought two full camelbak backpacks - about 5.5 to 6 liters.
2. Froze some 12 ounce water bottles the night before and peeled off the plastic and inserted the block ice into the camelbaks.
3. Drank while riding about every 20 to 30 minutes as much as I could drink.
4. Stopped at hour 7 and had a meal in air conditioning. Spent 30 minutes indoors getting my body temperature down.
5. Drank some electrolytes at the meal.
6. Stopped for bio breaks when I had to which was about every 90 minutes.

It worked well. When I arrived at my destination I drank another 32 oz of water before having a tasty beverage.

Would I do anything differently...I might try putting on my rain liner in the kevlar mesh riding suit when I know that temps will go over 100 degrees.
 
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random thoughts.
-if you're thristy, you're behind the curve. drink before that.
-if you stop sweating you have an issue. now.
-if you notice you're not hot or have shivers you have an issue. now. not when you need gas.
-cramps, a sign that you're electrolytes are screwed up.
-mix it up with water and gatoraid. imop straight doesn't give you enough water.
-it ain't a beauty pagent. dump a glass a water on your head, in your jacket whatever and go ride.
-pee s/b pretty clear.
-skip the carbonated caffeinated sugar carp.
-better to drink very often then chug it all at once.
 
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I don't think the mesh is that big of a deal myself. Being on the ST, you have a full fairing and big shield so you don't really get much air. I can see how on the Super Tenere that might be a bigger issue as, with the deflectors off, you get huge blasts of air right at your chest... it's nice in the 85-95 range but you can tell it's hot air if you push much higher... I've never had any issues with mesh and that's my gear pretty much most of the year, using the inner waterproof liners or gerbings when it's cold.

I actually find I'm more mindful of my water intake in the hot weather... in cold weather I tend to get headaches because I'm too complacent with the nice temps and don't remember to drink enough fluids... it can happen to you hot or cold.
 
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Very good thoughts made here, I learned alot. The EMT's had me drink 2 bottles of water before they let me out. And of interest, Dinkie or Joe, got me three bottles of Gatoraid, which I was told to drink, after that and more water about three hours latter, I was getting another bottle of water and someone asked if I had peed yet? I thought, hmmmm about 4 hours, and my answer was No. I kepted drinking, and a couple hours latter, things were back to working. Will do things differently next time, and by the way, I was drinking at every stop, and gas fill up... but not enough.

random thoughts.
-if you're thristy, you're behind the curve. drink before that.
-if you stop sweating you have an issue. now.
-if you notice you're not hot or have shivers you have an issue. now. not when you need gas.
-cramps, a sign that you're electrolytes are screwed up.
-mix it up with water and gatoraid. imop straight doesn't give you enough water.
-it ain't a beauty pagent. dump a glass a water on your head, in your jacket whatever and go ride.
-pee s/b pretty clear.
-skip the carbonated caffeinated sugar carp.
-better to drink very often then chug it all at once.
 
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Joe
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As stated earlier... drinking the night before and before you even get on the bike is good and coffee/coke is not a good option, I know folks love their coffee but the headaches go away after about day 4.. LOL
 
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I don't think the mesh is that big of a deal myself. Being on the ST, you have a full fairing and big shield so you don't really get much air. I can see how on the Super Tenere that might be a bigger issue as, with the deflectors off, you get huge blasts of air right at your chest... it's nice in the 85-95 range but you can tell it's hot air if you push much higher... I've never had any issues with mesh and that's my gear pretty much most of the year, using the inner waterproof liners or gerbings when it's cold.
You're also from a warmer region and probably more climatized to that kind of weather. Us Seattle guys start to wither and melt in the 90-95F+ weather. ;) Even riding an ST with it's wind protection, I've been the victim of heat exhaustion. You don't even have to be on a moving vehicle to feel the effects.

My 1st 1000+ mile ride was from Seattle to Sacramento, then back to Ashland for WeSTOC. I was in sad shape when I arrived there. On the way to CreSTOC we hit 105F down around Bishop. Solid jacket and cooling vest was perfect for me! YMMV
 
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I found that I was stopping at just about every rest stop along the way to hydrate and stretch out my legs. I'd go inside and take my jacket off and cool off. Never really felt the urge to pee so I suppose I still wasn't drinking enough. I did stop and get some gatorade once which helped but I'll have to try out the V8 option sometime. The only problem I found was that in most places there wasn't any shade to park the bike in and so when I would go to get back on it, I would encounter the Planters Dry Roasted Nuts syndrome. A lot of good information here.
 

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Joe
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You're also from a warmer region and probably more climatized to that kind of weather. Us Seattle guys start to wither and melt in the 90-95F+ weather. ;) Even riding an ST with it's wind protection, I've been the victim of heat exhaustion. You don't even have to be on a moving vehicle to feel the effects.

My 1st 1000+ mile ride was from Seattle to Sacramento, then back to Ashland for WeSTOC. I was in sad shape when I arrived there. On the way to CreSTOC we hit 105F down around Bishop. Solid jacket and cooling vest was perfect for me! YMMV
You're very correct.. we ride long distances and cover varying geographical areas and I'm sure I'm freezing at 60 whereas you're in a t-shirt and shorts.. LOL

There are so many factors... not just the 'science' of it but also the non-scientific comfort level... doesn't matter what is the 'right' thing to do, if someone doesn't feel comfortable with it, they won't do it.. so, sometimes a compromise is needed in order to get the best possible solution for the individual. Maybe, over time, they end up gravitating towards the more logical solution..

For instance, I know that for probably every possible riding situation, regardless of humidity levels or hot or cold... a non-mesh jacket/pant combo is the best solution... but, I just ain't gonna do it... On my way back from NatSTOC I think I hit 6 10-mile-ish construction area and every single time I got there After the pilot car already took off and they stopped that flow of traffic so I was sitting for 15 mins. That was truly torture and there was little breeze if any... I was pretty warm in the mesh but in a non-mesh solution I would have had to take something off. The 4 guys in the cruisers behind me sitting in t-shirts probably felt like I was crazy even in the mesh but there solution to me was worse than non-mesh... LOL

Those phase change vests are the best thing I've ever used for heat but they do nothing to address your hydration, only your comfort level and to a small degree how much you might sweat so maybe a little in the way of dehydration prevention but not the way anyone should look at them. They're just very inconvenient when touring.
 
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Good pt about the gatoraid. Sugar requires additional water to metabolize.
I don't go for the fake sugar caffeine "energy" drinks but for me about 50% gatoraid mix and another container of plain old water works for me.

For the most part vitamin claims are feel good, your uptake is MUCH better from digesting food.
 

Dinkie Diesel

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Let's talk about colors. I confess, I wore a white, long sleeve, oxford shirt without the jacket and white goatskin gloves above 85. My upper body was a whole lot cooler than my lower with black, non-mesh riding pants. Sisk and Jammaman said I looked like an Amish motorcycler. Maybe we should push Aerostich and Motoport to come up with a white material. I think this trip made apparent that the ST is a hot bike to ride in the higher temps. I could feel the heat coming from the tank, seat and air flow on my legs. Typically it doesn't bother me but after 13-1/2 hours I noticed it.

Also, I bought a pair of LD Comfort undies just for this trip. I found absolutely no difference between the $47 undies and the $12 ones from Sports Authority.
 
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+1 on the $12 undies from Sports Authority. I got a pair and they make a big difference just in seam placement. That and Monkeybutt powder goes a long way in keeping the boys happy. Well at least until about hour 7 and then the heat from the tank starts to take it's toll.

Let's talk about colors. I confess, I wore a white, long sleeve, oxford shirt without the jacket and white goatskin gloves above 85. My upper body was a whole lot cooler than my lower with black, non-mesh riding pants. Sisk and Jammaman said I looked like an Amish motorcycler. Maybe we should push Aerostich and Motoport to come up with a white material. I think this trip made apparent that the ST is a hot bike to ride in the higher temps. I could feel the heat coming from the tank, seat and air flow on my legs. Typically it doesn't bother me but after 13-1/2 hours I noticed it.

Also, I bought a pair of LD Comfort undies just for this trip. I found absolutely no difference between the $47 undies and the $12 ones from Sports Authority.
 

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Hard to imagine what a white Stich would look like after a summer of riding Dinkie.

The yellow works pretty well at reflecting the radiant heat. They also make a light gray that might be worth trying out, but I don't think it'll work better than the yellow and I like the extra visibility yellow provides.

Shuey
 
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