An important skill is (believe it or not) keeping cool in the summer! That's right, it seems simple but we often forget that HYPERthermia is a serious problem for riders.
What is hyperthermia? From our friends at www.medicinenet.com:
"Hyperthermia is overheating of the body. The word is made up of "hyper" (high) + "thermia" from the Greek word "thermes" (heat). Hyperthermia is literally high heat. There are a variety of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Other heat-related health problems include heat cramps, heat rash and sunburn."
http://www.medicinenet.com/hyperthermia/article.htm
Basically it means you start getting cooked. Fundamentally your body cools itself by sweating--it's evaporative cooling. The problem for riders is, if you start sweating you're steaming water out of the system; if you don't pour water into the system then you run out of water in your body, your blood will literally thicken, and then bad, bad things can happen to you. So you know: on a bike, you'll wick away the sweat--that gives you that pleasant cooling sensation--BUT you may not realize YOU ARE SWEATING and YOU NEED TO SWEAT to stay cool.
Do you see the double edged sword here? Riding cools you but also dehydrates you faster. You can end up with HEAT STROKE. Again from our friends at Medicinenet:
"What are the symptoms of heat stroke?
Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include:
an extremely high body temperature (above 104?F)
red, hot, and moist or dry skin (no sweating)
rapid, strong pulse
throbbing headache
dizziness
nausea
confusion
seizures
unconsciousness"
Note system number 2--NO SWEATING. That's the sign that the system is failing and you're in trouble. Do you see the conundrum? Ride to be cool, but in essence you're speed drying yourself. (Why the rapid pulse and headache? I'm told it is because your blood is thickening and harder to move).
Another big problem is that fact that CONFUSION is a symptom. Yeah, you get stupid or, as we say in motorcycle world, IMPAIRED. You start thinking "I' don't feel good...maybe that double bacon, green chili burrito was a bad idea...I'll ride FASTER, get home SOONER, and get some pepto going..." instead of recognizing you've got a serious, serious problem. How serious? IV fluids serious. Kidney or liver shut down serious.
You CAN ride in hot weather. Mrs. Crash and I just completed two 280 mile days riding in 90 to 100 degree temps. How? By staying hydrated. A couple of rules to live by if you're riding in the heat:
1. UNDERSTAND YOU'RE IN DANGER. Simply 'toughing it out' isn't a option. Just like you should realize that the only cars on the road at 3:30am on a Saturday morning are people going to bad jobs, cops and drunks should heighten your awareness; you should say--it's gonna be HOT and plan accordingly. Riding on a 97 degree day IS NOT the same as riding on an 78 degree one.
2. ACT LIKE YOU'RE IN DANGER. Stop hourly. Re-hydrate. Yeah, you may not be thirsty but get 12 or 16 ounces of water down you at each stop. FORCE yourself. Remember: one of the symptoms of Heat Stroke is nausea. IF you see hot and sick? YOU ARE HOT AND SICK. Stop often and hydrate. Drink a low sugar sports drink every couple of stops. You wouldn't set out across Nevada without a full tank of gas--keep your internal radiator topped off.
3. Wear some gear but remember what's going on. Mesh is nice but remember, that cooling breeze is also a DRYING breeze. If you're wearing vented gear? Same deal. Gear will help with SUNBURN as it protects you from UVs. It will also slow evaporation but you don't want to cook in your gear. Use the vents. AND if you're riding in a t-shirt and vest? You're bleeding water so act like it. (See suggestion 2).
4. Wear sunscreen. On your face. Under your chin. On the back of your neck. The reflected energy off the road (or your shiny bike) can blister you as well as the direct energy of the sun.
5. Use cooling aids--like a water soaked bandanna on the back of your neck; notice how quickly it dries and remember that's what is happening to YOU. I've used gel filled cooling rags and really like them. They cover the back of your neck and cool at the same time. Also, once they stop offering comfort it's a good sign to stop and reload.
6. Know when the teeth of the day are. When is it hottest? I've always found 4 to 6pm to be where the real heat is. Consider parking it up during the hottest hours.
7. Are you taking pee breaks? When was the last time you urinated? Yea, a full bladder means you have H20 to spare—once you notice “I haven’t peed all day” you’ve noticed a key indicator that your body no longer has a reservoir of water, it’s all going out through your pores and not your bladder. You should be drinking AND peeing.
Remember, over heating is a serious and dangerous problem. It impairs you. An impaired person makes bad decisions. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IS THIS: Solve the problem before it becomes a problem. Be proactive not reactive. Hydrate. Cover up as you can. Stay out of the teeth of the heat. Be wise.
Be Safe!
What is hyperthermia? From our friends at www.medicinenet.com:
"Hyperthermia is overheating of the body. The word is made up of "hyper" (high) + "thermia" from the Greek word "thermes" (heat). Hyperthermia is literally high heat. There are a variety of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Other heat-related health problems include heat cramps, heat rash and sunburn."
http://www.medicinenet.com/hyperthermia/article.htm
Basically it means you start getting cooked. Fundamentally your body cools itself by sweating--it's evaporative cooling. The problem for riders is, if you start sweating you're steaming water out of the system; if you don't pour water into the system then you run out of water in your body, your blood will literally thicken, and then bad, bad things can happen to you. So you know: on a bike, you'll wick away the sweat--that gives you that pleasant cooling sensation--BUT you may not realize YOU ARE SWEATING and YOU NEED TO SWEAT to stay cool.
Do you see the double edged sword here? Riding cools you but also dehydrates you faster. You can end up with HEAT STROKE. Again from our friends at Medicinenet:
"What are the symptoms of heat stroke?
Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include:
an extremely high body temperature (above 104?F)
red, hot, and moist or dry skin (no sweating)
rapid, strong pulse
throbbing headache
dizziness
nausea
confusion
seizures
unconsciousness"
Note system number 2--NO SWEATING. That's the sign that the system is failing and you're in trouble. Do you see the conundrum? Ride to be cool, but in essence you're speed drying yourself. (Why the rapid pulse and headache? I'm told it is because your blood is thickening and harder to move).
Another big problem is that fact that CONFUSION is a symptom. Yeah, you get stupid or, as we say in motorcycle world, IMPAIRED. You start thinking "I' don't feel good...maybe that double bacon, green chili burrito was a bad idea...I'll ride FASTER, get home SOONER, and get some pepto going..." instead of recognizing you've got a serious, serious problem. How serious? IV fluids serious. Kidney or liver shut down serious.
You CAN ride in hot weather. Mrs. Crash and I just completed two 280 mile days riding in 90 to 100 degree temps. How? By staying hydrated. A couple of rules to live by if you're riding in the heat:
1. UNDERSTAND YOU'RE IN DANGER. Simply 'toughing it out' isn't a option. Just like you should realize that the only cars on the road at 3:30am on a Saturday morning are people going to bad jobs, cops and drunks should heighten your awareness; you should say--it's gonna be HOT and plan accordingly. Riding on a 97 degree day IS NOT the same as riding on an 78 degree one.
2. ACT LIKE YOU'RE IN DANGER. Stop hourly. Re-hydrate. Yeah, you may not be thirsty but get 12 or 16 ounces of water down you at each stop. FORCE yourself. Remember: one of the symptoms of Heat Stroke is nausea. IF you see hot and sick? YOU ARE HOT AND SICK. Stop often and hydrate. Drink a low sugar sports drink every couple of stops. You wouldn't set out across Nevada without a full tank of gas--keep your internal radiator topped off.
3. Wear some gear but remember what's going on. Mesh is nice but remember, that cooling breeze is also a DRYING breeze. If you're wearing vented gear? Same deal. Gear will help with SUNBURN as it protects you from UVs. It will also slow evaporation but you don't want to cook in your gear. Use the vents. AND if you're riding in a t-shirt and vest? You're bleeding water so act like it. (See suggestion 2).
4. Wear sunscreen. On your face. Under your chin. On the back of your neck. The reflected energy off the road (or your shiny bike) can blister you as well as the direct energy of the sun.
5. Use cooling aids--like a water soaked bandanna on the back of your neck; notice how quickly it dries and remember that's what is happening to YOU. I've used gel filled cooling rags and really like them. They cover the back of your neck and cool at the same time. Also, once they stop offering comfort it's a good sign to stop and reload.
6. Know when the teeth of the day are. When is it hottest? I've always found 4 to 6pm to be where the real heat is. Consider parking it up during the hottest hours.
7. Are you taking pee breaks? When was the last time you urinated? Yea, a full bladder means you have H20 to spare—once you notice “I haven’t peed all day” you’ve noticed a key indicator that your body no longer has a reservoir of water, it’s all going out through your pores and not your bladder. You should be drinking AND peeing.
Remember, over heating is a serious and dangerous problem. It impairs you. An impaired person makes bad decisions. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IS THIS: Solve the problem before it becomes a problem. Be proactive not reactive. Hydrate. Cover up as you can. Stay out of the teeth of the heat. Be wise.
Be Safe!
(Yeah, I know... It's broccoli.)
