Keeping cool, and safe, in hot times

Thank you, NASA

It's gonna be a hot one, like seven inches from the noonday sun and when the temp climbs over the 100 wall it's easy to blow off all safety gear.

Don't.

Besides the rash of injuries you could get, your gear could keep you from getting heat exhaustion/stroke.

The helmet you normally wear is going to be hot today. No doubt. If you wear a jacket, ditto. Same with gloves.

But while you take into account the risk of going without the crash gear, that gear could also be used to keep your body moist and prevent dehydration and other heat injuries.

With a t-shirt, your body's natural cooling mechanism -- sweat-evaporation -- is in high gear with sweat evaporating as you ride before it can efficiently cool off your body, which results in more sweat, which results in more evaporation which eventually dehydrates you.

Add in the impacts not just of ambient temperatures but of the heat coming off the asphalt and you are not only losing your evaporative powers but you're being baked like a Cheeto to a crispy crunch.

Leave your jacket on, soak a bandana in water and tie it around your neck. Or soak your t-shirt (ooh, wet t-shirt contest at Jarmans!!!) and put the jacket over it.

If you ride mesh during the summer (yes, my hand is raised) you're well enough off in town, but riding distance on the freeway could result in being baked and not in a good way. The mesh provides airflow, but if the air is already 100 degrees and the sun baking the blacktop is raising road temperature to 200 degrees and you ride for two hours at -- uh, my math gets foggy here, but I'd say "hot temperatures" -- you'll be like a roast in the oven by the time you're done.

(Don't ask how I know that.)

Again, soak the bandana and the t-shirt, or wear a wet t-shirt and a liner in the jacket to keep some of the hot air away from your skin.

And don't stop for a beer, either. Make it one of those freakin' smart water, electrolytes included, yuppie bottles of H2O. The beer will be cool when you get home.

Ride well,

Rainman