Hot summer weather stops many people from riding, and this is because for many reasons, many struggles to ride in the heat. With how hot it could get, especially in a heatwave, riding in the heat comes with its challenges to face and overcome if your body will be able to deal with the high temperatures.
Looking forward to hot girl summer but the heatwave has you staying more at home than out doing the things you planned to do? That is a bummer. If the sun is not ideal for your cycling life, this could be because you do not know the precautions to take to prevent dehydration and over-heating.
This is why we will be sharing five guidelines to follow if you are going to enjoy some summer riding.
Tips for Summer Riding
1. Be a Morning/Evening Rider
At first glance, this seems like a tip to provide an obvious solution to avoiding the sun’s rays and the hottest parts of the day. This is a handy piece of information since the summer months are flooded in daylight, and riding in the early morning or late evening can still mean you are riding in some sunlight, but it is usually warm wan sunlight by then.
However, the main tip here is that while riding at any time is good for your health, riding after your waking hours or before you retire for the night is better due to the beneficial relationship between rest and exercise.
You can ride in the morning with the quieter roads or in the evening with the beautiful sunset scenery and general genial atmosphere at that time of the day. Either way, make sure your electric bike has powerful headlights so you can still get to your destination despite the approaching darkness.
2. Be Dressed for the Heat
There is no reason to continue wearing your winter riding clothes when it is 30 degrees and boiling outside. The exciting thing is these days, you have a lot of technical cycle gear available on the market, with different prices too. Light-textured materials with cooling properties will help against a build-up of sweat, preventing discomfort.
Lightweight materials can assist in the evaporation of sweat from the skin, and front zippers will help regulate your temperature. The breeze involved with an ebike has a special cooling effect, so the heat tends to hit harder when you stop riding.
Additionally, it is a better idea to wear fingerless mitts than ride gloveless, as the palm of your hands can get very sore from gripping the handlebars when sweaty. Sweat-wicking cycling socks of lightweight material can be gotten cheaply from cycling stores.
It is also essential to have a pair of nice shorts since any rubbing around your tender regions can quickly become very irritating, especially since you are sweating. Apply some chamois cream before riding to help with this.
Lastly, to prevent damage to your eyes, wear sunglasses with 100 percent UV filtering lenses. This stops direct sunlight, dust, and flies.
3. Be with Your Sunscreen Always
Do you know what a cycling tan is? It is when a cyclist has visibly tanned skin in some parts of their bodies not covered by the sun. Fact is, some cyclists are proud of this cycling tan while others do not find it so amusing to look like you are still in a tank top when you take your top off.
Try to cover all the exposed parts of your skin with sunscreen, especially the back of your neck and your face. Your knee areas, arms, and calves should be covered as well to your satisfaction, to ensure a safe ride.
However, the main reason for having your sunscreen lotion is to protect your skin against worse things like sunburn and cancer resulting from excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun.
4. Be Aware of Road Surfaces
The harsh conditions of winter can contrast starkly with the different set of road conditions that are introduced by the warm weather of summer, and you should be aware of them. On a typically hot day, patches of slippery tar can be on some roads, which can become stuck to your tires and bring in some dirt and grit.
Also, after a summer rain, the wet roads can get very slippery, particularly under tree areas. Whatever you can see on the road should make some sense to you as you proceed. It is better not to omit this as you ride a cargo bike.
5. Be Hydrated Always
Cycling in hot weather naturally comes with the problem of being hydrated enough. Because you are sweating more, your body will naturally try to cool itself down, but the evaporation occurring will mean that the sweat dries up quickly. This could make it hard to determine exactly how much fluid your body is losing.
What you should do is drink a lot of water but in little amounts when riding. Ensure you have plenty of water with you and check places where you can obtain more on your route.
Having water or drinks infused with electrolytes is a good idea to replace fluid lost by sweating. Use ice cubes to keep your drink cool for at least half an hour during riding to get the best out of this.
You might be surprised at how much drink you can consume on a hot day when drinking up to three full bottles on a long ride is quite commonplace. The way to go about it is to keep sipping from the beginning to the end of your riding, it would be disastrous to have to drink only when you become thirsty. In all of this, be sure to eat enough as well on your ride.
In Conclusion
Riding in the summer is a very enjoyable experience and can improve consistency in your riding habit due to the beautiful and generally cordial air of summer. However, without the right preparation on your part, it can quickly get uncomfortable, enough to make you wish you never rode in the first place.
Follow the tips provided to get the best of your summer riding and to ensure your safe return. Make sure you apply sunscreen if you go riding out in clear skies. Check the surface condition of the roads while riding as they pose a hazard for unsuspecting cyclists. More riding means more sweating. If you are beginning to feel the heat, go through your drinks or reduce your pace. Better still, shorten the ride
When you get home, try to cool off with a refreshing drink and probably a cold bath. Your body will thank you for it.