But here's the cool thing about biking, at least in Boulder: You make your own breeze. And since the air is dry here, as long as it's moving around me I'm pretty comfortable.
Biking yesterday was actually a delight. I rode from my home in SE Boulder to a lunch meeting at the Flatirons office park -- about 3 miles. From there, I biked down to the Pearl St. Mall -- about another 3 miles. From there, I biked back home -- about another 6 miles. In all, 12 miles of riding during the hottest part of the day, and I was fine.
In fact I only really noticed the heat when I
stopped biking! Then, all of the sudden, I'd start sweating like crazy.
So here are some tips I have for biking in the heat in Boulder:
1. Take shady routes where you don't have to stop much. Generally bike paths are better than road riding for this. This allows you to keep a fairly constant beeze going around you. It's prettier, too.
2. Take it easy. It's not a race! (Unless, of course, you're racing.) leave enough time to get where you're going at an easy pace. Your heart rate won't get as high, so you won't feel quite as overheated when you stop.
3. Bring a bandana. Or a hankie. Or anything you can wipe your face off with. That helps the feeling of cooling immensely. Carry extra sunscreen, since you'll be wiping it off.
4. Bring lots of water. Refill your water bottle along the route wherever you can, and drink liberally. If you dehydrate too much, you feel more tired and your body's ability to regulate temperature gets all out of whack. Frequent sips of water make the whole ride more pleasureable.
5. Have a fun destination. Well, this of course depends on what you have to do. In my case, I was having lunch to talk about a cool project with some very smart people, and then I had to run a fun errand (buying a birthday gift at
Into the Wind). Having something fun at the end of the ride makes it go easier. Now, if I instead had to go to the dentist and the hardware store, I would have factored in time to buy a mango smoothie and sip it with my feet in the Boulder Creek on the way home.
6. Breathe through your nose, unless you like the taste of gnats. (I've become an unwilling connoisseur lately.) Also, this technique helps limit the amount moisture you lose, so it helps keep you hydrated.
7. Cool off as soon as you're done. Again, it's about time management. I made sure I had time, when I got home, for a quick shower and then a long drink of homemade rasperry iced tea and some Ben & Jerry's.
...Anyway, that's just how I've learned to manage biking on hot days. I figured, since it's
Walk & Bike Week in Boulder this week, lots of people would be wrestling with the same issue.
How do you manage biking in the heat? Please comment!