In my travels I have been close to hypothermia, and I’ve also been close to heat stroke. The difference between the two is that people seem to know more about preparing for the cold than the heat. In both situations I try to be aware of the dangers and be prepared. I generally commute by bike here in sunny Tucson, Arizona, and so I wanted to throw down my thoughts about how I survive in our extreme temperatures.
So do I bike year round? Yep. In the heat? Yep. Is that crazy? Not if you know what you’re doing and are careful. In the same way that its possible to bike in the cold, its possible to bike in the heat. Am I a doctor or some kind of heat biking expert? Nope. You should do whatever you think is safe. You do you and be careful.
But y tho 🤔
A lot of people think that I’m a big fan of bikes, but while that is true, I’m also against the plague of car dependency here in America, and I generally opt out of driving most places due to its heavy impact.
I do love Tucson, but, like anywhere, its not perfect.I didn’t move here to move from one air-conditioned box to another and I really love being outside. I have learned to enjoy the heat, or at times accept it. It isn’t until the really hot months where I concede ‘ok, its officially maybe toooo hot’. 😄
What are the dangers? ☠️
Obviously overheating and heat stroke. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance (aka sodium loss) are concerns we want to avoid. Looking sweaty and uncomfortable, while less of a danger, is less than ideal.
What is too hot? 🥵
I can’t tell you this, but if you are not used to the desert heat, err on avoiding cycling when you feel its too hot. I have learned my limits over years of cycling, slowly increasing my threshold over a long period of time.
Top Tip: A Wet Bandana 🤠
Its not just a fashion statement, a wet bandana is a very effective way to avoid overheating. The cooling effect around your neck cools the blood vessels to your brain, which provides a dramatic improvement to your comfort.
It will dry out so I re-wet my bandana roughly every 20 minutes. I also usually keep the bandana on after I get off the bike and go indoors until I cool down. Once it dries out and I’ve cooled down, then I’ll take it off.
Dress Appropriately 👕
What you wear makes a huge difference. I’m usually wearing loose synthetic outerwear when cycling. Avoid wearing a backpack, it will make you much hotter, and it’ll get ‘the funk’ over time. Ride a bike with a basket or bag to carry your stuff. Short hair makes a big difference.
Lower your effort with an e-bike 🔋
My commuter is an e-bike, which lowers the effort required. I also purposely reduce my effort level and increase the power level on the bike. If you have an ‘acoustic’ bike, reduce the range of trips in the heat, and lower the effort on uphills.
Water, Water, Water 💦💦
If its not obvious, make sure you have water with you at all times. Have enough to drink, but also enough to douse yourself with if you feel you are overheating, and enough to re-wet your bandana. In hotter months I’ll carry a water bottle and also a vacuum insulated thermos with either iced water or coffee.
But not too much water 🧂
I try to be careful with my water intake, and make sure that its not too much. This is a dangerous thing to say because you need to stay hydrated. But a common problem with newcomers to heat is that they drink too much water.
What happens is they are hot, so they keep drinking to cool down, but they have also sweated out a lot of salt, causing a dangerous sodium imbalance. People will feel nauseous when this occurs. I drink when I’m thirsty, and douse water on me when I’m hot. I will eat something salty or throw in some skratch powder if i think i’ll need it as well.
Take The Bus 🚌
I live in a place with a walk score of literally zero. I have no nearby buses, meaning I have to bike to a bus stop. But…I can take the bus! Its totally feasible for me to take the bus instead of bike, and I do this way more in the summer. Its a great way to stay cool and turn a long ride into a couple short ones.
Use a personal fan 🪭
A fan helps you cool down more effectively when you get off the bike. When you’re on the bike, there is a lot of airflow that, in a dry humid environment, dries out your sweat, and when you get off the bike, you can quickly become a sweaty mess. The best way to combat this is a small battery operated fan.
This is one of those tips that extends well beyond cycling. We have a number of fans in our ‘fan drawer’ and we use them all the time and provide them to guests. As I write this the above fan is blowing on me right now!
Stay in the shade, or make your own ☂️
Depending on what I’m up to, I may bring an umbrella (or if you want to get fancy a sunbrella) to stay out of the sun. This is a dramatic improvement over just standing at a bus stop baking. Last weekend at the No King’s Day protest I stood in 110 degress for two hours…and the umbrella was vital to staying cool!
😎 Stay Safe, Stay Cool! 😎
I hope you found something interesting there. Stay safe and stay cool!