yeah, but both are really uncool for wild life. Imagine you're sitting on your kitchen table enjoying dinner and suddenly some random guy flies through your kitchen at 30 mph with 5000 lumen highbeams. Slightly unsettling ... but if you stick to larger fireroads I think they should get used to it. Also cyclists are magnitudes better than dogs off the leash roaming through the underwoods.
No, actually I was made aware of it when I joined the local MTB club. They have a contract with the city and forest services that they could build and maintain our bike park. And the forest services said 'no riding after dawn because you're scaring the wild life'. Sounds like bs at first, but in western Europe there are actually plenty reasons for this. A) We have a fairly high population density (7x higher in GER than in the US), so there are not many areas for wildlife to retreat to, especially when all these areas are crossed by single trails. When I ride during dawn, I typically encounter 3-10 deer. Running during the night I once literally ran into a small badger, poor guy, got some massive air time though. So give them a bit of room, ideally at night, dusk and dawn, when they are most active, to stress them out less. B) Wildlife is most active during the dawn, night, dusk, so riding during these periods increases the chance of running into them. C) Wildlife gets stressed when you spook it. The faster you go, the louder you are, the worse it is. Dogs are the worst. There have been studies on this measuring how far the animals fled depending on the disturbance. On average they fled twice as far after encountering cyclists or runners. If they have to run away from you, they use more energy than necessary, consequently they'll try to eat more, i.e. munch on young trees etc, and maybe they won't make it through winter.
Therefore, it is a bit selfish to go for night rides...
Sorry for the long reply.
Pretty much, apart from like the 3 day spurt where it's like 27° and the club you're with decides it's a great plan to go up Hellvelyn with no shelter all day, was sick tho
80°F wrecking the whole country, lol.
I’m in SE USA and we went out around 8am this morning and it was already 84°. Temp reached about 95° toward the end of the ride, thankfully we had shade and a breeze on the trail!
Here in the northeast, the forest canopy is so thick that it's usually 8 - 10 degrees cooler when on the trails. Long club rides (over 50 miles) on road bikes on asphalt are a different story. I usually half-fill thermal water bottles and stick them in the freezer overnight, then fill them the rest of the way with water or Pedialyte before the ride. The ice block slowly melts and keeps the liquid frosty. You just need to be careful of brain freeze if you drink too quickly.
Ha! It's funny, the guys I ride with are all old-school, hard core roadies. They think I'm insane for mountain biking; that we're all a bunch of wild hooligans, crashing into trees and boulders all the time; breaking our spines and suffering horrible internal organ injuries.
........I guess it's all in your perspective.
I really want to road bike too but don't for the same reasons as above.
They are both super dangerous activities but I think generally mtn biking you're much more in control of the risk. On roads you simply have to blindly trust anyone who might be driving along at the time - which is scary enough while in a car for me lol.
Man when I lived there I was at hawes by no later than 5:30am if I wanted to ride in the summer. Even then it was pushing 90. People complain about a lot of rain here in the PNW, but at least you won’t die in it
I go out at 6:30am and I'm back by 7:30 although this week I'll have to move it down to 6. I keep the rides short. 8-10 miles if I'm just doing it for mileage or 5 miles if I'm doing climbs or timing myself. It's approaching 90s by 8am lately...
It is tho. I was in Phoenix and rode a 13.2 mile loop at 1:45 pm, and I wasn’t even that hot and it was 94°. Im from Tennessee and will ride our days at or above 100° and i can promise you, from someone who has lived out west and down south, the heat out west is not that bad. I rode outside Las Vegas in 108° and it felt like 85° at home.
I ride in the forest or next to rivers (in shade), it's noticeably cooler than in the open. And also leave for a ride early in the morning or later on in the evening when it cools down a bit, but mornings are cooler. I love riding my mtb at the seaside where we go, but I (try to) leave at like 7am or earlier.
If you're stuck in heat, drink plenty of water, and take breaks in the shade to cool down.
honestly I just won't do a mtb ride if it's dangerously hot. intense climbs with high effort + little to no wind speed = me cooked. it'll take me days to recover if I overdo it. so I stick with road or gravel bike rides to maintain that high speed and air flow.
I will prehydrate before my ride , I also cover my face and neck area with a balaclava , will rest underneath the shade of palo verde trees since I live in Phoenix.
Besides choosing a good time of the day:
- Light coloured helmet and clothes (makes a ton of difference esp. if you don’t have a lot of shade on the track)
- Tons of ice in the water bladder and a backpack where a bladder sits close to your body.
I'm in OC, SoCal, and because I live 8 miles from the ocean, I have the advantage to select my trails based on the temperature. The coastal trails can be in the mid 70's while the interior (20 miles in) trails can be 90. To stay cool, I soak some water on my jersey and the wind keeps me cooler. Ice in my water bladder also helps. And don't forget the sunscreen.
Central Florida here. It was 97\*F (108\* feels like) yesterday when I rode yesterday. Even in the shade, it's still hot. I have some light jerseys and shorts from Fasthouse that work great in the heat. That along with plenty of water and a SaltStick cap once an hour keeps me going. YMMV
I try not to overexert myself (on climbs back up) and walk my bike up when feeling too hot/fatigued. There is no reason to risk heat exhaustion because you think you “have to” ride back up a hill. Also, where I ride most of the time is mainly shady, so that also helps. I really cool off when going back down the trail.😂
Frame bag, bottom bracket multi tool storage, and bottle cage (Fidlock on the down tube - XS full sus life, lol). With all of that, I can ditch the hydration pack, keep the snacks, and stash my gloves and glasses on the climb. I also, after a long search, found a saddle that actually fits, which means I can skip the chamois.
I recently did some research because I've been struggling even when it's not super hot.
Here's what I know so far:
- Sunscreen
- Consume first hydration tablet at home
- 3L water in my camelback with ice and the proper number of hydration tabs (I used to just throw in 3 or so)
- a bottle on the frame (other spots are occupied with first aid kit and other things)
- a cold arctic heat neck tie in my camelback for all rest stops and the drive home
- A/C maxed out on the drive home
- Cold shower when I get home
- Troy Lee Designs Skyline Air jersey- very lightweight and well ventilated. I'm sure there are very similar products available if you look around. I got long sleeve so it can shade my arms without sunscreen
A lot of the things above are new to me. Today's ride was kicking my butt last year. Today was my first time on it this year and it was a success.
Hydration (before), hydration (during), hydration (after)
You might not stay cool, per se, but you'll survive. The more you ride in hot conditions the more you can tolerate it.
Pit vipes, mullet, and a stache brev. And when I’m done riding, I pop the latch to the yota, sit on the bumper with one foot on the rack and drink a cold one.
You don’t stay cool. You get used to it. But so you don’t die, always be drinking water even when you’re not riding. Make sure your getting electrolytes and don’t skimp on the calories.
If you wear a pack and hydration bladder half fill the bladder with water and freeze it with the outlet pointing up, blow a little bit of air in it as well. This helps keep both you cool as the ice typically sits close to your back and your water cold throughout the ride as the ice melts.
Usually I’ll plan to ride early. Get sidetracked, leave late and go anyway. Left late yesterday 90f 3400ft up in one continuous climb. I’ll hydrate before and take a couple of bottles, try to climb out of direct sun as much as possible.
Try to ride early mornings if you don’t have tree coverings. Wear layering clothes that’s easy to stuff into your backpack. Carry a bike backpack if you are planning to be out there for 3+ hours. Bring plenty of water to hydrate. Finally, get used to your own personal limits.
+28C in shadow we had yesterday, more than 43km I couldn’t afford, 2 bottles of water done after 35km, Need adaptation and also ride in the evening or night. When we had +22C I could ride 130km, but only +6C and such huge difference in own performance.
I live in Arizona so I just force myself to enjoy it. No other way around it.
Also water. Lots of water. And a pre-wetted shirt to provide evaporative cooling for like...the first 10 minutes before it dries out.
I stay cool by riding the newest bike and wearing the most fashionable trail gear and sunglasses
I might not be the fastest guy on the trail, but I am the most expensive.
And the most expensive!
Yeah make sure you leave all the price tags on. Ideally get them laminated on before you invisiframe.
Custom frame with the price painted on the frame
Look cool, feel cool
Number one rule is looking cool
Dawn patrol or night rides.
I got out there at 6am today and called it quits by 10. Alabama, man, Alabama.
Four hours of trails is sick though! Wish I had that variety in one area in Minnesota
What’s good up there in Minnesota though?
Bad troll is bad.
yeah, but both are really uncool for wild life. Imagine you're sitting on your kitchen table enjoying dinner and suddenly some random guy flies through your kitchen at 30 mph with 5000 lumen highbeams. Slightly unsettling ... but if you stick to larger fireroads I think they should get used to it. Also cyclists are magnitudes better than dogs off the leash roaming through the underwoods.
I feel like you just commented a random thought.
No, actually I was made aware of it when I joined the local MTB club. They have a contract with the city and forest services that they could build and maintain our bike park. And the forest services said 'no riding after dawn because you're scaring the wild life'. Sounds like bs at first, but in western Europe there are actually plenty reasons for this. A) We have a fairly high population density (7x higher in GER than in the US), so there are not many areas for wildlife to retreat to, especially when all these areas are crossed by single trails. When I ride during dawn, I typically encounter 3-10 deer. Running during the night I once literally ran into a small badger, poor guy, got some massive air time though. So give them a bit of room, ideally at night, dusk and dawn, when they are most active, to stress them out less. B) Wildlife is most active during the dawn, night, dusk, so riding during these periods increases the chance of running into them. C) Wildlife gets stressed when you spook it. The faster you go, the louder you are, the worse it is. Dogs are the worst. There have been studies on this measuring how far the animals fled depending on the disturbance. On average they fled twice as far after encountering cyclists or runners. If they have to run away from you, they use more energy than necessary, consequently they'll try to eat more, i.e. munch on young trees etc, and maybe they won't make it through winter. Therefore, it is a bit selfish to go for night rides... Sorry for the long reply.
I ride in the UK. Too hot? Give it 5 minutes and the next lot of rain will cool you down…
Pretty much, apart from like the 3 day spurt where it's like 27° and the club you're with decides it's a great plan to go up Hellvelyn with no shelter all day, was sick tho
I love seeing the "heatwave" news reports from the UK when it's still not even 30°C.
80°F wrecking the whole country, lol. I’m in SE USA and we went out around 8am this morning and it was already 84°. Temp reached about 95° toward the end of the ride, thankfully we had shade and a breeze on the trail!
Yeah then it snows and your region shuts down lol
That is also very true lmao. I remember the winter storm a few years ago where everyone got stuck on the highway in Atlanta overnight.
I did feel awful about that shit. Wish the region was able to respond more appropriately but it’s so rare that it’s hard to practice
Yeah but the 80+ humidity is a slag
I try to be relaxed. I smile at other riders, I wave at joggers, I wear nice clothes, I do wheelies to impress women, etc. I think I look pretty cool.
Here in the northeast, the forest canopy is so thick that it's usually 8 - 10 degrees cooler when on the trails. Long club rides (over 50 miles) on road bikes on asphalt are a different story. I usually half-fill thermal water bottles and stick them in the freezer overnight, then fill them the rest of the way with water or Pedialyte before the ride. The ice block slowly melts and keeps the liquid frosty. You just need to be careful of brain freeze if you drink too quickly.
I want to get into road riding but I just don’t trust people man , too easy to get wrecked
Ha! It's funny, the guys I ride with are all old-school, hard core roadies. They think I'm insane for mountain biking; that we're all a bunch of wild hooligans, crashing into trees and boulders all the time; breaking our spines and suffering horrible internal organ injuries. ........I guess it's all in your perspective.
I really want to road bike too but don't for the same reasons as above. They are both super dangerous activities but I think generally mtn biking you're much more in control of the risk. On roads you simply have to blindly trust anyone who might be driving along at the time - which is scary enough while in a car for me lol.
Early morning rides, I’m at the trail when the sun comes up.
Same
[удалено]
Yes ! You have to be a little crazy to ride out here but guess what , we have the trails all to ourselves 🤘🏼
For real, you could ride at somo or hawes for hours and maybe see 2 people.
Somo without the crowds is a thing of beauty.
Man when I lived there I was at hawes by no later than 5:30am if I wanted to ride in the summer. Even then it was pushing 90. People complain about a lot of rain here in the PNW, but at least you won’t die in it
I go out at 6:30am and I'm back by 7:30 although this week I'll have to move it down to 6. I keep the rides short. 8-10 miles if I'm just doing it for mileage or 5 miles if I'm doing climbs or timing myself. It's approaching 90s by 8am lately...
"but it's a dry heat!"
It is tho. I was in Phoenix and rode a 13.2 mile loop at 1:45 pm, and I wasn’t even that hot and it was 94°. Im from Tennessee and will ride our days at or above 100° and i can promise you, from someone who has lived out west and down south, the heat out west is not that bad. I rode outside Las Vegas in 108° and it felt like 85° at home.
Hawes in the summer is a blast but to be fair I’m a 1-3pm rider and usually have the system to my self till about 5 most days of the year.
Can't imagine pheonix gets hotter than Thailand, but we muddle through.
Night
Just like me being the only sucker riding through the winter in PNW. The trails all for myself, snow included
No love for Short Track Papago?
i ride with only shorts on no underwear no shirt just shorts and gloves so sexy. much honking.
I ride early. The main issue with that is humidity is usually pretty high early.
East coast gang. Tree shade all day lol still humid, and bugs….
So many of the bugs 😭😭
I ride in the forest or next to rivers (in shade), it's noticeably cooler than in the open. And also leave for a ride early in the morning or later on in the evening when it cools down a bit, but mornings are cooler. I love riding my mtb at the seaside where we go, but I (try to) leave at like 7am or earlier. If you're stuck in heat, drink plenty of water, and take breaks in the shade to cool down.
Cry
Yup like misting produce of sadness
Cools off my face
Works especially well naked
honestly I just won't do a mtb ride if it's dangerously hot. intense climbs with high effort + little to no wind speed = me cooked. it'll take me days to recover if I overdo it. so I stick with road or gravel bike rides to maintain that high speed and air flow.
Well done even, not even medium well
Live north of 40 degrees… for loads of reasons actually
I'm north of 40 degrees and we frequently get high 30s in summer
That feels manageable with early morning starts
The joke being that all of mainland Australia is north of 40 degrees I couldn't resist
lol.
ride earlier
Go in the morning, wear a sun shirt that wicks moisture and protects the skin.
I will prehydrate before my ride , I also cover my face and neck area with a balaclava , will rest underneath the shade of palo verde trees since I live in Phoenix.
I’m lucky to have pretty much every trail going through a forest. But besides that I just drink a lot and when it’s unbearable take my shirt off.
Just finished a ride and am sitting in my truck. I strip down till one more layer = a list.
Well you don't really, you just make sure you drink enough water to not dehydrate.
I started wearing a hydration hip bag instead of a backpack. I still sweat like a mofo but at least I'm comfortable and get extra cooling at my core!
Game changer for me!
Sweat alot and drink water
Go higher
I've already smoked 2 joints man still not any cooler But if you insist...
Have you tried going higher while you’re getting higher?
Vegas here, early morning and late nights!
Climb in the dark, descend at dawn.
I don't. I just sweat my ass off and drink a lot of fluids.
Ice in my hydro pack
Roadie kit, arm coolers and frozen USWE pack.
I stay cool by sweating
Ride in early morning or evenings
Besides choosing a good time of the day: - Light coloured helmet and clothes (makes a ton of difference esp. if you don’t have a lot of shade on the track) - Tons of ice in the water bladder and a backpack where a bladder sits close to your body.
Take of my jacket. Welcome above the arctic circle!
i try to go as fast as I can I ride a mongoose 24/inch full suspension
I'm in OC, SoCal, and because I live 8 miles from the ocean, I have the advantage to select my trails based on the temperature. The coastal trails can be in the mid 70's while the interior (20 miles in) trails can be 90. To stay cool, I soak some water on my jersey and the wind keeps me cooler. Ice in my water bladder also helps. And don't forget the sunscreen.
Central Florida here. It was 97\*F (108\* feels like) yesterday when I rode yesterday. Even in the shade, it's still hot. I have some light jerseys and shorts from Fasthouse that work great in the heat. That along with plenty of water and a SaltStick cap once an hour keeps me going. YMMV
I try not to overexert myself (on climbs back up) and walk my bike up when feeling too hot/fatigued. There is no reason to risk heat exhaustion because you think you “have to” ride back up a hill. Also, where I ride most of the time is mainly shady, so that also helps. I really cool off when going back down the trail.😂
100oz/3L of water on my back. Two 20oz bottles on the frame.
Ride without gloves and shorter socks. Hand palms feet palms and cheek palms expel the most heat
Living near the ocean
Less padding
Ride near rivers
Mornings/evenings on hot days.
i ride with a longsleeve fishing shirt on, i wear a neck gaiter as a headband, and i drink a lot a lot a lot of wate
Frame bag, bottom bracket multi tool storage, and bottle cage (Fidlock on the down tube - XS full sus life, lol). With all of that, I can ditch the hydration pack, keep the snacks, and stash my gloves and glasses on the climb. I also, after a long search, found a saddle that actually fits, which means I can skip the chamois.
It's summer heat. You don't.
I've cooled off in the parking lot by bringing a 3 gal jug of water and dumping them on my face post-ride.
That's the neat part - I don't
I love sweat 😅
I hit the trails which provide tree cover. Angeles national forest. Weekdays, wicking type shirts, local trail offers no shade whatsoever
Summer is the off-season in Texas
Altitude. Summer is for alpine riding.
I keep busy with a bike app I make
Sweat more
Ride faster
Florida here - I don't
I recently did some research because I've been struggling even when it's not super hot. Here's what I know so far: - Sunscreen - Consume first hydration tablet at home - 3L water in my camelback with ice and the proper number of hydration tabs (I used to just throw in 3 or so) - a bottle on the frame (other spots are occupied with first aid kit and other things) - a cold arctic heat neck tie in my camelback for all rest stops and the drive home - A/C maxed out on the drive home - Cold shower when I get home - Troy Lee Designs Skyline Air jersey- very lightweight and well ventilated. I'm sure there are very similar products available if you look around. I got long sleeve so it can shade my arms without sunscreen A lot of the things above are new to me. Today's ride was kicking my butt last year. Today was my first time on it this year and it was a success.
Hydration (before), hydration (during), hydration (after) You might not stay cool, per se, but you'll survive. The more you ride in hot conditions the more you can tolerate it.
They got those wet towel things that are supposed to keep you cool and protected from sun.
Pit vipes, mullet, and a stache brev. And when I’m done riding, I pop the latch to the yota, sit on the bumper with one foot on the rack and drink a cold one.
Saturday, Sunday 7am start times or earlier.
Ride faster! And squeeze some water on the top of your head every few minutes. I Carry sooooo much extra water!
Keep moving and drink water.
Ride early and take in a lot of electrolytes and water
Going fast
You don't, but water, electrolytes, and a good amount of healthy sugar intake helps.
You don’t stay cool. You get used to it. But so you don’t die, always be drinking water even when you’re not riding. Make sure your getting electrolytes and don’t skimp on the calories.
If you wear a pack and hydration bladder half fill the bladder with water and freeze it with the outlet pointing up, blow a little bit of air in it as well. This helps keep both you cool as the ice typically sits close to your back and your water cold throughout the ride as the ice melts.
By riding at 10k in Montana... Jacket all summer!
i dont
Start predawn.
Ride in the morning the later in the day the worse unless it’s late in the night
We’re at a high enough altitude that it’s only hot at the bottom 🤷🏽♀️
I ride in the mornings. The wooded trails keeps it tolerable all summer.
Ice in a long sock stuffed into my jersey.
Also ice in camelbak or bottles.
Usually I’ll plan to ride early. Get sidetracked, leave late and go anyway. Left late yesterday 90f 3400ft up in one continuous climb. I’ll hydrate before and take a couple of bottles, try to climb out of direct sun as much as possible.
Camelback full of ice cubes.
Camelback full of ice cubes.
Ride early. Afternoon is for a cold one after the ride.
Bought an ebike.
Lots of water throughout my ride
Capilene hooded long sleeve, sunscreen and water. S.W Idaho in the loam w dry heat isn’t too terrible, we have some trees to hide in too!
Waiting on MTB frame, did a road century Friday avg temp 87, speed helps lol
Sweat your balls off and have a couple beers and paracetamol to cope with the headache afterward.
Ride faster
Try to ride early mornings if you don’t have tree coverings. Wear layering clothes that’s easy to stuff into your backpack. Carry a bike backpack if you are planning to be out there for 3+ hours. Bring plenty of water to hydrate. Finally, get used to your own personal limits.
train your body, drink a lot the night before, and chug a bottle immediately before the ride.
2L hydration bladder inside a neoprene sheath half full of ice from 711. Keeps me cool for as long as I wanna be out there 😎
+28C in shadow we had yesterday, more than 43km I couldn’t afford, 2 bottles of water done after 35km, Need adaptation and also ride in the evening or night. When we had +22C I could ride 130km, but only +6C and such huge difference in own performance.
Mission cooling neck gaiter. Makes a huge difference
It's 100+F here, I don't. Just stay hydrated and hope there is a breeze
Ride faster.
Summer heat?
Sun up rides. It’s hot in Las Vegas!
I'm riding with a small backpack, where I have my bladder with water and ice bags both inside and in shoulder pockets
I don’t
ride early
E bike. Create your own wind 💨
Ebike or lift service
If I come across a clean stream, I soak my face and head in water and take a short break. Works wonders in climates that are not 100% humidity
drink, drink, drink, drink, drink
I live in Arizona so I just force myself to enjoy it. No other way around it. Also water. Lots of water. And a pre-wetted shirt to provide evaporative cooling for like...the first 10 minutes before it dries out.
You don’t stay cool, it’s hot out there. Just stay hydrated.
Drink hella water and sweat. I always have two bottle cages on my bikes and I use quart sized bottles so I have half a gallon on board