I don't want to sound like I am complaining, but we are currently experiencing unusually hot and humid weather. It is enough of a change that I need to bring this consideration into my riding plan.
With good intentions and no alarm clock, the earliest I've made it out the door on my bike this week has been 7:30. This isn't very early for one thinking they will get a good ride in before it gets hot. I cut it a little short and finished my ride at 10:00 today. It was already pretty hot: 82F with 80% humidity. I live in a desert, so humidity is much more of a problem for me than heat alone. I'm not used to it. This has given me something to think about. Weather can be relative, depending on what a person is used to.
Planning a bike trip in a climate different than one is used to may be difficult. I am beginning to realize important ways in which this experience and knowledge can make or break a plan. For example, if I were going to start a tour tomorrow by leaving my front door, I would have a plan to set my alarm very early and try to be on the road soon after first light. Riding in the cool quiet morning would be far more pleasant, and take far less of my mental energy, than trying to accomplish the same ride in the peak of the heat (which is currently mid-afternoon). It also cools down quite nicely in the late afternoon and evening here (and stays light). A good plan could include laying low in the heat of the day and then riding for another few hours in the evening if distance were a concern.
My first adjustment to the conditions I am currently facing will be to make sure I set an alarm and get on the road earlier when I plan a longer ride. Next I will look at hydration.
No comments:
Post a Comment