Maximum temperature you're happy to cycle in

[User482]

La Marmotte 2013: temperature ranged between 13 and 40 degrees. You can see the inverse relationship with altitude.

 

[TheJDog]

I did the Etape in sweltering heat two years ago, and said never again in the South of France in the summer. Then last year we went for a Pyrenean trip and it was just as bad. I remember stopping for a bit in the shade near the top of a climb, sitting on a stone bench, and (this is pretty horrible) the flies were so thick on my groin but not really anywhere else :S

I think 30 degrees C or so is what I can stay happy in so the UK is mostly fine, but there was one summer when I remember doing repeats on Swain's Lane and it was soooo hot.

 

[hopless500]

38 is the highest I've done.

 

[subaqua]

Hotter it is the slower I ride and the more I drink. Not reached an upper limit as it's wonderful pootling along slowly when the alternative is sweltering and suffering on the tube

This. Summer was 33 degrees in London . Pair of baggy shorts and a vest .lots of fluids

 

[jefmcg]

temperature in the sauna at my gym is higher than that every day

How much hotter?

 

[Markymark]

This. Summer was 33 degrees in London . Pair of baggy shorts and a vest .lots of fluids

....and now a cycle cap as some of us don't have the upper protection we had in our youth

 

[Dave7]

One to while away these cold winter days....

For me it's 25C. It's so damn hilly here. Doing long climbs (obviously slowly) on hot days is purgatory. Flat rides I could manage more than 25C but on the exceptionally rare days it's hotter than that in the Peak District, the bike stays at home

Depends on distance (hills are not too much of a problem around here......fortunately).
I enjoy 17-20ish providing its not windy.
I can enjoy 25ish along the Dee estuary as it has a good breeze.
I will be in Menorca this June so will hopefully be finding out if I enjoy 25 plus

 

[Blue Hills]

Starts to get a probem over 30 I think. Have cycled in the Med in the high thirties for a short time (middle of the day - mad dogs and Englishmen) - odd things happened - seem to remember that I developed something like goose bumps - assumed it was my desperate body trying to shed heat.

 

[jefmcg]

That being said, when I am acclimatised 35 would be about my maximum on a non-humid day, with a breeze blowing towards the equator.

Just remembered, after 100km, I had to sit under a tree after wetting my head, but that was due to mandatory helmet laws.

goose bumps -

Heat exhaustion.

 

[Blue Hills]

Just remembered, after 100km, I had to sit under a tree after wetting my head, but that was due to mandatory helmet laws.

Heat exhaustion.

But I wasn't exhausted at all - or is that a technical medical description? I was only out in that 38/39 or so for about 40 minutes. I assumed it was something to do with my body trying to increase the surface area to shed heat.

 

[jefmcg]

But I wasn't exhausted at all - or is that a technical medical description? I was only out in that 38/39 or so for about 40 minutes. I assumed it was something to do with my body trying to increase the surface area to shed heat.

It's a medical term, and it means you need to cool down before you start killing yourself

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-exhaustion/basics/definition/con-20033366

 

[Blue Hills]

ah thanks.

And there I see goose bumps.

As for the remedy, I didn't drink cool sports drinks - maybe a bit of water - I was on the way to family meeting under some palm trees - to drink a fair bit of wine

 

[Slick]

I worked in the ME and Africa when I was a kid - plus 40° was not uncommon - it takes about 3 months for your body to acclimatise and then its only marginal - more getting used to it mentally and taking care of the body by hydrating properly and getting enough essential salts - when i've been cycling in southern Europe and it is hot I find I can fall back on that experience

Ive cycled when the temperature touched 40° (official temperature) on a number of occasions in the south of France and occasionally in Croatia and Spain - hotter on the bike tho and definitely time to find somewhere to hide - above 35° not so much the sun being a problem but the heat radiating from the road



Supposedly the thermometer was broken that day as well - notwithstanding that the temperature in the sauna at my gym is higher than that every day

I was never there for any more than 3 months at a time, might have been part of the problem. I thought I would get away without stopping for the prescribed salt tablets. Big mistake, as I learned after coming round in hospital.

 

[Blue Hills]

Ah yes, mad dogs and - many many years ago in the goose bump place i ended up in a hospital outpatients because of something approaching heat stroke.

 

[psmiffy]

I thought I would get away without stopping for the prescribed salt tablets.

When I first went to the ME salt tablets were the "thing" - in all the xpat offices there were dispensers everywhere and you were issued with a tub for in the car - not long after I arrived they all disappeared - somebody had wondered why expats were susceptible to kidney stones - I always found that eating normal foods esp. bread and cheese topped up with a bag of crisps if I thought I needed extra salt worked well