How hot is too hot to ride?

[Toledo Mark]

Over 95 and I don't feel like riding.  How hot is too hot for you?

[Jabba]

Yesterday felt like I was sticking my head into a salamander.  You know... the LP fired heaters that look like a jet engine... yeah.  One of those.

It's more of the same today... but I rode.  But then again... I don't have to ride too far. 

Jabba

[solo1]

95 is about my limit.  Plus the heat brings on more hazards, see my post on 'caution'

[Jess Tolbirt]

107 today here in min tn.. i am taking the car to work...rode yesterday at 101 and the temp guage while riding on the interstate showed over 120...

[Bob E.]

I rode to work today and it was 81 at 6am when I left the house, and that was uncomfortable due to being so humid...weather man said dew point in the 70's already, so I was sweating before I got out of the driveway.  It is supposed to be in the 90's when I head home later this afternoon, and I'm not really looking forward to that ride.  I just hope traffic isn't too bad so I can keep moving.  I would have taken my Jeep, but the AC is busted so I would have been miserable either way.

[BIG--T]

It is suppose to be 105+ today and 107+ tomorrow and Sunday. We have a charity ride for tomorrow and I'm actually dreading it. I'm gonna take my windshield off but might make it worse with a direct "blast furnance" to the face!    I need to develop an a/c suit!   

[Jack]

My comfort range is 40~96F.  I find wearing a helmet and a jacket(mesh) actually keeps me cooler than without.  I only live 4 miles from work so I can handle that in most any temp.

[BIG--T]

My comfort range is 40~96F.  I find wearing a helmet and a jacket(mesh) actually keeps me cooler than without.  I only live 4 miles from work so I can handle that in most any temp.

Just the thought of wearing a helmet and a JACKET is making me sweat just thinking about it! 

[hotglue #43]

You need to insulate yourself from REAL heat .... just like you insulate from Cold.....
  A long sleeve shirt and mesh jacket and helmet will be much cooler than bare armed/headed in the heat.
 If yer not having a good pee at every gas stop.... yer not drinking enough water!

[shortleg]

  I have a bandanna and vest that can be
put in ice and water. One goes around my neck and the vest goes
under my mesh jacket. While moving it helps a lot.
  But I think in 2006 the ride to Inzane was 105 across
 Iowa and Nebraska, It was tough.
            Shortleg[Dave]

[~ Timbrwolf]

. ...mid 80,s and sunny ...with little to no humidity forecast for the next week up here in Northern Michigan..


. ....pass the sun tan lotion ..  

[BIG--T]

I think I will order a cooler vest and ice! 

[Reb]

Road yesterday to school, all the shade spots were taken up in motorcycle parking, 3 hours later I was getting ready to leave and couldn't grip the handlebars because they were so hot. Had to run into McDonalds on campus and buy a cup of ice to rub on them. Hot weather doesn't typically bother me as long as I continue to drink water all day long and have plenty of sun block.

[Black Dog]

I didn't ride yesterday, or today...  Heat (102 at my house) and humidity (low 70's for the dew point) had heat indexes in the 111 - 115 range yesterday.  Today the high should be 95, but lower humidity...  When it gets much above 80, this fat boy sweats like a pig... I need to dress nice for work (business casual), and pits like Norm, from 'Cheers', just don't cut it in the office 

Black Dog

[Rams]

If you don't already know this, you're putting yourself, any passenger and other folks around you in danger.  I highly encourage everyone to learn to recognize these symptoms.    Normally, the person experiencing Heat Sroke and Heat Exhaustion won't recognize it in themselves so, we gotta look out for each other.  Inzane is coming up, watch out for our friends six and they'll watch your six.


Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Symptoms

Heat exhaustionsymptoms
 •Often pale with cool, moist skin


•Sweating profusely


•Muscle cramps or pains


•Feels faint or dizzy


•May complain of headache, weakness, thirst, and nausea


•Core (rectal) temperature elevated-usually more than 100 F (37.7 C) and the pulse rate increased
 
Heat stroke symptoms
 •Unconscious or has a markedly abnormal mental status (dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, or coma)
 

•Flushed, hot, and dry skin (although it may be moist initially from previous sweating or from attempts to cool the person with water)
 

•May have slightly elevated blood pressure at first that falls later


•May be hyperventilating


•Rectal (core) temperature of 105 F (40.5 C) or more

When to Seek Medical Care

As with all other medical problems, a doctor should be called if you are not sure what is wrong, if you do not know what to do for the problem, or if the person is not responding to what you are doing for them.
•Call a doctor for heat exhaustion if the person is unable to keep fluids down or if their mental status begins to deteriorate. Symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain, or abdominal pain may indicate that the heat exhaustion is accompanied by more serious medical problems.
 

•Suspected heat stroke is a true, life-threatening medical emergency. Call for an ambulance and request information as to what to do until the ambulance arrives.
 
A person with suspected heat stroke (sun stroke) should always go to the hospital (or call for an ambulance) at once.
 
For heat exhaustion, a person should go to the hospital if any of the following are present:
 •Loss of consciousness, confusion, or delirium



•Chest or abdominal pain


•Inability to drink fluids


•Continuous vomiting


•Temperature more than 104 F (40 C)


•Temperature that is rising despite attempts to cool the person


•Any person with other serious ongoing medical problems

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heat_exhaustion_and_heat_stroke/page2_em.htm

[czuch]

Its a way of life here.I wet a flannel shirt and put it under a light sun shirt. Or hose off before riding.
We normally dont have the humidity to deal with and I'm dry in 30 miles. Full face is cooler than a half helmet. I guess the sweat as it evaporates does that for ya along with keeping the wind away. The hot wind is worse than the heat itself. Sun burn and wind burn are a baaaad combo.
If I'm out, I'll stop at a thirift store and get a long sleeve shirt and cover up.

[Jabba]

I just bought 4 ride cool vests for Me, Squealy and our SO's.

We might need them next month for Inzane.

Jabba

[steve 3054]

It's sooooo hot in the summer I only ride at night!!  Leave the house around 730 or so enjoy the ride as best I can and head home around midnight...

[Hef]

It was 108 here today. That is HOT. Too hot for me to ride. When I was much younger I never paid any attention to temperature when riding, but I just can't do it now. I have had two heat strokes and the second one about got me so I am much more cautious now. If you do ride in hot temps, be sure to take breaks and drink lots of fluids.

[cookiedough]

While riding for about 1 hour in 98 degree heat,  has anyone noticed your brakes/brake pads not working as well when they are cooler out like they did to me yesterday?

Since I am guessing I have original brake pads since 2001 with 24K miles on Valk, I wonder if the brake pads can get too hot due to the outside temperature alone since I don't use my brakes that much (mostly hwy.) that they can get too hot and actually disintegrate (break apart and crumble) due to age with the extreme outside temp on them???

Can this happen or am I imagining that my brakes in this kind of heat near 100 didn't work too well yesterday?

[vanagon40]

Yesterday felt like I was sticking my head into a salamander.  You know... the LP fired heaters that look like a jet engine... yeah.  One of those.

It's more of the same today... but I rode.  But then again... I don't have to ride too far. 

Jabba

I don't think I've ridden anywhere hotter than I-65 yesterday afternoon home from work.

And like you, I rode downtown Indy again today.

In response to the OP, I'm not sure what would be too hot, but 105° was getting close.

[HayHauler]

About 102 is my limit for riding to work.  Well, that would be the temp riding home in the afternoon in the Houston traffic.

106 @ Fort Smith AR last summer on the way home from IZ in MI was the hottest I have ever gotten on the Valk.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Daniel Meyer]

While riding for about 1 hour in 98 degree heat,  has anyone noticed your brakes/brake pads not working as well when they are cooler out like they did to me yesterday?

Since I am guessing I have original brake pads since 2001 with 24K miles on Valk, I wonder if the brake pads can get too hot due to the outside temperature alone since I don't use my brakes that much (mostly hwy.) that they can get too hot and actually disintegrate (break apart and crumble) due to age with the extreme outside temp on them???

Can this happen or am I imagining that my brakes in this kind of heat near 100 didn't work too well yesterday?

It's not the pads...but...
Changed/bled your brake fluid lately? It is designed to absorb water that gets into the system to keep it from boiling under extreme usage. The hotter it gets the less water it can hold in suspension. If it's "saturated" and then gets hot, brakes/clutches etc can get spongey. It will be a darker color if it has absorbed much moisture.

On the hot riding...I ride in all temps...hydrate regularly, start hydrating before you leave, recognize that in extreme heat, you can lose water faster than you can process it (google water toxicity). Wear helmet (insulates your head from heat) and a long-sleeve denim shirt (denim insulates you from the blown heat, and keeps sweat around long enough to evaporate/cool and do you good).

Stick helmet in bagged ice cooler at fuel stops...

If you start feeling queasy or panting, see above post about heat exhaustion. You are done for the day.

[T.P.]

112-114 deg Heading home from Inzane Colorado 2006 through Nebraska. no choice but to go. keeping hydrated is the key.

[cookiedough]

While riding for about 1 hour in 98 degree heat,  has anyone noticed your brakes/brake pads not working as well when they are cooler out like they did to me yesterday?

Since I am guessing I have original brake pads since 2001 with 24K miles on Valk, I wonder if the brake pads can get too hot due to the outside temperature alone since I don't use my brakes that much (mostly hwy.) that they can get too hot and actually disintegrate (break apart and crumble) due to age with the extreme outside temp on them???

Can this happen or am I imagining that my brakes in this kind of heat near 100 didn't work too well yesterday?

It's not the pads...but...
Changed/bled your brake fluid lately? It is designed to absorb water that gets into the system to keep it from boiling under extreme usage. The hotter it gets the less water it can hold in suspension. If it's "saturated" and then gets hot, brakes/clutches etc can get spongey. It will be a darker color if it has absorbed much moisture.

On the hot riding...I ride in all temps...hydrate regularly, start hydrating before you leave, recognize that in extreme heat, you can lose water faster than you can process it (google water toxicity). Wear helmet (insulates your head from heat) and a long-sleeve denim shirt (denim insulates you from the blown heat, and keeps sweat around long enough to evaporate/cool and do you good).

Stick helmet in bagged ice cooler at fuel stops...

If you start feeling queasy or panting, see above post about heat exhaustion. You are done for the day.

Not my brake fluid, but thanks for the suggestion.  Changed clutch and brake fluid for the first time 3 years ago and is fine.  It just seemed for the first time ever in that heat riding pushing 100, the front brakes didn't slow me down as they should.  My back brakes don't work the best anyways and never did slow me down much.  3 years ago when got new tires, I inspected at dealer and even dealer said my original brakes can go until next tire change in 5 years or so since they looked fine to me 3 years ago. 
In 2-3 years from now when need new tires, definitely going OEM brake pads again since if can last 14 years on OEM brakes pads, should last another 10 years+ you would think?

[tonyfan70]

Up to this point, I haven't had very many problems riding in extreme heat. Mostly trouble seeing from the sweat pouring into my eyes and wanting to wash my contacts out. Black full face...yay!

There are some times that I regret riding in extreme heat though. Like when I came out of my old 3rd shift job at Craperpillar and found my old Vulcan with the kickstand sunk up to the top. I didn't think the blacktop would remain THAT hot overnight...I was wrong. They had repaved recently and never put the parking pucks back out...there were ALOT of bikes leaning at severe angles.

[Fudd]

I went through Dallas last year on the way to Sturgis.  I passed down a stretch of highway that had freshly laid jet-black asphalt on it.  The traffic was stop and go, but mostly stopped.  A digital sign at a bank said 105 degrees.  I'd have sworn it felt like 125.  I reached down about foot-peg height with my hand and I could feel the tissues in my fingers cooking.  

While I was waiting for the flagman to let a few cars from the other direction share the one open lane, I wiped my face with a wet bandana.  I had moved the igloo from it's normal resting place on the tongue of my little trailer to a more accessible spot on the passenger seat.  There was only two water bottles left in the cooler and I took both of them out.  It's funny, I just put a six-pack of water in that thing at the last fuel stop, 80 miles back.  I did a quick check of my mileage; I'm getting 20 miles per water bottle!  Oh well, you got to stay hydrated.  As I creeped slowly by, I handed the last one to the highway signalman.  He looked like he needed it as bad a I did.

Oh good, I'm through the construction zone.  Let me get up a little speed.  For a minute, I feel some relief, but the dry Texas air wicks up the sweat pretty quick.  Then I realize this isn't much better, just feels like a different kind of oven.  If you can't picture what I'm talking about; go sit in your attic on a hot day.  While you're there, try to use a hot hair drier to "cool yourself off."  

I lived to tell about it and I'm going back to Sturgis again this year, but maybe by way of Memphis.

[Michael K (Az.)]

You need to insulate yourself from REAL heat .... just like you insulate from Cold.....
  A long sleeve shirt and mesh jacket and helmet will be much cooler than bare armed/headed in the heat.
 If yer not having a good pee at every gas stop.... yer not drinking enough water!

Hotglue's right!
As I've posted before:

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/safety-skills/when_youre_hot.htm

I ride all year. When I feel the need to ride, I go ridin. Been ridin this week, be ridin next week.(providing I wake up on the green side of the lawn). Just gotta pay some attention.
 Have fun!

Ha ha ha ha!
"If you can't picture what I'm talking about; go sit in your attic on a hot day.  While you're there, try to use a hot hair drier to "cool yourself off."

That's PERFECT!!

[..]

Out of the 11 days of my recent ride 7 reached temps at about 100F

East of Paso Robles, CA the onboard temp gauge on the ST1300 registered 109F.

Mesh jacket. Long over the calf socks, gloves, white full face helmet and motorcycle boots keep engine heat off my legs.

Drink PLENTY of water.

Make sure you are peeing and that when you do it's a light color.

Gulping large quatities of water will NOT rehydrate as efficently as multiple smaller intakes of water.

I beleive that the Power/ Gatorade style drinks are not as good as plain old H2O

Here's an ingredient list for Powerade

Water
 High fructose corn syrup
 Salt
 Potassium citrate
 Phenylalanine
 Sucralose
 Sodium Citrate
 Malic Acid
 Potassium phosphate
 Vitamin B6
 Vitamin B2

Why put some of that crap in your body???

Gatorade has similar chemicals.

You do read ingredient contents don't you  

[sandy]

I carry a 100 oz Camelback and drink every 10-15 miles. Several small gulps each time. On really hot days, I'll go through 2 of them. Being sweet to a waitress at lunch will usually get it refilled free.

[fudgie]

Heat dont bother me on the bike. Its been 110 on I-90 in SD a few yrs ago. I had on a 3/4 helmet and chaps and my vest. Stopped and took every thing off but the vest. It was freaking awesome! So much better without being 'contained'. I do wear long sleaves to help with the sun. It was 109 going thru the badlands thru wounded knee. I was cozy with no gear on. My water on the handle bars was warmer then bath water. Stopped in NE and drank 3 things of cold water.

Dont know how you atgatt guys do it. Long sleaves is my extent, and its black. 

[BF]

"How hot is too hot to ride?"


When I bust a sweat walking the garbage can out to the curb......it's too hot to ride.  

When I walk out the door and my glasses fog over......it's too hot to ride. 

[Hoser]

If I didn't ride in the heat I wouldn't get much riding done in the summer.  I rode 700 miles in 100+ when I went to S Dakota last week.  I use a mesh jacket over a long sleeve t shirt, and soak down at every gas stop. Drank water all day, and urinated just fine.  It was 50 to 80 degrees everyday in the black hills, nice! Kinda hot in Wyoming though.  Hoser  Hmmm, looks like I forgot to reset the time stamp when I changed batteries in my Camera. 

[fudgie]

Wow WY is pretty in January. 

[rainman]

If I didn't ride in the heat I wouldn't get much riding done in the summer.  I rode 700 miles in 100+ when I went to S Dakota last week.  I use a mesh jacket over a long sleeve t shirt, and soak down at every gas stop. Drank water all day, and urinated just fine.  It was 50 to 80 degrees everyday in the black hills, nice! Kinda hot in Wyoming though.  Hoser  Hmmm, looks like I forgot to reset the time stamp when I changed batteries in my Camera. 

I have a picture just like that I don't recall the trash cans in it. but just behind the tree line on the left side of the road there were 100's of prairie dogs. i counldn't leave them alone so I made sure there was no park rangers around and when after them had a ball 

[Lyn-Del]

I know I find it dangerous for me to ride at temps over 95.  I can't concentrate, and that's not safe. 

The temps this year have already been well above normal.  I've struggled with it, but I have made the decision that my annual summer trip will be in a pickup truck this year.  including Inzane.  I've always said that I go to inzane for the people, this year I'll prove it.

Even if it seems ok when I leave, I'll be in constant fear of sudden rises in temperature, like we hit last year.  I survived it in years past, but I'm not ready to do that this year. 

Yep, I'm wimping out!

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

It was 105 in my maintenance shop when I left work today and 105 in the shade when I got home. 106 at home yesterday. When leaving a work environment that hot ridin' feels good no matter what as long as you're not stuck in traffic. I've only got one stop light and 15 miles of country roads so that's not an issue for me.

For me, when traveling on the bike, heat is bearable when I'm moving at a good clip. Pure torture when stuck in traffic or worse yet road construction on fresh, black pavement.

The worst part of it for me is I sweat gallons, it's how you survive when working in the heat. But it sucks when you want to stop and eat but feel bad about going into a restaurant looking like an old fat guy who entered a wet T shirt contest. 

[bassman]

August 2006.....from Barstow, CA to Las Vegas on I-15.....Friday afternoon rush hour traffic.....118*....signs on the side of the highway telling vehicles to turn off their A/C to avoid overheating....just wish I HAD A/C to turn off at that point  

[vanagon40]

. . . . Stopped and took every thing off but the vest. It was freaking awesome! So much better without being 'contained'. . . .

I'm trying really hard to erase the image from my mind of you riding after having taken "every thing off but the vest."         

[Tropic traveler]

Well I guess I'm the weirdo of our bunch as I love summertime warm weather riding. Maybe it's because I'm a Florida native but high temps do not bother me. Cold temps do. 
Only thing better than 95 degrees when out for a ride is when you throw in some good old 90% humidity to go along with it! 

I did a coast to coast ride a couple years ago when we had a nice little temp bump up into the 105 degree range. Nice & humid too!
Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown about 11:00 a.m.

Atlantic Ocean in Ormond Beach about 2:00 p.m. later that day.



Loved every minute of it!