The CB1100 Community Forum

I ride with all the gear even when it’s hot, just try to choose my routes to be shady if I can. If it gets unbearable I’ll cut the ride short.

early mornings and shady roads.

What I find weird is that I live 16 miles from the coast. During normal summer conditions where we have an on-shore breeze, it’s usually at least 10 degrees cooler at my office (4 miles from the coast) than at home.

On my ride home, going inland, I cross under a freeway that is parallel to the coast. On the other side, I can instantly feel the temperature rise. The cooler coastal air is close to the ground, and the freeway, which is on ground raised about 30’, keeps it on the other side than where I live.

That’s interesting. I wonder if the on-shore flow is blowing the heat from the traffic on the freeway to the east, exactly where you feel it warm up. See what happens on a Santa Ana day (offshore flow).

I’m pretty sure that the cool air is just hugging the ground and can’t push over the height of the freeway. Sort of sad to know exactly when I’ll feel it, and to know that I live on the hot side. You can’t feel the sudden temperature change when you’re driving a car.


When the Santa Anas blow, everything gets hot. The hot air pushes the cool air out to sea. It also causes the traffic pattern at John Wayne to reverse direction. So, when I see the planes landing in the wrong direction, it’s time to strap down the barbecue cover or it will blow away.

My wife had the news on in the back ground and I heard mention of a record temperature of 49.4ºC (120.92ºF) in California. That's absurdly hot.

To answer the original question, I either "gear up" or I don't ride. It's usually the former.

Here in South Texas, we have been hitting 95 to 101F, but the temperature is not the killer of my riding time, it is the 94% Humidity that goes with it. I always ride at least with armor blue-jeans, Full face helmet, gloves, boots and leather vest. By the time I get out of the drive way, I am starting to get soaked. We had a 101F heat index the other day at 11PM! When do you ride? Wait until breakfast and the Heat Index goes down to 90F. May be moving a little North next Spring. I will be praying to cool off. You guys stay cool!

Was contemplating an early morning ride. We broke a temperature record yesterday at well over 100, and today is supposed to be a few degrees cooler. But the brown sunrise said that heat and brown air from the fires not too far away wouldn’t make for pleasant riding.

The good news is, the smoke and ashes in the air deflect some of the intense sun rays. The bad news is, there's smoke and ashes in the air.