When it?s too hot to ride

[LongRanger_imp]

We’re very dry and in the low-100’s today and tomorrow. Since I try to be ATGATT, these temps are too uncomfortable for me and I tend to leave the bikes parked. How about you? Do you compromise your riding gear for the sake of comfort, or do you gear up anyway and just deal with it?

 

[pekingduck]

When it's too hot to ride without protective gear, it's too hot to ride for me. If it isn't safe and pleasant, I'm not going to enjoy it. That's what my car is for.

We're having a heat spell in So Cal, with temps in the 110-117 range. It'll cool down to below 100 degrees between 8pm and 9pm tonight. At least it's a dry heat.

 

[Desert viper_imp]

When it's too hot to ride without protective gear, it's too hot to ride for me. If it isn't safe and pleasant, I'm not going to enjoy it. That's what my car is for.

We're having a heat spell in So Cal, with temps in the 110-117 range. It'll cool down to below 100 degrees between 8pm and 9pm tonight. At least it's a dry heat.

120 here right now Joe....

 

[Cormanus]

Temperatures above 35 or 36°C make riding too uncomfortable. Even we’re I prepared to forego protective gear, which I’m not, the wind temperature makes it uncomfortable. A couple of years ago I was riding in a temperature around 41°C and thought I’d crack my visor to get some air movement, but it was more uncomfortable than having it closed.

120°F is too hot.

 

[Rocky_imp]

Even though I have a mesh jacket, many days are too hot and humid to make riding fun so the bikes stay parked during the day.
What we call hot this far north will make many of you laugh, but 85F+ is much too hot for our Eskimo blood :rofl:
On hot days I'll often hit the road early in the morning and be home well before noon.

 

[Houtman_imp]

Here in the mountains of WNC it is not as hot as in some places but I leave early in the morning before it gets too hot . I will ALWAYS wear AGATT , better sweating than bleeding.

 

[the Ferret]

Ride early, ride late, wear mesh. Anything over 100 is pretty miserable riding.

Hottest Ive ridden in is 113 in AZ in September in 2010 I think.. It was hot.

Then 105 in California in 2014.

Coldest -9 in 1981

And -2 a couple of years ago

 

[pekingduck]

When it's too hot to ride without protective gear, it's too hot to ride for me. If it isn't safe and pleasant, I'm not going to enjoy it. That's what my car is for.

We're having a heat spell in So Cal, with temps in the 110-117 range. It'll cool down to below 100 degrees between 8pm and 9pm tonight. At least it's a dry heat.

120 here right now Joe....

120 here right now Joe....
I figured you'd be out of there during the summer.

 

[Cormanus]

Are those temperatures normal in California?

 

[Gone in 60]

It’s rare that Southern California, at least the Los Angeles / Orange County gets this hot. We’re having quite a heat spike this weekend. Way too hot for me to ride for fun or to do errands around town even with mesh jacket and pants.

I’ve been in the house all day, praying that we don’t have rolling blackouts like we did a few weeks ago when it was hot. Everyone running their AC at the same time overloads our fragile infrastructure. Had the power shut off for an hour a few weeks ago and when I got home the thermostat read 87.

Doesn’t affect my commute much. It’s 18 minutes door to door with few stops. I can survive that long. When we have this kind of heat, we lose the on-shore breeze and get hot air moving in from the desert.

 

[Obleo]

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.

 

[active1951_imp]

early mornings and shady roads.

 

[Gone in 60]

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.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

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).

 

[Gone in 60]

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.

 

[Cormanus]

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.

 

[Bheezy27403_imp]

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

 

[michael1954]

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!

 

[Gone in 60]

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.

 

[pekingduck]

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.