Request Tips for Hot Weather Riding

[James Burleigh]

This Saturday I'm heading from Phoenix to L.A. I have practically no experience riding in really hot weather, so I'm kinda nervous about it. I'm planning to get an evaporation vest and of course carry a camelback and extra water. Also, I'll be leaving Phoenix a little before 5AM (riding at night is not an option for me since I am not alert, and then there's the night critters crossing the highway).

It looks like two hours to Blythe and another two to Palm Springs. From there it's heading toward the ocean, and presumably decreasing temps. So it's that Phoenix to Palm Springs (and a little beyond) that concern me.

I am interested in the advice of experienced hot weather riders. What about food? Salt tabs?

Thanks!

Hans

P.S. My new bike has not had the heat fix, and my bike was a scorcher before I did the fix.

 

[marcusorelius]

Drink fluids (water,gatoraid etc) constantly! Over 100 degress best to cover up from the air blast, & just plain haulass through the desert!

 

[MCML]

You've already identified the most important parts, IMHO.

Stay hydrated.

Use a cooling vest (the neck soakers work surprising well, too, and they are small enough that you can carry a couple - one example of many: Polar Breeze)

Ride in the cooler part of the day if you can.

Oh, and take a few more ten-minute breaks than you normally would.

 

[James Burleigh]

I plan to wear my perforated leather jacket and zip-together leather pants with Harley mesh boots and ventilated gloves, which altogether is the coolest outfit I own while achieving ATGATT. I'm definitely NOT wearing my Aerostitch. That thing is brutal in the heat.

On that "haul ***" note, what is a recommended top speed for Hwy 10 without attracting LEOs?

 

[mferriter]

" (riding at night is not an option for me since I am not alert, and then there's the night critters crossing the highway). "

This should be your main concern.

 

[ynotride]

I usually keep it under 80 on the 10 going to AZ. My other favorite trick is being just a little slower than the fastest car. I will trail behind them a mile or two. Fairlaner is real good at this Do be careful though as there is always a ton of chp out in both AZ and CA and its a holiday wknd. My radar has more than paid for itself.

If you need a place to stop and cool down feel free to PM me for my address. I am in Corona/Ontario area around 10 miles off the 10/15 interchange. PS - Dajuice and Behmer will be here getting new tires on Saturday after the Iron Butt. Not sure on a time yet for those guys to arrive though.

There arent to many big critters out in the desert in summer. Mainly you will see alot of squished snakes

 

[SacramentoMike]

Forget the salt tabs. They're what high school coaches used to give to the boys in summer practice back when they didn't let them take water breaks. Totally backward. Everybody knows better now. Keep the vest wet. Drink your water. That's about all you can do. I'd say start very early and quit for the day after you've hit the mileage you need for the day even if it's early. That's the hottest part of the day, at least here in the central valley and probably the whole southwest. Good luck.

 

[Fairlaner]

A tank bag with water bottles in it....pour them down your neck as u ride along will feel wonderful.....

See you at Dans.

By the way Dan send me your address....

R

 

[Patriot]

what works for me...I'm very susuptable (sp) to heat because of my meds, health issues, and just plain being half Yankee

I wear a cooling vest and prefer the fabric kind under my Tourmaster Sonora mesh jacket over a coolmax long sleeve shirt

I can't recommend more the covering of the arms to prevent the wind from heating one's skin up

On Run for the Wall west and mid west scorching temps, they had an ice chest with ice/water, and those crystal cooling neck bandanas floating in there in between stops...those are great for keeping one cool as they are against the neck blood vessels.

Packing for me: my right side bag is my tools, maintenance items, and fix it stuff along with spare quart of oil and filter.

I have a Nelson Rigg weekender seat bag which is my luggage with clothes and personal items in a garbage bag which is my take away from the bike luggage !!!

I bring 4 or 5 bottles of water in my trunk along with a small, hard inside ice chest from WalMart for $6 (sized for 6 pack canned drinks) which is my food items.

I put in there a ice pack in the bottom with a turkey sandwhich or two, and bananas and necterines or lately I favor plums.

Cold fruit is quite refreshing and a lite snack. I'm diabetic and must have food with me at all times for snacks all through the day.

There are a couple packs of peanut butter crackers in the tank bag and handy.

When I'm overheated or just hot, I find I can't eat anything heavy and not at least cool.

In my left side bag, is a WalMart thin and curved insulated water bottle full of ice water. I use that to water down my cooling vest when a sink is not available or just to pour lotsa of ice water on myself. I also have another WalMart $6 (sized for 6 pack canned drinks) chest with 4 1 liter bottles of frozen water and a couple of canned drinks on top. Then I have kept 20oz drink bottles and they are filled with frozen water and just put in the side bag so they melt as the day goes on. I also put a few other 1 liter frozen water in there.

I have three bottle holders...a middle main cup holder, and two "hook on the tank bag" neoprene items, so in front of me are three bottles of water.

Two just water and the middle is a 20oz bottle of frozen. I can drink some ice water, or pour ice water on me on the fly, and then take one of the other water bottles and pour it in the iced middle bottle as a refill. I constantly sip ice water and pour a lot of it on my refreshing the vest and cooling me off on the fly.

If it's really hot on the slab and well over 100 heat index, I pour enough ice water so some ends up in the front of my mesh pants which really cools with a shiver.

regardless, I've had to stop after 200 miles in July when seeing double and my thinking starts going to mush. I realize I have to head for a Wendys, etc purchasing a large soft drink, and lay on a booth bench under an air conditioner vent for 30 minutes.

hope this helps and much luck and karma your way on your trip...I wish you had proper summer gear with for me is big holes mesh like my Tourmaster gear.

(I found my old First Gear stuff was greatly more tighly woven and less air got through)

lastly, because of my great amount of lighting including my Clearwater Kristas and Glendas and rear hyperlites, I'm much much more comfortable riding in the middle of the night on the interstate. So I do favor riding between sunrise and noon, but will ride in the dark with cooler temps, no cops, and little traffic except for the big trucks droning along in the right lane. I stay in the left lane and set my cruise to GPS 79mph. I am vigalent mainly for debris like retreads in the road. Have never seen deer or critters (knock on wood) while riding the interstate east of the MS mostly from LA to TN.

ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[ahchiu]

I also soak my helmet in water, and any water that runs down my back will cool me off

 

[James Burleigh]

what works for me...I'm very susuptable (sp) to heat because of my meds, health issues, and just plain being half Yankee

I wear a cooling vest and prefer the fabric kind under my Tourmaster Sonora mesh jacket over a coolmax long sleeve shirt

I can't recommend more the covering of the arms to prevent the wind from heating one's skin up

On Run for the Wall west and mid west scorching temps, they had an ice chest with ice/water, and those crystal cooling neck bandanas floating in there in between stops...those are great for keeping one cool as they are against the neck blood vessels.

Packing for me: my right side bag is my tools, maintenance items, and fix it stuff along with spare quart of oil and filter.

I have a Nelson Rigg weekender seat bag which is my luggage with clothes and personal items in a garbage bag which is my take away from the bike luggage !!!

I bring 4 or 5 bottles of water in my trunk along with a small, hard inside ice chest from WalMart for $6 (sized for 6 pack canned drinks) which is my food items.

I put in there a ice pack in the bottom with a turkey sandwhich or two, and bananas and necterines or lately I favor plums.

Cold fruit is quite refreshing and a lite snack. I'm diabetic and must have food with me at all times for snacks all through the day.

There are a couple packs of peanut butter crackers in the tank bag and handy.

When I'm overheated or just hot, I find I can't eat anything heavy and not at least cool.

In my left side bag, is a WalMart thin and curved insulated water bottle full of ice water. I use that to water down my cooling vest when a sink is not available or just to pour lotsa of ice water on myself. I also have another WalMart $6 (sized for 6 pack canned drinks) chest with 4 1 liter bottles of frozen water and a couple of canned drinks on top. Then I have kept 20oz drink bottles and they are filled with frozen water and just put in the side bag so they melt as the day goes on. I also put a few other 1 liter frozen water in there.

I have three bottle holders...a middle main cup holder, and two "hook on the tank bag" neoprene items, so in front of me are three bottles of water.

Two just water and the middle is a 20oz bottle of frozen. I can drink some ice water, or pour ice water on me on the fly, and then take one of the other water bottles and pour it in the iced middle bottle as a refill. I constantly sip ice water and pour a lot of it on my refreshing the vest and cooling me off on the fly.

If it's really hot on the slab and well over 100 heat index, I pour enough ice water so some ends up in the front of my mesh pants which really cools with a shiver.

regardless, I've had to stop after 200 miles in July when seeing double and my thinking starts going to mush. I realize I have to head for a Wendys, etc purchasing a large soft drink, and lay on a booth bench under an air conditioner vent for 30 minutes.

hope this helps and much luck and karma your way on your trip...I wish you had proper summer gear with for me is big holes mesh like my Tourmaster gear.

(I found my old First Gear stuff was greatly more tighly woven and less air got through)

lastly, because of my great amount of lighting including my Clearwater Kristas and Glendas and rear hyperlites, I'm much much more comfortable riding in the middle of the night on the interstate. So I do favor riding between sunrise and noon, but will ride in the dark with cooler temps, no cops, and little traffic except for the big trucks droning along in the right lane. I stay in the left lane and set my cruise to GPS 79mph. I am vigalent mainly for debris like retreads in the road. Have never seen deer or critters (knock on wood) while riding the interstate east of the MS mostly from LA to TN.

ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

Great advice. Thank you for that. And to the others who have responded. Dan, PM coming at you. Hans

 

[blueman]

I would recommend leaving one hour before sun up. Its the coolest then,and thier is some light. I have ridden that route many times. Watch out for the man. By the time you get to Palm Springs it will be fn hot. I have jumped in hotel pools in Blythe before even the river,the river is colder. By that time you will be thinking about halling *** to the coast were its cooler!! Its 118 in havasu today. Its to hot to even take my boat out.

 

[AVGeek]

Once you get west of Phoenix, the limit on I-10 jumps to 75mph. The last time I did the drive west (back in Feb or so), they were still working on rebuilding one of the bridges at mile marker 105, so the limit drops in the construction zone, and there seems to always be some sort of LEO presence there. I commute in this heat, and what I have found works well for me is a cooling vest, cooling bandanna around my neck, and a soaked bandanna in my helmet. Stop frequently to rehydrate these items, the dry heat sucks all the moisture out quickly. The longest, loneliest stretch is west of Blythe until you hit Palm Springs.

Crossing the bridge over the Colorado from AZ to CA involves a stop at the Agricultural checkpoint, and the speed limits drop down to 35mph approaching it. Once clear of the (farm) man, its a 70mph highway.

What part of LA are you heading for? The LA basin can be a real quagmire on the freeways; its worse than the Bay area in many respects (and yes, I've ridden/driven both).

 

[Aasland]

Since you're wearing perforated gear I'll reiterate the need to hydrate.

I'm a fan of sipping on a camelbak on a regular basis. I'm not a fan of sugary sports drinks, and find the non (or very little) sugary hydration packs which I can mix in with water from anywhere. When the camelbak is empty .. time to stop and find water.

My rule of thumb is "pee every two hours" and adjust water intake accordingly.

Have fun!

 

[Bustanut joker]

Stay home and drink Margaritas or cheep beer....

 

[Monty]

Stay home and drink Margaritas or cheep beer....

I'm inclined to agree. 104F all week here. I even had to buy a window air conditioner and I already have central air conditioning. When it's over 100, my living room won't cool below 82F and that's still too damn hot for me. :angry2:

 

[Bounce]

I plan to wear my perforated leather jacket and zip-together leather pants with Harley mesh boots and ventilated gloves, which altogether is the coolest outfit I own while achieving ATGATT. I'm definitely NOT wearing my Aerostitch. That thing is brutal in the heat.

On that "haul ***" note, what is a recommended top speed for Hwy 10 without attracting LEOs?

the only sure answer to that question is "+0".

if you get hot, pull over and soak your shirt with water. you'll think someone threw ice on you once you get moving again.

 

[Patriot]

today was 110 with 110 humidity on the slab at 1pm

I bring that big water bottle thermos full of ice and water in my side bag

My vest kept drying out, so now I open the side bag, pour a quart of water into the open lid, and drop my cooling vest into the ice water soaking it up

put that baby on and as long as my heart continues to beat, I'm nice and frosty for 45 minutes !!!

:yahoo:

 

[marcusorelius]

It's gonna be 115 saturday in phoenix, ya might wanta leave very early & chose a motel spot to stop around noon or so.