A Beginner's Guide! Summer Cycling FAQs

True passion - typhoons can't stop me from riding, and high temperatures can't stop me from riding. Well, the typhoon bypassed Guangzhou, so I won't give you chicken soup. This issue doesn't talk about how to drink water, nor about summer cycling equipment, nor even backpack selection and packing skills. I'll talk about some common problems in summer cycling. Dedicated to those who want to ride in such a hot weather. Those who say (it's too hot and my girlfriend ran away and I don't want to chase her) can't understand the joy of our cycling.

1. Will being shirtless make you feel cooler?

Human body temperature regulation depends not only on skin evaporation, but also on skin radiation. When the outside temperature exceeds 37℃, the body temperature mainly relies on skin evaporation to dissipate heat; when the temperature continues to rise, the skin not only cannot dissipate heat by radiation, but also absorbs heat from the outside environment, making people feel more stuffy. So being shirtless is not only unsightly, but also cannot dissipate heat at high temperatures. Cycling clothes can not only protect against the sun, but also accelerate ventilation and perspiration to a certain extent.

The significance of being shirtless is probably to wash one less piece of clothing.
▲The riders in the mountain city must understand this and the meaning of this expression

2. Water supplement

The high temperature in summer will accelerate water loss. The frequency and skills of drinking water are particularly important, so I won’t go into details here. "Newbie Guide: 6 Tips for Water Supplementation in Summer Cycling"

Energy supplementation on the road is also a science. Generally speaking, the diet is not greasy, and the appropriate amount of animal and plant protein and vitamins are supplemented. In summer, there are abundant fruits and vegetables. While replenishing water, there are other wonderful uses, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, peaches, grapes, bananas, etc. Tomatoes are specially praised for their rich nutrition, good quality and low price. They contain lycopene, which can effectively resist oxidation and improve the skin's ability to resist ultraviolet rays. However, eating tomatoes on an empty stomach can easily cause abdominal pain, so be sure to pay attention. In addition, food is easy to deteriorate in summer. Pay attention to food hygiene, do not eat spoiled and contaminated food, and avoid greed for coolness and greed.

Portable high-energy foods such as Snickers chocolate have the risk of melting, and it is easy to get a mess on your face when eating.

3. Choice of staple food

When riding outside, meals should serve the cycling plan. In summer, riding should avoid high temperatures, so try to ride in the morning and evening. If you get up early and ride, the breakfast vendors may not be out, so you may need to prepare them the day before, such as milk, bread, and eight-treasure porridge. Personally, I suggest that you must eat noodles for lunch. Noodles are mainly starch, which has enough energy and is digested quickly. Eating too much meat will not affect riding. Eating too much meat will increase the burden on the stomach and intestines, and the digestion time will be long, and the condition will deteriorate in the afternoon, so it is best to eat less at noon. For dinner, you can have a comfortable FB (corruption), order stir-fried dishes, beer, and the breeze facing the moon.

▲I am hungry after watching it

4. Appropriate time and route

Take the national highway or the city road? How is the road condition? Are there many mountains, is the road crowded, and is it dusty? Where to eat and where to stay? Is there much shade on the road, and is the section under direct sunlight long? Is there a suitable place to rest at the end, is there a water source or forest to rest? Route selection and arrangement need to consider many factors.

Recommended by senior riders: Generally, it is best to set off at 6 or 7 o'clock, and 8 or 9 o'clock is also suitable. You can ride until 2pm for lunch. The sun is the most poisonous from 12pm to 14pm, but it is the hottest around 2pm, and the heat accumulates. After lunch, take a 15-30 minute break and set off at about 3:15pm. This way, it is relatively easy to arrange a 150km run on a flat road in a day.

Once you go out, if you are not familiar with the route, it is very likely that the plan will not keep up with the changes. At this time, you must not force the plan. It is recommended to adjust the goal according to your own state and actual situation.

5. Sun protection suggestions

In summer, due to the strong light, long-term exposure to the sun can easily cause sunburn. When the sky is clear and there are few clouds, everyone will pay attention to sun protection, but when the weather is gray, everyone will relax their vigilance. In fact, the clouds have little effect on blocking ultraviolet rays, and even become an accomplice of multiple reflections of ultraviolet rays, deepening the ultraviolet damage you suffer. Dogs that bite people do not show their teeth, and powerful ultraviolet rays are not on sunny days.

There are two ways to prevent sunburn: physical and chemical. The physical method is to wear cycling clothes, helmets, gloves, face masks and glasses to reduce the exposed parts. The chemical method is to apply sunscreen products, and the effective time of the products varies. Some can only last for about 2 hours, and will become ineffective with the sweat, and need to be replenished. Therefore, physical methods are generally used as the main method, and chemical methods are supplemented.

This article only introduces summer sun protection equipment. If you really want to know what equipment you need for summer cycling, I can only say: the less the better. Or I can tell you shamelessly, kettle, kettle, kettle.

6. Possible sudden symptoms

Cold: In summer, the temperature changes quickly. If you get wet in the rain, it is easy to catch a cold. If your clothes are wet with sweat or soaked, you should change them as soon as possible. Don't lie down on the ground wearing sweaty clothes. However, in most cases, the clothes are wet and dry, and then wet again. You can rely on your own ability.

Cramps: If you rush and ride without doing warm-up exercises, it is easy to cause leg cramps. You can ride slowly for a while to let your feet adapt to the exercise and then slowly increase the amount of exercise. After riding in summer, your feet are prone to congestion and swelling. When you rest in the middle, try to lie flat and raise your feet as much as possible to promote blood circulation. If there is a slope with a small slope, you can also lie down with your head down to rest for a while or put your feet on the bicycle to rest.

▲What are you looking at? You rushed too fast

Heatstroke: To avoid heatstroke, you must create various conditions to cover your head. If you have heatstroke, you should pay attention to helping the patient to shade the sun and let him drink more water. Depending on the degree, apply wind-repellent oil and other drugs to drive away the heat, take a short rest and then continue. If the symptoms are too severe, go to the hospital immediately. When riding in relatively dry areas, you should apply some oil in the nasal cavity to avoid nasal dryness and ensure smooth breathing.

Stay away from colorful mosquitoes and unknown plants to reduce the risk of allergic inflammation. Control your diet to prevent diarrhea and ensure normal riding.

7. Mechanical failure

High temperatures in summer can cause excessive tire pressure, and the tire cannot fully contact the ground, accelerating the wear of the middle part. At the same time, too high air pressure also increases the risk of tire blowouts. When riding in summer, you need to pay attention to the changes in tire pressure caused by temperature.

There is a rumor that rising temperatures in summer will reduce the performance of V brakes because of the properties of rubber: high temperatures lose active elasticity and accelerate aging. However, brake pads are now made of composite materials, and the temperature rise caused by brake friction is much greater than the temperature change caused by rising temperatures. The author reserves his opinion here, and welcomes all riders to give experience and suggestions.

▲Try to ride in the morning and evening

8. Pay attention to weather and geological disasters

Summer is also mostly rainy season. After the afternoon sun, it may rain unexpectedly. While checking the weather conditions, you should also prepare a raincoat (at least psychologically) when riding a bike, or you can choose to wear some rainproof windbreakers, etc. Whether to bring long-sleeved clothes to cool down depends on the situation. Summer thunderstorms come and go quickly.

Stay away from dangerous reservoirs, ravines and cliffs. High temperatures make the soil structure in some places fragile.

Other suggestions

1. The total distance of the route checked on the mobile phone map, even if it is a walking route, is 5% to 10% less than the actual situation. Multiply the mileage checked by 105%, which is closer to the actual cycling mileage.

2. It is easy to be mistaken for a rich person, so pay attention to the safety of your personal property.

3. Cycling in summer requires dealing with high temperatures and sudden weather changes. It is important to evenly distribute physical strength and be mentally prepared.

4. In order to prevent acclimatization, you can order a plate of local tofu when eating. It is best to have garlic in every meal. Cycling in summer is prone to gastrointestinal problems, and garlic is a weapon to kill intestinal bacteria such as E. coli. (Experience of a 60-year-old hiker)

Extended reading: "Beware of leg cramps. Four problems to be careful of when cycling in summer"

"There are good ways to prevent mosquitoes when cycling outdoors in summer"

"Tips for choosing and packing backpacks for short-distance cycling in summer"

The author also saw that some people said that they would bring water from their hometown to mix with water, or even bring soil from their hometown to add to water to drink to solve the problem of acclimatization. Is it really useful? Dear viewers, if you have similar experiences after watching this, please feel free to comment.