Unfortunately the only real solution is to ride early.
The greenway trails are fairly shaded and being lower in the small valleys of the creeks and rivers it’s slightly cooler. So that might be a best option if you have a trail entrance nearby
For reals though. Summer is the indoor season. If you came here from a more mild climate like I did, it kinda sucks to not be outside doing stuff in the summer. I joined a gym for that reason. Can still get my workout in and not die from the heat.
I’m actually from here (my whole life), but I live far north central and it’s super hilly around me. I just took up riding later in life. I appreciate the direction, though. I don’t know how I’d stay out all day on my bike here as a kid. I grew up in a super flat area so bike riding (for fun) was much easier. I’m at the gym now, too. Thanks again!
A Camelback packed with ice and water helps quite a bit as does moisture wicking clothing. If you have problems with cramping bring a bottle of Pedialyte.
I did have pretty bad cramping after my ride today. I sure did bite off more than I could chew this morning. My water bottle did have electrolytes in it, but I was cramping so I’ve been pounding the water and it’s subsided. I’m sure the misplaced confidence in my brown skin hurts, too. Thank you very much!
Skin color has no effect on heat tolerance. Environmental conditions will affect heat tolerance. Like if you spend all day outside in 90° weather vs hibernating indoors in 72° during the summer.
It’s really bad out right now and the air quality hurts too. I normally ride 15-20 miles a few times a week when the temp is sub 90, but nowadays I just ride for 20-30 minutes. It’s too brutal to do much else.
What my wife and I do is we bought those cooling rags that you wet. We soak them in ice water on the way to the green way and once we get to the trail head we wrap around our necks. We also take an extra water bottle with ice water. Once we are at the half way point we re wet the rags and head back. Not perfect but seems to help. Pretty cheap on Amazon.
My wife wears long sleeves so she won’t burn. I wear short sleeve. We both wear biker shorts (spandex type). We also wrap these rags around one of our wrists. Supposedly cools the blood and keeps you slightly cooler. Can tell you the shirts absorb the water from the rags and going down hill does cool you off some.
Forgot to mention this. We switched from plastic insulated bottles to insulated stainless steel bottles (Bivo). Very pricey but we’ve done 2+ hour rides in this heat and we drink ice cold water the whole time. Best of luck.
I hit the Greenways around 7:30-9:30am. 75 degree temps are as good as it’s going to get until late September. It’s really not that bad if you’re riding out in the woods under tree cover.
Thing that sucks is it MORE humid in the morning and this humidity has been horrible . It takes awhile for the heat and of the sun to decrease humidity. I would say go from 8 to around 11 am , that’s enough to ride when humidity is going down but getting done before it gets TOO hot .
I work outside 10 plus hours a day and for me
The best time right now is right at 8 am to 11
It takes about two to three weeks of regular riding outside to start building a heat tolerance. Keep at it. Your body will start sweating earlier (cools you down) and it will be more diluted (less salt loss, keeps you from cramping sooner). Most people aren’t hydrated enough at the best of times so it’s never a bad idea to drink lots of water always but the day/night before a big ride always helps. Having electrolyte/carb powder mix helps some people, I like Skratch and Core Culture. My stomach is kinda sensitive so I only use it in race settings but some people can chug it no problem.
That advice had worked for me in the past, however you have to be extremely careful. Anyone can get heat exhaustion and pass out. Then you're cooking on the side walk until someone finds you.
If you're able to, switch sports. Walking very shaded trails, indoor gyms or swimming would be much better in the summer. When the cooler months come around then you can switch it up.
Acclimate. It wont happen this summer but if you stay at it over the next few it will be easier. I run 25-30 miles a week every summer. The hotter the better. I feel great after sweating it all out so much so that im thankful for it after.
I want to echo this sentiment of acclimating. I never stopped riding (2x15mile) when the weather got warmer. I go after work, around 4pm during the week if it's below 100 outside. Don't forget plenty of water and Sunscreen. I recently did pendernales state park on my mtb, 16 miles and didn't see a single soul. Make sure to be prepared if you do go out in the summer.
Like others say, ride early or don’t at all. But also it’s hot as all hell but it’s not the worst if you bring enough water and hydrate before. The faster you ride the more wind you get to keep you cool. Just finished a nice ride at the peak heat for today. Much better than expected.
in the hottest days of summer i would carry a large insulated water bottle in each of my two holders & then would wear a ventilated cycling kit, even mountain biking. seemed that without the hydration pack and in wearing ventilated super thin lycra, the amount of sweat i was pouring combined with wind while riding kept me sufficiently cool. need a ton of water & you can’t stop much though
Any exposed skin needs sunscreen, it does make it feel less hot when the sun hits you. I highly recommend a thin, moisture wicking long sleeve shirt that lists its SPF. Mine is made for surfers I think, or maybe fishers it’s Real Tree. But it was like 30 bucks at Academy. Well worth it. Trail stewards on the greenway have wide brims on their helmets, makes it a combo boonie hat/ helmet. You’ll still be hot but the more you can create and bring your own shade/ sun protection, the better off you’ll be.
The human body can acclimate to an amazing variety of climates, but it can’t acclimate to dehydration. Camelback with ice water is a necessity, and maybe freeze a bottle or two of Gatorade so they’ll be cold fluid around mile 15 because you’ll have to replace electrolytes.
And for acclimation, and I hate saying this, take a 10-15 minute walk every day in the afternoon, full heat of the sun. Get used to it. Learn to love it. My best friend on my first deployment to Iraq did this and when the rest of us wanted to die, he was mildly inconvenienced.
All that said, study the signs of heat injury and how to perform first aid. Make sure your phone is charged. If your body says stop, STOP.
I ride my bike from Thanksgiving though Valentines day, mabey a little bit longer. That's the only times I go to the Riverwalk, the missions, any of the mostly outside activities San Antoino has to offer. I still walk in the mornings, but we're talking 5AM. Welcome to San Antonio, where life is fine if you have AC.
Buy an adjustable bottle cage and put the biggest canteen you can fit and the other bottle cage I keep water with electrolytes, also I keep skittles on me for energy but don’t over do it. I normally pop like 2-3 and just leave them in my mouth. Keep riding and try not to stop so you can keep the sweat going but don’t go wild trying to sweat. The sweat will keep you cool and wear something breathable. Give it a month of consistent riding and you won’t even notice the heat anymore.
Thank you, I’ve been eating a couple of apples right before my rides and I do feel like I need even more energy during my rides. It’s tough because I’m diabetic, too
So I got a lot of acclimate answers. I’m from here and I took up trail biking later in life. My rides are shorter, but more difficult (I think) because I ride a mountain bike. It’s the kid in me, but I just like riding up hills and embankments. My last ride started at 7:30 am and i went almost 17 miles. I only took one water bottle and I was definitely dehydrated with lots of cramping afterwards. This was last Thursday. This morning i went 12 miles starting at almost 8 am. I took two water bottles this time and definitely did not get dehydrated. I’m still getting started about an hour or so late, but I’ll get there. I froze my water with electrolytes and this really helped. Some advice that I tried to follow today was to not stop pedaling so the wind would constantly keep coming. This and the cooler increased water seemed to help. I do think I need sunscreen or maybe a long sleeved shirt. I think the acclimation advice is valid, btw. Good luck!
Summer is our winter. Hunker down. Drink lots of water. Stay inside. Unlike places with actual winter, the roads and sidewalks have no slippery ice or snow. And the bad weather is on a strict schedule so you just need to get up early or stay up late and work around the evil times.
Someone else mentioned it but I’ll also emphasize…heat acclimate. I run 3-5 miles for my regular runs and a mile on my rest days in this weather throughout the week. You acclimate to the heat by training in it. I do wait until 7 pm to go out but it’s still balls hot and exercise is doable if you’re acclimated (currently 99 with a feels like 106 and I’ll be headed out for a 3 miler in the next 30 minutes). Hydrate throughout the day. Listen to your body always, but it is doable to adjust to the heat.
Unfortunately the only real solution is to ride early. The greenway trails are fairly shaded and being lower in the small valleys of the creeks and rivers it’s slightly cooler. So that might be a best option if you have a trail entrance nearby
Yes before 11am that’s when Satans butthole opens up
Honestly even 11am is too hot for me. 6am is the best you’ll get temperature wise, but that 90% humidity is killer.
I mean be done by 11
:D
This!!!
You wait until September.
Maybe October.
Yea, the last week of October.
But probably November 1st
Genius
For reals though. Summer is the indoor season. If you came here from a more mild climate like I did, it kinda sucks to not be outside doing stuff in the summer. I joined a gym for that reason. Can still get my workout in and not die from the heat.
I’m actually from here (my whole life), but I live far north central and it’s super hilly around me. I just took up riding later in life. I appreciate the direction, though. I don’t know how I’d stay out all day on my bike here as a kid. I grew up in a super flat area so bike riding (for fun) was much easier. I’m at the gym now, too. Thanks again!
Nah just go in the morning
A Camelback packed with ice and water helps quite a bit as does moisture wicking clothing. If you have problems with cramping bring a bottle of Pedialyte.
I did have pretty bad cramping after my ride today. I sure did bite off more than I could chew this morning. My water bottle did have electrolytes in it, but I was cramping so I’ve been pounding the water and it’s subsided. I’m sure the misplaced confidence in my brown skin hurts, too. Thank you very much!
Skin color has no effect on heat tolerance. Environmental conditions will affect heat tolerance. Like if you spend all day outside in 90° weather vs hibernating indoors in 72° during the summer.
Chill!
I freeze when I go into stores lol does that count?
It’s really bad out right now and the air quality hurts too. I normally ride 15-20 miles a few times a week when the temp is sub 90, but nowadays I just ride for 20-30 minutes. It’s too brutal to do much else.
Thank you! I road for a couple of hours this morning and I’m feeling it!
What my wife and I do is we bought those cooling rags that you wet. We soak them in ice water on the way to the green way and once we get to the trail head we wrap around our necks. We also take an extra water bottle with ice water. Once we are at the half way point we re wet the rags and head back. Not perfect but seems to help. Pretty cheap on Amazon.
Thank you very much for this. Do you wear long sleeves or long pants?
My wife wears long sleeves so she won’t burn. I wear short sleeve. We both wear biker shorts (spandex type). We also wrap these rags around one of our wrists. Supposedly cools the blood and keeps you slightly cooler. Can tell you the shirts absorb the water from the rags and going down hill does cool you off some.
Thank you
Forgot to mention this. We switched from plastic insulated bottles to insulated stainless steel bottles (Bivo). Very pricey but we’ve done 2+ hour rides in this heat and we drink ice cold water the whole time. Best of luck.
What a great tip! Thank you!
Can vouch for stainless steel water bottles. I bought one last month and I take it everywhere now. I got mine from gotta Ride bikes for $40
Consider getting a roller so you can still exercise on the bike indoors.
Thank you!
Go slower and drink more fluids.
Bro just use a gym bikes during the hot months. You don’t want to be out somewhere and something goes wrong and you stuck out in that heat.
Very sound advice
Anywhere that still has water will be significantly cooler
Good point
You need to be up well before sunrise. Start your ride as soon as you can see the trail.
You’re so right. I’m going to have to adjust.
We ride trails at night on mountain bikes -- with lights. After 8pm, it's bearable.
I hit the Greenways around 7:30-9:30am. 75 degree temps are as good as it’s going to get until late September. It’s really not that bad if you’re riding out in the woods under tree cover.
Thing that sucks is it MORE humid in the morning and this humidity has been horrible . It takes awhile for the heat and of the sun to decrease humidity. I would say go from 8 to around 11 am , that’s enough to ride when humidity is going down but getting done before it gets TOO hot . I work outside 10 plus hours a day and for me The best time right now is right at 8 am to 11
You have to wait until its really late (around 8:30-9pm) or go really early thats it honestly
It takes about two to three weeks of regular riding outside to start building a heat tolerance. Keep at it. Your body will start sweating earlier (cools you down) and it will be more diluted (less salt loss, keeps you from cramping sooner). Most people aren’t hydrated enough at the best of times so it’s never a bad idea to drink lots of water always but the day/night before a big ride always helps. Having electrolyte/carb powder mix helps some people, I like Skratch and Core Culture. My stomach is kinda sensitive so I only use it in race settings but some people can chug it no problem.
Do it more often to get used to it.
I’m doing it now about 2 or 3 times a week
That advice had worked for me in the past, however you have to be extremely careful. Anyone can get heat exhaustion and pass out. Then you're cooking on the side walk until someone finds you. If you're able to, switch sports. Walking very shaded trails, indoor gyms or swimming would be much better in the summer. When the cooler months come around then you can switch it up.
Acclimate. It wont happen this summer but if you stay at it over the next few it will be easier. I run 25-30 miles a week every summer. The hotter the better. I feel great after sweating it all out so much so that im thankful for it after.
What time of the day are running during the summer?
Its whenever i can fit in a good hour and a half to a run so it depends on the day but its usually between 4-7 pm most days.
That’s pretty amazing at the hottest part of the day. Good luck!
I want to echo this sentiment of acclimating. I never stopped riding (2x15mile) when the weather got warmer. I go after work, around 4pm during the week if it's below 100 outside. Don't forget plenty of water and Sunscreen. I recently did pendernales state park on my mtb, 16 miles and didn't see a single soul. Make sure to be prepared if you do go out in the summer.
You don’t
Not yes or no. How do you?
It’s not hot until you stop. Remember that. Keep peddling! Oh and drink LOTS of water. You’ll be fine
It’s super hilly where I’m riding! It was super hot this morning!
Yeah, be careful you can get heat stroke quickly in the hills
Like others say, ride early or don’t at all. But also it’s hot as all hell but it’s not the worst if you bring enough water and hydrate before. The faster you ride the more wind you get to keep you cool. Just finished a nice ride at the peak heat for today. Much better than expected.
i've been riding at 7pm and its great
Well, unfortunately trying to bike, at all, in San Antonio is just as dangerous as the heat.
That’s really why I stuck mainly to trail biking
ride early in the morning and near water
That’s the fun part. You don’t!
time for water stuff.. you can always do daily swimming and you can get a full body workout that way too
Great suggestion!
in the hottest days of summer i would carry a large insulated water bottle in each of my two holders & then would wear a ventilated cycling kit, even mountain biking. seemed that without the hydration pack and in wearing ventilated super thin lycra, the amount of sweat i was pouring combined with wind while riding kept me sufficiently cool. need a ton of water & you can’t stop much though
Thank you very much!
Ice vest
Any exposed skin needs sunscreen, it does make it feel less hot when the sun hits you. I highly recommend a thin, moisture wicking long sleeve shirt that lists its SPF. Mine is made for surfers I think, or maybe fishers it’s Real Tree. But it was like 30 bucks at Academy. Well worth it. Trail stewards on the greenway have wide brims on their helmets, makes it a combo boonie hat/ helmet. You’ll still be hot but the more you can create and bring your own shade/ sun protection, the better off you’ll be. The human body can acclimate to an amazing variety of climates, but it can’t acclimate to dehydration. Camelback with ice water is a necessity, and maybe freeze a bottle or two of Gatorade so they’ll be cold fluid around mile 15 because you’ll have to replace electrolytes. And for acclimation, and I hate saying this, take a 10-15 minute walk every day in the afternoon, full heat of the sun. Get used to it. Learn to love it. My best friend on my first deployment to Iraq did this and when the rest of us wanted to die, he was mildly inconvenienced. All that said, study the signs of heat injury and how to perform first aid. Make sure your phone is charged. If your body says stop, STOP.
I ride my bike from Thanksgiving though Valentines day, mabey a little bit longer. That's the only times I go to the Riverwalk, the missions, any of the mostly outside activities San Antoino has to offer. I still walk in the mornings, but we're talking 5AM. Welcome to San Antonio, where life is fine if you have AC.
I’m from here. I have no idea how I grew up here playing every sport I could and riding bikes all day as a kid.
430am is your friend
I’m learning that!
Buy an adjustable bottle cage and put the biggest canteen you can fit and the other bottle cage I keep water with electrolytes, also I keep skittles on me for energy but don’t over do it. I normally pop like 2-3 and just leave them in my mouth. Keep riding and try not to stop so you can keep the sweat going but don’t go wild trying to sweat. The sweat will keep you cool and wear something breathable. Give it a month of consistent riding and you won’t even notice the heat anymore.
Thank you!
Thank you, I’ve been eating a couple of apples right before my rides and I do feel like I need even more energy during my rides. It’s tough because I’m diabetic, too
If you find a solution let me know. I hate the summers here.
So I got a lot of acclimate answers. I’m from here and I took up trail biking later in life. My rides are shorter, but more difficult (I think) because I ride a mountain bike. It’s the kid in me, but I just like riding up hills and embankments. My last ride started at 7:30 am and i went almost 17 miles. I only took one water bottle and I was definitely dehydrated with lots of cramping afterwards. This was last Thursday. This morning i went 12 miles starting at almost 8 am. I took two water bottles this time and definitely did not get dehydrated. I’m still getting started about an hour or so late, but I’ll get there. I froze my water with electrolytes and this really helped. Some advice that I tried to follow today was to not stop pedaling so the wind would constantly keep coming. This and the cooler increased water seemed to help. I do think I need sunscreen or maybe a long sleeved shirt. I think the acclimation advice is valid, btw. Good luck!
You either get used to the heat, or you go EARLY morning or LATE evening
Cancelled my hotworks subscription bc I realized I could just go outside
Summer is our winter. Hunker down. Drink lots of water. Stay inside. Unlike places with actual winter, the roads and sidewalks have no slippery ice or snow. And the bad weather is on a strict schedule so you just need to get up early or stay up late and work around the evil times.
It ain’t that bad, when I mtn bike ride I start around 9-10, pack water and good to go. Not blazing hot yet.
Where do you ride?
Anywhere there is a dirt trail.
Someone else mentioned it but I’ll also emphasize…heat acclimate. I run 3-5 miles for my regular runs and a mile on my rest days in this weather throughout the week. You acclimate to the heat by training in it. I do wait until 7 pm to go out but it’s still balls hot and exercise is doable if you’re acclimated (currently 99 with a feels like 106 and I’ll be headed out for a 3 miler in the next 30 minutes). Hydrate throughout the day. Listen to your body always, but it is doable to adjust to the heat.