How Hot Before You Will Not Ride

    • 284 posts
    August 23, 2014 10:55 AM PDT
      At what temperature do you stop riding your Bike?
    Until August 2014, all year we have been below 90*
    F.  Starting this month we started hitting high 90's even hit 104*F the other day.  Now the heat indexes have been 110*F up to, the highest so far, 117*F.

    For me when it gets above 90*F I am not riding.   Not only do you have to deal with real heat, but heat index, road heat, engine heat and reflective heat.  To me there is nothing worse than riding down the road and being beat by a swelatering heat.  Then catching a red light and the bottom of your shoes getting hot.

    I hate riding and sweating like a pig.  Like today 98*F with a heat index of 117*F
    I am not even going outside it is just to frigin hot.

    On the other hand when it gets into the low 50's I tend to stop riding.  Now my ride time is usually from March till June and then end of September until November or December.  This year has been great did not break 90*F until August a record for the 14 years I have lived in Savannah.

    Right now on August 23rd at 7:15 pm it is 102*F with a heat index of 117*F.  Way Way to hot to ride.

    • 27 posts
    August 23, 2014 11:23 AM PDT
     When it hits the90s is about my limit coming home from work and having to stop at stoplights about kill me, even with a mesh jacket. Right now we are in the mid to low 80s so it's not too bad.best riding is in the am. 60s might be the low point
    • 3006 posts
    August 24, 2014 3:28 PM PDT
    The hottest temps I recall riding in were 95+ a couple of times.
    I try n avoid riding in anything above 90 for long distances.
    The worst part to me,in that heat is parking and worrying if your ride isnt sunk into the asphalt when you come back.
  • August 24, 2014 4:19 PM PDT
    When I rode regularly (commute to and from work) it was year round. Winter was often at or below zero F, summer was often at or above 95 F. The worst part was sinking into the asphalt at work in summer. A big 1/4 alu plate worked fine for the center stand on my BMW K1100, the trike kit on the scooter removed all problems with sinking.

    Jon
    • 5420 posts
    August 25, 2014 2:28 AM PDT
    Once it gets over 95 or so I normally will stop riding around town because I don't want to get stuck in traffic or at lights in that heat. But if I can get out on the road and be moving I have yet to find a temp to hot to ride in. Been through the deserts near here many times in temps of 120 or so. Just be properly prepared so you don't wind up like one of the cattle skulls you always see out there.
    • Moderator
    • 16870 posts
    August 25, 2014 4:48 AM PDT
    It doesn't normally get extremely hot for long periods of time around here (Erie Co. PA).
    Than again I've had only a Harley for my means of transportation a few times and well, you ride through all kinds of weather when you have to.
    Plus road trips, your stuck riding in the fore mentioned weather.
    • 1 posts
    August 26, 2014 1:07 PM PDT
    I will ride in the heat until the rubber starts to melt off the tires. Then I go looking for a river or creek to jump into.
    • 57 posts
    August 27, 2014 12:36 AM PDT
    This past saturday we rode 320 miles in 97 degree temp with heat index 114 carried plenty water for drinking and soaking our heads,planned the ride to have the least amount of traffic before heading out that morning,not bad as long as you are rolling along,a lot of the secondary roads in Illinois are oil surface and you want to avoid those for sure or you'll have a heck of a mess to clean-up
  • August 27, 2014 7:26 AM PDT
    I usually will not ride in weather over 100 degrees but unfortunately my backyard is the desert in southern Ca. We have cool vest and we stop a lot for water breaks. The hottest ride had to be the time we had to ride home from too broke for Sturgis at high noon. I think it was 118 degrees.
    • 5420 posts
    August 27, 2014 8:11 AM PDT
    wheels wrote...
    I usually will not ride in weather over 100 degrees but unfortunately my backyard is the desert in southern Ca. We have cool vest and we stop a lot for water breaks. The hottest ride had to be the time we had to ride home from too broke for Sturgis at high noon. I think it was 118 degrees.

    Yep, I remember that.  When we got to that Jack In The Box in Needles all 4 of us looked like we were just about to the point of colapsing.  All I remember is filling the cups up with ice water and dumping it over our heads.  See we were doing the ice challange thing before it became "a thing".

    • 284 posts
    August 28, 2014 9:41 AM PDT
    Wow you guys opened my eyes to some of you are Hard Core.  I think I need to change my status to Weekend Warrior....

    Well even though I prefer the heat, Summer, To the cold, Winter, It looks like I am one of the whimps about temperature. I am more than happy to wait for just the right temps.

    Luv to wear my Chaps and Leather Jackets and gloves, dawn my winter face mask and my goggles and head out in low 60's. When it is hot like to put on them shorts and just curse the neighborhoods and the park near me.
    • 5420 posts
    August 28, 2014 11:10 AM PDT

     Water...Lots and Lots of Water!!!



    • 1 posts
    August 28, 2014 11:58 AM PDT
    For me any thing over 85 is hot, I dont like it at all but have riden in more heat then I care for. Most my friends think 85 is cool, guess I am an odd duck. I think hottest day was 117(Oklahoma City, 2008) coming from San deigo to Dallas (to hook up with friends for the weekend) to home in late July. Hit rain about 2 hours out side of the house and I think steam rolled off my skin for the rest of the ride. ; D
  • August 28, 2014 2:59 PM PDT
    Think the one day last summer that was 108 before heat index,then my friends bike refusing to start after a road flagman stop.....kinda stole my joy of "who cares" !! My hands were shaking as I dug into my saddlebags for tools....the local LE wouldn't even crack his car window down two inches as he SUCKED down his big gulp when I asked if he had any jumper cables.....lazy sack of worthlessness human...Leaving two lady riders stuck out in the heat.Needless to say if it hadn't been for the road construction crew pilot truck finding a pair of jumper cables we would have been toasty critters known as fried road kill that day due to heat.I've yet to forget that fried skin crawling day, so this summer I've been getting in before the 100 degree point.
    • 57 posts
    August 29, 2014 1:56 AM PDT
    Wow you guys opened my eyes to some of you are Hard Core.  I think I need to change my status to Weekend Warrior....

    Well even though I prefer the heat, Summer, To the cold, Winter, It looks like I am one of the whimps about temperature. I am more than happy to wait for just the right temps.

    Luv to wear my Chaps and Leather Jackets and gloves, dawn my winter face mask and my goggles and head out in low 60's. When it is hot like to put on them shorts and just curse the neighborhoods and the park near me.


    LMAO, winter riding gear in the low 60s,Here in the Midwest with a much shorter riding season we just go when we can and if you are going to ride in the summer you can bet that your going to get Hot and Rained on.

    • 2 posts
    August 29, 2014 6:12 AM PDT
    So far never gotten too hot for me. Lots of water and yep even before the ICE BUCKET challenge,, did a few of those on long trips!! Might be wet but I am cool!!!!
    • 284 posts
    August 30, 2014 3:36 AM PDT
    Gee Hunter your such a stud..... Like I said I am a wimp. I did all my macho crap I was young.

    Now I choose When, Where and what I want to do. How I do it.

    So I am not riding in the heat or the cold any longer. And set boundaries.
    • 1855 posts
    August 30, 2014 4:28 AM PDT
    I'm sure there's such a thing as "too hot" and if I'm already out I guess I'm committed. I'm not going out for a joy ride though if temps are in the upper 90's, 90% humidity, and over 70% dew point. What kind of enjoyment is that? Then again, I've been in some pretty darn hot riding weather and it is what it is.....sorry Tweek.
    • 84 posts
    September 3, 2014 8:28 AM PDT
    I don't believe I've ever come across a time where I said it was too hot to ride. It used to get really hot in southwest Texas, outside Wichita Kansas and last week it was in the low 90s here.

    But cold? I've ridden in the 20s and maybe in the teens but I know I've never ridden when it was below zero. What I won't ride on is icy roads. And as I've become older my fingers become white a lot quicker.

    I use the bike as primary transportation and the weather must be pretty bad to leave the bike at home.
  • September 3, 2014 12:00 PM PDT
    Never been tested on the to hot part of riding, but I have been tested on the to cold to ride part of riding. Around here in the Summer, we are generally around 80 degrees.Because of the short riding season, we worry more about to cold as in 50 degrees or less.
    • 79 posts
    September 3, 2014 3:56 PM PDT
    Don't have a cut off for to hot just too cold,anything below 35 i try not to ride.
    • 284 posts
    September 3, 2014 9:03 PM PDT
    Oh man I luv it, I can not make it to 35*F my cut off is about 55*F and 88*F. I am such a wimp. Must be the old age thing goin on.
    • 79 posts
    September 5, 2014 3:49 PM PDT
    I live on my bike.I have only driven my truck twice since the forth of july. No matter where I'm going I ride.
  • September 6, 2014 11:41 AM PDT
    I have never heard of such a thing as being too hot. I don't with the cold or the heat, stop me from my love.
  • December 9, 2014 9:09 AM PST
    Never too hot to ride....never. I'm from Texas, now live in Oregon, alittle cooler up here. I've ridden when it was over 100 and ridden when there was snow on the roadside. Ride always...free....safe.