How To Ride Your Bike In Hot & Humid Weather | GCN's Pro Tips

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Simon is here with tips on how to ride in hot and humid weather so that you can continue your bike ride in pleasure.

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Let us know your tips for cycling in hot & humid weather in the comments below 👇

Ex-Professional cyclist Simon Richardson knows a thing or two about training in the rare hot weather we get in the UK from time to time. Here are his tips on how to cope when it gets hot and sticky.

Clothing - A lightweight jersey with a full length zip is your first desirable bit of clothing, then where possible have some shorts with minimal bib-straps. Paired up with one another this allows air to circulate even at lower speed when climbing for instance.

If the sun is shining it's certainly worth covering up with suncream too, look for a sports specific product if you can find it. As you don't want it running into your eyes etc.

If the sun is particularly brutal there are actually specific products to help out, such as arm/leg warmers which have UV protection and technology to stop you getting hot, clever hey.

If you do decide to wear a cap under your helmet in the sun, which is certainly going to make you hotter, it's worth thinking about cutting off the top of the cap, effectively turning it into a visor! Allowing the heat to escape from the top of your head.

Hydration is critical when riding in the heat. You may not notice how much you are sweating due to the cooling effect of the wind. You will need to take two water bottles with you, allowing for sufficient rehydration. If you are going to be out for a long time then it's adding an electrolyte product to the water to replenish vitamins and minerals you lose, and any longer put a carbohydrate mix in too. You can get electrolyte tablets in a tube that easily fit in a jersey pocket, so if you refill with water whilst out, you can simply add a tablet to the bottle.

Apparently you also use up more calories trying to stay cool than trying to stay warm. To prevent the dreaded "bonk" take some energy gels with you too.

Your route may need consideration too. Planning a route thats sheltered from the sun as much as possible is a dream, but not always possible. Avoiding long slow climbs where you can't escape the sun is advised, this is where you are really going to bake in the sun.

If you are travelling to a warmer climate it could be worth trying to acclimatise before you get there. Try indoor training (wth the heating on) for a week leading upto your travel , supplemented by lots of fluid will help get you in the right place.

As for riding with no jersey, we will leave that to your discretion!

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Photos: © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/ & ©Tim De Waele / http://www.tdwsport.com

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