[bluevolt]

I have not used my bike for past one month due to summer heat here in NCR (Temperatures are 40+ ever since beginning of May).

I want to know how other BHPians are dealing with this issue. I am really missing my Karizma and want to use it at least 2-3 times a week but parents advise against it.

But on the same note I don't want to fall ill because of the Loo. I usually wear a WINCHITER over the shirt to prevent hot winds hitting my body directly.The same thing applies during rains and cold wave too. In other words how to deal with biking during extreme weather conditions.

[black12rr]

If you like biking ,you will find a way to ride in any weather . Its better to sweat than bleed ,so gear is always on irrespective of the weather condition ( minimum gear aleast) .

A light weight jacket , full face helmet , gloves and shoes are must aleast .

[mobike008]

Absolutely agree with black12rr. If you love riding, weather is immaterial and you will find a way to ride your bike

I rode my bullet quite often throughout this entire summer season. For example, I had to make a casual visit to some plots that I invested outside the city. Rode last saturday a total of 70kms in the middle of the hot afternoon wearing my jacket and helmet but, skipped the gloves.

I throughly enjoyed that hot afternoon ride except at one point, i couldnt take the heat and stopped at a store and refereshed myself with buttermilk and lots of water after which i returned to being a normal human being

Just remember-ATGATT ( All The Gear All The Time)

[ninjatalli]

The idea is to rotate your vehicles. After getting stuck up in traffic jams for a day or two (in your car), a drive on one's bike even at peak summer feels like heaven.

Just wear light colors, cotton and simple clothing and a helmet. That's all one needs.

P.s. The additional gear comes in picture if one is talking about highway/outside biking. I'm speaking from a office-trip(s) mindset!

[Jignesh]

Hello,

Being in Mumbai, we luckily do not have to face extreme Heat, but we (Mumbai bikers) are now gearing ourselves from approaching Rains.

Just like Heat in Delhi, we have days when it just rains & nothing else. What to do on days like these?

1. Have a good quality Rain Suit.
2. Check the Tyres & replace them if they are worn out (to save yourself from skidding)
3. Check rear Brake pads & Disk Brake Oil / Disk pads.
3. Maintain correct Tyre pressure (in Rainy seasons tyre pressure decreases at a faster pace)
4. For office going friends: Keep a pair of shoes in Office & travel in sandals. This will ensure that your shoes are dry all the day & you do not develop sore feets. Also make sure to wash your feets with antiseptic after reaching home.
5. Please drive slowly, nothing is more important than your safety.

Thanks,

[selfdrive]

This is what I use/ follow:
- Full face helmet
- Dark glasses (relatively) to block the sun if the helmet visor is not tinted
- Full sleeved clothing, better to sweat than get burnt
- Cloth skull cap or bandana
- Drink lots of water
- If I know that a signal ahead is going to turn red and I have to wait in the sun, I prefer to stop a little before under the shade of a tree. I dont need to be in pole position always! Time counters at signals help, but if its a daily commute then one tends to know when/ where to slow down or speed up.

Rainy season is going to be a different story altogether. I intend to either switch to using office transport or to the bicycle. It depends on how the monsoon pans out!

[phamilyman]

Its a matter of desire. One does what one is burningly passionate about.

Let me share a cycling quote from Greg LeMond that brings a better perspective to look at things:
"It never gets easier, you just go faster."

[mb_jg]

Good advise from fellow members. Carry Red Bull & ORS (or any hydrating drinks with electrolytes), alongwith a few energy bars. Bottomline is, drink loads of fluids, it will help regulate the body temperature.
Riding during the summer season also means frequent breaks to rejuvenate & refresh, ofcourse that will automatically take care of itself depending on your fluid intake.
If possible, start your rides as early as you can. I leave my house at 5am, typically done by 9am & am back home by 10am. That achieves 2 things, lesser traffic in the mornings & you are back home by the time the sun just about starts boiling.
Remember, the goal of riding is to actually enjoy the ride, if you are trying to beat fatigue all the way during the ride it's best to get back home & chill :o)

[JVH]

Circa 2006, Bremen, Germany, we were always amazed when our colleague never missed coming on his bicycle in some of the harshest north german weather conditions. When asked he always answered in his broken english - its the clothes (gear) and the will my friend which will utlimately take you to your destination.

Biking over the years, I have always followed his advice. Check out the riding gear thread for all the info on clothes...err riding gear.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

I have not used my bike for past one month due to summer heat here in NCR (Temperatures are 40+ ever since beginning of May).

On my motorbike, I wear a mesh jacket that provides decent protection in the form of CE Armor and also keeps me cool.

I ride about 18 kms to work on a open road that has very little tree cover.

Hyderabad has been seeing 41-43 degrees temperature.
So I guess its no different than the NCR.

I do make it a point to drink close to a liter of water in the morning before and after breakfast.

I keep drinking a lot of water in office as well.

I also cycle the same distance in this heat. I just leave a little early and keep a bottle of water with me.

The human body is amazing. Just listen to the body and don't do bad things to it like smoking and making unhealthy food choices.

Originally Posted by mb_jg

Good advise from fellow members. Carry Red Bull & ORS (or any hydrating drinks with electrolytes), alongwith a few energy bars.

Red Bull is Caffeine.
That is a Diuretic

Please avoid it. Its not a good source of fluids and is in fact counter productive.

[Zombie69]

Originally Posted by bblost

Red Bull is Caffeine.
That is a Diuretic

Please avoid it. Its not a good source of fluids and is in fact counter productive.

+1 to that. Red bull or any energy drink for that matter is bad for health. It has caffeine and a lot of sugar, it will provide you with a quick boost and makes you restless which is a bad thing when you are riding a motor cycle. And when that wears out say a couple hours after drinking, you will slump or crash. Stick to Water or fresh juice.

-Z

[lsp]

Many years ago when I used to ride the humble Bajaj Chetak, I used to wet a large hankerchief/bandana in water and only partially wring it. Then I used to tie it around my face covering almost the entire face except the eyes and forehead. The wet cloth used to offer some respite in the hot summer winds. It will dry out very quickly so I used to have small pit stops to wet it again and also drink up some water.

[mb_jg]

Originally Posted by Zombie69

+1 to that. Red bull or any energy drink for that matter is bad for health. It has caffeine and a lot of sugar, it will provide you with a quick boost and makes you restless which is a bad thing when you are riding a motor cycle. And when that wears out say a couple hours after drinking, you will slump or crash. Stick to Water or fresh juice.

-Z

Bad for health, stressing yourself in the sweltering sun is not too good either. Red Bull & other energy drinks like Gatorade are good when you can't take the heat anymore, I wouldn't imagine myself riding all the way back in that condition. Anyways it works for me, it was just advise not an ultimatum.

[coolboy007]

These days i use the bike only on sundays for those fun parantha rides with our group members , i so very badly miss riding when stuck in a traffic jam in the car but i really cant help it, its really very hot out here especially in the afternoon and even at 8-9 PM the bike starts getting boiling hot in bumper to bumper traffic with the radiator roasting my nuts.

If you ride early morning or late night, its still acceptable but in 44-46 degrees, even a pulsar gets too hot, heard from some Ninja 250 and Duke owners that even the the heating in their bikes is intense so if you have anything above 200cc its really difficult and if you have a 600 or inline 4 - its suicide

[SuperSlick]

As many have mentioned above, if you really love to ride or drive you will not bother about what nature throws your way in order to get to your destination!

Just keep yourself fit and in better shape (stamina) and well hydrated through natural fruit juices (watermelon, musk melon, etc.) or lassi (buttermilk). Avoid frequent tea/coffee/smoking breaks.

Wear a helmet with tinted visor for sure so that your face especially eyes are protected from the hot winds that will dry your eyes otherwise. Use sunscreen as applicable, best wear a full sleeved shirt/t-shirt.

On the other hand if you are commuting to office during summer on a bike, it's better to have a bottle of chilled lassi or lemonade in your backpack so you can refresh yourself after the long and tiring commute, besides the chilled bottle cooling your back