Planning Summer Rides
I started this entry thinking about the things we have to do in south Florida to plan a summer ride and realized that it’s not that different anywhere else. There are several things to do and some have to be done at different points than others.
One of the first things I did was to emphasize the need to check your bike before riding. While this should be a standard thing to do before a ride, it’s even more important in the summer heat. Your riding will have more wear and tear on rubber parts and your oil is not as happy in this weather. If your bike is liquid cooled, check your fluids before leaving. Oh, and don’t forget a toolkit. You always need it with you, but summer is just the time to breakdown.
I always carry a rainsuit with me, but sometimes you take it out to let it dry or just because you need the room for a little bit. Don’t forget to put it back. That happened to one of our riders recently where he had left it hanging to dry. Naturally, we encountered a storm and his rain gear wasn’t there when he looked. You should also carry sunscreen on your bike. No matter how good the stuff is, it needs to be re-applied every couple hours or you will find yourself crispy. Never underestimate the power of the sun, even on cloudy days.
Finally, there’s the weather. It’s unavoidable and somewhat unpredictable. I’m fanatical about weather, especially when planning group rides where I feel responsible for the overall experience. I check a few different forecasting sites like weatherbug.com and weather.com. I’ll look at the forecast a few days in advance and then go to hourly forecasts starting a day or two before. I’ve come to realize that these lack accuracy, but give you a feel for what might happen. I also rely on radar. Technology is great and there are several formats you can use for this. The two web sites I mentioned will give you an animated or even an interactive radar view. I also use a couple desktop applications like WeatherBug’s and one from our local television station that is made by BIA Information Network (BIN). This app lets you see radar for rain, humidity, temperatures, and wind speed and direction. It also includes a radar and temperature view for a national look. You can see the direction of major fronts and make a very good decision on whether the ride should take place or not.
So, there are tools out there to help you decide whether to ride. There are things to make sure you take with you to make summer riding more enjoyable and safer. Take care when you ride and plan for a safe return.