Hi Andy

Closest I've ever come to heatstroke on a bike was in southern India - Tamil Nadu. Fortunately a huge Banyan tree with a shrine and benches presented itself and I  flaked out in the shade for the afternoon until a passing thunderstorm with great fat gobs of icy rain took the sting out of the day. My usual practice in India was to start early and try to finish riding and be out of the sun by lunchtime. But that wasn't always practical.

Fortunately my ride eventually took me up onto the Deccan Plateau and the hill stations of the Western Ghats so the altitude resulted in cooler days but I see your current ride is a coastal one.

I'm a huge fan of cotton t-shirts precisely because they can hold a ton of water. In the Australian summer, and for that matter in most of India and asia I carry some excess water in a dry bag and use it to soak the T (by submersion) when things get too hot. Sometimes I'll even have a spare T already soaking in the bag for a quick change. Depending on the heat and wind that's a really good 15 - 30 minutes of evaporative air-con. 'Technical' fabrics simply don't do it for me. If I've reached the point where the heat's affecting me then I need to cool down NOW and only an active measure like a good soaking is going to do it, and the longer that can be maintained the better.

Thanks George.  Good lights are needed for riding in India in the dark for sure as often there are unmarked holes!    I am now starting just as the sun comes up and that light is rather special.

Thanks again for your comment.

Thanks Keith. I will have to see what is available in UK when I get back as all I normally see being used is tight lycra type shirts and shorts.

Thanks Bob, will look into those also

Regards.  Andy

Thanks for your comments Syd.    I have cotton shirts with me so may give that a try.  Today was cooler and no problems thankfully

Regards. Andy

Cotton may work in arid or semi-arid conditions such as you apparently encounter, where it can pass moisture into the atmosphere, but in humid climates it's horrible.  I live in a humid place, and there's nothing like the relief of stripping off my cotton tee shirt on a hot summer day after I've perspired heavily while doing yardwork.  The relief is immediate, and profound.

Lycra and other synthetic fabrics that provide a wicking effect (I'm thinking CoolMax, specifically, and its relatives) are actually not horrible for riding in hot conditions.  Far preferable (to me) to cotton, at all times.

I'm always amazed at how much difference it makes to lower or raise the zipper slide on my jersey by even a small amount- an inch or less (or so it seems).  Often a small adjustment is all that's needed to return me to a comfortable condition.

I can not buy new gear in India but I have made some adjustments to how I am operating and the last 2 days have been fine.  I am lucky in that there are regular places to stop in shade or to buy drinks, thankfully I am not riding through a barren wilderness!

What has helped;

1. Early starts with 1L of water drunk before I roll.

2. More salt in my food and eating glucose biscuits when I stop.

3.  Stopping more regularly

4.   Using the alloy bar ends as the riding position is more open to cooling airflow on my body and the alloy is cool (which was why I fitted them and not plastic ones).

I am still wearing floppy hat, facemask, glasses and gloves as too easy to get burnt!.

Thanks for all your replies, Andy

Andy you might be interested in “The Comfort Index” a sliding scale devised by combining air temperature and relative humidity.

I’ve cycle toured long distances in Australia in temperatures up to 40°C, but with extremely low humidity.  I was able to unload heat by sweating profusely, drinking copious amounts of water and regularly soaking my clothes in water. Above 40°C, I had to stop and seek shelter.  I could feel myself overheating. 

As soon as the humidity begins to increase (say 40-50% at 30°C +)  I cannot easily ride.  

Others have already mentioned the tactics I use, especially early morning ride starts and hydration. 

Hi Graham,

The local weather today was 34C and 43% humidity according to Google.  I do not know how accurate that but just did 34 miles and that was OK with quite a few stops.