Tips for Riding in Extreme Heat

Summer is the time when most riders plan their long rides and tours, whether going to beaches, lakes and cold places like Baguio or Tagaytay, or to just unwind by going to places and passing thru scenic roads and mountainpasses they never been before.

Considering we only have two seasons here in the Philippines, the summer season is the most forgiving for motorcycle riders when doing leisure rides and tours. It’s hard to ride in the rainy season considering the fact that wet roads are far more risky to ride on and rain even light one’s greatly affect riders visibility putting you in a greater risk of having an accident.

The summer season is the most convenient season for riding but it also has some serious trade-off, extreme heat.  With ambient temperatures reaching over 35 degrees celcius plus the heat of the sun radiated by the pavement and also heat coming from the engine will make you feel like being placed inside an oven and that would greatly contribute to having heat exhaustion and that would be a serious problem especially when your in the middle of a ride.

So if you are planning your next summer ride, here are some tips that might help you beat the heat while riding.

1.  Drink water – Always bring bottled water everytime you ride, access to water is very important especially when the season is hot, when you perspire, you loose body liquids and losing so much of it will make you tired and fatigued. It is important that you replenish what you loss.

2. Wear moisture absorbing clothes under your beathable (vented) riding jacket–  When we perspire, we lose water, and under the hot weather, it will quickly evaporate. When perspiration is absorbed by our clothing, it acts like a wet towel and when air passes through your jackets, it cools it off and that helps keeps your body cool for longer periods.

3. Stop frequently and rest, preferably in the shade– This is both for you and for your bike. Do not be a superhero thinking that you can be at your destination in the shortest possible time you can. Riding in the heat will greatly increase your tireness which leads you to unable to focus. rest a bit on a shade. And yes, your bike deserves a little bit of cooling also. too much heat causes the bike to overheat and you don’t want that to happen right?

4.   Leave at daybreak, go home at dawn –  Plan your trip wisely, take off early in the morning so you would not be under the sun for too long, also if it’s possible for you to ride home in the late afternoon. It leaves you room to spend time relaxing,resting and staying under a shade in your destinations.

5.  Know the signs –  Here are the signs of heat exhaustion.

– Dizziness
– Muscle cramping
– Headache
– Disorientation and confusion
– Rapid heartbeat

If you notice any of these symptoms, its imperative to stop and cool down immediately. Heat exhaustion is bad and can cause heatstroke.

Be safe out there! Do not be a hazard to yourself or others, cool down in any way you can. Riding cooler is riding safer.

For more riding tips you can check out the link below: https://insideracing.com.ph/category/moto-tips/

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