Touring in hot weather

[Ishrub]

I think nitrogen in anything but a race tire is the biggest waste of money since bottled water. One of the proposed benefits is that nitrogen molecules are larger and don't leak out as quickly. Following that line of reasoning, the other gases (oxygen etc.) would leak out first. After a couple refills all that would be left is nitrogen anyway.

Ahh but with air only, while that skinny O2 or CO2 molecule is pushing through and creeping through the rubber an uneducated fat N molecule cannot follow by tailgating. If the skinny O2 or CO2 is not there the gate won't be open and fat N stay trapped in your tire longer.

Everybody hates skinny guys, haven't you heard?

 

[m6w6]

N2

 

[barbagris]

Ahh but with air only, while that skinny O2 or CO2 molecule is pushing through and creeping through the rubber an uneducated fat N molecule cannot follow by tailgating. If the skinny O2 or CO2 is not there the gate won't be open and fat N stay trapped in your tire longer.
Everybody hates skinny guys, haven't you heard?

The harsh reality is - most ROAD tyres lose air via the valves. If this were not the case the minimum your pressure would ever drop is 20%. Gas diffusion does not tailgate. Least ways it didn't when I did such things almost 40 years ago.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Since I had the rims on my Dodge Magnum powder coated. The don't leak at all. The place I took them powder coats the entire rim, not just the part that shows like Dodge did. That stuff is so hard even where the lug nuts contact it, it still looks good.

 

[R3Tex]

The guys pretty much covered it...cover all exposed skin (I even wear a buff that covers face, neck, etc), and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Start early, take a long lunch break during the heat of the day and ride late as much as possible. There are also synthetic under garments that I find far preferable to cotton which gets soggy pretty quickly and stays that way. Here are some thoughts I put together

Staying Cool in the Summer

 

[Azisbest]

Mid August i'll be riding from the UK through France and down to Estepona (southern tip of Spain) and back with a Ducati Diavel riding mate.

I reckon we'll be spending some time in 104+ temperatures and wondered if any of you guys that regularly ride in these temps have any tips for the rider and the bike? Somebody has suggested filling tyres with nitrogen?

I know some will be thinking 'what's the fuss?' but remember I live in the UK! summer temps reach a heady 77 if we're very lucky, for a day or two so covering around 3000 miles over two weeks in high temps is very different for us.

Cheers chaps

Having lived in the desert my entire life and having worked all day in temps as high as 122F I can tell you that there is one unalterable rule to hot weather riding. I know its simplistic and you hear it repeated often but it is true: hydrate! This cant be overemphisized. All of the other advice that has been given is certainly good and well thought out but as long as you properly hydrate you can get past making other hot weather mistakes. And my preferred method of hydration is pure, sweet water. You can have all the fancy commercial concotions give me H2O every time.

 

[instant]

one more thing - if you wear full face helmet, keep the shield down. You can easily dry out your eyes with shield up and it is not pleasant feeling next morning.. pack eye drops in the luggage. Its dry environment and good to clean your eyes from dust to prevent issues.

Just to encourage you, my today´s ride to the office and to the Vienna airport.. it was 42°C on the highway..

 

[Dawg68]

tones of great advice here and on the web, along with a mesh jacket I wear this product.

 

[Azisbest]

tones of great advice here and on the web, along with a mesh jacket I wear this product.

You mean it gets hot up there sometimes?

 

[Dawg68]

You mean it gets hot up there sometimes?

Lol... Sometimes, this past week it's been around the 90 to 95 farenheight. Not as hot as some places down south. I travel south in August almost every year and that vest did wonders.