I tried to get out early this morning for a dirt road ride, I really did. Sadly, my “early” turned out to be 9:45, and things were already starting to really heat up around Michiganderburgh. We get less than ten or so HOT days a year here and today was predicted to be one of them with temps going up into the low nineties by afternoon. Which if you’re from Michigan feels like you’ve been set on fire and thrown into a pool of gasoline.
Oh well, who cares, I’d rather ride and be too hot than ride and be too cold (something I have to do about ten months of the year). So I filled up a couple of bottles, threw in some ice and set off on one of my standard 35+ mile dirt road loops.
The only thing I don’t like about riding in the heat, is that it doesn’t take long for a muffin top like me to blow through a couple of bottles. So conservation is key during these rides.
I used to take an extra, smaller bottle with me and stash it in my rear jersey pocket, now with my current expansive girth, there’s not much room in those pockets to squeeze in a bottle!
Given that this is farm country, there isn’t too much shelter from the hot sun out on these rides. There will be the occasional tree lined dirt road, but for the most part you can hear your flesh sizzling in the sun like SPAM on a hot skillet.
On a positive note; there was little to no wind today. While a breeze might have been nice, not having to put out the extra effort riding into a strong headwind was pretty OK in my book.
With a lack of rain, the dirt roads are extremely dusty right now and any time a car or farm vehicle passed it kicked up huge clouds of dust that would coat my sweaty carcass. By the time I exited the dirt roads and hit the pavement home, I was out of water and turning into a human salt lick. Dripping sweat for two hours had created so many salt stains on my bibs it had me looking like I was trying out some new urban camo design.
I can not bring myself to complain too much about the heat, because before you know it I’ll be putting on layer upon layer of winter clothing and freezing my nips off on a dirt road that looks more like it’s in Siberia than rural Michigan.
Later.