How Much Does Heat Affect Cycling?

As a serious road cyclist and fitness enthusiast, I love having the opportunity to break a sweat in the hottest days of summer. Although I enjoy occasionally cycling in the heat, I know that my pleasure would turn to pain with an increase in distance or speed, and a few popped tires over the years are evidence of the damage that heat can do to my bike. As you may have experienced similar issues, you may be interested to know the extent to which heat affects cycling.

Distance

According to researchers at the University of Bedfordshire in Bedford, UK, your perception of the temperature has more of an effect on your endurance than the heat itself. In a study published in the May 2011 online issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology," these researchers had cyclists ride stationary bikes in a room for 30 minutes. Their findings indicate that hot weather decreases the distance that you cover when you know the correct temperature, but has no effect if you think that the temperature is approximately average.

Training

Some cyclists train in hot weather to ready themselves for all conditions and potentially give them an advantage in normal conditions. Similar to the negligible effect of heat on endurance, however, this type of training does not seem to have an impact on your cycling abilities. In the July 2002 issue of "Sport Science," a team led by Joanna Morrison of the University of Iowa in Iowa City note that training in high heat provides almost no benefits over training in average temperatures.

Dehydration

According to the Exploratorium's Science of Cycling, a 2 percent loss in body fluids through sweating can harm your performance. While this may lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, drinking water can help you to avoid these problems even in extreme heat. As you sweat more than normal in higher temperatures, making sure that you drink extra water before, during and after cycling is important to avoid the negative effects of dehydration.

Your Bike

Cycling in extreme heat may make any metal components of your bike overly hot and can reduce the performance of your chain's lube, potentially affecting the smoothness of gear shifting and riding in general. In addition, high heat can increase your chances of getting a flat tire by causing an increase in tire pressure and making your tube softer. This leads to a greater chance of flats due to both punctures and slow leaks. Aside from these limited effects on your bike and an increase in your risk of dehydration, however, heat seems to have little effect on cycling.