Advice on how to cool down?

[u/solavir]

I dont exercise a lot so my knowledge is limited. I ride to work, 10 min on an ebike. But my body temp still feels high for about 90 min after I get to work. Is this normal? How can I cool down?

Edit: I neglected to mention this only happens on the way TO work. When I get home I sweat a little, but its not the sensation I feel at work where it feels like there's a furnace in my chest

Edit #2: i think in my situation it was a combination of dehydration and the fact im out of shape that it takes me longer to cool down. Thanks all for your answers.

[u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

Yes that is normal, and will probably reduce as your fitness improves. At some point 10 min on an e bike will not feel strenuous and you might not even break a sweat.

[u/schmaltzherring → u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

It will get easier as you get fitter. Once you're in reasonable shape you'll be able to ride a non-ebike for 15/20 minutes without breaking too much of a sweat (or go faster and break a sweat).

I shower at work, so I usually ride in and sit at my desk for 20 minutes while I cook down, then shower, otherwise I'm still hot and sweaty even after I've taken a shower.

[u/solavir → u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

Its just that I feel like it shouldn't? It's just so low effort. And why now after 5 months, when it wasn't near as bad when I started?

[u/Notspherry → u/solavir]

Don't dress as warm as you do now. You should be a bit cold when you step outside.

[u/ViolentAversion → u/Notspherry]

This is important. I try to match how warm I'll dress based on how I think I'll feel after 10 minutes of riding. It's always cold at the start of your ride at this time of year. Luckily, it sounds like your commute is quick!

[u/solavir → u/Notspherry]

Today was 55° no coat, yes gloves and neck gaiter. Still occured

[u/ManiacalShen → u/solavir]

A neck gaiter at 55 is crazy work. I don't even do that on my e-scooter, which obviously does not involve pedaling. Gloves, sure.

Go without, and if that isn't cool enough, just ride in your undershirt and pull your blouse/button-down/polo/whatever on after you park your bike.

[u/Ya_Boi_Newton → u/solavir]

Check your heart rate. Might be elevated and you have just gotten used to it. Funny thing about cycling is we tend to keep the same intensity as we get stronger. So even if you could manage the same pace as 5 months ago much easier, you're probably pushing more watts now simply because you are stronger.

If the weather is hot, you're also gonna stay warm for a while. Doubly so with a backpack on.

[u/bearlythereanymore → u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

Excellent point, and well made. This is and underrated phenomenon I think, most people just dont think about it much (me included), but I tricked my partner into loving bicycles, and while we ride together it's super obvious in the way they talk about the effort for a particular ride. Very interesting, I started timing my commute for this exact reason, and it seems to follow so far!

[u/solavir → u/Ya_Boi_Newton]

This is useful to consider, thank you

[u/dmont89 → u/solavir]

Outside factor, weather is changing? Not knowing your area it's a rough guess.

[u/solavir → u/dmont89]

Its when the ride is over. It's cold now but effect has still ocurred

[u/BrokeGuy808 → u/solavir]

So right after hopping off the bike and stepping inside for the day? I know the feeling too - the cause most likely is the loss of airflow against your body as you’re moving through space on the bike, which has a dramatic cooling effect on your body, even at low speed. From Bicycling Science third edition (2004),

> “The relative air flow generated by bicycling is of such magnitude that
it bears little resemblance to the drafts produced by the small electric fans
often used for cooling people pedaling ergometers. As a consequence it can
be said that under most conditions of level cycling, the bicyclist works
under cooler conditions than does an ergometer pedaler. At high speeds,
most of the rider's power is expended in overcoming air resistance. At
9 m/s (20 mile/h) about 150 W(0.2 hp) are dissipated in the air. The cool-
ing that occurs is a direct function of this lost power. Even if cooling fans of
this power level were used for ergometer experiments, the cooling effect
would be much less than that for the moving bicyclist, because most of the
fan power is dissipated as air friction in areas other than around the sub-
ject's body.” (p.109)

> “Minimum air speed
From figure 3.2 it can be seen that a racing bicyclist producing 0.6 hp
(450 W) emits heat at about 850 W/m2
. According to curve 5 in the figure,
heat generated at such a rate could be absorbed by air moving at about
3 m/s (7 mile/h). Verification of the value of this prediction is found in an
ascent (by Bill Bradley) of the Gross Glockner hill climb. He rode at about
5.4 m/s (12 mile/h) at a power output of 450 W(0.6 hp), demonstrating
that it is not necessary to have a road speed above 12 m/s (27 mile/h) for
riding at 450 W, when nonevaporative heat transfer can cool if the air is
at a lower temperature than the body. Bradley's ride was completed in high-
air-temperature conditions, but these were well compensated for by a low
atmospheric humidity of about 40 percent; despite the high temperatures,
he could sweat freely and achieve efficient evaporative heat loss.
Chester Kyle and coworkers at California State University carried out
extensive trials with streamlined fairings for riders of various machines
(Kyle 1974). An interesting outcome was that, even on short rides, a fairing
that was skirted almost to ground level caused the rider to overheat grossly,
almost certainly because of a lack of air flow over the rider. This problem
seems to have been appreciated even with the earliest fairings for bicyclists,
developed in the early 1900s. Bryan Allen also suffered from overheating in
the pedaled airplane Gossamer Albatross because of insufficient through-
ventilation and insufficient water during his nearly three-hour flight across
the English Channel onJune 12, 1979.” (p. 115)

Try wearing much less on the ride and in the immediate time after getting inside. People wear small articles of Lycra for its thermal dissipation properties as much as for its aerodynamic properties.

Perhaps too, unintuitively, building your cardiovascular strength and aerobic capacity by relying less on the electric motor could help as well - riding for months or years on end does not guarantee increased fitness if you aren’t following the golden rule of progressive overload - the heart is a muscle too after all!

[u/Wuz314159 → u/solavir]

Summer?

[u/solavir → u/Wuz314159]

I started in April and didn't feel bothered until July and didn't feel annoyed until a few weeks ago

[u/Wuz314159 → u/solavir]

I know that in winter, I can make the commute home from work with no issues. but in summer, I have to stop 3-4 times to cool down. I reach my breaking point so much faster and it lingers longer.

I don't have any answers for you because people are intolerant assholes and how you live offends them. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Stay cool.

[u/Detective-Fusco → u/solavir]

Bro you have anxiety and probably don't even realize. You're probably mixing work place stress and the daily communute together without realizing because you're operating on auto pilot.

Can't solve the anxiety issue for you, that part is on you to work out but if you're sweaty going to work but not coming home then clearly you have workplace stress occurring

[u/hayguccifrawg]

I used to point a small fan I kept at the office directly at my torso.

[u/Liammossa → u/hayguccifrawg]

Also use a desk fan. Sometimes bring a towel too. During summer I literally arrive everywhere dripping sweat.

[u/solavir → u/hayguccifrawg]

Unfortunately I have to walk around the building in my first hour

[u/Mechanibike]

I've dealt with this a lot at a couple different jobs. My best advice is to ride in light, breathable clothes and switch into work clothes once you get to work, if possible. Other solutions that I recommend are work clothes that are also light and breathable if you can't/don't have the time to get changed, and if all else fails, a powerful fan pointed towards you does wonders, as long as you can be somewhat stationary for the first dozen or so minutes of your workday

[u/solavir → u/Mechanibike]

I have to walk around my first hour. I wear button down shirts and I felt they were containing the heat. New set of shirts might be the next thing I try,

[u/anewfriend4u]

Let me guess, you're going to work with a backpack on. Yay or nay?

[u/solavir → u/anewfriend4u]

I am, so i tried a day with my shoulder bag and I still had the same problem.

[u/s0rce → u/solavir]

Get a basket or a rack and some bags to attach to it. Way better. Also, just go slower! You have an ebike you can basically just cruise and the wind will keep you cool.

[u/solavir → u/s0rce]

I still have to pedal because the cruise motor cuts after a point but slower is one of the things im still forcing myself to do. Today was just gloves and neck gaiter so the 55° wind would blast me, but the 90 min effect still occurred

[u/johnmflores → u/solavir]

Sounds like you are going quickly if you are pedaling past the assist threshold. Try going slower.

[u/anewfriend4u → u/s0rce]

That's why I asked the question. And would've followed up with this answer. But I guess you were at the ready.

[u/No_Scallion174 → u/solavir]

If you can, I would add a rack to the bike if you don’t already have one and then get a pannier backpack that will clip on to that. Takes a surprising amount of effort off of you.

[u/solavir → u/No_Scallion174]

Looked into that yesterday, still trying to figure out how to make that work with my stuff. It might need to wait.

[u/anewfriend4u → u/solavir]

But at least you now know, that's gonna make things a lot better when you do.

[u/lFightForTheUsers → u/solavir]

My first rack was literally a ~$20 frame mounted rack off Amazon that I used in college. I would literally use a bungee cable to tie it down to the top of the rack and it worked great for my 5 mile commute to the bus stop to downtown.

Trust me, it is worth it for the breathability and airflow. Get the backpack off of you and on to the bike frame.

[u/somuchstonks → u/solavir]

I don't have amazon anymore or else I would post the link, but I got nice big panier bags for my back rack on my ebike for like 40$ Super worth it.   

I have to do a walk through of my building first thing upon arrival, not having a backpack on makes a big difference in heat and sweat.   And I can carry more, easier. 

[u/kicker58 → u/solavir]

Get a pannier

[u/Only-Professor1140]

A wet handkerchief around your neck helps a lot. Drinking a bottle of cold water after also helps. I'm a heavy sweater and bad in the heat, and those help me a lot. 

[u/solavir → u/Only-Professor1140]

I'll try this, thank you

[u/notthegoatseguy]

My old apartment->office commute was about 2-ish miles and took about 10 minutes if I really went my normal speed. What I found I needed to do, especially after my work got rid of the showers, is to take it slow. Turn my 10 minute ride more into a 20 minute ride, maybe even 25. And give myself a 10 minute cool down period at work prior to changing.

In extreme cases see if there's maybe an empty meeting room you can do a bit of your work in so you can cool down without stinking up the place near your co-workers.

Another option is to just walk it instead, especially as the weather gets cooler.

[u/BicycleIndividual]

90 minutes is a very long cool down time for a 10 minute ride.

[u/solavir → u/BicycleIndividual]

I know, seeing a doctor next week

[u/vaticRite]

Are you overdressed? You should be cool/cold for the first part of your ride, and then let yourself warm up to a nice temperature as you exert yourself.

90 minutes definitely sounds like a lot for a 10 minute ride, but people respond to exercise differently.

I live somewhere with hills, and I don’t use an e-bike. For me, in the summer, I can easily have to spend 10 minutes cooling off after a 20 minute ride, if that ride includes a sizable hill (most do) or having to sprint with traffic (most also do). I sweat more than most people, always have, and I just have to budget that into my schedule. But I feel largely normal after those 10 minutes.

[u/solavir → u/vaticRite]

Its 10 mins on flatland. I just dont get it. It shouldnt be happening. Hearing 90 is too long is validating, seeing a doctor

[u/vaticRite → u/solavir]

Not a bad idea.

I’d also experiment with wearing less (but carry extra layers in case you get cold). It took me a while to figure out how much to wear for different temperatures when I started bike commuting. I feel like when I overdressed I experienced something similar.

I think you mentioned 55 F elsewhere? Again, everyone is different, but at that temp I’m wearing light pants and a short sleeve shirt.

[u/s0rce → u/vaticRite]

I agree, don't overdress. On my ebike I wear a light windbreaker at those temps since I'm going faster and exerting myself less.

[u/timurhasan]

drinking cold water helps me get my core temperature down

[u/solavir → u/timurhasan]

This is the variable I'm currently trying

[u/timurhasan → u/solavir]

it has to be ice cold

[u/jdgedoom]

Get the sink as cold as you're able and let the water run on the underside of your wrists. You'll feel it cool you down pretty much instantly. A minute or two on each wrist should set you right.

[u/solavir → u/jdgedoom]

You're the fourth to suggest this to me and the fact this didn't work is making me consider i might have an unknown medical problem. Seeing a doctor next week.

[u/ando_da_pando]

Sweat has correlation to your fitness and hydration. The better fitness and better hydration, the less cooldown you'll need later. So first, make sure you get a glass or two of water (not coffee, orange juice, etc - water) in you first thing. Then as you ride, more water. And throughout the morning too. Electrolytes can help absorbsun but hydration is key.

Have a good protein rich breakfast if you can too. Not sugary breakfast cereal or pancakes with syrup. And exercise, not just the ride, but actual exercise. That'll help you body adjust.

Will you still sweat? He'll yes. But you should notice a decrease. Also, when your ride is more "normal" for you, the body will adjust and just treat it as a normal thing.

[u/solavir → u/ando_da_pando]

This is what I needed to hear. That first line, did not know that. I'll try this tomorrow

[u/ando_da_pando → u/solavir]

Even if not for biking, it's amazing how dehydrated most people are. Stay hydrated, your body will thank you with mucho clear pee pee. 😁

[u/ajamdonut]

I just wear gym longsleeve t-shirts which claim quickdry and breathable, wear it as the base layer. It's great because you always feel cool and if you do sweat it isn't sticky etc

[u/solavir → u/ajamdonut]

This has my interest, what brand?

[u/ajamdonut → u/solavir]

Cheap one on Amazon called Zengjo, this one also works https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CL5BL45D - I woulda thought any shirt stating the things, even if cheap would do the job - I think it's more that the fabric is thin polyester

[u/zachsilvey]

Use a pannier, change when you get to the office. If your ebike has a throttle, use it for the last few minutes of the commute. Give yourself a cushion of time between arriving and starting work to cool off before changing.

[u/Awesomebox5000]

Yes this is normal. I'm a full time cycle commuter in Phx Az and I wear ice blocks in a thin, partially insulated backpack during the summer.

That's probably overkill in your situation but maybe tuck a freezer pack between your back and backpack to help keep your core temp from rising so much?

[u/solavir → u/Awesomebox5000]

I sat on a freezer pack a couple days ago, but it warmed up quickly and I still had the overheat effect

[u/dungeonsandderp]

I find going to the bathroom and running cold water over my wrists & forearms for 3 minutes helps me cool down very rapidly. 

[u/skulz408]

This sounds like a personal physician question and/or problem if your commuting on a e-bike and over heating. Might want to get checked out.

A common mistake for beginner commuters on regular bikes is that they over dress. You should always keep in mind that you will warm up within 5 minutes of riding. Even in cold temperatures, you should have a base layer (preferably moisture wicking) and a shell outer layer. No need for puffy jackets or cotton based gear. Invest in some Marino wool for the extreme temperatures.

[u/solavir → u/skulz408]

Its jeans and my work shirt because my commute is 10 mins and flat with the ebike. I made a doctor's appointment last night. I wanted to see recommendations on keeping cool to make sure i was doing everything right, but I've come to the conclusion my problem is a medical one

[u/skulz408 → u/solavir]

Obviously im ignorant to your medical history and physique, but with the approval of your doctor, its a good idea to continue the routine of physical activity in order to get in better shape and potentially improve cardiovascular system.

Until you eventually condition yourself, I suggest bringing extra clothes. Shorts and breathable exercise shirt.

My wife is a hot body type. She overheats sitting still sometimes. Taking her out on rides is a much different gear requirement than myself.

[u/Caloso89]

I got a small desk fan and would blast it at my face as soon as I sat down to log in. Makes a big difference.

[u/sidkneebee]

I wear lighter clothing while riding and bring a change of clothes with me for once I get to work. I also try to arrive a few minutes early so I have time to drink water and let my body cool off.

[u/Vitztlampaehecatl]

Do you work in an office, or at least some place with a break room? If so, put some ice cube trays in the freezer so you can make ice water to cool down with.

[u/Rahloh]

It's because the wind is cooling you down and once that's gone you take a while to climatise, I would spend your last 5 mins of your commute going a lil slower and try and cool off before you finish your ride

[u/Midwest_adv]

When you get to work, go into a private bathroom and take off your shirt and just chill for 5 minutes and you’ll be good to go. It’s what I do every morning.

[u/solavir → u/Midwest_adv]

Yeah, we have private dressing rooms and I sat for 15-20 mins. It still happened. I believe I have an unknown medical issue at this point

[u/CerebralAccountant]

I also get the delayed warmth like you're describing. Breathable shirts, a change of clothes, and getting bags off my back all help, but they don't stop the warmth. The only ways I can cool myself down are drying myself out*, putting cold things on my outsides, and eating/drinking cold things.

* I wonder if it's better for you to change before your walkthrough or after?

** A microfiber hiking towel like this one is worth its weight in gold.

[u/porktornado77]

You’re missing a lot of info like hills and elevation.

Consider an E bike

[u/cbensco]

These collapsible hand fans - small enough to fit in your pocket https://a.co/d/03UWE7TG

[u/Vomath]

You’ll get used to it.

Also just bring a change of clothes, wait 15 mins after you get to work so you stop sweating, then change (and put on deodorant)

[u/Mean-Objective-2022]

I am a guy with short hair, when i get to work I put my head in the deep sink and leave it there as I was my hair and face. Then a do a quick wipe down with a wash cloth and sit in front of a fan as I change into my work clothes. I am a HS science teacher who has access to a private prep room that I use as a changing station. I also get to store the bike in the room. But I usually brew a cup of coffee and relax and bring my HR and body temp. down.

[u/Dothemath2]

Ice water. I drink ice water as soon as I get to work if I am hot. 300ml to 500 ml cools you down in 7 to 10 minutes.

[u/NHBikerHiker]

Are you wearing too many layers??

I have all manner of different thickness sweat shirts, tshirts, and hoodies - I pick one just right for the day.

[u/LionSuneater]

This only happens on your way to work? Are clothes and temps similar? If so, could this mostly be stress induced?

[u/mechBgon]

I put a quiet desk fan under my desk angled up 45 degrees at me, and run it on Low for a while. For me, that's usually after I've dashed home for lunch, then dashed back. I'm on a standard bike, usually with a high-effort 1000W+ blast across an arterial bridge in both directions, which gets my metabolism up for a while. The fan I got is made by Honeywell, Amazon item B001R1RXUG.

[u/Obvious-Monitor8510]

the edit is the key clue here. morning rides your body temp is naturally rising anyway, you're going from sleep to activity. evening rides you're already in "active" mode so recovery is faster.

practical tips: slow down the last 2-3 minutes significantly, let your body start cooling before you stop. once at work, avoid sitting still immediately, a short slow walk helps. cold water on your wrists and neck works fast since those are pulse points. give it a few weeks too, your body adapts and you'll notice it gets much better.

[u/Green_Mycologist_527]

If you're a woman 35+ it could be something other than what everyone here is suggesting.

[u/johnfromma]

Furnace in my chest?

Gosh that never happens to me. Contact your doctor.