I hope this is useful for my X rider bro's and ladies!!!!
HEAT AND HUMIDITY- A DEADLY COMBINATION
by Terry Horan
Texas seems to be entering a summer of record high temperatures, when in combination with Austin's relatively high humidity can be fatal to unprepared motorcyclists. When the ambient air temperature in the shade is 100° F., it can be well over 120° two feet above the black asphalt of a Texas highway. Compounding the heat from the sun is a pair of cylinders and exhaust pipes radiating temperatures in excess of 500° F just inches from the rider's legs. A safety conscious motorcyclist will be wearing boots, jeans, a long sleeve shirt, gloves and a helmet that restricts the body's ability to cool down through evaporation of perspiration.
Dr. Richard A. Beauchamp, a medical consultant for the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Texas Department of Health exclaimed, "High temperatures are physically tolerated by most people for short periods of time," but some form of heat—related illness may occur when people are exposed to high temperatures and humidity that produce a heat index of 95 degrees F or higher for 30 minutes or longer. At temperatures above 90° F., a motorcycle rider traveling at 60 miles per hour can lose three quarts of water every hour. If these fluids and salts, lost through perspiration, are not rapidly and continuously replaced then dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can occur. Dehydration further impairs the body's ability to maintain the proper core temperature which could lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death.
To prevent dehydration and hyperthermia, a motorcyclist should stop every thirty minutes to consume at least a quart of water plus prepare another quart to consume while riding between breaks. Water, milk, fruit juices, as well as many of the commercially available "sport" drinks are excellent fluid replenishes, but do not drink anything containing alcohol or caffeine as they will actually dehydrate your body. You can also reduce dehydration by wearing light colored, loose fitting clothes and drenching these clothes with cool water at each thirty-minute break. This artificial perspiration can make the body feel 20 degrees cooler and reduce the loss of body fluids. At 60 miles per hour on a 90° F day a soaked shirt and jeans will be bone dry within twenty minutes. If you own a Kool Tie or similar product, it will keep your neck and shoulders cooler and prevent sunburn on this otherwise exposed skin. If you do not own a Kool Tie, a light colored neckerchief or bandanna soaked in ice water can serve the same purpose.
If you experience nausea, dizziness, headache, fatigue, rapid pulse, shortness of breath, disorientation, cold and clammy skin or hot and dry skin, you should take immediate steps to rapidly cool down the body. The best and fastest method is to get into a tub of cool water and add ice as fast as you can stand it until you core temperature has returned to normal. If a tub is not available, a cool stream or lake will help and if that is not available simply soak your clothes with ice water from your cooler.
To determine the heat index, find the temperature across the top of the table and the relative humidity down the left-hand side. Where the two intersect is the heat index.
RH Temperature (F)
(%) 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105
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90 119 123 128 132 137 141 146 152 157 163 168 174 180 186 193 199
85 115 119 123 127 132 136 141 145 150 155 161 166 172 178 184 190
80 112 115 119 123 127 131 135 140 144 149 154 159 164 169 175 180
75 109 112 115 119 122 126 130 134 138 143 147 152 156 161 166 171
70 106 109 112 115 118 122 125 129 133 137 141 145 149 154 158 163
65 103 106 108 111 114 117 121 124 127 131 135 139 143 147 151 155
60 100 103 105 108 111 114 116 120 123 126 129 133 136 140 144 148
55 98 100 103 105 107 110 113 115 118 121 124 127 131 134 137 141
50 96 98 100 102 104 107 109 112 114 117 119 122 125 128 131 135
45 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 113 115 118 120 123 126 129
40 92 94 96 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 113 116 118 121 123
35 91 92 94 95 97 98 100 102 104 106 107 109 112 114 116 118
30 89 90 92 93 95 96 98 99 101 102 104 106 108 110 112 114
**Exposure to full sunshine will increase these values by up to 15F
VERY WARM 80°-90° HOT 90°-105° VERY HOT 105°-130° EXTREMELY HOT 130°+
Here is a link to the Kool tie
http://www.kooltie.com/index.htmlI think I'm going to get one. They cost only 10 bucks!!!
