Thursday, Jul. 29, 2010

Too hot to handle

With average July temperatures ranging between 400 and 485 degrees along the Grand Strand I have to admit that I have spent more time in my air-conditioned truck than on my motorcycle. I find it hard to get excited about getting on my motorcycle exposing myself to any extra heat and sweat when it is this miserable. I guess I should appreciate the fact that we have riding weather almost year-round here; and, I promised I wasn't going to complain about the heat after what seemed like the longest and coldest winter on Grand Strand since moving here almost 20 years ago.

Well, that promise was shattered weeks ago as the oppressive heat rolled; and it hasn't let up. As hot as it has been though, I can remember two times in my life when I was hotter.

One of the hottest weekends I ever spent was at the Easyriders (motorcycle) Rodeo Tour in 2004. It was hosted in July in Wilson, N.C., which is 45 minutes east of Raleigh, N.C., and 15-feet below the surface of the sun. My wife, Sissy, and I were there promoting the motorcycle Web site we used to own and doing a chopper giveaway to benefit the Children's Museum of S.C. The days were long and unbearably hot. The only thing that briefly gave us some relief was a massive thunderstorm that rolled in and tried to blow the show away.

My dad loaned us his rally trailer, "The Journey," for our trip. At first glance it is a basic, white utility trailer like you might see behind any construction worker's pick-up. Inside, however, is a traveler's paradise. My dad and his brother, my late uncle Bud, who used to own a van conversion shop, converted it to a toy hauler. It was perfect for transporting both the chopper we were giving away and my motorcycle. Once we arrived all we had to do was unload the bikes and connect the trailer to the water and electric hook-ups that were available and we were living large. The Journey has lights, cabinets, a sink, microwave, refrigerator, television, your choice of cots or a rollaway bed, and even an indoor toilet and outdoor shower (you just wash up in your swimming suit).

The most important feature that day though was the fact that it wasn't made of lightweight fabric. As the howling winds and driving rain sent everyone running for cover, Sissy and I stood at the window of The Journey enjoying the air conditioning inside and a cold beer from the fridge, watching shredded tents blow by as guys scrambled to stuff their motorcycles inside the tents that were still standing before crawling in next to them and doing what we along the hurricane-vulnerable coast call "hunkering down." Eventually, the storm passed and, before you knew it, the ground was dry and the air held even more wretched humidity than it had before.

The hottest day though that I can recall was on a trip to Sturgis, S.D., for the Black Hills Rally. It is one of the largest rallies in the U.S. and will be celebrating its 70^th anniversary Aug. 9-15. We were riding on the last day of a four-day ride. The temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit (really). We were in the desert. The road was black and straight. There was no shade. Sissy, who enjoys sunning herself on the back of the bike, was wearing a spaghetti strap shirt. I remember my dad warning her about exposure to the sun and the heat and suggesting she put something on. She thought she was following his advice as she applied more sunscreen, but having learned a lot from my dad, I suggested he meant a long sleeved T- shirt, preferably white, like the ones he and I were wearing. She assured us she was fine. As crazy as long sleeves sound in those temperatures, it really helps to cover your skin. My dad was quick to point out that you don't see people who live in the desert wearing shorts and tank tops. They are normally wearing something white (to reflect the heat), that covers their entire bodies, including their arms and legs. It's not a fashion statement. It works and by the time we reached our next rest stop Sissy was donning a long-sleeved, white T-shirt and recommending one to the beet-red lady panting on the curb at the convenience store.

So until things cool off, remember to take plenty of breaks when riding longer distances; try a cool, wet bandana tied around your neck; minimize your exposure to the sun; and, drink lots and lots of fluids (the non-alcoholic kind, such as Gatorade and water) to help beat the heat.