I was so preoccupied about whether my repaired chain ring would hold up, and whether my body had adequately recovered, that it didn't occur to me the heat might be too dangerous for riding.
Wildlife pics along highway 3 before the heat really kicked in
I knew it was going to be hot so I had plenty of fluids and replenished my water bottles at every opportunity. I gave myself plenty of time to get to my destination so I'd be able to stop often to cool down. In spite of this, I overlooked the obvious problem that I was trying to cover 160km on the hottest day of the year.
Detroit River
Ambassador Bridge
The first 80km went great. Riding along the Detroit River and through Amherstburg was beautiful and provided lots of opportunities for shade, however, once I left Windsor and hit the south shore of Lake St. Clair there were no opportunities for shade or rest for dozens of km during the hottest part of the day.
By the time I reached my stop in Chatham-Kent, I covered 160km, went through 8 litres of water, 2 litres of sport drinks, and was still dehydrated.
I actually felt pretty good today, but this heat wave is supposed to continue so I'm going to add some extra days and cover shorter distances for the next little while, just to be safe.
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