Riding Your ATV in Hot Weather

Here in Florida, we’re no strangers to heat, humidity, and the sun bearing down on us. While a warm sunny day is ideal for riding your ATV over dunes or down a nature trail, you do have to be cautious. Being outdoors in hot weather can take its toll on your body quicker than you might think, and you can suffer the effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration if you aren’t careful.

Here are some of our recommendations on how to safely ride your ATV when it’s hot outside so that you can make the most of every sunny day.

Wear the Right Attire

You need to keep yourself protected while riding your ATV, which requires you to wear the proper safety gear for powersports riding. This includes a helmet with a full face mask or a pair of goggles, riding gloves, boots, pants, and a jacket. 

However, you can look for lighter weight versions of all of these items that have ventilation to help keep you cooler in the heat. Aim to wear light colors in the sun, since black absorbs heat. Also, keeping your skin covered is more likely to keep you cool than exposing your arms and legs to the hot sun.

Ride in the Shade

If the sun is really beating down on you, then it might be best to try to stick to the shadows and the shade as much as you can. Choose riding areas that have forest coverage for best results. Also, you can avoid riding during the mid-afternoon when the sun is at its zenith and likely to be hottest. Riding during early morning or early evening hours will be a lot cooler.

Take Frequent Breaks

One very common reason why people experience the impact of heat is that they don’t listen to their bodies and they try to push themselves too hard. If you’re really sweating and you start to feel faint or lightheaded, you need to get out of the heat as soon as possible and into an air-conditioned place where you can cool down. Don’t wait until you feel really sick to do this. Even if you have to cut your ride short, that’s better than going too hard and giving yourself heatstroke!

Stay Hydrated & Fed

Paying attention to your body also means keeping yourself hydrated and fed to stave off the impact of dehydration. Because your body loses water when it sweats, it’s really easy to become dehydrated in hot weather. Keep water with you and drink from it often. Also, having a sports drink or a salty snack can help you replenish electrolytes.

When you’re ready to buy a new or used ATV, stop by our dealership in Lake City, FL, to see what we have available. Interstate Cycles serves our customers in Jacksonville and Gainesville, FL.