Thermal Shock

As an engineer, one of the things we do to weed out problems in new products is subject them to environmental stress screening, or ESS. Basically, this means you shake it harder than it will be shook in use, drop it harder, subject it to eardrum bursting sound, and cycle it through huge temperature extremes over short time periods.

Looks like I may get a dose of ESS next week.  Although today was nice, we've really not had much warm weather in the northeast yet this spring. Some riders were lucky to have scored one or two days in short sleeves before today. On Friday I head to Moab, UT with four others for a week of off-road riding. The temperature could hit 87F on Monday. Most days will be in the 80's. Open desert riding, no shade, no acclimation to heat, rides up to 7hrs long, that sounds like some pretty serious environmental stress to me.

Moab, UT extended forecast

Can't get a much better forecast than that.  One of the rides we have planned is the White Rim trail. It traverses 78 miles, point to point with no water on the route. I could probably use two gallons of fluid on a ride that may go seven hours in heat, but I'll only be able to carry about one gallon. This is in stark contrast to a week in North Carolina last month, when some days it never got out of the 30's.  Ought to be interesting. Packing SPF50. Looking forward to it.