From our archives…
The summer solstice happens twice each year (once in each hemisphere) when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the north or south pole. It occurs in the northern hemisphere between June 20 and 22 and is the peak of the lengthening of daylight that started waaaaay back at the winter solstice in December.
This profile is the (new!) companion ride to my winter solstice one. The terrain/drills are similar but not exactly the same, and the playlist includes summery songs about the heat, keeping cool, cloudless skies, and (my favorite) the beach. The ICA Summer playlist is another great place to find tracks if you’d like to create your own version.
In Seattle, where I live, the summer solstice is celebrated with an annual parade. People paint their bodies and ride bikes naked! Don’t believe me? Have a look here!
Please note the version of “Water From a Vine Leaf” by William Orbit featuring Beth Orton and “Tread Water” by De La Soul are not available on Spotify. We’ve replaced “Water From a Vine Leaf” with a different version of this song, and “Tread Water” with “Sound of Sunshine” by Michael Franti & Spearhead. For other alternatives, make sure to check out our Summer playlist filled with loads of summer-themed songs, as well as the feel-good songs that bring a smile to your face.
Any suggestions on how to cue this (would you use RPE instead of Zones?) using bikes without any meters?
Thanks!
Hi Patricia,
Yes, RPE would work great. Zones correspond to RPE in this way:
Zone 1: Very easy. Warm-up and cool-down; recoveries.
Zone 2: Endurance/moderate. Aerobic work. Mild sensation of heart rate in chest. Sweating increases.
Zone 3: Challenging but doable. Breathing is deeper and more rhythmic than Zone 2, especially at the higher end. But it is still aerobic, so there is no sensation of burning in the legs (though there will be “heaviness”).
Zone 4: Threshold. The “hard” zone. Challenging and uncomfortable. Deep, labored breathing, some burning in the legs.
Zone 5: Anaerobic/breathless (very hard). Breathing is ragged and the legs are on fire!
I do a lot of my cueing based on what a rider should be feeling in the moment. Hopefully this info will give you a way to elaborate on that. Let me know if you have more questions!
Shari
Can’t download the profile 🙁
Hi Kimberly,
To download, you must click the link on the new tab that opens up. Give that a try and let us know if it works!
Shari
Thank you! I always LOVE your profiles. xx/oo
Hey, thanks! Have you ever thought about contributing? 😉
Hey folks,
There were a couple issues with the PDF download initially, but it’s all good now. Enjoy!