Hydration

[kingpinofdisks]

How do you guys stay hydrated whilst riding for hours in the heat?

 

Recent stints thru the California Desert in 100+ degree heat caused me to start wearing a Camelbak (http://www.camelbak.com) when I ride.

 

I have been filling up with Ice when I fill up the tank. I even purchase a small soda cup (to compensate the owner of the station for grabbing a bunch of his ice), and fill the camelbak with ice. As it melts, I get cold agua while riding.

 

Any other ideas I am missing? It would be nice to have something built into the bike with an AC powered by electricity. But the Camelbak was cheap

[Ken H.]

I think you got it. Drink your Camelbak dry then stop and fill it again. Repeat.

[Les is more]

Don't forget some gatorade once in awhile to replenish those electrolytes. An occasional salty snack also helps. You're sweating out shakersful of the stuff.

 

Check This post for more good thoughts.

[Iron Al]

You are doing exactly what I do. I fill my camelback to the top with ice and then top if off with water when I leave for the day. Each time I fill up I only need to put ice in it. Works well for me.

[FlyingFinn]

I'm also personally convinced that in a heat like that I loose lots of what ever ice cream is made off so I make sure to replenish often.

And no, I do not have any scientific data to back this up.

 

--

Mikko

[Pennys Dad]

I use a cool vest to help cool me down as well as the camelbak. BMW has an inexpensive version that works for about 2.5 hours before needing a recharge.

[leikam]

1. Avoid riding in the hottest part of the day

2. Stop often to exchange fluids

3. Cover up to prevent excessive evaporation

4. Use a hoon cooler or equivalent to spare your body the need to sweat

[sgendler]

4. Use a hoon cooler or equivalent to spare your body the need to sweat

 

This is a BIG one. Some kind of evaporative cooler will prevent the need to sweat so much, making it enormously easier top stay hydrated. I always feel at least twice as rested at gas stops in hot weather when I have a hoon cooler on. unfortunately, I found that mine was giving me a bad back due to uneven weight distribution, so I've got to find something else. Probably a cool vest of some kind.

 

--sam

[hopz]

I live in the high country, out west. It gets really hot, but frankly not as hot as when I lived in Houston.

When we do really hot rides, take a very light jacket- like a nylon shell thing. Pur water over your back front and put on the shell. COOL and comfy. Drink the rest. Repeat.

[Mike]

However you do it, drink lots of water and/or sports drink, like Gatorade. I just keep it in a container in my tank bag and stop every hour or two to chug a hefty amount. For me, it seems to work better than a Camelbak, giving me an extra chance to stretch and assess how I'm feeling. It's been repeated many times, but once you start feeling thirsty, you're already behind the hydration curve. The best way to stay cool and survive is to fuel the mechanism that cools your body, perspiration.

 

I also use an Aerostich Evap-O-Danna:

 

 

It's a triangle of water absorbent material that you wear like a bandana. It does an excellent job of providing supplemental cooling and costs only $7.00. It also comes in an extra large size, as well as a "competition model," which is twice as thick and can hold ice between the layers.

[SeanC]

I drink a lot of water/gatorade as well on long rides, but there's another benefit of doing so: I have to piss more often, which means I have to stop more often, which means I get to refresh/relax more often.

 

I've done a number of rides from tankful to tankful, but they tend to wear me out quicker. When I ride from bladder-empty to bladder-empty, it seems like I stay mentally alert and physically comfortable for longer periods.

[sgendler]

When I ride from bladder-empty to bladder-empty, it seems like I stay mentally alert and physically comfortable for longer periods.

 

If you ride from bladder empty to bladder empty, you are going to wind up with a wet leg. I'd suggest getting off when you bladder gets full

 

--sam

[SeanC]

When I ride from bladder-empty to bladder-empty, it seems like I stay mentally alert and physically comfortable for longer periods.

 

If you ride from bladder empty to bladder empty, you are going to wind up with a wet leg. I'd suggest getting off when you bladder gets full

 

--sam

Note to self: Time to invent a CamelBottom to complement the CamelBack. A "Do not confuse the tubes" warning label will need to be fairly prominent.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

When I ride from bladder-empty to bladder-empty,

 

Which brings up the point of measuring your hydration. Obviously, we're aiming for a lighter or almost-clear color in our urine. If you end up with dark yellow, you're not drinking enough and are already behind the game.

 

Start the day well hydrated, and drink water long before you get thirsty. Your body won't tell you to drink water by getting thirsty until you've got a lot of catching up to do.

[Brimoon]

In summer I ride with an Aerostich Darien Light jacket. Like the regular Darien, it has large chest-high pockets which nicely hold a 50 oz. CamelBak bladder. I clip hose and mouthpiece on to the jacket right below the helmet bottom and my mouth making it very easy to take a drink. The main advantages of this setup are that there's nothing extra to put on and take off as with a backpack and when filled with ice, the bladder helps to keep you cool. You could actually carry two of these, one each in the left and right pockets - I haven't tried that!

 

Brian

[SeanC]

There is a risk of over-hydration, however. It's unlikely that it could ever happen to someone on a motorcycle, but it happens to runners and cyclists fairly often and can be very dangerous.