It's summertime.
And of course many of the southern hemisphere riders will be heading out for sweaty rides.
Those on the wrong side of the world are freezing their gonads!
Here are some tips for staying cool.
Hydration.
The first key staying hydrated is a good hydration pack.
As a rough rule of thumb, you want to drink at least one litre per hour.
This can vary depending on the temperature and your body weight.
A two litre backpack will be fine if you can loop back to your base and fill it up every two hours.
Otherwise use a three litre backpack and if needed have space for carrying extra fluids.
Hydration is extremely important.
When dehydrated, your body can't get rid of heat as fast.
Your heart works harder, fatigue kicks in and your technique goes downhill.
It can set up a vicious circle leading to heat stroke, a potential killer.
I was taken to hospital with heat stroke after an extreme enduro event.
Believe me, it's not fun.
Start drinking plenty of water regularly the day before you start riding.
Avoid alcohol the night before riding.
Avoid coffee the morning of the ride if it's going to be a really hot ride.
Take small regular amounts of water when riding.
This is better than drinking a few litres every thirty minutes or so.
Try to urinate regularly so you can check the colour.
It should be clear or only a faint yellow colour.
If you wait till you feel thirsty, you are leaving it too late.
Take regular sips before you feel thirsty.
Fluid intake is best when below 15C or 60F (for you emperial types!).
Chilled water or ice cubes in your hydration pack are a great idea.
There's an urban myth going around about cold water not being absorbed as well.
Frankly that's bulldust!
Electrolyte powders.
There's nothing wrong with water,
but a good electrolyte powder helps a lot by maintaining electrolytes in your body.
Chemicals like sodium and potassium keep you hydrated, prevent cramps,
and functioning at top performance.
Pause to read more.
Rehydrating with with juices, soft drinks,
and excessively sweet sports drinks don't rehydrate you very well.
Once the sugar content gets over 10% it actually slows your intestinal system down.
When you've finished your hot sweaty ride, keep drinking regularly for a few hours afterwards.
If you've sweated a lot stay on the electrolyte powder too.
Remember to rinse out your hydration pack thoroughly,
electrolyte powders leave a residue goes off fast.
Bulk Nutrients put out there Electrolyte Plus blend.
It's a good one for dirt riding.
It's got all the particular electrolytes you need plus the right glucose level
to maintain energy... not too high to slow down absorption.
A lot of those heavily advertised so-called sports drinks were quite dodgy in the old days.
Now the Aussie government specifies they have to fall them in certain guidelines.
They'll do the trick but they work out to be very
expensive because you're paying for their advertising campaigns.
Where possible take a quick 'loo stop' (a toilet stop) and check the colour of your piss.
Take a closer look at hydration packs.
You can get one with an insulated hose.
See-through plastic allows the Sun in and mold grows much faster .
Also the insulation stops the water heating up in the tube if riding in the Sun.
Some riders get around this by blowing air back into the pipe after taking a sip.
The better hydration packs often have an insulated pouch for the
bladder to so if you have chilled water it stays cooler or longer.
The better hydration packs are shaped to sit on your hips and
let air circulate around your back area to keep you cooler
I'm currently using the Australian Zac speed setup
which has curved molded front and rear armor plates and is great.
It lets air circulate at the front and the rear
a lot of people complain about access with the camel backs in
terms of opening and closing them and also cleaning them out
quite a few brands now have this slider which makes cleaning out the bladder way easier
so how to stay cool when you're actually riding
most of this is a no-brainer start as early as possible in the morning and finish early
choose more flowing faster terrain to ride in
don't stop too frequently
when you do make sure it's in the shade or on top of hills if there's a breeze
where possible loop back to the start to top up your hydration packs
put more ice in and take a break
it can be a good idea to douse yourself in water before heading off again
the evaporation should keep you cool for the first 15 minutes or so into the ride
you can also soak your jersey and pants at creek crossings on very hot days
and it's very handy to carry some water purification tablets
because you can fill up at those Creek spots
slap on the sunscreen... the back of your neck amd all exposed skin
it can be tempting to ride in just a t-shirt but sunburn will contribute to getting dehydrated
you are better off wearing a light-colored long sleeved jersey.