Hot Riding preparation

[Catrin]

hmmm, didn't think about food perhaps being the problem. It was a 90 minute ride. I eat an hour before riding all the time, and now that I think about it, it was just a little heavier than my usual pre-ride meals and, of course it was hot.

I ALWAYS eat before exercise as it helps to keep my blood sugar stable; the diabetes may have been reversed but I've always had problems with low blood sugar without fueling beforehand (it's dropped as low as 29). 2 hours is too long a wait for me. My body is normally fine with 1 hour but perhaps it was a combination of different food than usual and the heat.This makes sense - I probably would have been fine with a banana/PB sammy or something like that.

I remember my first ride as a stoker last month on a day where the temps were similar, and I had eaten an entire 2 hours before. The ride was only 24 miles but I was bonking at the end, thankfully I wasn't alone and we ended at a restaurant. Unsure why I didn't have anything with me, I always do, but things worked out.

[Bike Writer]

Riding on a completly empty stomach is not something I can tolerate either and if it's happened I bonk shortly into the ride, I do try to have a little snack like a handful of raisins and a handful of walnuts shortly before a ride and if I'm going to be out more than an hour I take mabye a little snack baggie of the same or something equally little but powerful. I like those snack packs of the peanut butter with little round toasts. Two or three of those little cracker sandwiches. about a half a pack, is just about right for me mid ride.

I'm a regular water drinker throughout the day anyway so I don't drink more or less before a hot ride but I do ensure that I have enough on the ride and drink a bit more than usual after the ride.

[Catrin]

It is always interesting to read how our bodies respond in different ways Bike Writer. I need to consume a good amount of calories on the bike, though not as much as I once needed to I don't typically eat anything extra on the bike as long as I fueled fairly close to the start of the ride, but if the ride is >90 minutes I need to consume 150-200 calories an hour. It is a balance, and we all have to find what our bodies prefer.

My body loves Cliff bars on the bike - don't ask me why those dense things work for me - Cliff Bars, bananas, Shot Blocs, Heed and Accelerade (for the really long rides), moving away from those things pretty much causes tummy upset. I also make my own energy mix with almonds, raisins, dried cranberries and sometimes add sunflower seeds and/or chocolate chips if it isn't too hot. This tends to be more for the mountain bike than the road.

[WindingRoad]

When it's this hot I carry a bottle just to squirt on my head between the vents in my helmet. Makes a huuuuuuuge difference.

[Kiwi Stoker]

I have a soakable cool-off wrap which you soak in water and swells up. I wrap this around my neck and when I stop I turn it over to the cooler side. This makes sure the blood going to my head is cool and it really works well.

[Penny4]

When it's this hot I carry a bottle just to squirt on my head between the vents in my helmet. Makes a huuuuuuuge difference.

I have to do this too. I squirt a bit on the back of my neck at almost every stop just to keep myself from getting too overheated. I usually freeze half the bottle so the water will be ice cold throughout the ride.

I also set my watch to beep every 8 minutes to remind me to take a drink.

[velo]

I also set my watch to beep every 8 minutes to remind me to take a drink.

This is a great idea! I have a hard time remembering to hydrate.

[Dogmama]

You can get an electrolyte mix that has no sugar. It is Electro-mix and made by the Emergen-C people. I think I got mine from Vitacost.com. That has really been working for me lately.

[Bike Writer]

It is always interesting to read how our bodies respond in different ways Bike Writer. I need to consume a good amount of calories on the bike, though not as much as I once needed to I don't typically eat anything extra on the bike as long as I fueled fairly close to the start of the ride, but if the ride is >90 minutes I need to consume 150-200 calories an hour. It is a balance, and we all have to find what our bodies prefer.

My body loves Cliff bars on the bike - don't ask me why those dense things work for me - Cliff Bars, bananas, Shot Blocs, Heed and Accelerade (for the really long rides), moving away from those things pretty much causes tummy upset. I also make my own energy mix with almonds, raisins, dried cranberries and sometimes add sunflower seeds and/or chocolate chips if it isn't too hot. This tends to be more for the mountain bike than the road.

Cliff Bars - Yum! Discovered them last year, hooked on the Mojo with chocolate and carmel but I haven't found them this year. Had a choc PB one last week on my ride to Ford Lake. Stopped at a RX store across the street from the lake and it was just enough to refuel for the ride back.