Hot Riding preparation

[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.

[Owlie]

My scalp sweats like crazy, so if I pour water over my head, I end up regretting it three seconds later. I wet down the front of my jersey, either with the water bottle (I use the dregs at the bottom that are too warm to drink) or in the sink at bathrooms.

I'm still trying to work out food so that I get enough electrolytes. I can't do real food (beyond almonds or something) when it gets hot, and I only barely tolerate Clif bars (depending on flavor). I take dilute Gatorade with me (I'm too poor to experiment with the other stuff) in one water bottle, water in the other, and sometimes a Camelbak with water and ice. The only problem with the Camelbak is that my back starts to regret it once the water warms up, both temperature and discomfort-wise.

There's a place where I used to ride with a shaved ice stand. That was the best thing ever after a hot ride. Not exactly healthy, but I didn't care!

[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.