Staying Hydrated

Hydration is very important! Of course that is what you expected to see here. You must drink some kind of appropriate liquid while you ride. You may have heard you should drink every five minutes or every ten minutes or all sorts of different things. To me it seems it must be a very individual thing. I believe I drink every fifteen to twenty minutes in normal weather. Obviously when I ride during the hot Florida summers I drink more frequently.

I think it's important that you primarily drink plain water, and not water with something mixed into it. If you want to drink some type of energy supplement while you are riding you really should carry TWO containers, one for water for hydration and one for your additional drink. Drink water as frequently as necessary to stay hydrated, drink your additional energy drink whenever you feel like you need to, hopefully much less frequently. But the water is more important.

Always carry more water in your vehicle than you will need. Even if you run out of water on the trail, at least you know where to get more. Plus, if you decide you are feeling great and want to extend your ride, again you will have an ample supply of water.

Also. Take the time to notice how much water you use while out on your rides. If you pay careful enough attention you'll be able to get it down to a science. This is especially helpful for those that wear a hydration pack, of which typically can hold up to 100 ounces or more water. It is likely you won't drink that much water even on a long ride and why carry around all that extra weight if you don't need to? In fact, if your ride is constructed of a loop that takes you near the parking area, you can cut the amount of water you carry even more. On a long day out, I will fill my 70 ounce bladder up to about half way, ride perhaps fifteen to twenty miles with my loop ending near the parking area, re-fill my bladder to half way and go out again. It's only a few minutes delay in between loops and saves me carrying around 35 ounces of water the first fifteen to twenty miles, which makes for a nice savings in energy.

A quick note, if you are in training you should carry as much water as you possibly can. Build yourself up to carrying all that extra weight and then in a race you can carry only what you know you will need and you'll feel light! It is a real benefit along with a great psychological benefit. The feeling of lightness and excess energy will produce a more positive and competitive attitude.

Finally, if you have a problem reaching your water bottle while riding, then you should certainly look into a hydration pack. When adjusted they are not completely uncomfortable and they certainly provide for easy access to liquids on the trail.

The real point here is this: drink while you ride! Dehydration is serious. If you have ever found yourself starting to make mistakes in judgement on the trail such as coming into a corner off balance or too sharp, miss-pedaling etcetera, there is a good chance you are starting to dehydrate. You'll find that water can be a source of not only refreshment, but of quick energy and clear-thinking.

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Riding / Manuevering
Dealing with Sand
Riding in Wet Conditions
Getting Over Small Obstacles
Reading the Terrain
Setting a Pace
Balance Part 1 - Two Wheels
Target Heart Rate / Monitors
Target Heart Rate / Monitors
Staying Hydrated
Staying Hydrated
Learning Gears
Using the Front Brake