Mountain Bike Tips And Trails: Summer Cycling Tips

In the summer, heat can place considerable demands on your body's natural cooling mechanisms. To help avoid heat-related illness and survive the heat, here are a few tips for keeping your cool this summer while cycling on the trails.

Heat stress occurs when high humidity, radiant heat from the sun and elevated air temperature combine to impede your body's ability to dissipate heat.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include excessive thirst, profuse sweating, muscle cramps, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue and fainting. The skin usually feels cold and clammy to the touch.

Here are a few cool tips. Enjoy your summer bike ride. Also check out bike basics for more tips.

• Drink before, during and after your ride. Begin drinking even before you get on the bike or start your ride.
• Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Try to drink at least 8 to 12 ounces by sipping fluids every 20 minutes. It is better to sip the fluids in order to avoid stomache discomfort.
• Carry more fluid than you think you'll need. If you cannot carry enough fluids in your water bottles, wear a back or hip-mounted insulated hydration system. They come in different sizes and usually hold 70 or 100 ounces of fluid. Smaller hydration packs are available for children. Some have added compartments for storing snacks, light jackets or other trail neccessities. Such systems also keep fluids colder, so you are likely to want to drink more.
  
  Cool tip: Yech! In the hot summer sun the water in your hydration pack or water bottle heats up rather quickly. Try filling just 1/4 (dont over do it!) of the water bladder of your hydration pack and keep it in the freezer the night before your ride. when you are ready to set out on your ride, fill up the remaining 3/4 with water. You can do this with a water bottle too.
  
  
• Replace lost electrolytes. In addition to our hydration packs, we usually clip a bottle of Gatorade to the bottle holder on our bike frames. Sipping carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages during the ride helps to replace lost electrolytes and boosts energy levels. Low sodium levels can lead to a condition called Hyponatremia. Symptoms are similar to those of dehydration (headaches, nausea, confusion, cramps and fatigue). Some people don't have any symptoms. If severe, it can lead to coma or even death. There is also evidence that carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages replace lost fluid in the blood at a slightly faster rate than pure water. After your ride it is also important to restore your sodium levels. You lose a lot when you sweat.
  
  Cool tip: Electrolyte tablets are now available that are designed just for hydration packs. You just drop a tablet into the water (no stirring or mixing). There is no sugar, so no messy sticky, reservoir cleanups.
  
  
• Keep the sun off your head. Not only is a bicycle helmet fundamental to safety, but when that bright summer sun shines brightly down from above, it also protects your scalp from sunburn and provides shade.
• Replace your old clunky helmet As most of our body heat is lost through our heads, a heavy padded foam helmet with little ventilation can trap heat. The re-designed ventilation system and lightness of today's helmet materials make them cool in the heat of summer. (It is advised that you replace your helmet every three years).
• Don't melt your helmet. Do not keep your helmet in the trunk of your car on hot summer days. The heat may weaken the helmet and possibly loosen the glues or other materials used in helmet construction.
• The right clothing. For a comfortable summer ride, wear the appropriate cycling apparel. New materials made of a wicking material will transport pespiration and enhance cooling by evaporation. Mesh panels can increase comfort by allowing more air to reach the skin. In hot weather, wear light colored clothing designed for summer riding. For example, a white or light colored Jersey will deflect a large portion of the sun's rays.
• Summer Cycling Gloves: Look for a cycling glove with a vented mesh back and exposed finger tips to allow air circulation and help keep your grip on the handle bars while biking this summer.
  
• Protect your skin . Remember to use plenty of sunblock on your face, arms and legs. Do not use oil-based sunscreens. The oil on your skin impedes sweating and acts as a magnifying glass to the sun's rays.
• Take regular breaks. Stop cycling if you feel weak, dizzy or fatigued. Make sure you pull over to the side of the trail safely, away from possible oncoming riders or other traffic.
• Made in the shade. On a hot summer day, a shaded bike path going through the forest may provide a welcome, cool relief. Consider starting your ride early in the morning and finishing up your ride early before the hottest part of the day. Usually between noon and 4 pm.
  
  
• Note: Nothing takes the place of good sound judgement. Know your physical limits. Plan your distances accordingly. Prepare properly for the heat and nothing should stand between you and an excellent ride.