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What’s In Your Water Bottle?

08.13.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 15 Comments

Electrolyte_drinksOne of our newer club members revived a time-honored thread that occurs each year during the hot summer months. She bonked badly about a month ago, and was wondering: What are you putting in your water bottle on hot summer rides?

She uses Nuun. Apparently, she’s happy with it, but was wondering what other alternatives there might be.

Some chatter within the club turned up a few ideas. One member said she just makes sure her water bottles are frozen the night before a ride, and carries as much as she can — which works out to two 24-oz. bottles.

Others go half and half — one bottle with water only, and the other a mixture of water and some kind of electrolyte replenisher, such as Nuun, or diluted Gatorade.

Myself, I freeze water bottles the night before a ride too, and use the half and half method. I also favor Nuun. But I’m only concerned about an electrolyte replenisher if I know the ride will run much longer than an hour. My usual 90-minute or less rides during the week are just fine with water only.

Our club president uses one bottle of plain water, and adds a scoop of Gatorade and a scoop of Endurolyte to the second. When that runs out, he’ll find a store that sells Mexican Coke — the kind sweetened with sugar, and not high fructose corn syrup.

Others carry some Endurolytes or E-tabs, or such in a plastic bag.

What I’m not seeing is heavy use of Cytomax or Hammer products.

What do you normally take on a ride to prevent the bonk?

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Categories // Heat Tags // bonk, electrolytes, sports drink, water

It’s Too Hot to Bike

08.01.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

My teaching schedule during this second summer session has been to my liking. I teach two courses, at 8 and 10 a.m. Most of the time, I’m back in my car and on the road for home around noon. That leaves plenty of time to grab a quick lunch and get in some biking.

But lately, that plan has had to be scrapped.

sweaty-cyclist-cartoonWhen I got home today, the temperature was in the upper 90s (36C), and the heat index was already over 100. I had my lunch as usual, but instead of riding, I settled in for some reading, and later got a haircut. Yeah, I’m an exciting guy.

But the thermometer in the car read 101 on the way to the barber shop. Yech. Since moving to Central Texas in 2000, I’ve adjusted to the extreme conditions we have to put up with during the summer. Teeing off at 2 p.m. for a golf tournament in 102 degree heat was nonsense, but I did it. And since taking up biking, I’ve ridden many times in 100 degree weather.

It’s just that now, the prospect doesn’t much interest me any more. When I do ride in super-hot conditions, I spend a lot less time than I like on the bike. My rides are seldom more than an hour. That’s when I normally start to feel normal on the bike. The shorter rides are just unsatisfying.

I suppose I could use what I know will be a shorter ride to work on intervals — but that would just make me hotter, faster. I think I’ll be treating the remaining summer days the way my Northern friends treat their winters: As a time to do something other than ride. Hm, maybe I could set up a trainer indoors and ride that whenever the heat index passes 100. After all, I have no use for an indoor trainer in January — I’m too busy riding outside.

Meanwhile, the forecast for the next 10 days shows no chance of rain, and a high of at least 100 degrees every day.

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Categories // Heat Tags // heat

Are You Wearing Arm Coolers Yet?

07.17.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

It’s mid-summer in Central Texas (and everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere) and that means blistering sun and hot, hot temperatures. Most of us grit our teeth, make sure we have ice in our water bottles, and slather on the sunscreen before heading out on a ride. But this year, some riders are showing up with another arrow in their anti-heat quiver: arm coolers.

We who live in climes where the temperature gets below 65 degrees (18C) probably have a pair or two of arm warmers — those slip-on black sleeves that we can pull off once the temperature rises enough. Arm coolers serve just the opposite function: They keep the arms cool under the burning sun.

At least four members of my cycling club have taken to showing up on ride days sporting these things. And they swear by them.

Do they keep your arms cool? I asked my friend, Laura.

“Oh, yeah, they really work,” she said. She’s been wearing them every week for at least a month.

Janice echoed that opinion. “They do,” she said.

Janice (left) and Laura show off their arm coolers before a recent ride.

But there are some actions users must take to get the best out of them. For example, in our ride Sunday, we faced the usual hot sun and high temperatures, and Laura said she’d forgotten one important thing.

“I forgot to wet them down,” she said. She, and the others who use them, pour water over the sleeves before heading out into the elements. But Laura didn’t do that Sunday, and she said the sleeves didn’t cool her arms.

Janice said that’s okay. “I use mine as suncreens,” she said. “My skin is so light that I need all the help I can get.”

Laura said preventing sunburn was the only real effect the arm coolers had on her arms that day.

On really hot, bright days, Laura and other users have been known to slide ice cubes under the sleeves to beef up their cooling power.

A quick check of some online sites shows arm coolers to cost more than arm warmers — about $30-$45, depending upon the brand and the site. But for those who’ve become hooked on them, that doesn’t really matter.

“I’m going to get some leg coolers to go along with these,” Janice said.

Get Some

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Categories // Accessories, Heat Tags // clothing

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