Hydration
Plain and simple: if you’re riding you need to be hydrating. To make the most of your ride, proper hydration is essential. If you’re feeling thirsty you’re probably about 2% below optimal hydration levels, which can contribute to a whopping 11% decrease in your power output.
Additionally, riding while dehydrated can lead to increased pain, contribute to fatigue, and negatively impact recovery.
What to do? Stay hydrated. Many savvy cyclists will start hydrating a couple hours before a ride with plain water. This gives the body time to absorb what it can and eliminate what it needs to. While on the ride, sip regularly. A few ounces every 15 minutes or so will keep you spinning strong.
WHAT TO DRINK
Plain water as mentioned above to maintain hydration. Once on the bike and putting in effort, you may want to consider an electrolyte drink to replace lost salt compounds in the body and maintain the acid/base balance. Many riders with two bottle cages will carry one filled with electro and one with plain water.
We carry a fine array of hydration supplements. One thing to keep in mind: never add a new product you’ve never personally tested to ride day. Your body may not agree with it and your ride is going to be less than pleasurable. Test drive any new products for digestibility before adding them to the ride.
carrying hydration
Good old water bottles have been with us forever and they still serve the purpose perfectly. Plus they are often easy to refill when riding road bikes. When doing long journeys by mountain bike where refill is generally not available, most riders prefer a high volume hydration pack.
