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Hydrate and Ride Great
Summer in South Florida is never the time to take chances with hydration - especially when cycling. Keeping your body healthy and hydrated on a daily basis will go a longer way toward setting you up for a successful ride than anything else.
Sipping 12-16 ounces of water about four hours before climbing onto your bike for a moderate-paced ride is a good plan. Then, around two hours before you start, slowly drink another 12 ounces. There's no need to over-hydrate as your body can only absorb so much fluid.
Having water available during your ride is necessary, however, so be sure to drink in style with one of our eco-friendly OYM logo bottles:
While riding, try to consume enough fluids to match your body's needs. Be sure to consider the intensity of your ride and the outside temperature. A good plan for a cyclist weighing around 150 pounds is one 16-ounce bottle per hour in cool weather and as many as four bottles per hour in extremely hot weather. On sweltering days, water from an insulated bottle tastes especially nice:
As a rule of thumb, you should be urinating regularly. Monitor the color of your urine. If it is light colored, you're doing good. The more yellow it gets, you should take in more electrolytes. Attend to your body's carbohydrate and electrolyte needs through the use of a product such as Cytomax which includes sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium for optimal hydration. We highly recommend it and have lots of options and flavors in stock:
When it comes to proper hydration, stay safe and ride smart. Stop by or call us with any questions. We're always here to help.
Love, Peace and Bicycle Grease,
Matt & Julie