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jdd

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Jul 26, 2008
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So there's a food/diet thread which has kind of touched on it, how about one on hydration?

Do you carry fluids (one holder or two), stop at combini, or rely on before/after once home?

Cyclist's water bottle, or just stuff a pet bottle in?

How about before/during/after riding--water or something else? 50/50 pocari/water?
(stories about faucet keys might help)

For a long ride, is it worth spending the previous day(s) hydrating? Or does it all just pass thru beyond a certain point?

I picked up a fire sale camelback pack a couple years ago, sans bladder, but have never bought a bladder to put in & try it. Does anyone use this or a comparable system? What kind of riding crosses over into "one of those is a good idea" territory?

Any special hydration do's or don't's? (from personal preferences to big no-no or yes-yes types of thing)? E.g., don't have any beer until you've _______.
 
I used to overhydrate before racing... would be going to the toilet non-stop the hour before the race. Nothing worse than having a full bladder at the start of a 100km race. :confused:

Based on that, it's probably not a good idea to act like a camel but to drink less more often...before, during and after.

Never had an inkling to get a camel back. (are they a nightmare to keep clean?).
 
during normal rides around here, i keep a normal 20oz bottle in my under saddle carrier/bag thing (no brazeons on a track bike) and drink a sip every few minutes. If im going a little further i use my camelback. Just a bare bones minimal one. Dont be so concentrated on filing up, just a little every few minutes or at a given interval is the best. that way you dont get full and bloated, but stay hydrated

Im sure others have different ways, but this is how i do it, but i dont ever feel thirsty, or needing water after a ride either
 
I used to overhydrate before racing... would be going to the toilet non-stop the hour before the race. Nothing worse than having a full bladder at the start of a 100km race. :confused:

Reminded me of this article from the Guardian I read last week about the new velodrome being built for the UK Olympics in 2012. I read a lot of articles btw

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/feb/01/velodrome-london-2012
"Sir Chris Hoy can uncross his legs. The lavatory he asked for is exactly where he wants it to be, close to the track at the Olympic velodrome, ready for riders who feel the need to answer a last-minute call of nature before tightening their toe straps for the pursuit or the keirin at the 2012 Games. In the Tour de France the competitors can just hop off the bike on some deserted country road, or even pull down their shorts and irrigate the scenery as they freewheel along. Such relief is hardly possible in a crowded velodrome, making Sir Chris's khazi just one of the impressive details to be found in a structure that threatens to give the London Games a good name."
 
Your body can only absorb around 400ml an hour, it pretty much excreats the same amount over the hours. So as long as you are replacing what you loose you can't go wrong.

Many people as Edogawakikkoman have stated tend to overhydrate just before an event or when dehydrated, leaving that bloated feeling, but alas last minute call of nature is normal :D

To be honest we should all practice good hydration habits and just plain old water in the winter months is perfect. But for events you should be looking to max out your body water % for men its about between 50-65% body mass and for women 45- 60% body mass. The higher the number the more water is being stored in muscles and other tissue that will be released as your ride.

I normally carry 2 500ml bidons which will keep me good for 3 hours of non stop riding. (I drink 400ml within the hour before riding)

In the summer its the same, although I replace water with Hypotonic tablets and salts to replace the lost electrolytes and salts when riding.
 
So I guess nobody's used a camelback-type system?
 
Personally I don't want any weight on the back when I'm standing on the pedals up hills.

I usually carry two regular cycling bottles in two cages. I fill them up with water half-way through the ride at any source available if I run out.
 
I use a Camelbak for mountainbiking and very good it is too. Much easier to drink from while bouncing down a rocky trail. It also carries all my stuff securely with no risk of things jumping out of pockets etc. Can carry up to 3 litres which is useful if you're out in the deserts of Moab but completely irrelevant for most areas of Japan.
They are a bit trickier to clean than a bottle and you need to hit them with disinfectant tablets every so often.
On the road I use bottles to
  1. Keep the weight off my back
  2. Keep the air flowing over my back
  3. Refill easily at springs/Conbinis/drinks machines
  4. Look more pro!

OK I am kidding about the last one but traditionally, road riders use bottles, or if they're feeling especially pro, bidons. Sacre bleu! I believe Camelbaks are outlawed by in UCI road races since the shape acts like a fairing for the rider's helmet.
 
Which is why all pro motorcycle road racers have humps on their suits that sometime contain radios, cooling units, or hydration packs.
 
BariBari..... the humps are actually pretty amazing, they also reduce spinal injuries too.
 
Hi jdd,
Seems you are desperate to find a camelback user. I confess! I'm a real fan for hiking and maybe am just used to lugging a pack but for any kind of riding where I'm not sure I can regularly fill up with water I use one eg Chichibu mountain area, if I were to cycle up to Karuizawa or to the Yamanakako lakes. I took one on the Sado 130k last year but there were ample water stations and my two bottles would have been easy to fill. Won't take the bladder for the 210k this year.

In the hotter months I carry Aqaurius crystals. If I fill my bottle with the stuff I crave plain water, if I only carry plain water I crave the sugars and salts. Having the packet is a good solution!
 
i always get annoyed cause i loose water bottles
i get the nice ones with the thermo insulation and crap cause i love cold water, and them they fall out or somethign stupid. maybe its just my cages i used?
 
I switched to carbon cages for that exact reason.... losing bottles when hitting a bump on the down hills.
 
well up until in a few weeks, i havent had a bike that can have a cage for about 3 years lol. fixed gears dont seem to have brazeons for it ill have to get one carbon cage to go along with my 22oz thermos for coffee holder on the new bike lol
 
Not a before/after riding routine, but winter mornings. It's nice to start with a glass or two of warm water before starting on coffee/caffeine--60 or 70 seconds in the range for a nice warm feeling in a cool kitchen.
 
jdd,

I hear you on the coffee scene. Right now I'm getting up at around 5am to do my morning training rides and I drink about a pint of coffee, just to get me out the door!
 
I love my Camelbak

I am a huge Camelbak fan. Had one when on my MTB years ago. Now I'm a newbie to road biking. I got a 2l Rogue from Wiggle when I ordered my bike. Although small, it can hold keys, wallet, pump, tube, tools etc. I love it. Maybe the larger size keeps the water cooler a little longer, there is suction in the drinking hose so water is in your mouth, without air etc. instantly. I would highly recommend one. I suppose they do not look pro, but I am not, and I like to mix it up a bit. As for keeping them clean, if you put stuff in it other than water, it may be trickier, but I just stick with straight H2O, and haven't had any issues. In the summer if I need salt, I will probably eat a bit some something salty, but that is just me. Regarding something on my back, ideally, I would rather have nothing there, but it is light, and I prefer it much more to having bags and bottles cluttering up my bike.

I understand I have little experience, but a lot of people that buy them seem to like them too: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/camelbak-rogue-2-litre-hydration-pack-2010/
 
I use camelbak when snowboarding or MTB riding. Love it too bits and have a thermal setup too so I can drink hot tea in the winter!
 
So there's a food/diet thread which has kind of touched on it, how about one on hydration?

Do you carry fluids (one holder or two), stop at combini, or rely on before/after once home?

I picked up a fire sale camelback pack a couple years ago, sans bladder, but have never bought a bladder to put in & try it. Does anyone use this or a comparable system? What kind of riding crosses over into "one of those is a good idea" territory?

Hi.

I have a CamelbackRogue I use in the summer when I'm in the mountains around Okutama. I like it because it is hands-free, allows me to take sips vs. gulps at more frequent intervals, and I can carry a bit more water for those parts of the mountain roads where conbeni's are less frequent. Then I use the bike mounted bottles for my mix of water and powdered Pocari Sweat. (I mix it a less concentration than recommended.) I do a lot of bike commuting so I'm used to carrying things on my back. That doesn't bother me at all and wouldn't put me off getting a CamelBack. Finally, the Rogue has just enough carry space for tools, tube, pump and valuables, so that when I stop at a convenience store I can just run in the store without bothering to take things off my bike to carry with me for safe keeping.

I'm planning a coast to coast trip this summer with a ride around the Noto peninsula, or perhaps Sado island. I'll definitely be using the Camelback.

Cleaning? I don't use the Camelback for anything but water. Don't want sticky, sugary drinks clogging things up and complicating clean-up. Otherwise, the bladder is pretty easy to clean. I make sure to run hot water through the tube when I'm done using it and before I use it again next time.
 
I keep my Camelback/Platypus tubes in the freezer permanently to prevent mold as I use sports drink sometimes.
 
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