There isn’t a lot to say on this topic, but it bears close attention.
CamelBak ™ used to have a slogan. “Hydrate or Die!” That pretty much sums it up. Exercise causes loss of fluids. Exercise in warmer conditions accelerates this. We need to consume at least a liter (approx one quart) of water every hour. In warm weather this can easily double.
Failure to stay properly hydrated can lead to a host of injuries, and possible heat prostration. It’s serious. Pat attention.
Get in the habit of drinking while riding. Drink before you are thirsty. If you wait for “dry mouth” to set in, you are already dehydrated. It’s best to arrive at the trailhead already well hydrated. Then drink continuously as you ride.
If you aren’t needing to make a “bladder relief stop” every couple of hours, you probably are not sufficiently hydrated.
A delicate subject: Okay, we’re all adults, right? Here’s the thing. Bears do relieve themselves in the woods. So does just about everything that lives there. Why bring that up? Because violent nausea and other evils are best avoided. This just may be the best possible argument for backpack hydration systems.
You see, water bottles, mounted down on your frame, are subject to getting crud splashed or thrown onto them. It may look like good clean dirt, as it resides around the spout of your bottle, but… We’ll it could contain any number of nasty organisms. If you are using bottle, use one of the types that has a protected spout. But remember, the line and mouthpiece from a backpack system is not down in the spray from your wheels.
Today’s Term(s):
Drop-off n. A sudden sharp drop in the trail, usually one to two feet in height.
Step-up n. A drop-off in the opposite direction.
Stutter-bumps n. A series of fairly tall bumps or jolts in the trail. These are closely spaced, and derive their name from what happens to speech while negotiating them.
Washboard n. Smaller than stutter-bumps, and closer together. Rough trail surface.
This series, running every Tuesday, is intended to help those who are new to mountain bike riding. By no means is it an exhaustive treatment, but it is our fond hope that it will help you, the beginner, to begin to enjoy riding your bike off road.
Future Topics:
More on carrying “stuff”
Trail Care & Maintenance
Bike Types
Your next mountain bike or Mountain Biking 201
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