Why you should stay hydrated while riding a motorcycle?
Summer is a great season for riding! Blue skies, high visibility, more daylight hours, and excellent traction on hot tarmac all make it so… except for the heat! Thankfully the human body is designed to sweat it out and keep us cool. Combine that with ventilated riding gear and wind flow on a motorcycle to get an almost perfect situation for riding out. That’s where good hydration techniques can make all the difference between a great ride and a disaster….
1. Start Hydrated:
A great practice is to start drinking more water (preferably with ORS) a day or so before your trip. This allows your body to assimilate some amounts of access water in your muscles and organs, allowing you to stay hydrated for longer during your rides. Avoiding alcohol and other dehydrators before your ride is another thing to keep in mind.
Options for staying hydrated on a motorcycle ride:
1. Hydration Bladder – This is a plastic pouch which stores water and has pipe & nozzle arrangement for sucking water on the go. Hydration bladder can be stored in bags specially designed to store them called as Hydration Bags. Viaterra
2. Water Bottle Holders for Motorcycle – These holders are designed to go on the motorcycle leg guards or crash bars securely and can hold a large bottle.
3. Frame bags or tank bags – You can go the traditional way of drinking water via bottles which can be store in small bags like tank bags or frame bags mounted on the crash guards of the motorcycle.
2. Recognize signs of dehydration:
Feeling thirsty is always a good indication that your body needs water. However, many people have different tolerances for thirst. Here are a few other signs your body gives you to start sipping from your hydration bladder or water bottle:- Dark yellow urine / Dry lips / Dry mouth and throat / Dry eyes.
3. Hydration isn’t just about drinking water:
To shed excess heat, we sweat. Sweat is a mixture of water and essential salts that we lose. Simply drinking water isn’t enough to stay hydrated. A simple best practice is to keep packets of ORS (Electral or any other product) in your tank bag or backpack and then add them to your water bottles or hydration reservoir. ORS consists of salts and sugar which we need to stay hydrated.
4. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing:
As a rule of thumb, it is suggested that one drinks 500ml water every hour to keep hydrated. However, drinking a lot more in a short burst to avoid regular stops can result in frequent bio-breaks, robbing your body of essential salts and extending the duration of your breaks.
Sipping small amounts over a long duration, either while riding by using a hydration bladder or by taking regular short breaks is a better practice.
5. Storing and replenishing water:
Ease of access is of primary importance when it comes to storing and replenishing your water source. Whether you choose a hydration backpack like the Viaterra marine neo hydration backpack, bottles in your tank bag, saddle bag, or something as simple as a water bottle holder attached to a crash guard, ensure you can easily reach out and grab a sip and are able to replenish it easily.
On a long trip, fatigue can set in and if your water source is located in a difficult-to-access space, you are more likely to not take the effort to drink from it.
Conclusion:
-
- Plan for the hydration needs in advance for your ride. Remember its about 500ml of water per hour of riding.
-
- Drink more if needed. Every body type will have different requirement.
-
- Drink more if needed.- Carry packets of ORS to supplement your water.
-
- Use specifically designed products like water bladders or water backpack or bottle holders that lets you drink water with ease.
-
- Store your water in easy-to-access places and replenish frequently.
Should you invest in a hydration bladder?
Its not necessary to use a hydration bladder. However it just makes it easy (handsfree) on a ride to use a hydration bladder. Also drinking small amounts of water regularly hydrates the body the better than drinking from a water bottle. Compared to the small investments, the benefits are high.
I do not wish to use the hydration bladder? What options do I have for carrying water?
The easiest way would be to carry water bottle in a tank bag or a small tail bag. Alternatively you can use water bottle holders on the motorcycle.
Should I buy a Hydration Bag or use the hydration bladder in any bag?
The Hydration bags are designed to hold hydration bladder in a upright position so you get the best water flow. Also it will allow routing of the water pipe usually through the shoulder straps. You will get the hydration bags in different sizes, some of them are multi-function bags and also help you to store other essentials.
