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I am riding the Kielder 100 on Sunday and it looks like it's going to be bloody hot.
What are your top tips for keeping cool on long rides?
I will be using a small Camelbak for water. Will also have a bottle for energy/electro drink early on, but will probably put water in it later for pouring on legs, back.
Will have plenty of 'nanas, gels and some sarnies in my bag at the start/finish.
I have a super thin, mesh, road jersey. super thin socks. Obviously not wearing baggies over the lycra.
anything else?
I killed myself with heat on Dirty River with a camelbak and that was a lot cooler! I think it was the Gabba jersey that did it. I guess it will be essential though...
I think pouring water on yourself is really under utilised. I got some strange looks at the chaingang on Tuesday when I poured the 2l squash bottle I had in my back pocket over myself and then binned the bottle just as we were setting off 😀 Definitely start soaking wet and maybe max out the camelbak / take a bigger one and dribble a proportion of the water over yourself (or pull the end off if you can and use the pipe as a hose if you don't want to look weird).
Other than that, you could start with bottle and camelbak frozen or is there a chance to get a frozen one to an aid station?
Another vote for freezing the Camelbak bladder if possible. Rely on the water bottle for the first hour, then the Camelbak will have thawed enough for you to get fluid from that while also keeping your back cool.
On a road ride in Switzerland / Italy during some really hot weather, I was stopping at mountain streams, soaking my base layer and putting it back on with the jersey over. It'd be bone dry again within 20 mins and then wet with my sweat but another soaking would sort it! Same with gloves and helmet, dunking hands and head in the river at every opportunity. If you find the chance to sit in a river, take it! Just remember to take phone, car keys etc out of pocket before you do that.
I will be using a small Camelbak for water. Will also have a bottle for energy/electro drink early on, but will probably put water in it later for pouring on legs, back.
Use a large CamelBak. Fill it with ice cubes then top it up with with your energy drink. Freeze your water bottles with your energy drink and use them to top up your CamelBak. Don't waste energy carrying water to pour over your legs, just drink cool energy drink and let your sweat cool you.
Cooling towel drenched in cool water, draped over your neck and torso.
Wear a buff under your helmet and keep it damp, works very well
I've got kind of necktie that I've had for years, it's filled with some sort of crystals that swell up when you soak it in cold water. So you tie it loosely round your neck & the water slowly evaporates & keeps you cool. It works quite well.
I'd forgotten I had it so I'm off to dig it out for tomorrow!
My son's got a fatter version that he uses for the dog.
Thanks all.
Anything involving ice isn't likely to be possible as I'm camping.
i'm a big fan of cold water poured on self though. discovered the other week that having wet feet feels great when it's blazing.
of course i can fill that bottle from streams etc, not just at drinking water points.
i have a little under-helmet thing, the summerweight assos one. will try to keep that wet too.
Crosshair - quite a difference between a Gabba and the near-fishnet affair i'll be wearing!
I personally don't think pouring water on yourself is a good idea if you have a limited supply . It doesn't last long and lots of it runs off. Dunking in a stream or something wouldn't be a problem, but if you have 3l of water with you then you're better off drinking it I reckon. And you'll need electrolytes with that. Take some tabs.
Carry as much water as you can and drink more than you think you'll need. I'd imagine there will be a lot of people paying the price of not hydrating properly so I'd just make that you're No1 priority.
Don't drink too much without electrolytes though.
Get one of those little 100ml spray bottles filled with water keep it in a top tube bag and spray yourself with it and refill as necessary
Anything involving ice isn’t likely to be possible as I’m camping.
Can you freeze bottles/Camelback etc before you go then use a coolbag? It'll help.
Lol! Yes true but it was April 🤣
I guess it’s 6 of one, half a dozen of the other with regards to drinking v cooling.
If plain water is readily available- I would say using more for cooling and losing less salt etc through sweating in the first place is easier than having to carry and top up on more electrolytes. If it’s longer between guaranteed stops then having carbs and electrolytes in all your liquid may be the only efficient way to do it.
Finger in the air, for me, I’d say being wet gains me 30-50w. (Given that 3/4 of ALL the power we produce gets wasted as heat- annoyingly that’s what stops us having a 1000w ftp 🤣🤣)