5 Tips For Cycling In The Summer

Cycling in summer is a lot of fun but you have to know how to cycle safely because of the heat. Summers can get very hot, but the heat is not the only thing that you have to worry about. You also have to think about the dehydration, and heat stroke. Because cycling is an energy intensive exercise, you will need to get ready for the summer riding.

Here are five tips for you:

Gear Up Properly

You should be very keen about what you wear for your summer cycling adventure. If you wear clothes made of natural fiber, you will realize that they do soak up the sweat and thus, they become very uncomfortable for you. Wearing cotton undies is a no-no when riding in summer because once it absorbs the sweat, it is going to become wet and could give you some real serious saddle sores if not blisters. Thankfully, there is a wide selection of summer riding clothes. Even the color of the clothes matters a lot. When it is sizzling hot, you do not want a black t-shirt on your torso. Keep them white, grey, blue or some other color that doesn’t retain heat.

Other gear includes gloves, which will keep your grip on the handlebars firm even when you sweat. The right helmet and shoes are important too for your safety. But more than anything else, you need to ensure you have one of the best city bikes if you wish to explore large cities this summer. If you are a man, you might like this best bicycle for men as well.

Hydrate All The Time

You will lose water, a lot. Take water even before you get on that saddle. To avoid dehydration, carry a lot of water and drink it a little at a time. Do not wait until you feel thirsty to drink your water because if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. When planning your cycling route, pay close attention to how distant the towns are so that you can know how much water to carry with you.

Protect Your Skin

A cyclist tries to reduce the weight they put on the saddle by wearing the lightest clothes possible. This is both good and bad. It is good because it allows ventilation and less sweating. It is bad because it means the sun’s rays can get through to your skin and if you have not applied your sunscreen, you could be on your way to getting melanoma. Apply sunscreen on your arms too, neck and the whole body.

Get Your Body Used To The Summer Heat On The Saddle

When you are riding in summer, you need to do a few practice laps around your town just to get your body acclimatized with the weather. That way, it will know what to expect and so when the sun hits you full blast when you are riding, you will find it easier to adjust. On the day of the actual trip, start riding slowly as the body gets used to the heat and then increase your speed later.

Take Breaks And Recover

It is easy to get carried away and ride longer than you had planned. That is why you ought to look out for the signs of your body is caving in because heat stroke is real and it can kill fast. Some of the signs you ought to listen for include nausea. Stop immediately if you think you are feeling nauseous, no matter how distant that feeling is. Dizziness, headaches, muscle cramps and fatigue are other signs that you need to stay alert to. You should also plan for recovery time where you will just rest and replenish your body with fluids to replace what you lost when you were sweating. Keep hydrating and eat foods that have a bigger share of carbohydrates as compared to proteins. Wait until you feel fresh and rejuvenated before you can ride again.