Give me some water

I remember a ride in the California Central Valley in 1999.  I was on my way home from Laguna Seca Raceway in triple digit heat. My routine was as follows; I’d ride for two and a half hours and stop for fuel.  At the stop I’d drink a quart of water or Gatorade.  I did this four times over a 12 hour period.  I didn’t potty once that day.  I arrived home exhausted and dehydrated.

This is a fairly common mistake for those new to the LD scene.  In cooler weather it’s easy to forget to drink until you’re thirsty and by then you’re actually already somewhat dehydrated.  In extremely hot weather, unless you have a way to drink while riding, it’s impossible to drink enough and still cover the miles.  An on-board drinking system is mandatory.

My system is fairly simple.  I have a one-gallon jug, drilled just below the lid to slide in a food-grade tube.  This allows me to re-fill the jug without removing the tube.  The jug is wrapped with self-adhesive insulation inside the insulated cover.  The jug is carried in an Aerostich Pannier that secured to the passenger foot peg.  The seven foot tube is snaked into the cockpit where the magnetic bite valve sits, always available to me. 

Over the years I’ve gotten pretty good about knowing how much to drink to stay hydrated while minimizing potty breaks.  I try to err on the side of drinking too much, not too little.  Right now, I’m toying with the idea of carrying two gallons of water on-board.  Temps can be mighty warm in July.  Here’s hoping I can find enough room on the bike to do so.