Summer’s may not be pleasant but your cycling sessions shouldn’t suffer because of that. Cycling need not feel like a chore when it’s a bliss-filled task. But then how to make cycling sessions pleasant without getting bothered about the weather that’s hot! The answer is simple, find ways to beat the heat with effective cycling tips to enjoy your ride to the fullest!
Spoke Herd brings to you a few tips to keep you motivated and make the most of your cycling sessions even when it’s too hot to hit the roads.
1. Hydration At Check at All Times
This is pretty obvious but the list would have been incomplete without this one! Hydration is the key for all weathers, and even more so in the summers. Ensure you have your sipper at all times, even if it’s a short cycling ride for less than an hour. The key to beat the heat is always keeping your body hydrated when you sweat profusely and keep losing all the essential minerals in the process of your cycling regime.
Hydration does not necessarily mean consuming water but you can also feel free to treat your body that can help regain all the energy you lose while on the road. Drinks like coconut water, carb-enriched shakes and electrolyte infused drinks help your body fill with stamina throughout the ride and keep you pumped up till you finish your workout.
2. Wear Comfortable and Airy Clothes
When it’s hot and sunny outside, make sure to pick the right clothes when you head out to conduct your cycling session. Wear fabrics like cotton, linen and rayon which allows the air to pass through your body without making you feel suffocated, even when you are drenching in sweat. The clothes you choose to wear should provide enough room to let evaporation take place otherwise you might end up feeling uncomfortable and hot even while you are riding.
Clothing items like bike shorts and comfortable t-shirts work the best for both long and short rides. Avoid clothing items like denims, leggings, stretch pants, high-necks which can make you all the way more uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate the heat. But in the end, you need to feel comfortable with whatever you choose to wear. And when it comes to accessories, don’t forget to wear your shades or sunglasses if you are hitting the roads when the sun is at its peak.
3. Try Going for A Ride When It’s Either Early Morning Or Late Evening
Reason being, when you choose to go for a spin early in the morning, the rays of the sun aren’t harsh and it doesn’t hit you as hard as it does in the afternoon. The same applies for evening time as well, when the weather starts to become less bothersome. In the mornings, you can enjoy the calm streets and comparatively cool weather to conduct your cycling workout. By the time it’s evening, you can enjoy the rides when weather isn’t even an issue anymore.
4. Don’t Forget to Put on A Sunblock/ Sunscreen
Though this applies to every weather, but in summers, it’s something which you should not avoid if you love your skin and hate to see it all tanned and discolored. You should always wear sunscreen irrespective of the fact at what time in summer you are going out for a cycling ride, unless it’s the night time. Most cyclists avoid this and later blame it on their summer cycling routines only to make it an excuse to skip their workouts.
Sunscreen protects you from the harshness of the sun’s rays which eventually keeps your skin glowing and healthy. You may take a few days to get used to it, but trust us, you won’t regret it 10 years from now and at the very moment!
To Sum It Up
So there you go, you have the only 4 tips you need to be mindful of when stepping out to conduct your cycling training workouts. Make sure to always keep yourself hydrated even after you get back home from the ride, always wear breathable clothes, make sunscreen your best friend and last but not the least pick the most perfect time to enjoy summer rides.
Once you start following these tips, hot summer days won’t be a barrier for you to enjoy your cycling rides.
