Water Intake

mattrsa

I read in bike to work magazine that as a rough guide you should drink 1litre of water for every hour you cycle.
How the hell is this done?

My commute take me about 1hour 10 min and I struggle to drink even half a 500ml bottle of water.

Should try some sports drink in the morning as I find them easier to drink when I am not thirsty or should I avoid these and just force myself to have more water

amnezia

mattrsa wrote:

I read in bike to work magazine that as a rough guide you should drink 1litre of water for every hour you cycle.
How the hell is this done?

My commute take me about 1hour 10 min and I struggle to drink even half a 500ml bottle of water.

Should try some sports drink in the morning as I find them easier to drink when I am not thirsty or should I avoid these and just force myself to have more water

I don't think you need much water when commuting, its only when you're going to be out for several hours.

will3

I presume this is to replace water lost through perspiration. I find I need far less in the winter - in fact I don't even take a bottle with me. On a hot day in the summer a litre is easily gone in an hour!

cyberknight

i do not take water until its a lot warmer for my commute of 40 minutes and then only a 500 ml bottle for the return journey .

Like people said its more for when your out for a long time as you can soon replace when you reach your destination.
Of course everyone's different so just judge it for yourself , if you need it then drink it but do not bloat out for the sake of it.

laughingboy

mattrsa wrote:

I read in bike to work magazine that as a rough guide you should drink 1litre of water for every hour you cycle.
How the hell is this done?

My commute take me about 1hour 10 min and I struggle to drink even half a 500ml bottle of water.

Should try some sports drink in the morning as I find them easier to drink when I am not thirsty or should I avoid these and just force myself to have more water

The whole subject of how much water you should drink is a mess. Outside of cycling the '8 glasses a day' is contentious, with some people arguing that this includes the water in your food, and other people just confused by how much a glass is. A Pint glass? A Stein?

As for cycling, this link, including some of the science seems to echo my experience - drink a pint of weak squash with a pinch of salt before you set off, and the world is a better place. The salt somehow helps your body retain the fluid. Weird, but true.

For this reason, I don't drink at all on my commute. Just before and after. I can keep my teeth after downing the squash, too, by brushing them or chewing gum to neutralise the acids. For that kissable feeling.

cjcp

I never leave home without a bottle, whether it's winter or summer. I sweat like a crazy man, so have a 500ml or 750ml bottle. Generally, I'll drink around 300ml each way in the winter, the whole bottle in the summer.

mattrsa

thanks for the info guys

I suppose that when it gets warmer I will prob want to drink more but in the mornings recently with it being just above freezing I dont really want to drink ice cold water

prj45

I don't drink at all for my hour long commute either way, unless it gets really hot.

All this crap about "if you're thirsty it's too late", and having to saturate yourself with water doesn't float with me.

wyadvd

yer stomach ll take around 3 litres so just drink 2 or 3 before you leave or get a kamelbak

MichaelW

There is no need to take water on a 1hr winter commute. I often stash a 250cc bottle of water on rides of 1.5-2hrs. (Innocent smoothie and Capella apple juice bottle are ideal for this).

It can be hard to chug down a lot of cold fluid on a cold day. I prefer a big mug of tea (mines weak, black, no sugar if you are making).

I find that drinking a lot about 1/2hr before a ride works well.

jthef

On my 45 min commute I will use a 750 cc bottle. Some day I drink the lot others about 500cc.
If I don't I get cramp
I have done a sweat test I sweat about 1 liter an hour more in hot weather.

jthef

On my 45 min commute I will use a 750 cc bottle. Some day I drink the lot others about 500cc.
If I don't I get cramp
I have done a sweat test I sweat about 1 liter an hour more in hot weather.

plowmar

I tend to take water on board every 5 miles dependant on the ride being at least 15 miles long and for over an hour, gels tend to be every 10 miles - I just feel more comfortable.