Hydration question
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,987
Likes: 4,114
From: in the hills.
My wife and I just rode our Softails from Pasco County, Florida to Cumberland County, Tennessee. What we did was take one of my wife's lunch boxes and fill it with several frozen water bottles and every 120 to 140 miles we would stop for fuel and drink a water bottle. I started the ride with a water bottle and a Diet Mountain Dew (don't drink coffee) and the wife a water bottle and a cup of coffee. The Florida and Georgia sun, plus the work of riding wearing ATGATT takes its toll. My wife has a water bottle holder on her handle bar, but I do not have anything on my bike. She would drink at stop lights and I at fuel stops. Being hydrated is critical considering even doing this I only went to the restroom like twice; once at lunch and then at dinner, which is little considering I drank like four water bottles and a couple of sodas.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,279
Likes: 467
From: anywhere
in case you didn't know warm water hydrates you better than cold water. When you think you need a drink pull over, take your bottle of water out of your tour pack, saddle bag ext and have a drink.
Road Master
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 1,045
Likes: 188
From: West Chester, Ohio
I just bought a cup holder from Amazon that mounts to the bars. It holds my Yeti cup perfectly and the Yeti holds ice pretty much all day. I left my house at 7am with a cup full of Ice water, at each stop I topped off my cup with more water. We got to the hotel at 5pm which was right after the last of my ice had melted.
I have put off adding this cup holder for years because I couldn't stand the site of something mounted to my bars but now I wish I had done it sooner.
I have put off adding this cup holder for years because I couldn't stand the site of something mounted to my bars but now I wish I had done it sooner.
bah. waiting until you stop and get fuel or just take a break is bad advice. you should be taking small sips regularly. if you wait until you're thirsty, it's too late. i can tell you from personal experience, dehydration is a bitch.
what i do is to keep a double walled insulated cup in my cup holder on the handlebars. i top it off with ice, and refill it at every gas/rest stop. stays cool for plenty long enough and is great for trips.
what i do is to keep a double walled insulated cup in my cup holder on the handlebars. i top it off with ice, and refill it at every gas/rest stop. stays cool for plenty long enough and is great for trips.
Tjenson123, maybe you can get a hose long enough from Camelback or rig something together with a couple of hose lines so you can keep the bladder in your Tour Pack that way.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,763
Likes: 371
From: North of Hell, South of Heaven
Years back I suffered my first case of sever dehydration while riding to Nashville. I felt awful and couldn't get enough fluids in me! Since then I stay hydrated. Always ride with water in the bag or in a cup holder.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 437
From: Mandurah, West Oz
Yeah, you're basically right... but isn't it taking it a little far to have a pipe from the water to you as you ride?
I mean - we sit in front of a TV and just go and drink a coffee when we want to, we don't have it piped into our mouth all the time.
Hydration is important but not desperately so - humans can go for at least 24 hours without water before complications and 3 days before renal failure and death.
So drinking every two hours is enough; sure, stop and have more if you feel the need, or have a sip from a "sports sipper bottle" as you ride on.
I mean - we sit in front of a TV and just go and drink a coffee when we want to, we don't have it piped into our mouth all the time.
Hydration is important but not desperately so - humans can go for at least 24 hours without water before complications and 3 days before renal failure and death.
So drinking every two hours is enough; sure, stop and have more if you feel the need, or have a sip from a "sports sipper bottle" as you ride on.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 21,732
Likes: 17,569
From: Driftless Area
For those of you that really suck, you could use aquarium air pump tubing as a straw if you're really determined to have water on demand. Make it as long as you want, all the way back to the cooler even.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 788
From: Great State of Texas
When I ride any distance at all I carry a small soft sided cooler with six bottles of water with a layer of ice on the bottom. I normally stop every hour and a half or 100 miles just to stretch. Sure I can go farther but it's easier on my knees to walk a bit and stretch my back as well.
I drink a bottle of water, take a leak and go another 100 miles. Never in a hurry. I take Hydrochlorothiazide with my BP meds which require frequent pee stops, especially the first few hours in the morning after being taken.
I drink a bottle of water, take a leak and go another 100 miles. Never in a hurry. I take Hydrochlorothiazide with my BP meds which require frequent pee stops, especially the first few hours in the morning after being taken.
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,006
Likes: 131
From: Central Texas area
Try a Butler System..I have one and it's great! I went to their shop and they mounted for free..
And, no way I'm riding in 100 plus degrees for 200 miles without drinking!
https://www.glassact.com/wp-content/...ets/index.html
BS..ain't no way you're gonna ride in over 100 degree temps in Texas without hydrating constantly!
And, no way I'm riding in 100 plus degrees for 200 miles without drinking!
https://www.glassact.com/wp-content/...ets/index.html
Yeah, you're basically right... but isn't it taking it a little far to have a pipe from the water to you as you ride?
I mean - we sit in front of a TV and just go and drink a coffee when we want to, we don't have it piped into our mouth all the time.
Hydration is important but not desperately so - humans can go for at least 24 hours without water before complications and 3 days before renal failure and death.
So drinking every two hours is enough; sure, stop and have more if you feel the need, or have a sip from a "sports sipper bottle" as you ride on.
I mean - we sit in front of a TV and just go and drink a coffee when we want to, we don't have it piped into our mouth all the time.
Hydration is important but not desperately so - humans can go for at least 24 hours without water before complications and 3 days before renal failure and death.
So drinking every two hours is enough; sure, stop and have more if you feel the need, or have a sip from a "sports sipper bottle" as you ride on.
Last edited by ChickinOnaChain; Jul 23, 2018 at 07:05 AM. Reason: Multiple posts
