Summer has arrived with its intense heat, yet the scorching sun and sweltering temperatures haven't stopped us from cycling. However, we must acknowledge the objective downsides of the heat (sometimes even life-threatening), and it's essential to equip ourselves with some basic summer cycling knowledge to stay healthy.
1. Plan Reasonable Cycling Times, Intensity, and Destinations
Choose your cycling time, route, itinerary, speed, and destination based on weather conditions.
① Ride during early mornings and late evenings. These days, dawn breaks around 4:30 AM, and it doesn’t get completely dark until after 7:30 PM. With high temperatures and strong UV rays at noon, avoid this tough period for your body and make the most of the cooler morning and evening hours. Use the midday to rest or play at a suitable spot (usually your destination), which helps you avoid the heat and reduces the risk of sunburn.
② Plan routes that involve minimal traffic, flat roads, and plenty of shade along the way. This can actually be the most challenging aspect in reality.
③ Keep daily trips within about 100 km, and try not to have continuous steep climbs exceeding 10 km. The lead rider should control the pace—set a speed that even less fit riders can maintain without pushing too hard. On average, aim for about 20 km/h on flat terrain, around 15 km/h in urban areas, and ride at your own optimal energy-efficient pace on long climbs. Be sure to include multiple rest stops. Leaders should inform everyone in advance where these rest points and regrouping spots will be to prevent weaker riders from overexerting themselves trying to catch up.
④ Choose destinations that are cool, with access to water, food, and rest areas—ideally somewhere you can also cool off by the water. Try to lie down and rest at noon, but guard against insect bites by setting up a fully meshed (inner) tent in a shaded area.
2. Drink Water Scientifically
First, consider quantity and frequency. In hot summer weather, intense physical activity leads to heavy sweating and rapid loss of body fluids, so you need to drink more water than in other seasons. On a typical day with around 100 km of cycling, you’ll generally need 2,000–3,000 ml of water, excluding the water content from food. That’s about 3–5 standard bike water bottles (600 ml each).
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink—thirst is already a sign of dehydration. Because fluids are lost quickly in summer, replenish them regularly, aiming for about 150–200 cc (around one cup) every 15–30 minutes.
However, some people guzzle water straight from the bottle after intense exercise, thinking it’s refreshing and quenching, unaware that this is an incorrect method that can lead to "water intoxication." Medical experts explain that drinking large amounts of plain water after strenuous activity without replacing salts can reduce blood sodium levels, lowering the body’s ability to retain water. This causes water to rapidly enter cells, leading to cellular "edema" or swelling, resulting in water intoxication. Symptoms may include dizziness, blurred vision, thirst, and in severe cases, sudden collapse. Additionally, excessive salt loss can reduce neuromuscular excitability, causing cramps, sluggish reactions, and impaired self-protection. Persisting in exercise under such conditions might even result in muscle or ligament strains.
So how do you hydrate scientifically? Drinking from a bottle while cycling is clearly inconvenient, so using a hydration system (water bladder) is recommended if possible. Not only does it allow for easy sipping while riding, it’s also safer. It’s reported that cyclists using a water bladder can drink up to 40% more water than those using bottles, hydrating more evenly and maintaining better fluid balance, thereby optimizing performance. Also, remember to prehydrate—drink more before exercise to keep your body in balance. As for what to drink: we all know that aside from water, sweating also leads to loss of salts. So replenishing fluids alone only solves part of the problem. Where possible, also take in small amounts of salt and potassium. Sports drinks or milk are good options to aid recovery. Personally, I’ve found that water mixed with salt and glucose is an affordable and effective drink, and pairing it with a pack of milk is even better.
Note that cycling against the wind increases air resistance and energy expenditure, and may also make you feel less sweaty. But this is deceptive—actually, you sweat more and faster in headwinds, but the sweat evaporates quickly due to the airflow, so you don’t notice it as much. Therefore, you need to be even more vigilant about hydration.
Drinks to Avoid During or Immediately After Exercise:
① Carbonated Drinks.
While they can quickly reduce body heat, their high gas content can cause bloating, creating the false impression that you’ve hydrated sufficiently when you actually haven’t.
② High-Sugar Concentrated Juices.
These drinks are rich in sugar and quite thick. Drinking large quantities after exercising can accelerate gastrointestinal movement, causing discomfort.
③ Iced Drinks.
Consuming them in large amounts after exercise can disrupt digestive function and may even lead to vomiting.
④ Beer (and Other Alcoholic Beverages).
Alcohol impairs athletic performance—for instance, it reduces strength, speed, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular stamina. Moreover, alcohol in beer stimulates the kidneys to produce more urine, accelerating fluid loss and worsening dehydration. Research shows body weight can drop by 3% within four hours of drinking due to fluid loss.
⑤ Strong Coffee and Tea:
Both contain caffeine, which has diuretic effects. Drinking too much can lead to insufficient rehydration.
3. Sun Protection and Clothing
In summer, strong sunlight can easily cause skin burns with prolonged exposure. While most people are mindful of sun protection on clear days, UV intensity can also be surprisingly high on overcast or hazy days.
We know that as the ozone layer thins, the intensity of ultraviolet rays increases. Therefore, even in winter, you should take care to prevent UV-induced sunburn. Medically speaking, when UV rays strongly affect the skin, they can cause photodermatitis, leading to symptoms such as redness, itching, blisters, and swelling on the skin; in severe cases, they may even lead to skin cancer.
Additionally, intense UV rays can trigger cataracts in the eyes. So, during summer cycling, don’t neglect UV protection just because the weather is hot.
Methods to prevent sunburn include physical and chemical approaches. The physical method involves wearing UV-blocking clothing, hats, gloves, face covers, and glasses to reduce exposed areas. The chemical method is to apply sunscreen. The effectiveness duration of sunscreen varies—some only last about two hours and can be washed away by sweat, requiring reapplication. Generally, the physical method is primary, supplemented by the chemical one. You should wear breathable, sweat-wicking, light-colored, and UV-protective sportswear. UV-blocking cycling glasses protect your eyes, and it’s best to wear ones with UV400 protection when going out.
Use sunscreen based on altitude. At higher elevations, UV rays become stronger—something people have only recently begun to realize. Studies indicate that for every 300-meter increase in altitude, UV intensity rises by 8% to 10%. So, if you’re cycling at high altitudes, it’s advisable to carry sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
4. Maintain a Proper Diet
In addition to consuming an appropriate amount of animal and plant proteins during summer cycling, you should also replenish various vitamins. Therefore, fruits and vegetables are essential. Summer offers an abundance of melons and fruits—you can eat more of them, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, peaches, grapes, and bananas. Tomatoes, in particular, are highly nutritious, affordable, and rich in lycopene, which effectively combats free radical damage and enhances the skin’s resistance to UV rays. However, avoid eating tomatoes on an empty stomach—that’s something to keep in mind.
Also, summer food spoils easily, so pay attention to food hygiene and avoid consuming spoiled or contaminated food.
5. Prevent Heatstroke
Heatstroke refers to an acute illness primarily manifested as central nervous system and circulatory system disorders, caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures and heat radiation, leading to body temperature regulation dysfunction and water-electrolyte metabolic disturbances. Without prompt treatment, it can be life-threatening.
Generally, following the above points 1-4 along with ensuring good sleep will prevent heatstroke. But don’t let your guard down—pay attention to changes in your body. If you experience cramps, nausea, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, unstable pedaling, weak or limp limbs, difficulty concentrating, or uncoordinated movements, stop cycling immediately. Lie flat in the shade, loosen your clothing, helmet, and gloves, and sprinkle water on your head, face, neck, and chest to cool your body. You can also apply cooling oil or medicated oil to your forehead and neck, drink diluted salt water, and take traditional Chinese medicines like Rendan, Shidishui, or Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. After symptoms subside or disappear, don’t hit the road immediately—rest a while longer. If you experience low blood pressure or collapse, besides lying flat in the shade and taking cooling measures, promptly call 120 and go to the hospital for intravenous saline. For severe heatstroke cases, besides immediately moving the person from the high-temperature environment to a cool, ventilated area, they should be quickly taken to a hospital while comprehensive rescue measures are taken. Especially for riders with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, hypertension, liver-kidney diseases, or those who are elderly and frail, it’s even more crucial to carry emergency medication before traveling, monitor your body condition at all times, and correctly handle any discomfort.
6. Prevent Tire Blowouts and Reduced V-Brake Efficiency
In summer, high ground temperatures, combined with tire aging, high-speed rolling, overinflation, excessive load, and poor road conditions, can easily lead to tire blowouts—especially on downhill sections, which directly threaten the rider’s health and safety. Prevention methods include timely replacement of aging inner and outer tires, maintaining proper tire pressure, and reducing speed. In extremely hot weather, prolonged continuous downhill riding may also reduce V-brake efficiency, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. The solution is to use intermittent braking when descending long slopes to ensure brake temperatures don’t get too high.
7. Maintain a Calm Mindset
Everyone has different physical strength and optimal speeds, so riders with better stamina shouldn’t look down on slower ones. Remember, the joy comes from cycling together—if not, you wouldn’t join a group ride. Riders with lower stamina and slower speeds shouldn’t push themselves too hard, and those with less endurance shouldn’t worry about being left behind—the team will never abandon anyone, as there will always be support riders bringing up the rear.
Traveler's Words Outdoor Network Cycling Knowledge (http://bbs.xzwyu.com) Source: Bicycle Network