carrying a water bladder in a trunk bag?

[maverick]

i’m surprised that a hydration trunk bag doesn’t exist (or maybe it does), but what about carrying a water bladder in a trunk bag (rather than on your back) and extending the tube?

i’m going to try this tomorrow! if you see someone moving west down the w&od from falls church to reston in the morning with a hydration tube coming out of the trunk bag on his bike (or in the opposite direction in the evening), that’ll be me! 😎

Topic

[KelOnWheels]

On the way home you could just strap a box of wine to your rack

[5555624]

I think the length of hte drinking tube would be hte issue, since from a trunk bag to someone’s mouth would vary quite a bit, depending on rider size, bike (road vs mountiain), etc.

Camelbak makes or used to make a fanny pack style bag.

[PotomacCyclist]

There’s the Speedfil Hydration System, but it’s targeted at triathletes:

http://www.invisciddesign.com/standard.htm

It holds 40 ounces of water (1.3 liters). It sells for about $100.

[maverick]

thanks PotomacCyclist! i like the concept!

i carried my platypus in a trunk bag this morning. the tube came up my back, over my shoulder, and was clipped to my shirt. the only issue i had was the tube sliding back again and again over the course of the ride. maybe a better clipping system (where the tube can’t slide) will fix that issue.

i filled it with 2 liters of water, most of which i drank! it’s hot out there!

[brendan]

A couple of summers ago I carelessly went for a long ride in 98 degree heat. Had a lot of water with me (two water bottles, four medium gatorade g2 bottles) and still had to turn around early due to some symptoms that were freaking me out. Got home…and fainted in the shower. Turns out I was about 10lbs lighter than when I had left and therefore severely dehydrated, that’s over a gallon short…even with all the hydration along the way.

As a heavy sweater, I decided I needed to be more cautious. I also repurposed a 2.5-gallon MSR dromedary bag as my summer water holder on the cargo bike, even for solo rides. Granted, I have to stop and refill water bottles, but it’s wise to have mandatory shade/water stops every 10 miles or so when it’s quite horrible out anyway.

And maybe skip the extra long loop on days like today.

Brendan

[maverick]

@brendan 23024 wrote:

A couple of summers ago I carelessly went for a long ride in 98 degree heat. Had a lot of water with me (two water bottles, four medium gatorade g2 bottles) and still had to turn around early due to some symptoms that were freaking me out. Got home…and fainted in the shower. Turns out I was about 10lbs lighter than when I had left and therefore severely dehydrated, that’s over a gallon short…even with all the hydration along the way.

As a heavy sweater, I decided I needed to be more cautious. I also repurposed a 2.5-gallon MSR dromedary bag as my summer water holder on the cargo bike, even for solo rides. Granted, I have to stop and refill water bottles, but it’s wise to have mandatory shade/water stops every 10 miles or so when it’s quite horrible out anyway.

And maybe skip the extra long loop on days like today.

Brendan

wow! glad you came out of it okay!! just stepped out into reston town center for lunch – it is a hot, hot day!

[JorgeGortex]

I think one thing this brings up is that sometimes you have to ask yourself “is it wise?” When the temps start creeping up to 90+ those are pretty significant temps to be exercising in. All the tips for keeping cool in the heat are excellent (light/loose clothing, plenty of fluids, take it easy), but the thing to keep in mind is everyone reacts to the heat differently. Sometimes the body just doesn’t react well on a given day which could also be the effect of how you ate, slept, stress, etc.

Maybe the crux of my comment is that we as athletes, commuters, and cycling enthusiasts often assume incorrectly that our fitness (and toughness) makes us more impervious to medical issues in the extremes. Sometimes you just have to say, ya know, its too damn hot/or cold. You take one for team, hop the metro or pull the car out of the driveway and play it safe for a day or two. Better to give yourself a break than find out the hard way that it wasn’t a good day to be out in the weather.

Be safe everyone!

JG
(from the man that after years of exposure to the elements considers weather just a part of life to be enjoyed and not something to be avoided… go figure.)

[Brent]

Check out this: http://www.showerspass.com/veleau-1

[maverick]

@Brent 23074 wrote:

Check out this: http://www.showerspass.com/veleau-1

yes, i saw this, but it won’t fit with my bike because i have a rear rack.

[PotomacCyclist]

You can adapt to the heat but it takes about two weeks of consistent exercise to do so. Even then, you should take necessary precautions.

If you are going to be doing a long ride/workout, you should think about including electrolytes, either in your hydration or in your food source. Several companies offer electrolyte drinks including Gatorade Endurance. Many gels and carb chews have higher amounts of electrolytes. Pair up those gels or carb chews with regular water (not sports drink).

I’ve done workouts and short races in similar conditions without problems. For workouts, I will stick close to my starting point and run/ride shorter loops and out-and-backs instead of traveling long distances. This allows me to bail out if the heat starts getting to me. If you are commuting, slow down the speed and dial back the effort as necessary. For a 5K race I ran a couple years ago, the heat index was over 100F at the start. (It was an evening race.) It felt like an oven out there. Before the race started, I dumped several cups of water over my head. That helped quite a bit.

[maverick]

it is hot out there! i filled my platypus with 2 liters of water and ran out along the way!

i was drinking plenty of water in the afternoon (and going to the bathroom a lot, so i don’t know to what extent i was hydrated by the time i left).

i can pick up emergen-c and mix it into the water i have in the afternoon before i head home.

[maverick]

so, my head was hurting and i was feeling pretty tired after i got home this evening.

i went to whole foods to get some emergen-c, and drank a coconut water while i was shopping. this is after having a green smoothie (kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, water), a banana and walnuts after i’d gotten home. i feel so much better now! coconut water is amazing! i need to start ordering it by the case for home and work!

[DaveK]

I actually felt pretty good on the way home today… I’ve lived in Florida so long that although I hate the heat, I tolerate it okay. I did drain a 32oz water bottle in 7 miles though.

[Author]

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