Baby It’s Hot Outside!

“Make” cold water on your next bicycle ride

According to a recent study in The Journal of the International Society of Sports drinking cold water can help you keep your core temperature lower and significantly increase your performance. The study showed that athletes who drank cold water performed up to 51 percent better in a bicycle exhaustion test. Studies and statistics aside, access to a cold drink of water during a hot ride is the ultimate refresher.

What options are there when you don’t have access to either ice or cold water?

You’ll find the answer in an unexpected place – your sock drawer!

5 Simple Steps to Cold Water

• Find two (non-insulated) water bottles.
• Place a cotton sock on one water bottle. (Cotton works best as wool takes longer to dry and ankle length tend to offer the best coverage and fit.)
• Wet the sock and insert the covered bottle in your water bottle cage.
• Ride.  As the sock dries, the evaporation has a cooling effect on the water inside the bottle. Typically in less than 20 minutes you will have significantly cooler, perhaps even cold, water. (Cooling time will vary depending on the humidity, temperature, and your speed).
• Repeat – As the sock dries use the water in your “sockless” bottle to keep your sock damp.

Voila!

The other good news is that you don’t have to use potable water to wet your sock. If you are in an area where drinking water is scarce you can use water from any source — a stream, lake, even a puddle.