Preparing for 'unsupported' century in 90+ heat. How would you?
 

One of the "maybes" for this summer is a plan to ride an 'unsupported' century in the hot, TX summer. I'll be running in 90+ heat (perhaps even 100, if Mother Nature decides not to smile on me). The miles aren't really my concern, just the prep. Since I'll be limited to only what I can fit on the bike or find at this or that store (assuming the route I pick has them at the right places), I figured I'd see how you all would prep for something like this. I'm looking for everything from what packs/bags you might carry (no touring gear and no backpack) to how much water you'd bring to whatever you think is relevant. Consider the question more or less wide open to suggestions. Horror stories are welcome, etc.

PS I say "unsupported," but I'll technically be able to phone my wife for a pickup, even if it means I sit on the side of the road for an hour or two while I wait.

start before dawn, get in the shade when its at the hottest temperature , then start again when it cools off again..

the middle portion is called the Siesta, by those living in hot dry climates..

Make sure you have a convenience store, or at least a water spigot, every 1.5-2 hours. Bring 2 water bottles and drink at least one per hour. Agree with early start.

Leave as it's getting dark, finish by the time the sun is coming up :D

In that heat it's at least a quarter gallon water loss every hour so assume 6hours at least you're looking at 1.5gallons of water so you don't suffer from hea stress. Assume for using 2400calories or so preload beforehand and have a couple of calorie dense food sources containing carbohydarates and protein. Energy bars if you're light on space, but not caffeinated ones. simple carbohydrates, sugars, e.g. gummy bears, protein dense foods (really protein bars as they're easy to carry) and complex carbohydrates (e.g. bananas which also have potassium) and an electrolyte supplement of some sort.

I've done many solo centuries like this. The only thing that's different than any other other ride is hydration and you need to pay attention to electrolytes.

If you are even in lightly populated areas, you can get water at many businesses just for asking and most people will oblige if you politely ask if you can fill water bottles from their garden hose (most will fill from the tap). Churches are a good source of accessible water.

If you are truly far from any source of potable water, carry a small water filter and figure out where you'll have access to streams, ponds, etc.

Take an easy pace and you'll have a good time.

Proper hydration is the only real issue. You need to get an idea of how far it is going to be between stops. If you're out of water, and it's 20 miles to the next fill up, you could be in real trouble, or at least make the rest of the ride miserable.

Salt is the other component of it - you need to get salt into your system, whether that's through adding it to your water, buying gatorade a few times at stops, or munching salty snacks the whole time. You're going to be replacing a couple of gallons of water. If you don't do it with something besides plain water, you will likely screw up your body chemistry enough to notice. I had my first taste of hyponatremia in the middle of last summer on the tail end of an 85 mile ride....it wasn't pleasant. The WHO makes cute little packets of salt/potassium and a few other essential minerals that you could deplete...but realistically for 1 day, I think salt is the only thing worth worrying about.

He should be done before siesta time.

Take the approach I take when driving across country, especially in the remoter parts of the SW desert: you'll never be upset at having full supplies. I never miss the option to top off my gas tank and make sure I have a big pile of water in my truck out here, nevermind while riding. So yes, keep both bottles topped up, If you can, it wouldn't hurt to have a double-cage on the back of your seat and use one for your flat kit and the other for a third bottle of water. Carrying a couple extra pounds of water across the distance will be worth it.

And of course, sunblock. Lots of powerful sunblock.

Acclimate as much as possible beforehand.

I usually do 4-12 unsupported centuries each summer, the first few are easier at the beginning when it's cooler in the morning but very hard once the sun is up and the temperature rises. A couple weeks into it and my body acclimates to the heat and I feel much better, still hard but not as much as before. So spend time riding or otherwise exercising in hottest part of the day leading up to your ride to get acclimated.

Losing weight really helps, having less body fat makes it easier to cool down and put out power in the heat. Once you do get hot practice cooling from the inside, drinking very cold water/ice is almost mandatory. Also note that a dumping water on yourself if a great way to refresh in the middle of the ride and can jump start evaporative cooling if you're not sweating enough. Don't take anyone else's advice on sweat rate or fluid intake, it's easy to test yourself and get an idea of how much you should be drinking.

Wear a hat under your helmet, it will feel a little hotter but actually helps block the sun shining directly through the vents and heating your hair or head. Being able to make something like an ice sock really helps too if you do end up getting overheated.

And don't forget:
I have a few horror stories of long rides gone awry, my worst is probably getting stuck in the middle of the Cohutta Wilderness during a gravel ride, on the hottest day of the year. Bloated from bad water I had to walk most of the climbs and had such bad cramps in my legs and feet it took me several hours to cover the 30 miles back to my car. No cellphone signal and the instructions for emergency pick up specified nothing until 11pm which would have meant sitting on the road side for even longer than it took me to walk/slowly pedal. I was afraid to eat or drinking anything so I ended up bonking several times extremely dehydrated with heat exhaustion and giardiasis that took months to resolve. I now bring all my own water or only buy sealed containers.

I like this saddle bag for long rides when I know I'll need more than the 2 bottles on my frame. This adds a 3rd bottle, plus I have even put another small bottled water inside the pouch. Using (3) 24 oz bottles and a 12 or 16 oz bottled water, I have done centuries without stopping for a refill consuming approx. 15-16 oz per hour.


https://www.bicyclebooth.com/collect...oof-tail-pouch

Leave early, carry 3 bottles (one should be sports drink), plan for places to refill. That's about it.

Salt itself is just sodium, you also need other electrolyte salts including magnesium and potassium. Your body also needs calcium. The thing is large amounts of magnesium are hard to get through food alone in a short amount of time, which is why an electrolyte supplement is good. You can even get the tablets you add to your water. But where you need a couple gallons of water even 2 quarter gallon bottles isn't really enough. You will need another two or three in your jersey pocket. This is why pro riders have a domestique. Bananas will cover your potasium and carbohydrates, protein bars will cover you from getting over tired, and simple sugars such as gummy bears will give you bursts of energy.

You need all of these things... I've had salmonella poisoning (bacteria caused not the garden variety) which caused an electrolyte imbalance and loss of basic nutrients, I had to be fed by drip... It's not whether an electrolyte imbalance will kill you its when it will kill you and riding in 90 to 100 degrees is the perfect chance for you to develop an electrolyte imbalance. If you don't eat in this situation you will cramp and then you wont be able to ride, and then you wont be able to move, and then you will die.

You can go from being perfectly well to dead in a matter of hours in these kinds of situations.

I would identify stops along the way were you can refill bottles, stock up on food as needed. That's pretty much it.

Then, if you have a specific sport drink, get some small plastic bags and measure out a couple extra bottles worth, so when you stop, you can mix additional sport drink.

My understanding is that the body is far more susceptible to a sodium deficiency than other varieties of electrolyte shortages. Given how rare hyponatremia is...I personally wouldn't worry about magnesium/potassium, etc. Not for a 1 day ride anyway. Of course getting all inclusive packets instead of just a spoonful of salt certainly isn't going to hurt anything.

Pickle juice before the ride to prevent cramping. It was the secret to the Eagles' crushing defeat of "America's Team" in what is believed to be the hottest NFL game every played.


Science Finally Helps Explain Legendary 'Pickle Juice' Massacre in Dallas | NBC Sports Philadelphia

Two bottles, Camelback with icewater/food of choice and some money.

Having had the non-garden variety salmonella poisoning that was actually caused by bacteria I don't mess around anymore. Maybe I am overly cautious... that's fine also. You are right, a water imbalance can be the most common reason to have an electrolyte imbalance but that's because we tend to drink not enough or too much of it. Given the rest comes naturally through your diet, you don't have to do anything but consciously think about drinking. The problem is that some of us are better at getting it right than others.

+1 on some kind of electrolyte supplement. There are all kinds of commercially available supplements...I find something like NUUN very helpful on warmer/longer rides. I prefer this to regular sports drink (e.g. Gatorade), as the sugar content in those becomes incredibly distasteful later in a ride.

I would also plan out how you are going to get your calories - and test the calorie sources in shorter rides with similar conditions. Some people do fine with solid foods, even foods with a lot of fiber. Others (myself included) cannot handle much solid food.

It is definitely helpful to have some idea of water sources before the ride, as it can help you plan for how much you will need to carry on the bike. In my neck of the woods, a lot of businesses in small towns (gas stations included) are closed on weekends, and public parks may or may not have their water running. OTOH, there are some "secret" cyclist stops for water in random places. Looking at Strava tracks from others who have done the route can help you identify some of these sources - you will notice an aberration in the straight track where riders very briefly turned off the road.

Living where you do, you probably know how to pre-hydrate as well. This can begin the night before.

Take it easy and enjoy the ride!

This. Starting before dawn, can be done before peak heat.

And as everyone else has said, hydration and nutrition. Also training up to that distance before as well.

What I would bring:

Enough calories to get me through the ride, which is easy to do in jersey pockets. Even easier if there are stores. I'd probably bring 2000 calories if the absence of stores (which will cause much hand wringing here, I'm sure, it always seems to, with people chiming in that's way too much... but I've done a lot of long rides in the heat and that's what I'd bring in the absence of stores...I'd likely eat at least 1500 cal of it, possibly all of it, depending on how hard I was pushing).

Two 25oz water bottles.

Some Skratch Labs electrolyte solution to mix into my bottles later in the ride.

And I'd know where all the water is on the route. If there's stores, its easy enough. Otherwise, knowing/learning where to get water is part of the challenge. I'd need water at least one water stop on a hundred mile ride.

Something else to consider is if stores/stops are going to be few and far between....a handlebar or saddle mounted couple of water bottle holders would be a great idea. I wouldn't want to chance being out of water for any length of time. You can burn through 2 bottles pretty quick.

100 miles is a long ways with no water...

By the time you do it, you'll be acclimated to the weather. Bring 2 really cold water bottles, drink as often as you need to. Stop for a snack and a bottle refill along the way as many times as you need to. Not that hard really, just get out and ride.


I ride a route from my house, it's an out and back (as opposed to a loop) that is mostly on a MUP. Rather enjoyable ride, you didn't say you were attempting to break the current land speed record or anything. Water, maybe a snack or two in the jersey, bring the debit card and fuel up at he Quick Stop. Or stop at Zips for a double burger and some tater gems.


Have fun....and why wait?

Brawndo, the Thirst Mutilator.

What has worked for me:

Carry 2 750ml water bottles
Drink frequently
Make sure of the places where you can refill
Carry at least 1000 cal of food, including some salty potato chips or the like
Eat frequently
4 or 5 short stops
Don't rush it, keep a comfortable pace

When I've done 100 mile rides, it's gone like this: meet a group of teammates; we ride to the group ride in the next town; if we have time, grab a muffin/bagel/donut; ride the ride; stop at convenience store; ride home. Is that unsupported? I guess so.