The biggest advantage of riding in summer is that there is less precipitation, so there is no need to worry about the reduced visibility and slippery roads caused by rain. But at the same time, it also brings some disadvantages. Now let’s analyze what problems need to be paid special attention to in summer riding.
1.Ensure adequate drinking water
In summer, due to the high temperature, the water loss is faster. Water loss in summer tends to be much higher than in the other three seasons for the same distance, so the most important part of summer riding is to hydrate. For the same day of riding, the amount of water in summer should be twice as much as in winter. If the normal water requirement is 1000 to 2000 ml, then 2000 to 3000 ml need to be added in summer. Although this requirement also includes the amount of supplementation through food, 2000 to 3000 ml of water is not a lot for cycling, excluding the amount of water in food.
The normal amount of supplementation mentioned above is only the total amount. In fact, in addition to the amount, there are also differences in ingredients. Because of the loss of water in the body in summer, there is also the loss of salt, simply adding water only solves one aspect of the problem. Therefore, it is recommended that, in addition to water, appropriate supplementation of a small amount of salt or even better sports drinks is more conducive to the recovery of physical strength under conditions. In this regard, different person has different points. In terms of personal experience, functional drinks are better than pure water, and the same is true for adding salt appropriately.
2.Sunburn prevention
In summer, due to the strong sunlight, prolonged exposure to the sun can easily cause sunburn on the skin and it’s more likely to happen when swimming than anything else. Because when swimming, people do not feel hot in the water, so it is easy to ignore the effect of sunlight. Generally, when the weather is sunny, it is easy for everyone to pay attention to preventing sunburn. But in fact, sometimes, the gray weather, the intensity of ultraviolet rays is also very strong. We know that as the ozone layer shrinks, the intensity of ultraviolet rays increases. Therefore, including winter, we should pay attention to prevent sunburn from ultraviolet rays. From a medical point of view, when ultraviolet rays strongly act on the skin, photodermatitis can occur, and erythema, itching, blisters, edema, etc. may appear on the skin. and it can also cause skin cancer in severe cases. Therefore, when riding in summer, don’t ignore the protection of ultraviolet rays because the weather is hot. To prevent sunburn, in addition to paying attention to minimizing the exposed parts, you can also choose sunscreen according to the situation. However, the effect of sunscreen is different, and some can only last about 4 hours, and use it at least twice a day.
3.Reasonable arrangement of riding time
The two points mentioned above are both unfavorable aspects of riding in summer, but there are also factors that are beneficial to our riding. That is, in summer, because the earth is between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer, the daylight hours in the northern hemisphere are lengthened in summer. Taking the present as an example, the sky is full of light around 4:30 in the morning, and it will not be completely dark until 7:30 in the evening. Because of the high temperature at noon and the intensity of ultraviolet rays, we have plenty of time to rationally arrange our rides to avoid this period. So when riding in summer, try to make the most of your mornings and evenings. And at noon, choose a suitable place to rest. This not only avoids the high temperature, but also does not easily get sunburned.
