cycleWV_23

Hey all, have a question. What kind of hydration is the "norm" for a crit? I'm doing my first one in april and was just curious, considering the close nature. And speed of the races, if I needed to stock a bottle of water or electrolytes or anythng?

Creatre

Usually they are so short you can get away with drinking nothing. If anything, just a little water is fine. You can worry about hydration before/after the race.

flaco

One bottle of plain water should be plenty. You might not even touch it. The nutrition/electrolyte thing isn't an issue for a short race.

M_FactorX19

i normally take half a bottle of water with me for a crit.. sometimes gatorade just because i like the taste but not for any other reason. main thing is to eat and drink before the race.

Beaker

Work out where on the course it's safe to take a drink and bring a bottle as normal. Be sure you're comfortable riding at speed reaching for your bottle without changing your line though.

obiwan kenobi

Hydrate while on the trainer warming up, you probably won't need a bottle during the race.

mkadam68

Hmmm. April? How warm is it where you live in April?

robncircus

I'm with the 1/2 bottle. I've never used it all up, but I love it during the cool-down lap!

kleinboogie

Find a 1km block with no stop signs and practice at the same time and length as the race. Surge like it's the last lap, recover, repeat. Then decide if you need water or not. GL

cycleWV_23

It'll be April 3rd in Pittsburgh. The course basically goes over one bridge, and back on another. From what I see, its probably one of the most epic courses ever

colombo357

I usually fill mine with drugs.

Trucker Dan

It might be weird but if I get in a break I like to spray myself in the face with water every lap or two to keep motivated.

ILUVUK

but if you don't pick the right drugs, it just ruins your whole race.

2ndGen

I've never raced a crit, but I'd say hydrate a lot before the race. If it's long enough, then you'll need a bottle.
Me? When I train aggressively, I use a 50/50 mix of a sports drink (Powerade or Gatorade) and water.
That's just my personal preference.

OT: WV? I'm in Morgantown as I type this. Will be heading back to NYC in a couple of days.
Maybe I'll be around in April. If I am, I'll check out the race up at Pitt.
I didn't know they had such a strong bike culture up there.
Do you ride in WV?

Chris R.

It's funny, I drink almost a full large bottle during a crit race. Most of them are about 40-50km long.
I think you should take one full bottle of water and see how you feel. Not likely you are going to feel the weight so better to have too much than not enough at this point.
Just make sure you hydrate properly during the day and then taper off about two hours before the race and make sure to pee as much as you can before the start.

cycleWV_23

I live in Morgantown. We actually do have a huge cycling community that resides anywhere between here and Pittsburgh. Great group rides and I just checked out the CX scene last year and it's pretty great here. Here is a schedule of events this coming year so far around Morgantown.

https://www.abraracing.com/Schedule.html

I definitely suggest googling the Steel City Showdown, though. It should prove to be an awesome race.

2ndGen

MoTown definitely is biker friendly.
My first time here, I rode my MTB all over.
Hit Cooper's Rock. Didn't get to hit Bear.
Right now, my place is behind White Park.

I never thought there'd be as many roadies as I've seen here.
I know this, if I settle here, I'm definitely going to get a nice MTB for sure.

The hills here...OMGosh. They certainly got me into great shape for when I went back home to Westchester the last time. When I come back in a couple of months, I'm going to definitely bring my CAAD and take a couple of months to just ride, ride, ride before I head back to NY to take on another project at work.

When I get back into shape and I'm back in MoTown, I'll PM you.

cycleWV_23

Oh mannn, isn't Coopers great? We have our rail trail also, which goes for a couple hundred miles, but the ride to Moundsville is a steady little 1200ft climb over maybe 15 miles, so that one is always fun. I wish you would have been around last CX season, though. One of the races is held at White Park, in and out of the baseball fields and part of the trails and what-not.

It's tough for the roadies here in the winter, only because no matter how tough they think they are, it honestly can be just to damn cold, snowy, or wet to get out safely and work out. When it starts to clear up and warm up a bit, things are great. Glad you have enjoyed your stay so far! It's so sad that we get such a bad rep here in WV, we have tons to offer.

2ndGen

You kidding? The first day I took my MTB out it was on the rail trails. But, surprisingly, I rode it like my RB (it had bar ends at the time and I just hammered it down the trails in a roadie position thinking to myself the whole time; "I brought the wrong bike.").

I'd say Cooper's Rock is where I first experienced "flowing single track" ever (the closest trail to me is Sprain Ridge which is super technical and frustrating all at once, but still comes highly rated). You guys have great open roads here. It's really easy to "swing both ways" over here and be completely content. When I hit Pathfinder or Wamsley, they talk about riding PA a lot for roadies.

I'm going to hit Cooper's Rock today, but not to ride it. I just want to take in that beautiful scenery. I'll try to post pics later tonight.

Next time I come, I'll hit you up in advance.

botto 

2ndGen

I knew a professional bike "rider" would jump on that statement, but I knew exactly what I was doing when I posted it. I work in all kind of weather extremes and have learned over 2 1/2 decades how to deal with strenuous work (a lot harder than pedaling a bike). So, if it's good enough for my work, it's overkill for racing a bike.

Of course, a .19 second Google search will turn up what I suggested (and of course, this was done "after" your post):

Read more: https://www.livestrong.com/article/54...#ixzz1DvoZVUUr

(But I guess in your opinion, professional racers are wrong too. )

botto 

topflightpro

OP, I usually try to hydrate as much as possible before the race, and I will bring one small bottle of water with me.

There have been several races during which I never touched the bottle. Not becasue I didn't want the water, but because the race was so intense, I never had a clear moment to reach down and grab it.

And I only bring water because I sometimes find it just as beneficial to spray my head, especially during really hot crits.

GirlAnachronism

I like to have one bottle on the bike, even though I don't usually end up drinking much. Mostly because if I don't have it I spend the whole race thinking about the fact that I don't have a bottle and worrying that I'll get thirsty, which instantly makes me incredibly thirsty.

2ndGen

Wrong?
"To support a healthy lifestyle, competing or not, proper hydration is the foundation upon which all other endeavors are built. One common mistake made by riders is getting on the bike without properly hydrating first. Riders often believe that they can make up for it on the ride. The average human body needs about 1.5 liters of water to be adequately hydrated. An active or competitive individual needs much more. If you start dehydrated, it is unlikely you can attain an appropriate level while exercising. Take the extra time before you go out to get the adequate amount."
Read more: https://www.livestrong.com/article/54...#ixzz1DwhbBu7K


But wait! There's more!

Wrong?
AMtopflightpro
OP, I usually try to hydrate as much as possible before the race, and I will bring one small bottle of water with me.

Wrong?
obiwan kenobi
Hydrate while on the trainer warming up, you probably won't need a bottle during the race.

Wrong?
Creatre
Usually they are so short you can get away with drinking nothing. If anything, just a little water is fine. You can worry about hydration before/after the race.



Never mind...probably to you, it's not the information, but the person who shares it.