Hondo Gravel

Yup, 32 miles does it for me in this heat. That is when my 2.5 liter hydration pack runs dry. Even insulated bottles the liquid will get very warm. I’m slow about 12 mph average but that’s deceptive there are many climbs on the routes. 15-17 mph on the flats I will cruise my gravel grinder with 700x38 tires. Some days I just putt and I don’t care because I’m not training for anything. Objective is exercise and escape. No mask where I ride there is nobody around.

genec

I did a long tour in Baja... where local water was often questionable. I carried 4 large water bottles on the bike. These were the tall water bottles. (1 liter) And I carried a 1/2 gallon of water on my pannier rack. There is no such thing as being out of range of what you can carry. You just need to carry more.

Of course, if you are going all off road, and doing hundreds of miles... well, there could be other issues.

I did roughly 100 miles a day and managed to find a store at least once a day... in Baja, where I could buy gallon bottles of water.

genec

Hondo, you are in the middle of nowhere... you never have to wear a mask. The germs don't even know your address. The hippy shack is safe.

Hondo Gravel

True. Plus the virus is afraid of the music I listen to. Here is the Hippy Shack. I need to build some steps but I haven’t got around to it yet.



Built the gate now I need to build some steps but my bike addiction comes first.

genec

Nice shack... You got AC in that thing... Or just giant fans? And what "build steps?" Just stack a few cinder blocks or landscape stones and call it a day. I see some material off to the right that looks almost perfect for the task... you just need about twice as much... Look around... you likely have all that you need somewhere on the back 40.

Hell, lower the shack down off them damn bricks in front... you won't need steps. Oh you might have to "dig it in" a bit in back... go for it.

Hondo Gravel

I jury rigged some concrete steps for now. It has a window ac unit on the side that’s does great. I insulated the whole thing with R12. Plugs, switches , a fluorescent light etc etc ... metal sheets for the ceiling. Luckily had an extra 20 amp breaker for the well so I use pvc plumbing pipe to run the electricity in. What codes? LOL. Good place to hang out on the compound away from the house. Have plenty of rocks to put around it this winter. Slapped down some cheap tile for the floor and that’s about it. It is a work in progress after a few years it will get stuff added to it. Most of the time a regular cheap house fan cools it enough.

dkatz1

Carry two 20 oz bottles...I am going on shorter rides for reasons like you describe...I don't want to be far from home and have ANY issues.....restrooms hard to find too....don't want to go out ot lunch in middle of long ride. etc...

PdlPeet

You might find that's no longer the case. Most places won't handle something that you've provided.
In the Before Times the push was on for customers bringing their own beverage containers. Now
it's all disposable provided by the retailer. They just don't want to increase the risk for their employees.

Slightspeed

Every place may be different, but just last Saturday, I brought my bottle inside at the coffee stop, and they topped it up with a pitcher of water, and never touched my item. May not be the case everywhere. We stopped at a golf course on Sunday, and one rider bought a biggish bottle of water, and we passed it around topping off bottles. We are in the LA area, where coffee shops just opened up to inside sales, but the drive thru lines still go around the block sometimes.

indyfabz

It's not. Don't know if you are familiar with the convenience store chain Wawa. Famous here in parts of the northeast and FL. Free water and ice from the automated beverage dispenser. Just walked to the one near my NJ office. They are currently not allowing you to refill re-useable bottles. The good news is that they never charge customers for cups if you want water. You can even use one of those 32 oz. sizes if you'd like. So you can take one of their cups, fill it from the machine and then poor the water into your bike bottle.

Clyde1820

That's what I do, either at a "convenience" shop or a grocery. A gallon jug of water's only about ~$1 or so, around here. Can fill up several bottles, a CamelBack, etc. (Assuming it's a route where stores exist.)

UniChris

Set out just after 5am with a big baggie of a bunch of fabric masks individually or paired in their little baggies. Four stops at one each, plus one to ride the last two miles into town got it done. Glad I had extras though - was too tired last night to wash any but the spares mean I'm not trapped inside today from that lapse ;-)

It was a cooler day so didn't have too much issue putting on masks immediately after stopping or sweating through them - seemed minimally used when I took them off only moments later, but still didn't have a good way to carry them so glad I could use a fresh one each time.

New problem: how to squeeze a gel in the time of covid?

I'd carefully washed and bagged them, but after using sanitizer on my hands, I got a bit on the packet, so then I didn't really mouth it as closely and a bunch spilled, which mixed with the santizer on my hands and made a huge mess... Fortunately this was only a few miles from the end so I stuffed the mess into an empty mask baggie, drenched my hands with more sanitizer to dilute the mess, wiped them on my socks and somehow rode the last of it. I should probably wash my gloves before ants find them...

Spent part of the ride mentally designing an outdoors-in-the-sun trailside hand washing and bottle filling station... Problem is I can't figure out what sort of drain it would have that won't splash back, tolerates soap if people bring it, and survives irresponsible behavior of the garbage, bodily wastes, etc sorts. Because in principle a spigot under the solar rays seems about the safest option for all.

noisebeam

Wow that sounds complicated. I set out for a ride at 7:15am (89F) this morning with a 24oz chilled water bottle in one cage and a BT speaker in the other. I was out of water by 9:15 but was home by 9:45 (100F) with 48 miles done. I guess I am lucky the roads here are not jammed up with other cyclists - I saw a dozen or so others, but never was closer than 10ft for brief period when passing so no mask was needed. I carried a handkerchief in case I needed to stop.

Hondo Gravel

On the way to Sedona a few summers ago left Benson on the way to Sedona. Now I’m use to heat but 104 at 9AM Stop for gas near Phoenix like it’s crazy hot early. Climbing out of Phoenix at 108 about 5 trailers had blown tires I figured heat related, how hot the pavement must get. Finally got to Sedona in a manageable 105 Watched the news and Phoenix topped out at 114. I understand if you have a pool in Phoenix it’s unswimable because it’s turns into hot bath water. My neighbor’s co worker lives in Phoenix and he had a truck load of ice poured into his pool so they could go swimming! Had to please clients so I don’t know what that ice bill cost. But it is a dry heat Big Bend area gets to 113 in the summer been out in 108 and had to be extremely careful and I’m used to hot weather. One idiot went desert hiking it hit around 110 he croaked the rescue team waiting until night because it was too dangerous. They found him literally cooked.

noisebeam

If I am hiking or going where there is no water I take a lot of extra and would not go mid day in the summer. But if cycling where there are a few potential water stops I am comfortable taking too little..

I've said it before in this thread but key is hydrating well the day before. Also a large drink before leaving helps, but not that much if you are starting on a deficit.