As we welcome Summer, I wanted to express how important it is to take care of yourself during the extreme temperatures that occur this time of year. As someone who lives in the Southeast, the heat and humidity during this time of year have a great impact on your physical and mental well-being. For someone who enjoys motorcycling year round, Summer requires a bit more work in terms of preparing yourself for the extreme heat that you will experience while riding. To better serve the motorcycling community this Summer season, I have developed a game plan to help you prepare and enjoy your riding experience this Summer. Below is my personal steps for improvement of mind and body during these hot and steamy days.
Hydration
The importance of hydrating to prepare and replenish your body before and after a ride can not be stress enough. Personally, I drink almost a gallon of water a day. I have been doing this for a few years and the results are amazing. Not only do I feel good, but my body can regulate itself, and my mental state is strong throughout a rigorous activity like motorcycling. During long rides in the Summer, I make a point to stop a few times and buy a bottle water and a electrolyte drink to help with replenishment and keep my mind alert. Making a habit of drinking water throughout your day goes a long way. My key advice is to start hydrating for a ride the day before with water and electrolytes giving yourself plenty of time to allow the benefits of hydrating go into effect. Post ride, I make it priority to begin my hydrating process immediately which includes water and electrolytes as part of my recovery process. Fun fact, I recently began using a powdered form of electrolytes that I mixed with water that provides me great benefits without sugar or caffeine. The key is to start as soon as you know you are going to ride, and after your ride, to reduce cramping and mental fatigue.
Rest
Rest might be as important as hydrating before and after a motorcycle ride. The heat and humidity of Summer not only take a toll on you physically, but your mental state can be affected by the elements. That is why I do my best to rest the day before a ride and honestly, after a hot day in the saddle, I will take two or more days off from riding to recharge my batteries. This break from riding helps me relax my mind and refocus my thoughts towards my next ride. If you are a daily commuter on a bike, you might want to find moments to relax your body and mind prior to jumping back on the bike. Often, I find that getting a good night’s sleep and relaxing in the AC are amazing ways to recharge. Fatigue is one of the evils of riding as it can play havoc on your mental state and ability to operate a motorcycle successfully. If you can, break up your riding schedule so you have a day or two between rides so you can operate your two-wheeled machine at your best. I often will take a nap after finishing a hot day in the sun while riding and afterwards I feel so much better. Rest is your friend. Invite them over when you need too.
Gear
This might be a controversial point, but I strongly believe in full gear during the peak Summer heat. From my research, and own experience, sweating provides a great cooling layer while wearing gear. What I mean is, if you sweat with full gear on, your sweat is trapped against your skin and a barrier is formed against the heat. This allows for you to remain cool, calm, and in control while sitting in traffic, at a stoplight, cooking in the Summer heat. Sure, t-shirts, and shorts seem like a great idea for riding gear, but, not only does this invite severe road rash, the lack of heat protection will create a unhealthy experience for yourself on your bike. Remember your motorcycle engine beneath you gets super hot during the Summer. The clothing I wear during rides is made up of wicking fabrics. This material pulls the sweat away from my skin which leaves me dry in all the right places, and provides that heat barrier I need. Stay away from cotton fabrics, as cotton tends to become a bit of wet towel when sweat builds. Invest in the best gear possible, and you will ride like a champ.
Diet
A diet is important throughout the year, but I find that I make small changes to my diet in the Summer that greatly impact my riding health throughout the Summer months. Diets rich in fiber, fruits, and vitamins will go a long way to increase your ability to perform on your bike, as well as feel fantastic throughout the day when you are not riding. Let’s be honest. Sure a fast food stop will be quick, cheap, and fill your belly, but what are the lasting impacts? For me, when I started my weight loss journey in February, I made small changes that developed into full meal changes. I quit drinking soda, drank more water, and removed my McDonald’s lunch break which resulted in losing weight and feeling so much better. I promise you that watching your diet, making small changes that grow into better food choices will set you up for a fantastic Summer riding season. And who doesn’t want to lose weight?
Exercise
It is really that simple folks. A ten-minute workout on a non-riding day will increase your performance greatly on your bike. That is what I do. About ten-minutes of high impact training which helps me perform better on my motorcycle. I am not only more alert during my ride, but I have the physical strength to operate my motorcycle successfully. While gyms are great. Indoors, lots of machines to use, inspiration watching others workout, a community aspect, but you don’t ride a motorcycle indoors. I highly recommend exercising in the elements that you will be riding in. That means outdoors. My workout consists of a run, spirit, walk for 5 minutes. I follow this up with 3-5 minutes of a wall squat, planking, and what the internet calls a “superman pull up”. The idea is to workout continuously for about 10 minutes with no breaks. You want to keep the heart rate up. Adding a weekly workout schedule will tremendously improve your motorcycle journey and make you fit in Summer and the rest of the year.
As with any advice, it is up to you to make it your own. I just wanted to express some of my own personal strategies towards preparing to ride a motorcycle during the Summer. You can always store your bike during the Summer, but who wants to do that LOL.
Rolf