Sizzling (or soggy) summer cycling: Stay hydrated

The sizzling bit might be overcooking it after our soggy July, but the climate is changing before our eyes. While British summer has always felt unpredictable, heatwaves are extreme downpours are becoming more common.

A Camelbak is a comfortable way to carry a useful amount of drink whatever the weather. And if you fill it with cold water, it acts like a cooling system for your back.

On an intensive cycle ride, you need to drink about 1 litre of water every hour and it’s best taken little and often. If you are on a particularly long or competitive ride, you may want to add an energy supplement to the water.

Win a Camelpak

The Camelbak Hydrobak holds a useful 1.5 litres. If you could fill yours with any drink, what would it be? Let us know at the bottom of this page and one lucky person will win their own Camelbak.

Driving to Europe this summer?

The effect of dehydration has been shown to be equivalent to drinking and driving.

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Researchers found that mild hypo hydration increased driver errors during a prolonged, monotonous driving task. The effect on the motorists tested by Loughborough University was equivalent to driving at the drink drive limit (blood alcohol content of approximately 0.08 per cent), or while sleep deprived.

Studies were first carried out on men, who drank 200 ml of water every hour. On the dehydration test day, the same subjects consumed only 25 ml per hour – the equivalent of four sips. When dehydrated, the drivers were more likely to drift, brake late, and veer onto the rumble strip.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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