           | Hydration |
| Hydration is very important for long rides and pretty much every ldrider will have some sort of hydration system on their bike.
Staying hydrated helps to keep you comfortable, helps you to avoid aches and pains that you might otherwise have to endure, helps you stay alert, and it helps you stay cool in hot weather. I started out with a small little Platypus water bladder with a drink tube but quickly found that I was refilling it too often. So, I tried one of the Camelbacks but found that I didn't like carrying the weight on my back while riding. It wasn't comfortable for me. Then, I saw Ron Smith come up with an idea on his Wing. He got one of the dual Aerostich Tank Panniers (CAT. NO. 902,903) and modified them to sit on the passenger pegs and clip to the seat. Inside, he put one of his water hydration bladders and snaked the drink tube up out of it. He used the rest of the space for storage. This gave me an idea. I took the same Tank Panniers and did the same modification for my ST1100. They sat on the passenger pegs and clipped to my passenger seat. I then got some large MSD water bladders from REI. I chose the MSD bladders because of the size of the screw-on top. It was big enough that I could easily fill the bladder with ice cubes. I then got a Camelback style drink tube and discarded the MSD one. I preferred the Camelback tube design for it's bite valve design and the bite valve "dust cover". I then found a neoprene "tube sock" (I think it was from a newer Platypus but I don't remember) and covered the drink tube with that to insulate the tube and keep it cooler. I put one of these MSD bladders in each Tank Pannier on either side of the bike. Each MSD bladder can hold up to 4 gallons of liquid but I didn't want to fill them all the way up. I generally fill them up with ice the night before a long trip - guestimating at about 1 gallon of ice per bladder. Then I squeeze out all the air and put the bladder down at the bottom of each Tank pannier, snaking the insulated drink tube up out the zippered closure and forward to my tank bra. I put things on top of the MSD bladders like visor cleaning materials, first aid kit, shaving kit, advil, etc... Pretty much anything that I might need to get at quickly at a gas stop. Then I zip-close the Tank Pannier. I picked up some badge holder "come-alongs" from work. You know the type of badge holder I mean - the kind that your badge is attached to a long string that spools up inside a spring-loaded little clip. Pull the badge away from the spool to enter your secure building and then when you release it, it rewinds back to the spool. I clipped one of these to each drink tube up by the bite valve and then I clipped the spool part of it to either side of my tank bra. Now, what I had was a drink tube that I could get to very easily and on either side of the bike so that, whatever hand I had free could be used. And, when I released the tube, it would snap back into it's place. I could put different liquids in the bladders if I so chose although usually I just put water and try to only carry two gallons total. I find that two gallons isn't too heavy and it will last me all day long even in the really hot deserts. There are all kinds of hydration rigs on LD bikes. Use your imagination but DO hydrate well on these rides. As always, YMMV. Joe Zulaski Footnote: used with permission. Joe is known in Long Distance Riding circles. He is the Rallymaster of the Northwest Passage. |
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