In addition to eating for energy (to be covered later) I have had to consider how much fluid I need to drink to replace the amount I sweat while cycling. There are a few variables such as speed, terrain, and temperature etc but in planning for this ride I need to actively maintain hydration.

On average there will be around 25 miles between organised support stops which probably equates to between 1hr 45mins and 2hrs 15 mins – I have to be able carry with me enough water to cover this period.

How do you calculate sweat rate?

1) Weigh yourself before exercise – 2) weigh yourself after exercise – remember same clothing both times 3) note fluid intake between and follow some simple maths. On a 3 hour ride last week I weighed in prior at 74.5Kg and after at 74.3Kg having drunk approximately 2.3 litres of fluid during the ride (1 litre = 1 Kg for non-metric readers). So having added 2.3 Kg in weight and still being 0.2Kg down from before that equates to a sweat rate of 2.5 litres over 3 hours or 0.8 litres/1.4 imp. pints per hour.

That’s a fair bit to drink and doesn’t allow for high temperatures……….