Cooling off at MX
All of the basic keeping cool in the heat articles ignore the first rule of avoiding the heat, cool the body. Makes sense right? But most people ignore the fact that you can cool the body during your outdoor activity if you use the right active wear. People will spend hundreds of dollars to help with the symptoms of excessive heat. They will avoid riding mid day, and get those long shadows on the track. They need to start at the core.
We will talk more about that later.
When you cool your body and follow the below steps, you will also have more concentration while riding. This is very important when riding through ruts and planning the next pass. If you lose your concentration, you will be on the ground. Then you will be hot and hurting. This is not a good combination.
Back to the top ten list for staying cool in the heat.
- Cool your body with something like the Kul Lite or Cool Pack vest (www.timountain.com). This is the best way to avoid the heat.
- Drink plenty of water and electrolyte-enriched liquids to replace your fluids before and after riding, even if you don’t feel thirsty. You should start a few days before the race.
- Wear vented or breathable moisture wicking motocross gear. Winter jerseys and Enduro jackets are not a good idea.
- Sunscreen should be worn on all exposed skin between motos. Make sure it is sweat/waterproof, you are exercising, right?
- Use sunglasses between motos. Not only will you look cool, your eyes will not be permanently damaged.
- Wear something to keep sweat out of your eyes, there are plenty of good sweat caps on the market that fit under your helmet. It is best to see where you are going and you don’t want to fog up your goggles.
- Buy extra goggles. You can change your goggles between practice and motos for a sweat free start.
- Use a ventilated helmet. I know it will cost to buy one just for summer, but it is important to keep your concentration.
- Wear vented gloves. Hands are one place that should have plenty of air flow.
- Bring extra socks. Take off your boots between motos and let your feet cool off. Start with fresh socks for the next moto.
If you can cool your body’s core temperature by 10 degrees or more you would avoid most of the symptoms of excessive heat. Yes, you could ride with an air conditioning unit on your back, but I think that would be excessive and heavy.
If you could find a cooling unit that was less than a quarter of an inch thick and fits under your favorite jersey, would you be interested? This cooling unit will keep your body cool for hours in the heat. This cooling unit contains no moving parts, wires, or ozone depleting chemicals. This unit is called the Kul Lite. The combination of a proprietary gel and evaporative cooling will create a state of thermal equilibrium that keeps you cool for hours.
If your area has frequent storms, lots of steam, and mosquitos, the Cool Pack Vest is optimized for your area. The Cool Packs stay at 58 degrees for up to 2.5 hours. You can even get the optional hydration pack, if you don't want anyone to know you have a Cool Pack Vest.
Do you want to enjoy the summer again? Take a look at the Kul Lite vest or Cool Pack Vest and take back summer.
