EmptySea's SS1000 attempt

[LongRanger_imp]

Completing a 1000/24 is a great accomplishment and makes for a long day, but it's not terribly difficult if your head is on straight. Sea, all of your tips are good ones. Here are a few more to consider: Avoid caffeine during the ride. No coffee, no soda. Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated. Consider taking an Advil or two before setting out, to mitigate discomfort before it sets in. Wear earplugs to reduce fatigue (and reduce hearing loss). Don't speed -- it's not a race. If the weather's threatening, put on your rain gear before it starts to rain. And for those of us in the western U.S., stop and get gas before you need it. A 40-mile detour in search of gas will kill any time savings you may have accrued by not stopping at the last gas station you passed.

[Ole_imp]

take a brisk 5 minute walk at each gas stop
elevating your heart rate will pump more blood into your arse
works for me

[emptysea]

Great tips, all, LR. One thing I meant to include in my list above is that I have every gas stop mapped with a few alternates as well in case a station is closed or something. I have more of them than I really need, but that's part of my "Stop more, but Stop shorter" strategy.

I've added your other tips to my list of things to review with Tony before we ride.

take a brisk 5 minute walk at each gas stop
elevating your heart rate will pump more blood into your arse
works for me

Already on my list after watching you on our return trip from Arkansas.

[Cormanus]

I guess a 20 minute nap may help too, particularly in the final stages. I note LongRanger's sage advice about avoiding caffeine, but I remember reading this piece on [url=https://blog.bulletproof.com/coffee-naps-bulletproof-power-nap/]The Bulletproof Nap. It may be total BS. Then again, it may not.

[emptysea]

I have read about coffee naps before, but I have not tried the technique out yet. Most of the LD riders with whom I have talked have said to consume food and drink in a way that is most normal to your typical day. So, if you drink a cup of coffee at 7:00 am most mornings, then do so on the ride. What they have recommended to avoid is drinking coffee, tea, or soda in order to stay awake. They also recommend not trying new gear, new food, new drink, or (I imagine) a new nap technique. I will try the coffee nap thing out, but probably not for this ride. interesting read, none the less.

[feralchimp_imp]

Solid advice from LongRanger above. Water water water. Have a great ride.

[Nortoon_imp]

Solid advice from LongRanger above. Water water water. Have a great ride.

I was the President of a 150 member Motorcycle Touring Club in the early 80s. A number of us went to the Price Is Right Rally (FREE) in Peterborough on a very hot weekend. On the way home we decided to take the northern route home through the bottom of Algonquin Park.

Although were we were all riding well equipped touring motorcycles, a couple of hours out my CB radio was busy with complaints from weary riders. It turns out we were dehydrated from the road heat.

Pulled into Pakenham just outside of Ottawa. Grabbed an ice cream cone and sat in the river clothes and all just down from the 5-arch stone bridge.

[LongRanger_imp]

In the desert southwest, where humidity levels are extremely low, we frequently see riders wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, or perhaps mesh riding gear, out on the open road. They get completely dehydrated and cooked from the hot air blast. Because sweat doesn't come easily, out here it's best to wear full gear to insulate yourself from the heat, and to drink lots of water. On very hot rides (110+ degrees), I will douse my shirt in cold water and then zip up. The moisture from my soaked shirt will remain in my jacket and keep me comfortably chilled for 30-45 minutes as it evaporates, until it dries out. Stop, rinse, repeat!

[emptysea]

I implemented the "soaked t-shirt protocol" (not to be confused in any way with a 'wet t-shirt contest') on my return trip from Arkansas. I also used it on my trip a few summers' ago from Nashville to Chicago. Here's an interesting question about this, though: When you start talking about riding in heat, most people will suggest wearing a t-shirt made with a 'performance' fabric that has wicking capabilities and to avoid cotton. If you're going to soak the shirt with water, wouldn't a cotton shirt do a better job of holding the water and thus improve (or lengthen) the evaporative cooling situation that you are trying to create? Also, might it not be even more effective to wear a thin 'performance' t-shirt as a base layer and a soaked cotton t-shirt over it? If anyone has experimented with these variations, let me know what you have found.

It's 95 degrees outside here in Chicago, maybe a local rider could run a couple of trials for me this afternoon. LOL

[the Ferret]

Hot here too Sea...not Flynrider hot, but Ferret hot (about 90). I will be riding in about an hour, but not soaking my shirt for it lol