Tag Archive for Hydration

Morning Links: A reminder to always ride with water, and why drivers continue to flee following crashes

Got an email late Thursday telling me I almost lost a friend last week.

Long story short: Heatstroke.

I rode from Seal Beach to Azusa, then “rested” under a bridge by the San Gabriel River, viciously under-hydrated, out of water, with the temperature climbing, because I’m a moron.

I banged up my shoulder tripping against the concrete pier. I hallucinated. I blacked out. I threw up the first bottle of water that a good stranger gave me. Retrospect terrifies me: I actually could’ve passed out permanently under that bridge.

I’m heading back this afternoon to put up a thank-you poster because I never got the name of the guy who rescued me, got me water/Gatorade/ice, put me in his air-conditioned car, and kept me from wandering off. If he didn’t save the coroner a bunch of work, he at least spared me from crushing hospital bills.

Let that be a reminder to always carry more water than you think you’ll need. And remember to actually drink it, especially on hot days.

You should also make sure to have a little cash with you, so you can duck into a store or gas station to buy more in case you run out.

And always carry some form of ID when you ride, just in case a stranger finds you passed out under a bridge somewhere.

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Evidently, there’s no reason not to flee after collision.

A Whittier woman got less than a slap on the wrist — more like a pat on the back — for last year’s South Pasadena hit-and-run wreck that injured a couple and their baby, and killed the family dog. While driving on a suspended license, no less.

None of that seems to matter, though, as she threw herself on the mercy of the court. And was richly rewarded with just three years probation and 30 days Caltrans duty.

That’s it.

So as long as the courts refuse to take hit-and-run seriously, let alone a license to drive, why should anyone else?

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

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Looks like frequent contributor danger d now has his own blog. And the first post is a complaint about the problem of having to beg for a green light if you’re not driving a car.

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The often anti-bike LA Weekly offers a great profile of a third-generation, six-year old lowrider bicyclist. With training wheels.

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Now this should be interesting. The Vuelta a España kicks off with a team time trial on Saturday on a course that’s partly dirt and sand. The former director of Team Sky says put your money on Chris Froome.

BMC’s riders just switched places after the fourth stage of the USA Pro Challenge as Rohan Dennis won in a breakaway, taking the leader’s jersey from teammate Brent Bookwalter. But if you’re not going to win the stage, you might as well pop a mid-race wheelie.

The women’s three-stage version of the Pro Challenge kicks off today, offering prize money equal to the men’s race. And apparently not comprehending the message it sends, the same podium girls, too. Yahoo looks at women’s cycling’s token appearance at the Tour de France and the problems still facing the sport.

The new head of USA Cycling wants the organization to be vehemently anti-doping, with an increased focus on grassroots and women’s cycling.

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Local

LA Weekly wants your vote for your favorite bike shop; Helen’s, Golden Saddle and Flying Pigeon are the nominees.

CiclaValley professes profound indifference to the new bike lanes on Vineland. Here’s what usually happens: They put bike lanes where no one wants them, so no one uses them. Then say there’s no point in building more bike lanes, because we don’t use the ones we’ve got.

A great Vine illustration clearly shows how Pasadena’s proposed two-way, buffered cycletrack on Union Ave would work.

 

State

A Santa Ana cyclist suffered major injuries when he reportedly lost control of his bike and veered into the path of an oncoming pickup Wednesday night. The story reports he was riding east in a bike lane on the 900 block of East McFadden Ave; however, there aren’t any there for him to veer out of. Thanks to Lois for the heads-up, and thanks to David Huntsman for pointing out the lack of bike lanes.

Costa Mesa police revive their bike patrol after 15 years to deal more effectively with homeless people and drug abusers.

Garden Grove will hold their second annual open streets festival on October 10th.

Coronado residents rise up in opposition to a proposed multi-use path along the beach. And apparently, bike riders in general.

A dangerous Orinda bike lane will get a coat of green paint, rather than moving a turn lane leading to a freeway onramp to improve safety.

San Francisco police ride along with the city’s cyclists in an effort to mend fences after a recent crackdown on bike riders.

San Fran’s 2nd Street will get a road diet with raised, curb-protected bike lanes. And we get to be envious.

Nice. A 17-year old girl scout raised $8,000 to give every sixth grader at an Oakland Catholic school a new bike, helmet and assorted gear.

After police stop a man for suspicion of riding a stolen bike, they discover he skipped out on a Marin County drunk driving charge 21 years earlier.

The Marin County paper offers an in-depth obituary of Deb Hubsmith, founder of Safe Routes to Schools.

 

National

People for Bikes kids infographicA new infographic from People for Bikes provides stats on children and bicycling; despite the perception that kids don’t ride bikes anymore, 57% ride an average of 40 days a year. That could show a lot of improvement if more parents felt safe letting their children ride to school and more administrators would allow it.

Bicycling offers tips on how to finance your new bike. Just don’t buy more bike than you can afford, or go into debt if you can’t comfortably manage the payments.

This is so not what bicycles are for. A Montana man is under arrest for repeatedly punching his girlfriend and whacking her with his bike. Hopefully, she’ll get the hell out before he makes bail.

Five college-bound Chicago teens show up in a Mercedes to beat and pepper spray a man in an attempt to steal the $500 bike he was selling. That scholarship to Cal Poly won’t be used anytime soon.

The parents of a soldier killed in Afghanistan are fulfilling his dream of building a parking lot where Minnesota cyclists can safely unload their bikes away from a busy roadway.

A Minnesota writer pens an ode to the best month to ride a bike.

It takes a pair of real jerks to shoot a Detroit bike rider with a paint gun. And a couple of idiots to follow that by shooting it at a police SUV.

New York’s mayor is considering undoing the highly popular Time Square pedestrian plaza by reopening the street to cars to fight the scourge of body-painted breasts. Yes, breasts.

 

International

Caught on video: More than a half dozen people pitch in to lift a car off an injured British bike rider; a basket decorated with flowers is attached to the unseen bike and rider trapped under the car.

After she’s knocked off her bike by a hit-and-run driver, London novelist says the city’s cyclists are being scared off the road. Although maybe someone might explain the meaning of TMI to her.

A bike-riding Catholic nun is changing the lives of former sex slaves in the Congo.

An Aussie driver faces a minimum of 18 months for plowing into a pack of riders; somehow, he couldn’t see the seven cyclists directly in front of him for a full 17 seconds.

Thailand’s Crown Prince gives the equivalent of $2,200 to the family of a man killed in a collision while training to for a bike ride in honor of the Queen’s 83rd birthday.

 

Finally…

No point in working as a dog walker when you can do it by bikeshare. Now you can get a KOM while working on that new IPO.

And it’s okay if a man wants to ride a women’s bike.

No, really. It is.

 

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Thanks to Jeffery Fylling for his generous donation to help support this site.

Review: New CamelBak Relay provides pure, great tasting water for every ride

Great tasting water clear enough to read through.

Great tasting water clear enough to read through.

Let’s talk water.

Whether you ride with a water bottle or backpack-style hydration system, every bike rider needs some source of hydration for all but the shortest rides. Especially on those hot summer days just round the corner.

Let alone those hot spring days like last week.

But how much thought do you give to what goes in them?

No offense to my fellow Angelenos, but I’ve never been a fan of the water that comes out of our local taps.

Whether it’s a product of what leaves the filtration plant, or what it picks up from pipes along the way, LA water has always tasted a little off to me. And too often, there’s a noticeable chlorine smell that makes me feel like I’m drinking from the local swimming pool.

So ever since I returned to the city of my birth over a two decades ago, I’ve relied on bottled water. An average of eight gallons a week between my wife and I, at a cost of $1 to $1.50 a gallon.

The Corgi, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care where her water comes from, as long as she doesn’t have to share it with anyone else.

And yes, we recycle the bottles, while realizing that doesn’t begin to negate the environmental impact of packing and trucking all those bottles.

We’ve tried various filtration systems over the years, but always found it more convenient and better tasting to get our water off the market shelf once again.

So when a representative for CamelBak asked me to try out an new countertop filtration pitcher, I agreed to give it a try, expecting to use it for a couple of day, write a quick review, and toss it in the closet to gather dust.

But six weeks later, we’re still using it.

The 10-cup CamelBak Relay is a simple, compact pitcher that fits easily in the refrigerator, taking up less space than a comparable water jug.

And when I say simple. I mean exactly that. Even taking time to read the instructions for a change, I had it assembled, filled and filtered in just a couple minutes.

Innovation filter works as you fill and as you pour, in real time.

Innovation filter cleans the water twice, as you fill and as you pour, in real time.

The company claims it filters 10 times faster than any competing product. But in my experience, the Relay filters and pours in real time, with virtually no delay at first, and none at all after the filter breaks in. And it filters the water twice, as you pour fresh water in and again as you pour it out.

More important, though, is the taste.

I’m happy to report it’s good.

Okay, great.

There’s none of the charcoal smell or taste I’ve found with other filters, and no hint of cloudiness or other unpleasant odors. In fact, the company claims independent tests showed it removed 97% of chlorine taste and odor. So all you get is crisp, clear water that compares favorably with the water found on the grocery shelves.

If I was to rank it — and why not, since this is my review — I’d put it just below Arrowhead Spring water and a step above Sparkletts, at a fraction of the cost. And way beyond the generic jugs on the supermarket shelf.

It also pours easily, allowing me to fill even narrow containers with ease. And since it filters in real time, I can fill the container, then pour it directly into the coffee maker or ice tray for better tasting coffee and ice.

It’s also BPA-free and dishwasher safe, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Bottom line, we’ve gone from buying eight gallons of water a week to just one, at most. And then only to rotate the stock of water we keep on hand in case of earthquake or zombie apocalypse.

Which means, at an average bottled water cost of $10 a week, the Relay paid off its $36.99 retail cost in about four weeks, tax included.

Better yet, the filter lasts for four months; new filters cost just $28.50 for a three-pack — a full year supply — or $12 for a single filter, and can be found at Amazon.com, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and CamelBak.com.

That’s just $65.49 for a full year of clean, great tasting water, compared to the $500 or so we would otherwise pay. And until I wrote that last sentence, I never realized what a waste of money that was.

I’m sold.