Singapore is a hot and humid country, many cyclists would go exercise or food delivery cycling in hot conditions. It is common to see people riding bicycles on the road all day, and deliver meals working overtime on weekends.

We can’t avoid the hot weather or sweat in Singapore, but it is important to stay energized and conscious while cycling on the road.

We gather some tips to have you in preparation for cycling in hot conditions. Let’s jump into it!

Keep Hydrated

Hydration impacts your cycling performance, and it can also lead to muscle build and not getting tired easily in the long hours of cycling and hot weather.

According to Harvard Health, normal adults likely need 900-1500 ml of water per day. Recommends to drink 500-600ml water 2 hours before work out and 200-300ml every 10-20 minutes exercising.

For longer or more intense efforts of an hour or more, a sports drink containing electrolytes and sodium will be needed. We suggest aiming to drink at a rate of 10 to 12 ml per kilogram of body weight, about a 600ml bottle every hour for a 68kg rider.

The more you sweat, the more you are going to lose those salts and those minerals. If you find yourself tired, irritable, headaches, or other symptoms while cycling, then you may have insufficient water. Go Drink More Water!

Dress for the Weather

Wear loose and breathable clothes or sleeveless cycling clothes that can quickly absorb sweat from your skin. This type of clothes helps you to be less sweaty and cool down your body.

A full-length front zip also can help you regulate body temperature.

Make sure to use a helmet to protect yourself against the sun, and a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Wear Suncream

Apply sunblock/suncream/sunscreen on the exposed parts of your body: arms, legs, face and in particular the back of your neck.

This helps you from damaging sunburn and the risk of skin cancer.

For big sweater people, remember to attempt more frequent suncream.

Rest Up Yourself

Resting is where you repair, strengthen, and rebuild your muscles.

Rest if your body tells you to, you need to rest to enable you to get better in the cycling performances and for a better long cycling route. It helps you get fitter and stronger.

Listen to your body, if you wake up and feel shattered then take a day off. Let your muscles repair and rebuild.

Warming up

It is an effective way to prepare your body. It can be up to 20 minutes, very simple.

Warming up is also really effective at raising your body temperature and your heart rate.

Getting a good routine about practising yoga or even stretching will help you combat that effect of tiredness.

Steady Cycling Speed

Don’t come up with this elaborate plan to ride at super fast speed, go out too hard too early because you‘ll only end up struggling to make it home. Stay at normal speed as you cycle.

Use an electrical device to track your speed, distance travel, and heart rate to improve your performance.

You will be able to see how much distance on that route is left. That way, you don’t need to cycle too hard too early.