Last time on my blog I talked about sponsorship and some of the myths associated with getting support for motorcycle racing. There is no question that being a sponsored athlete can be hard work, and you get out of it what you put into it. Sponsorship is not about getting “free stuff” but rather about building relationships with brands and organizations to help promote each other, and ultimately, help your sponsors sell their product to consumers.
When you’re approaching potential sponsors, you need to be prepared to show them what you can do to help them market and sell their product. Getting on the podium each weekend is nice, but what other types of coverage are you giving your sponsors? The Internet is a great tool for giving exposure to your sponsors, through a website or blog and social media. With a little time and effort, you too can have a professional-looking online presence to help promote your racing and your sponsors.
This week, I’ll walk you through how to set up a website to promote your racing and try to generate greater support and sponsorship for your racing program.
Wordpress.org is slightly more sophisticated, allows you to implement a wider variety of templates (including those which can be purchased at a nominal fee of $25-$80 from Wordpress theme providers), allows you to implement plugins and gives the user more control over their website. The downside of using Wordpress.org is that it requires you to have a hosting provider that allows you to have FTP access to your website. There are plenty of reputable hosts out there, a number of whom offer an easy installation package for Wordpress. Bluehost is one such provider that allows for easy Wordpress installation and will host your site for as little as $3.95/ month. An example of a Wordpress.org site iswww.cactusbike.com, a site I threw together quickly for a friend who owns a bicycle shop in Phoenix, Arizona.
Next time, I’ll talk about the emergence of Social Media as another great tool to help promote your sponsors and try to achieve your sponsorship goals.
When you’re approaching potential sponsors, you need to be prepared to show them what you can do to help them market and sell their product. Getting on the podium each weekend is nice, but what other types of coverage are you giving your sponsors? The Internet is a great tool for giving exposure to your sponsors, through a website or blog and social media. With a little time and effort, you too can have a professional-looking online presence to help promote your racing and your sponsors.
This week, I’ll walk you through how to set up a website to promote your racing and try to generate greater support and sponsorship for your racing program.
Building your Website:
Many years ago, you had to have some pretty hefty programming knowledge to create a website, but with the advent of sleek Content Management Systems (CMS) and organizations such as Wordpress, this has all changed. Now, anyone who knows how Microsoft Word operates, can probably figure out how to create a nice Wordpress website. While there are plenty of website builder resources out there, I’m a particular fan of Wordpress—it’s relatively inexpensive, simple to use and can allow you to create a very professional looking website that is easy to update and manage.
Wordpress.Com vs Wordpress.Org
When you’re building your Wordpress website, you can either use Wordpress.com orWordpress.org.
The Wordpress.com site is a free service that offers limited Wordpress templates for free, along with a free domain name. You can also upgrade to a custom domain (eg:www.myracingsite.com) for as little as $13/ year. Wordpress.com is a very viable option for many people as it is free of charge, easy to set up and hosting is free. The downside of Wordpress.com is that you are limited to the list of themes provided (though they are not half bad) and you cannot add any additional “plugins” (a tool that allows users to implement additional features to extend the functionality of the website such as a Facebook feed or Google map). An example of a Wordpress.com website ishttp://nadineracing.wordpress.com. Nadine is a female racer who used to race in Canada and now spends much of her time south of the border racing and doing motivational speeches.Wordpress.org is slightly more sophisticated, allows you to implement a wider variety of templates (including those which can be purchased at a nominal fee of $25-$80 from Wordpress theme providers), allows you to implement plugins and gives the user more control over their website. The downside of using Wordpress.org is that it requires you to have a hosting provider that allows you to have FTP access to your website. There are plenty of reputable hosts out there, a number of whom offer an easy installation package for Wordpress. Bluehost is one such provider that allows for easy Wordpress installation and will host your site for as little as $3.95/ month. An example of a Wordpress.org site iswww.cactusbike.com, a site I threw together quickly for a friend who owns a bicycle shop in Phoenix, Arizona.
Content:
Once you’ve set up your website, the critical and more time-consuming step will be to create relevant content to promote your racing efforts. If writing is not one of your strong points, you may wish to jot down some information in bullet point form and try to convince a friend or relative to help you out. The content you choose to place on your website will be important, as it outlines who you are, what you’re all about and the sponsors you represent.
Suggestions for Content Headings:
News: This could be your homepage “blog” with the latest news or event results
About: a brief racing biography
Team: list your pit crew or others who help you on a regular basis
Schedule: include your racing schedule and a list of any upcoming trade shows or events you might be attending
Multimedia: include any photos and video of you riding *always ensure you have permission to use photos on your site and give photo credit to the photographer
Sponsors: a list of your sponsors including sponsor logo, link to website and 2-3 sentences about the product they offer
Contact: an email address or contact form so people can get in touch with you.
Keep Content Current:
Once you have added initial content to your website, the key will be to keep the content fresh by updating it regularly! There is nothing worse than a website that has not been updated in several months, and it certainly won’t help your sponsors either!
With a good website in place, you can demonstrate to existing and potential sponsors that you are serious about your partnership with them and that you want to help promote and sell their product as best you can. A good website might make the difference between getting that parts budget you were hoping for or covering all of your expenses out of pocket!Next time, I’ll talk about the emergence of Social Media as another great tool to help promote your sponsors and try to achieve your sponsorship goals.
Published in Vicki Schouten
The 2012 racing season is slowly wrapping up and as a racer, maybe you’re reflecting on your season and already starting to think about racing opportunities and sponsorship for next year—if you’re not then you should be; 2013 starts right now.
How to secure (and maintain!) sponsors has always been a big question among road racers, it’s an expensive sport and riders often want to get all of the help they can get. I was always very fortunate to have some supportive sponsors throughout my racing career and I often get asked how best to approach sponsors. So, listen up because I am about to give you some helpful tips! This week I’ll talk about some of the myths about sponsorship in the motorcycle road racing industry, and in my next blog I’ll try to address what you can do to help promote your sponsors through online resources like athlete websites, blogs and social media.
Here are some of my favourite myths about motorcycle racing sponsorship:
How to secure (and maintain!) sponsors has always been a big question among road racers, it’s an expensive sport and riders often want to get all of the help they can get. I was always very fortunate to have some supportive sponsors throughout my racing career and I often get asked how best to approach sponsors. So, listen up because I am about to give you some helpful tips! This week I’ll talk about some of the myths about sponsorship in the motorcycle road racing industry, and in my next blog I’ll try to address what you can do to help promote your sponsors through online resources like athlete websites, blogs and social media.
Here are some of my favourite myths about motorcycle racing sponsorship:
1. I’m the 2012 champion therefore I should get free stuff.
WRONG. Being fast on a motorcycle and standing on top of the podium each weekend certainly helps, but there’s more too it that just getting around the racetrack faster than the next guy. If your attitude sucks or you’re not approachable, sponsors might not anything to do with you. Your job is to help sell the product; yes admittedly being on the podium helps but if the fans (or sponsors) don’t like your attitude then they’ll happily support someone else. At the end of the day you’re representing a brand and that brand is trying to market itself to a given audience.
2. Motorcycle manufacturers and dealers have all kinds of money; they should give me a free bike…and trailer!
Have you looked around the industry lately? Manufacturers do not have heaps of cash to spend on racing, and in case you might have missed it, many of them are pulling out of racing and grids around the world from CSBK to MotoGP are shrinking. Racing is expensive and many manufacturers have had to commit marketing resources elsewhere. Nobody is going to give you a free bike, and they’re certainly not going to give you a $25,000 trailer to go along with it; not in this country at least.
Instead, approach manufacturers or your local dealer with a detailed race resume outlining your achievements to date, your future goals, and what you believe you can offer them in terms of added marketing. In some cases, dealers or manufacturers can offer to sell you a motorcycle at a small discount and sometimes, though rarely, they can even offer you terms to pay for the motorcycle toward the end of the season. Some professional and top amateur racers have managed to purchase motorcycles on terms, race them motorcycle all season long and then sell the bike before the terms come due. The risk here of course is that if you wad the thing up mid-season and the bike is a total write-off, the manufacturer or dealer is still going to want their money--- and they don’t accept broken motorcycle parts.
3. I represent my sponsors at the racetrack all season long…surely that’s enough!
Sponsors don’t stop selling product when the racing season is over, and neither should you. Being sponsored takes a lot of time and energy both during the racing season and also during the off-season at motorcycle shows, dealer events and other industry gatherings. Develop a relationship with your sponsor; consider it a part-time job to help them out all year long in order that they will want to work with you again next year.
4. I should only approach motorcycle companies for racing sponsorship.
Motorcycle companies see race resumes come across their desk every day; they don’t always have the resources to sponsor YOU. It takes some more legwork, but try to think outside the box. Energy drink companies, snack food brands, local businesses…they may all have an interest in providing a level of support to your racing program if you can demonstrate that you will give them exposure to a certain target demographic in return. Race series organizers often have statistics on how many fans attend each event, don’t be afraid to ask for that information and using it in part of your sponsorship proposal. Sometimes all it takes is finding a successful company who’s owner loves motorcycles and just wants to help out. No amount is too little, but be sure to give them something back in return through exposure and marketing.
On the topic of marketing and exposure, the internet has made it relatively easy with websites, blogs and social media for athletes to help promote the brands that support them. I’ll address this topic in greater detail next time. In the meantime, you should be polishing up your race resume, thanking your current sponsors and highlighting your plans for next year, and thinking about your 2013 plans and what new sponsors you may wish to start approaching now.
Published in Vicki Schouten
As many of you know, when I’m not riding my motorcycle you can usually find me on my bicycle somewhere. In fact, bicycle racing was my passion long before I got into motorcycle racing, and I attribute my cycling background to contributing to my success on the motorcycle racetrack.
In addition to the obvious fitness benefits, riding a bicycle is also a relatively inexpensive way to hone some of your roadracing skills—primarily balance, fluidity and forward-looking vision.
Balance is the key to controlling any two-wheeled vehicle, whether a motorcycle or a bicycle. Being comfortable on two wheels and knowing how to balance properly will make even the heaviest motorcycle seem relatively lightweight and easy to maneuver. When you’re racing, it’s often not possible to be on the track every day, so riding a bicycle on your days off the racetrack will help reinforce balance and two-wheeled muscle memory.
Fluidity, or keeping fluid, loose and relaxed on a motorcycle is also important for handling and control. Keeping your arms and legs relaxed will allow your body to become an extension of the motorcycles suspension, allowing the motorcycle to move more freely underneath you and maintain better control. If you’re body is too stiff and you’re not relaxed- a flaw often experienced by newer riders, you’ll end up fighting the motorcycle for control and will tire more quickly. Riding a bicycle is a great way to practice keeping relaxed and keeping your arms and legs fluid. A mountain bike is likely the best for this practice, but any bicycle will suffice. The key is to relax your limbs and allow the bicycle to move underneath you as it is designed to do. If you consciously try to practice these skills you may be amazed at how quickly it translates into improved motorcycle handling.
Finally, cycling is also a great way to practice forward-looking vision, or looking ahead to where you want to go. In motorcycle riding or racing, it’s important to always look as far forward as possible, keeping focused on where you want to go. Scanning far ahead allows riders to plan that next turn, plan an upcoming pass or simply avoid a hazard on the road. Novice riders often end up staring at their front wheel or target fixating on an object in front of them. By keeping your head up and your eyes forward, not only will you be able to better plan your next move, but you will also get the sensation of slowing things down to better react. Think about driving in a car at 100km/ hour. When you look directly out the window and onto the ground beside you, the pavement is moving very quickly. However, when you look up at the road ahead, the pavement seems to slow down. The same is true for motorcycle riding. If you don’t have a motorcycle at your disposal each day, cycling provides an excellent opportunity to practice applying these vision exercises.
Whether you’re riding a bicycle on the road or on the trail, or even just using it to commute to work, cycling is a great way to not only stay in shape for motorcycle racing, but also practice some important bike handling skills, not to mention you’ll be in better shape than your fellow competitors!
In addition to the obvious fitness benefits, riding a bicycle is also a relatively inexpensive way to hone some of your roadracing skills—primarily balance, fluidity and forward-looking vision.
Balance is the key to controlling any two-wheeled vehicle, whether a motorcycle or a bicycle. Being comfortable on two wheels and knowing how to balance properly will make even the heaviest motorcycle seem relatively lightweight and easy to maneuver. When you’re racing, it’s often not possible to be on the track every day, so riding a bicycle on your days off the racetrack will help reinforce balance and two-wheeled muscle memory.
Fluidity, or keeping fluid, loose and relaxed on a motorcycle is also important for handling and control. Keeping your arms and legs relaxed will allow your body to become an extension of the motorcycles suspension, allowing the motorcycle to move more freely underneath you and maintain better control. If you’re body is too stiff and you’re not relaxed- a flaw often experienced by newer riders, you’ll end up fighting the motorcycle for control and will tire more quickly. Riding a bicycle is a great way to practice keeping relaxed and keeping your arms and legs fluid. A mountain bike is likely the best for this practice, but any bicycle will suffice. The key is to relax your limbs and allow the bicycle to move underneath you as it is designed to do. If you consciously try to practice these skills you may be amazed at how quickly it translates into improved motorcycle handling.
Finally, cycling is also a great way to practice forward-looking vision, or looking ahead to where you want to go. In motorcycle riding or racing, it’s important to always look as far forward as possible, keeping focused on where you want to go. Scanning far ahead allows riders to plan that next turn, plan an upcoming pass or simply avoid a hazard on the road. Novice riders often end up staring at their front wheel or target fixating on an object in front of them. By keeping your head up and your eyes forward, not only will you be able to better plan your next move, but you will also get the sensation of slowing things down to better react. Think about driving in a car at 100km/ hour. When you look directly out the window and onto the ground beside you, the pavement is moving very quickly. However, when you look up at the road ahead, the pavement seems to slow down. The same is true for motorcycle riding. If you don’t have a motorcycle at your disposal each day, cycling provides an excellent opportunity to practice applying these vision exercises.
Whether you’re riding a bicycle on the road or on the trail, or even just using it to commute to work, cycling is a great way to not only stay in shape for motorcycle racing, but also practice some important bike handling skills, not to mention you’ll be in better shape than your fellow competitors!
Published in Vicki Schouten
A key element of motorcycle racing, which I haven’t really addressed to date, is the importance of knowing your competition. You hear about it all the time in professional sport leagues like the NFL or the NHL, where teams study countless of hours of tape to see not only how their own team is playing, but also how the competition reacts. The same can be held true for motorcycle racing. Whether you’re watching re-runs of the Canadian Superbike series or simply making mental notes about what your competition is doing on the racetrack, understanding your opponent’s riding style may help you up your game in a race situation.
I was recently reminded about the usefulness of this tactical skill on a bicycle ride with some friends. My friend and I were about to go on a one-hour ride that involved a fair amount of climbing, and he just so happened to invite another friend along whom I had never ridden with before. Knowing the one friend was not a strong climber, and taking one look at the new rider—older, not out of shape but not super fit looking—I thought for sure this would be an easy spin. Wrong!
We weren’t 10 minutes into our ride when the new guy started picking up his cadence and climbing at a much quicker pace than I was anticipating. To make matters worse, he also descended quite quickly on the downhill sections, forcing me to pedal hard to keep up. Eventually my friend fell off the pace and it was just the new guy and I, blasting up and down the hills. Determined that I was not going to let this not-so-fit-looking dude beat me, I pedaled hard to keep up. It was not until we stopped at an intersection to wait for our friend that I learned he had been a member of South Australia’s rowing team back in the day. Oops. He might not have been in the best shape of his life, but he had the aerobic base to put a hurt on me on the bicycle; his ego probably also didn’t want him to get beat by a girl! So much for an easy ride in the park!
The point is that had I have known this guy’s background a little better, or if had seen him ride before, I would have a better idea of what to expect and mentally prepare myself for our ride.
When I was racing motorcycles, I was always sure to keep an eye on my competition both on and off the racetrack. Making mental notes about a rider’s qualifying tactics—do they roll out first or wait and try to follow you; about their strengths and weaknesses on the track—are they hard on the brakes or weaker in the corners? Is their bike faster than mine on the straightaway? When and where is a good place to pass them? What line do they like to take in corner X? If you spend enough time racing a given series, you also get to know how other riders’ bikes are working—who typically has set-up challenges and who nails set-up every time. Who’s missing their crew this weekend or is saving their tire money for the next race? All of these tiny details are important factors that can help give you an edge on the competition.
Good crew will also help keep an eye on the competition for you. I can't thank my old mechanic, Jim Brooks, enough for always keep an eye out on what the others riders were doing. "This guy seems to be running strong today," Jim would explain, "and that guy is struggling with set-up coming out of turn two." Every little bit of knowledge helped as we got closer to the green light on Sunday afternoon.
While focusing on your own racing program is still paramount to anything else, it never hurts to keep one eye open for what the competition is doing. It will help you prepare both physically and mentally for your upcoming races, and sometimes knowing your opponents weaknesses might be the difference between finishing on the podium or rolling home in 4thplace.
Always keep your eye on your own racing program first and foremost, but understanding the competition may just give you the extra edge over the next guy.
I was recently reminded about the usefulness of this tactical skill on a bicycle ride with some friends. My friend and I were about to go on a one-hour ride that involved a fair amount of climbing, and he just so happened to invite another friend along whom I had never ridden with before. Knowing the one friend was not a strong climber, and taking one look at the new rider—older, not out of shape but not super fit looking—I thought for sure this would be an easy spin. Wrong!
We weren’t 10 minutes into our ride when the new guy started picking up his cadence and climbing at a much quicker pace than I was anticipating. To make matters worse, he also descended quite quickly on the downhill sections, forcing me to pedal hard to keep up. Eventually my friend fell off the pace and it was just the new guy and I, blasting up and down the hills. Determined that I was not going to let this not-so-fit-looking dude beat me, I pedaled hard to keep up. It was not until we stopped at an intersection to wait for our friend that I learned he had been a member of South Australia’s rowing team back in the day. Oops. He might not have been in the best shape of his life, but he had the aerobic base to put a hurt on me on the bicycle; his ego probably also didn’t want him to get beat by a girl! So much for an easy ride in the park!
The point is that had I have known this guy’s background a little better, or if had seen him ride before, I would have a better idea of what to expect and mentally prepare myself for our ride.
When I was racing motorcycles, I was always sure to keep an eye on my competition both on and off the racetrack. Making mental notes about a rider’s qualifying tactics—do they roll out first or wait and try to follow you; about their strengths and weaknesses on the track—are they hard on the brakes or weaker in the corners? Is their bike faster than mine on the straightaway? When and where is a good place to pass them? What line do they like to take in corner X? If you spend enough time racing a given series, you also get to know how other riders’ bikes are working—who typically has set-up challenges and who nails set-up every time. Who’s missing their crew this weekend or is saving their tire money for the next race? All of these tiny details are important factors that can help give you an edge on the competition.
Good crew will also help keep an eye on the competition for you. I can't thank my old mechanic, Jim Brooks, enough for always keep an eye out on what the others riders were doing. "This guy seems to be running strong today," Jim would explain, "and that guy is struggling with set-up coming out of turn two." Every little bit of knowledge helped as we got closer to the green light on Sunday afternoon.
While focusing on your own racing program is still paramount to anything else, it never hurts to keep one eye open for what the competition is doing. It will help you prepare both physically and mentally for your upcoming races, and sometimes knowing your opponents weaknesses might be the difference between finishing on the podium or rolling home in 4thplace.
Always keep your eye on your own racing program first and foremost, but understanding the competition may just give you the extra edge over the next guy.
Published in Vicki Schouten
My last few blogs have talked about the importance of staying hydrated when you’re riding or racing your motorcycle during our short Canadian summers.
I’ve talked about the importance of drinking plenty of water or perhaps even a sports drink to supply you with the carbohydrates needed to top up glycogen stores and replenish electrolytes.
A discussion about hydration wouldn’t be complete these days without addressing the notion of drinking coconut water as a form of hydration. Coconut water is essentially the clear, nut-flavoured juice that is found inside young coconuts (not to be confused with the actual ‘meat’ of the coconut, which is the white, fleshy substance lining the shell).
Coconut water has gained increased visibility in the last few years as it has been marketed as a healthy sports drink that is fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, ultra-hydrating and super rich in electrolytes. With a price tag of $2-$3 per 400 mL bottle, even companies likeCoca-Cola and Pepsi have jumped on board, backing Zico and O.N.E. brands of coconut water respectively. With slogans like “Naturally Powered” and images of super fit athletes on their websites, who wouldn’t want to jump into the coconut water craze!
Personally, I’m always a little leery of anything that is supported by Coca-Cola or Pepsi. These are the same companies who have been generating billions of dollars pumping soda pop into the stomachs of half the world for decades, the very same solution capable of cleaning my oven. So I should trust these companies to produce a fit and healthy sport drink? Not so much.
Coconut water’s claim to fame is that it’s high in potassium; a standard serving offers 569mg, almost double that of one banana. Potassium acts to regulate blood pressure by counteracting the stimulating effects of sodium. While potassium is great, what athletes and active riders really need on those hot, sunny days is to keep hydrated and get carbohydrates and sodium, which are more important when you’re sweating through your leathers and gear on those hot sunny days. While the Zico brand of coconut water does offer up a reasonable dose of sodium at 160mg for 414 mL serving, it is also quite high in sugar with12g of sugar per 414mL. Not to mention, if you’ve ever tried coconut water, it is most definitely an acquired taste. While some people find it agrees better with their stomach than some sports drinks, I for one did not enjoy the taste.
In short, save your money for race tires or that cool road trip you’ve been planning, skip out on the coconut water in favour of regular old tap water and perhaps a reputable sports drink that has been specially formulated to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes on those hot summer days. If you still want to load up on potassium, eat a banana or two. They’re cheaper, healthier…and they taste better.
I’ve talked about the importance of drinking plenty of water or perhaps even a sports drink to supply you with the carbohydrates needed to top up glycogen stores and replenish electrolytes.
A discussion about hydration wouldn’t be complete these days without addressing the notion of drinking coconut water as a form of hydration. Coconut water is essentially the clear, nut-flavoured juice that is found inside young coconuts (not to be confused with the actual ‘meat’ of the coconut, which is the white, fleshy substance lining the shell).
Coconut water has gained increased visibility in the last few years as it has been marketed as a healthy sports drink that is fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, ultra-hydrating and super rich in electrolytes. With a price tag of $2-$3 per 400 mL bottle, even companies likeCoca-Cola and Pepsi have jumped on board, backing Zico and O.N.E. brands of coconut water respectively. With slogans like “Naturally Powered” and images of super fit athletes on their websites, who wouldn’t want to jump into the coconut water craze!
Personally, I’m always a little leery of anything that is supported by Coca-Cola or Pepsi. These are the same companies who have been generating billions of dollars pumping soda pop into the stomachs of half the world for decades, the very same solution capable of cleaning my oven. So I should trust these companies to produce a fit and healthy sport drink? Not so much.
Coconut water’s claim to fame is that it’s high in potassium; a standard serving offers 569mg, almost double that of one banana. Potassium acts to regulate blood pressure by counteracting the stimulating effects of sodium. While potassium is great, what athletes and active riders really need on those hot, sunny days is to keep hydrated and get carbohydrates and sodium, which are more important when you’re sweating through your leathers and gear on those hot sunny days. While the Zico brand of coconut water does offer up a reasonable dose of sodium at 160mg for 414 mL serving, it is also quite high in sugar with12g of sugar per 414mL. Not to mention, if you’ve ever tried coconut water, it is most definitely an acquired taste. While some people find it agrees better with their stomach than some sports drinks, I for one did not enjoy the taste.In short, save your money for race tires or that cool road trip you’ve been planning, skip out on the coconut water in favour of regular old tap water and perhaps a reputable sports drink that has been specially formulated to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes on those hot summer days. If you still want to load up on potassium, eat a banana or two. They’re cheaper, healthier…and they taste better.
Published in Vicki Schouten
Last time on my blog, I looked at the importance of hydration and consuming plenty of liquids, primarily water, one those hot riding days.
This week, I’ll take a closer look at sport drinks and the role they can play in hydration. While water is an important source of hydration during these hot summer months, sometimes sports drinks can offer an advantage for heavy exercise or racing.
A good sports drink will supply fuel largely in the form of carbohydrates to top up blood sugar/ glycogen stores and delay fatigue. It will also aid in hydration and replenishing electrolytes.
When you’re looking for a sports drink, take a look at the label for ingredients and nutritional information. Ideally, you want to look for sports drinks that are high in carbohydrates (20-30 grams per serving), with little of those grams coming from sugar. In the case of Heed sports drink that I mentioned last week, it comes with 26 grams of carbohydrates per serving, with two grams derived from sugar. Heed also has a healthy amount of sodium (40mg/ serving) and potassium (25mg/ serving) that helps replenish electrolytes. Whether you choose to go with Heed or a similar sports drink, it will be important to remember to read the label before you buy.
When we talk about sports drinks, this should not be confused with the latest wave of Energy Drinks such as Rock Star, Monster Energy and Red Bull whose marketing departments have targeted the extreme sports industry heavily in recent years.
For the most part, while they may one day become a sponsor of yours, these types of energy drinks should not be confused with the sports drinks mentioned above. Sports drinks are generally found in a powder format, must be mixed with water to drink, and are generally found at your local sports nutrition or health food store. Energy drinks are more widely available in gas stations, grocery stores and even your local corner store.
However, energy drinks are very high in sugar content and lack the carbohydrates or other nutrients necessary to aid in the hydration process. A typical 16oz can of Monster Energy contains 54 grams of sugar and no electrolytes. Meanwhile, a 16oz can of Red Bull tops the charts with 62 grams of sugar, with Red Bull coming in at 52 grams of sugar for a 16oz can.
These drinks are often high in caffeine content, and while they might help you stay awake during that long drive home from the racetrack, they will do little to help with your hydration efforts.
There are plenty of sports drinks out there on the market and it will be up to you to decide what combination of nutrients and taste works best for you. When in doubt, continue to drink plenty of water and combine that with some healthy fruits and vegetables and you should get the most out of your riding experience on those hot summer days!
This week, I’ll take a closer look at sport drinks and the role they can play in hydration. While water is an important source of hydration during these hot summer months, sometimes sports drinks can offer an advantage for heavy exercise or racing.
A good sports drink will supply fuel largely in the form of carbohydrates to top up blood sugar/ glycogen stores and delay fatigue. It will also aid in hydration and replenishing electrolytes.
When you’re looking for a sports drink, take a look at the label for ingredients and nutritional information. Ideally, you want to look for sports drinks that are high in carbohydrates (20-30 grams per serving), with little of those grams coming from sugar. In the case of Heed sports drink that I mentioned last week, it comes with 26 grams of carbohydrates per serving, with two grams derived from sugar. Heed also has a healthy amount of sodium (40mg/ serving) and potassium (25mg/ serving) that helps replenish electrolytes. Whether you choose to go with Heed or a similar sports drink, it will be important to remember to read the label before you buy.
I mentioned in my previous blog, other sports drinks such as Cytomax and Gatorade are also popular alternatives, however both have come under criticism for being filled predominantly with sugar. While Cytomax remains a viable option with 22 grams of carbohydrate/ serving, with 12 of those grams coming from sugar, Gatorade’s sugar content is quite high, with 32 grams of carbohydrates, 30 grams of which come from sugar (Gatorade Perform G-Series, Fruit Punch flavor). Gatorade is also quite high in sodium (210mg per serving) vs 40mg/ serving in Heed or 120mg/ serving with Cytomax.
Energy Drinks are not Sports Drinks!When we talk about sports drinks, this should not be confused with the latest wave of Energy Drinks such as Rock Star, Monster Energy and Red Bull whose marketing departments have targeted the extreme sports industry heavily in recent years.
For the most part, while they may one day become a sponsor of yours, these types of energy drinks should not be confused with the sports drinks mentioned above. Sports drinks are generally found in a powder format, must be mixed with water to drink, and are generally found at your local sports nutrition or health food store. Energy drinks are more widely available in gas stations, grocery stores and even your local corner store.
However, energy drinks are very high in sugar content and lack the carbohydrates or other nutrients necessary to aid in the hydration process. A typical 16oz can of Monster Energy contains 54 grams of sugar and no electrolytes. Meanwhile, a 16oz can of Red Bull tops the charts with 62 grams of sugar, with Red Bull coming in at 52 grams of sugar for a 16oz can.
These drinks are often high in caffeine content, and while they might help you stay awake during that long drive home from the racetrack, they will do little to help with your hydration efforts.
There are plenty of sports drinks out there on the market and it will be up to you to decide what combination of nutrients and taste works best for you. When in doubt, continue to drink plenty of water and combine that with some healthy fruits and vegetables and you should get the most out of your riding experience on those hot summer days!
Published in Vicki Schouten
Summer is upon and riding season is in full swing. With any luck, you’re spending your weekends at the racetrack for racing or track days, or maybe you’re just taking your street bike out for a nice long summer ride. With temperatures creeping into the 25C+ range, and a high humidity count, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated on your motorcycle.
Proper hydration may not only affect your performance on the motorcycle while racing, but it can also affect your riding on the street. Failing to consume enough liquids can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion and in extreme cases, heat stroke (also known as sunstroke). In all cases, performance can be affected as well as your judgment on the motorcycle. In extreme cases, medical attention may be required.
To prevent dehydration and some of its nasty side effects, here are a few tips to think about when riding this summer:
Drink Plenty of Water- this should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to remind people the importance of getting plenty of fluids in the heat (Beer and soda don’t count here). When I was racing, I would actually prepare a few bottles of sports drink as well in order to maintain a good balance of electrolytes on those hot summer days. Cytomax and Gatorade are popular forms of sports drinks, however both have been criticized as being filled predominantly with sugars and do little to aid in performance and re-fueling. Lately, I’ve been using Heed Sports drink from the folks at Hammer Nutrition and it seems to be doing the trick. Like many sports drinks, Heed comes in a powder format and you simply add a scoop or two to your water bottle. The powder provides a good balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes and keep you going on those hot summer days. Sometimes sports drinks might make you feel bloated, so it’s always best to supplement them with plain water as well.
Drink Often- everyone has their own idea of what means “drink often”. As a general rule of thumb, you should be drinking before you actually feel thirsty. On really hot days, 1-2 bottles of water an hour is not unusual. One telltale sign that you’re not consuming enough fluids is if your urine is dark yellow. If that’s the case, get drinking!
Wet Your Under Gear -Riding with warm, heavy leathers makes it difficult to remain cool on hot summer days. Consider pouring cold water all over your body, wetting the under gear of your leathers, before going out for a ride or track session. This will help keep your core body temperature down and also help prevent dehydration.
Keep an Eye Out for Salt- If you happen to notice white salt stains coming through on the inside of your leathers, your helmet or on your under gear, then you’re not getting enough water and your performance might be suffering. Salt stains are a sure sign of dehydration. Drinking water and eating salt will help, but by then it’s probably too late and it’s best to try and drink more the next time.
Don’t Be a Hero, Pace Yourself- Too many times I have participated in track days during the summer when riders feel the need to squeeze every dollar out of their day. It’s 4:45pm, you’re hot and tired of sitting around in the sun all day, and yet you have to go out for that one last session to get your money’s worth. More often than not, this is when accidents happen and it will cost you a lot more than 15 minutes of missed track time. If you’re feeling tired, regardless of the heat, sit the last session out and save your tires (and your bike) for the next track day.
Watch for the Following Signs:
If you or your friends aren’t drinking enough water while riding, you might start to notice signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Here are a few things to look out for:
Heat Cramps- if you’re feeling cramps in your stomach, arms or legs then you need water, and you’re not going to feel any better until you get some water into you.
Heat Exhaustion- Ignoring the cramps and/ or continuing to ride and ignoring your body’s need for water, you’re heading into heat exhaustion territory. Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, weakness, sweating or cold sweats, dizziness or fainting. Naturally all of these things will affect your ability to control a motorcycle, so don’t let this happen to you!
Heat Stroke- should not the taken lightly. This goes beyond the simple feelings of being uncomfortable due to the heat. People who suffer from heat stroke might appear confused or incoherent (some may appear intoxicated), they make blank out, their skin may be red, hot and dry and their body temperature may be increased. In extreme cases symptoms will continue to get worse and organs may begin to fail. If you or a friend is experiencing heat stroke, you need to get them out of their leathers and out of the sun as quickly as possible, preferably into an air-conditioned building or vehicle. Get their core temperature down by covering them with cold water and loosen or remove their clothing to allow for more ventilation, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to call for medical help too.
Hopefully you won’t experience heat exhaustion or sunstroke this summer, but the importance of proper hydration should not be taken lightly whether you’re out on the racetrack or enjoying a long Sunday ride with friends.
Follow some simple steps to drinking lots of fluids and making sure you always have lots of water available and you should find your performance on the track or on the street will be greatly improved.
Proper hydration may not only affect your performance on the motorcycle while racing, but it can also affect your riding on the street. Failing to consume enough liquids can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion and in extreme cases, heat stroke (also known as sunstroke). In all cases, performance can be affected as well as your judgment on the motorcycle. In extreme cases, medical attention may be required.
To prevent dehydration and some of its nasty side effects, here are a few tips to think about when riding this summer:
Drink Plenty of Water- this should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to remind people the importance of getting plenty of fluids in the heat (Beer and soda don’t count here). When I was racing, I would actually prepare a few bottles of sports drink as well in order to maintain a good balance of electrolytes on those hot summer days. Cytomax and Gatorade are popular forms of sports drinks, however both have been criticized as being filled predominantly with sugars and do little to aid in performance and re-fueling. Lately, I’ve been using Heed Sports drink from the folks at Hammer Nutrition and it seems to be doing the trick. Like many sports drinks, Heed comes in a powder format and you simply add a scoop or two to your water bottle. The powder provides a good balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes and keep you going on those hot summer days. Sometimes sports drinks might make you feel bloated, so it’s always best to supplement them with plain water as well.
Drink Often- everyone has their own idea of what means “drink often”. As a general rule of thumb, you should be drinking before you actually feel thirsty. On really hot days, 1-2 bottles of water an hour is not unusual. One telltale sign that you’re not consuming enough fluids is if your urine is dark yellow. If that’s the case, get drinking!
Wet Your Under Gear -Riding with warm, heavy leathers makes it difficult to remain cool on hot summer days. Consider pouring cold water all over your body, wetting the under gear of your leathers, before going out for a ride or track session. This will help keep your core body temperature down and also help prevent dehydration.
Keep an Eye Out for Salt- If you happen to notice white salt stains coming through on the inside of your leathers, your helmet or on your under gear, then you’re not getting enough water and your performance might be suffering. Salt stains are a sure sign of dehydration. Drinking water and eating salt will help, but by then it’s probably too late and it’s best to try and drink more the next time.
Don’t Be a Hero, Pace Yourself- Too many times I have participated in track days during the summer when riders feel the need to squeeze every dollar out of their day. It’s 4:45pm, you’re hot and tired of sitting around in the sun all day, and yet you have to go out for that one last session to get your money’s worth. More often than not, this is when accidents happen and it will cost you a lot more than 15 minutes of missed track time. If you’re feeling tired, regardless of the heat, sit the last session out and save your tires (and your bike) for the next track day.
Watch for the Following Signs:
If you or your friends aren’t drinking enough water while riding, you might start to notice signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Here are a few things to look out for:
Heat Cramps- if you’re feeling cramps in your stomach, arms or legs then you need water, and you’re not going to feel any better until you get some water into you.
Heat Exhaustion- Ignoring the cramps and/ or continuing to ride and ignoring your body’s need for water, you’re heading into heat exhaustion territory. Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, weakness, sweating or cold sweats, dizziness or fainting. Naturally all of these things will affect your ability to control a motorcycle, so don’t let this happen to you!
Heat Stroke- should not the taken lightly. This goes beyond the simple feelings of being uncomfortable due to the heat. People who suffer from heat stroke might appear confused or incoherent (some may appear intoxicated), they make blank out, their skin may be red, hot and dry and their body temperature may be increased. In extreme cases symptoms will continue to get worse and organs may begin to fail. If you or a friend is experiencing heat stroke, you need to get them out of their leathers and out of the sun as quickly as possible, preferably into an air-conditioned building or vehicle. Get their core temperature down by covering them with cold water and loosen or remove their clothing to allow for more ventilation, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to call for medical help too.
Hopefully you won’t experience heat exhaustion or sunstroke this summer, but the importance of proper hydration should not be taken lightly whether you’re out on the racetrack or enjoying a long Sunday ride with friends.
Follow some simple steps to drinking lots of fluids and making sure you always have lots of water available and you should find your performance on the track or on the street will be greatly improved.
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