Even if you think you know everything about biking techniques, dangers, mountain biking, cycling locations hazards and so on, there is still one very important factor. That said factor is drinking water. Yes, it sounds very simple, but if you ignore this golden rule, you are just asking for trouble directly.

This is because more than half of our brain, body and muscles are composed of water, especially blood that is 90 percent water. Water is simply the major factor that determines cycling performance. This means you have to keep hydrated at all times.

Of course, you always hear the experts say drink 8 glasses of water per day, that is around 64 ounces of water. However, this generalization is too general. We cyclists must drink plenty and much more. In short, we are drinking machines! In fact, the bicycle itself is a human machine.

Just a 3 percent of dehydration will cause a severe impact on performance. It can even reduce recovery after your strenuous cycling session. This is also true for other types of sports, especially during hot weather days.

The rule of thumb is to never wait until you feel thirsty. When you play the waiting game, experts will always tell you that it is too late. This is because when you feel thirsty, your body weight has dropped about 1 percent due to dehydration. The real problem starts if you keep letting you body weight drop until it reaches the 5 percent dehydration level. Your health is then at danger.

At this rate, you will symptoms that include nausea, headache, strength loss and your body's ability to regulate temperature properly.

How to avoid the dehydration problem then?

You should always drink up to 24 ounces of water few hours before you even start your ride. Drink up more if you think if it is a long distance ride. This is the relative amount of water before starting your cycling session.

As for the beginning of your ride (20 to 30 minutes before your ride), begin to drink as much as 16 ounces.

During your ride, you should drink water constantly. More accurately, take regular sips of water during the entire ride. A good guideline is to drink a 16 ounce water bottle every 45 minutes to an hour in the hot weather.

Evidently, you will stop by during your rides. When you take notice of your pee color, it is an indication of your hydration level. Your urine will be clear if you are hydrated well. Dark or yellowish urine will indicate you are not properly hydrated. However, if you have been taking some vitamins, this might also cause your urine to go dark in color. Overall, this might not give you a 100 percent answer but is a good guideline.

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