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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Hydration


Keeping hydrated is the single most important thing you can do to maintain your stamina while riding so be sure to continuously drink both water and sports drinks as you're riding. Do not wait until you feel thirsty to drink liquids, drink before you feel thirsty. If you feel a thirst sensation, you are already becoming dehydrated. As you sweat your body loses essential minerals that sports drinks replace. Do not drink only water!

Urination is one of the primary ways to tell if you are dehydrated. You should be urinating regularly during the ride, and your urine should be the color of pale lemonade. If you are not urinating regularly or if your urine is a dark color, you are becoming dehydrated.

Personal Water Supply
It will be very hot while you're riding and you drink a LOT of water. It is very important that you do not run out of water on the road. We strongly recommend carrying as much water with you on the road as you can.

At the bare minimum, carry at least two water bottles with you on your bike, ideally the larger 28 oz. ones, and/or a Camelback. Do not just carry one water bottle – you will definitely run out of water. We will not dispatch a SAG vehicle to your location on the road simply because you run out of water except in an emergency situation. If you lose a water bottle on the road we will have water bottles for sale at every rest stop.

We recommend carrying sports drink in one water bottle and plain water in the other. That way if you get something in your eye while riding or need to wash something off yourself will have plain water available instead of just sports drink. This will also prevent you from accidentally squirt sports drink in your eye if you forget what is in your water bottle (yes, this has happened before to the ride director and it really sucks).

Drinking Alcohol on the Road
Drinking alcohol on the road, such as stopping at bars to do so, is not only completely unnecessary but also very dangerous and will never be supported for any reason.

If you drink alcohol on the road we will deny you all event services from that point forward and you will be completely on your own with absolutely no exceptions.

If you want to drink alcohol, please wait until after you've safely arrived at the next stopping town/ending point. Heck, after the day is done we'll probably enjoy a beer or three with you!

P.O. Box 8454 • Chicago, IL 60680 • (877) TOUR-ILL [868-7455]
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