May is Motorcycle Awareness Month for Georgia. 
This is a benefit for those of us who ride. The motorcycle awareness campaign is geared towards motorist. This is great, but we must make sure we are in our best condition and aware of our own alertness.
When we ride in the warmer, sunny weather we need to remember to remain hydrated. What we drink, what we wear, and how much wind time, will have a direct affect on our hydration.
Many of our rides will start mid morning often following a breakfast meeting. If you are like me coffee is a given. Well, coffee is a diuretic and for me, coffee warrants a glass of water.
If during our ride we stop for lunch, and you are in the south, Sweet Tea is a probability or even a beer. I partake of both these beverages and truly enjoy them. The thing to remember is they are both diuretics. Again a glass of water is warranted.
These three popular beverages are great. I partake of them all. I just suggest that we remember what we drink does not always hydrate us equally.
This past Sunday my wife and I went for a ride. We were discussing what to wear,
We always wear boots over the ankle, jeans, helmets, and gloves. Whether we wear long sleeves or shot sleeve shirts depends on if we wear our jackets or vests. I know that the correct answer is to wear the jacket but being real, sometimes I choose just to wear long sleeves. A slab ride or one in traffic the jacket is a no brainer. On a weekend country roads ride, I often choose long sleeves. The long sleeves will protect me from too much sun exposure, but it also helps to keep me more hydrated. The jackets today are designed to allow some ventilation and they help to keep us from becoming dehydrated. 
The next consideration is the time in the wind. The more wind the more likely we are to become dehydrated. When I take that second and definitely that third stop I choose a bottle of water or even an exercise drink – drinks like Gatorade or PowerAde. These are designed to replace the nutrients that we sweat out during exercise. We may not sweat while riding, but make no mistake wind flowing over your skin is just as dehydrating.
So Drink Up, Ride a lot, and enjoy the wind!
Moto-Tec Tim