Survival Gear

Hey party people. Thought I'd share with ya some of Dirt Girl's dirty little secrets. 

Want your butt to survive long rides? ASSOS! End of story. Yes, it's expensive. But so is a $120 pair of shorts but you won't buy those, so get the ASSOS. Nerd Boy and I went on a hut to hut trip several years ago and after day two sitting on the saddle each morning was a test of will. We didn't have the ASSOS then. Once we started using that stuff, we knew that trip would have been way better and we've been using it ever since. Try it. I wouldn't lie to ya. Trek Store carries it.

Want your cycling clothes to survive years of your stink and sweat? Penguin Sport Wash. We've been using it for years and it's great. It's concentrated so you'll only need a capful for a full load. Never be the stinky rider in the group. This stuff kills all the smells plus it doesn't clog the fibers of your high performance gear so that they perform like they're supposed to. I've found it locally at Bakers.

Want to survive long, chilly rides? WOOL! From October til about now, I've used the same wool jersey and the same wool underlayer and I think I've only washed it twice a month. This stuff is a miracle fabric. And it's so well made now that it doesn't itch. It's power to pull sweat from your skin and wick it away yet keep you warm blows my mind. And even after a sweaty ride, it will seem as if you did nothing at all the next day. Dirt Girl is down with the Ice Breaker brand but there are many others out there. 

Wanna survive long rides w/o losing electrolytes? Dirt Girl has a senstive stomach so she has to use a pretty mild additive to her water. She uses Vitalyte. It was invented by a marathon runner and it tastes great. I use it in my camelback when I race or when I'm traveling and riding. It's low on the calories so you may need something else for calories but as far as electrolytes, this is good stuff and it's cheap. $12 a canister. You can't get it locally. 

The other performance additive Dirt Girl uses is Sport Legs. These little pills give me that extra push by staving off the lactic burn so I can ride longer. It also eases my recovery. Give 'em a try. 

Hope this has helped. Now go out and ride.

miago!