Summer has Switzerland fully in its grip, the trails are dry as dust - and the temperatures above 30 degrees don't leave your body unscathed. Here are some good tips on how to have fun on the trails despite the heat.

When it's hot, there's only one motto for the body: sweat. This fluid, which escapes through the pores, cools very efficiently. But this fluid needs to be topped up. So it's best to take a good sip before the start - and drink on the tour before the thirst sets in. As minerals are lost through sweat, you should also replenish them. Diluted apple spritzer, for example, is a great way to do this.

2. plan for recharging

In moderate temperatures, you can usually get by with one bladderful of water. If the thermometer rises well above the 30-degree mark, your exhausted body will demand a liter of fluid. On long tours, you should include in your planning where you can fill up with water, for example at a fountain or in a restaurant.

3. immersion

To protect yourself from overheating, the following can work wonders: stand under a cold shower before the tour, including your cycling clothes, wet yourself with a garden hose or hold your head (carefully and slowly) in the village fountain. There are even cooling vests that keep the body at a lower operating temperature.

4. apply cream

If you're out and about in the summer heat, you need good sun protection. This should be in the form of sun cream that is sweat-resistant. In the case of veritable sweat orgies, it is also advisable to top up with sun cream on the tour.

5. Plan the best time and best route

If you can plan your time, it's a good idea to hit the trails early in the morning or after 8 pm. Temperatures are more bearable then than at midday and - depending on the region - ozone levels are also significantly lower. For mountain bikers, it's obvious: a tour in the shady forest is the cooler option than a ride on a trail that is openly exposed on a south-facing slope.

6. enjoy it

Your head is almost bursting with heat, the bidon is empty and the thirst is almost unbearable? That's exhausting - but biking in winter is even more exhausting and far less enjoyable. When you have to put on countless clothes and then your fingers and toes get clammy. In summer, it's enough to put on shoes, trousers, jersey, gloves, goggles and helmet - it's unbeatably easy.