This is a guest post by Chelsea Smith at Cycling Hacker.

Cycling is a great outdoor excursion that can be enjoyed wherever you are to wind up your day or even exercise your body. After you are done cycling, it is only natural to quench your thirst and rejuvenate yourself. The best drink you can take, in my opinion, is beer. 

Beer is a great choice for many cyclists because it re-energizes them to do other activities post-ride. With the usual side effects averred, you might feel that it is counterintuitive to drink beer as a cyclist, but there are a surprising amount of benefits. Read on to learn more about drinking beer and cycling.

1. To Hydrate Your Body          

The best drink you can take to hydrate yourself is not a protein shake or water but beer. It might seem a berserk suggestion, but it hydrates better than water or any other drink. Beer rejuvenates your body quickly, too, and it re-energizes it if you want to cycle long distances. 

2. It’s Sociable for Cyclists to Drink Beer

Expert cyclists will always want to meet at breweries before and after cycling. It is a social activity to drink beer after riding while catching up with your fellow cyclists. It also allows you to relax and create bonds with other cyclists as you throw back a brew.

3. It Helps Your Muscles Recover

Stretching and flexing in all ways when cycling at lengthy distances is crucial for your body. When you feel tired, and your muscles are hurting, you can drink a beer to relax your muscles. Beer in unison with cooling down exercises can even mitigate muscle injuries. It also increases your body’s muscle tone and bone strength to help you cycle better and longer. 

4. Beer Surprisingly Has Several Health Benefits

If you’re new to the Work For Your Beer community, you might not be aware of all of the health benefits that drinking a beer has. As a cyclist, stronger bones, a healthier heart, and extra antioxidants are not a bad thing!

5. It Is A Great Reward for Post-Cycling

Reward yourself with a beer to motivate yourself. Plan a ride to a nearby brewery to lubricate your body. Nothing tastes better than cold beer when you are sweaty, overheated, and tired. Besides, research recently shows that beer doesn’t dehydrate your body but rather rejuvenates it, so you needn’t worry if you are going for a race. 

6. Cyclists Could Drink Beer During Tour de France

Amazingly cyclists started drinking beer way before. In the 1900s, cyclists that participated in the Tour de France would usually drink beer before, during, and after the race. They’d take champagne, wine, and beer to make the experience enjoyable while reducing the fatigue they experienced. For instance, in the 17th stage of the famous 1935 Tour, almost the whole peloton had taken a break to quench their thirst with some locals. The winner by then, Julien Moineau, didn’t stop throughout the entire race and won by several minutes. Later it was discovered that he and his allies had impromptu beer breaks. So, if the expert cyclists grabbed a beer, you should, too! Who knows, you could even win a race. (Just make sure you don’t drink too much before riding… Always be mindful of how much you are consuming.)

7. Beer Supports Local Biking Communities

Biking and beers go hand in hand. Even local breweries have noticed this. Some breweries actively support cycling events as well as biking advocacy organizations. Please support your local breweries by consuming their products. You could find a new great beer that could render the place enjoyable and make it worth an experience. Breweries also enjoy sponsoring race teams, so you can rock a brewery-branded kit during your next race.

Now that we’ve convinced you to snag a beer after your next ride, check out some additional resources on Cycling Hacker to give you in-depth insight into the world of cycling. Good luck with your cycling adventures, and cheers to your next great ride!

About the author: Chelsea Smith is the editor and content creator at Cycling Hacker. She’s crazy about all things cycling and spends most weekends exploring mountain biking trails in her home state of Utah.