Spots Drink options

Sports drink even image

 

I am trying to figure out the whole sports drink thing. I don't want to rely on the feed station to supply me at least for  most of the route. I thought one option would be to use sports drink pills and a quick fill bottle but I cant find any with calories in does any one have any suggestions?

I have thought about making up a concentrate from the powder and adding that to my quick fill with each top up of water? But I would need to add another bottle rack to the bike. What would be  suggestion on the best way to do this?

Also I would really like to keep weight down to a minimum.

 

Thanks

Comments

  • What race ?



    Why not use what they provide ?



    How many bottles are you carrying ?



    Lots of people use a speed fill or aero bottles on the bars and a bottle on the frame filled with gels
  • GavoGavo ✭✭✭

    None of the ones that I've used have many calories in them but I use them as an easy way to get another sports drink & get my calories from energy bars.  They're a lot easier than carrying around little bags of powder & obviously easier to add to your bottle.

  • Dave, currently just the speedfiul and a bottle on ny seat tube.

    Race is IM Wales and I though it was better to be as self-reliant as possible?

  • Fill the bottle on your seat tube with gels, empty them out and mark the bottle to show each one, that way all you need is to top up the speed fill from the drinks stations



    That's what Rosey does I'm told
  • Duda you want to be carrying as little weight as possible round that course ... keep one may be two bottles and aim to finish one before replenishing at the next water station .. keep one in case you run short
    Have a back up by all means but the aid stations are there for you

  • M....eldy, thanks that is good advice.

  • very good advice.you don't want to be carrying extra weight up those hills......i use isogels and have those in the bottle on the tribars.3 glugs equals one gel..can hold up to 14  60nl isogels......

    I then use my other drinks bottle and alternate water and energy drink from the feed stations......

  • Seren, I don't think I could get away with one bottle between feed stations. But other than that I am going to use this advice.

     

     

  • i think two is better...but my frame only fits one..........i do have some spare capacity on my tribars as its a double drinks bottle so have another 400ml there

     

  • For Wales last year, i carried one bottle of water and my gels in my other, it wasn't hot so didn't need two bottles of fluid.

    Just be careful, i remember Madlot threw his gel bottle away at the first feedstation of the Outlaw a few years back after getting carried away.

  • i assume this only works with the liquid iso gels - not the usual ones - i imagine that would be a nightmare to empty out.

    Hadnt thought of that as an alternative way of carrying gels. i normally struggle to open the little buggers on the bike with sweaty hands.

  • I put 10 - 12 gels in a 500ml waterbottle, and add some water to make them liquid.

    use the same flavour - make sure its one you like.

    You may have to try another flavour on the next IM you do.

    The 10-12 gelsnassume one every 20 mins and something solid on the hour, (0:20 - gel. 0:40 gel, 1:00 solid food, 1:20 gel and repeat.

    You need less gels if you eat less on the bike image

    I store this between the aerobars (in a bottle cage) and have 2 bottles behind the saddle - one for sports drink, one water - I swap one every aid station......

    make sure the bottle does not fall out on the first bumpy sharp corner, (puerto calero in Lanza for me)

    don't chuck the gel bottle at the feed station - it gets a bit embarising having to stop and retrieve it from a 6 year old collecting bottles to keep, (he was unhappy as I grabbed it back) - Teguise - same race image

    image

     

  • Thanks OC, just to clarify. you alternate between swapping water and sports drink bottles?

    And do you get your solid food from the aid stations or carry that with you?

    I  am guessing that our bike split will be a bit quicker than mine so I may well go with a larger bottle with a few extra gels in . image

  • replace which ever one is empty...

    I drink water for the first 20 mins, so swap that one at the first aid station, sports drink at the next.

    If you run out of both - swap both image

    I carry 4 hot cross buns and supplement with as many banana halves as I can grab.  Malt loaf, sandwiches, or sports bars if you are desperate also work.  

    just try it out on your long rides first.

    You can always grab a few extra gels along the way if you need to.....

     

  • what if its not Easter time and you struggle to get Hot Cross Buns from the shops OC??? will any sweet current/raisin/sultana bun work??????

  • Cona wrote (see)

    what if its not Easter time and you struggle to get Hot Cross Buns from the shops OC??? will any sweet current/raisin/sultana bun work??????

    You could always go and get Tesco's Value Range  blessed by your local Priest and see if that works ?

  • tescos Finest hot cross buns are sold at my local crappy tescos all year - they are the best thing in the shop!

     

  • Confession time, in a moment of distraction during a very hot event I squirted my gel:water mix over me to cool me down, thought it was just water. Means I wasted my nutrition for the bike and had to waste water to try to wash it off.



    Arrived in T2 in a sticky mess with grit and dead flies stuck to me. Still got dried gel on my bike.
  • whenever i see dried gel on my bike it makes me consider what it does to the inside of me!

  • Im experimenting with Warburton Sandwich thins with peanut butter and jam or lemon curd in. They are perfect cycle jersey pocket size and flat. So these are my on the hour solids plus gels.

    You should also have the option of a special needs bag to drop in emergency supplies in case you drop or wash yourself in what you start with.

    As I sweat buckets i have three 500m bottles - one on frame and double on saddle - for water, electrolyte and sports drink. I can always chuck a water before a hill if required.

  • RS I do like their white GF sandwich thins - they're yummy pity I dont like the rest of their bread - almond butter nom image

  • Warburton sandwich thin with marmite was my half-way treat at Outlaw the other year. It was the best thing I've ever tasted and a very welcome change from the sweetness of gels, sports drinks and the assorted energy bars etc I usually use. image

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