What to Carry on Ironman Bike

I plan to carry the following at outlaw, what do other people use, have i missed anything?-

In bottle storage behind seat

2 x Co2 canister

1 x Co2 pump

1/2 x spare tubes

3 x tyre levers

1x multi tool



On Bike

1 x bottle on frame with gels / water - mixed 15 gels / water

1 x profile bottle between bars to top up with water / energy drink from aid stations



On person

2 x energy bars

Comments

  • I had:

    LH bottle behind seat:2 tubes
    2 levers
    multitool
    patches
    small pump taped to outside

    RH bottle behind seat:
    Water in manky old bottle - ditched at first feed station and swapped for Hi5

    Speedfil:

    ~1.5l of Hi5

    Bento:2 200kcal musli bars cut in to 4 (or 2?)
    as many gels as I could cram in

    Taped to bike:
    Rest of the gels to last 7hrs.

    You might want a bottle of water for the first 30 minutes or so, to get settled after the swim.

  • Thanks Cat



    May consider one of the two bottle holders for behind the seat to carry some water. I was thinking i could put water in the aero drink holder and top it up with energy stuff as i go along. hmmmm anything else?
  • The only other thing I carry that you haven't listed is a US dollar bill
  • Last IM:

    On bike: One bottle holder, mounted on stem between my arms. Filled with water + electrolyte to start but swapped as required for either water or Hi5 at the aid stations.

     

    In pocket: Tool kit in single pouch to hold it all together and a spare tub. Enough gels to account for missing 1/2 the provided gels at aid stations. At later stations I didn't stop for gels as I'd got enough.

     

    What would I change? Not a lot, but I'd put more electrolytes in - am considering saltstick...

  • Would Hi5 tabs in the water bottle cover the electrolytes or would salt tabs be a better option

     

  • Hi5 or Nuun tabs will cover the electrolytes - you only need salt tabs if it's very hot and humid which is unlikely to happen in the UK!  (or you're a very heavy sweater...)

    I'd also ditch the multitool as you're unlikley to need it if the bike's been set up properly

  • Thanks FB 

    I notice Cat says he takes patches, i would plan to take tubes or maybe 1 tube and some patches. What are patched like on race day, i've only ever used the type that require glueing and i wasn't that sucsessfull.

    Bike was fitted, and i'll plan to have it once overed weekend before, so I will prob leave the multitool out.

    With the tabs, one tab does 500ml i think, would i need to put one of these in each time i fill the bottle, I guess about 1 an hour?

     

  • I also take some gingerbread or malt loaf slices. Ginger is an anti-emetic so very good against sickness.

  • +1 for tunes, I normally have two in a jersey pocket, just in case.  Wouldn't bother with patches.  Multi tool, just a basic one for me, again, just in case something comes loose.

     

    I also carry a small packet of mints.  Nice to have a different taste every now and then, especially after the swim.

  • Yes definatly think I'll stick with tubes, i've been having homemade flapjack for part of my nutrition but i didn't really want to add the bento box on the tri bike, was thinking some bars would go in my jersey okay.

  • Tired Badger wrote (see)

    Would Hi5 tabs in the water bottle cover the electrolytes or would salt tabs be a better option

     

    Just as I have experience of this personally - I'm a very salty sweater... I get crusty quickly!! To that end I take effervescent salt tabs with much more salt in them. My only reservation about this during the race is that putting them into my water will be difficult! (Hence considering the saltstick as a supplement over which I have more control). 

    It may well be that you don't struggle with this at all, but it's worth being aware that Hi5 Zero tabs are one of the lowest electrolyte contents for a specific product. That doesn't mean they are *bad*... just worth considering.

  • I also take some of the preglued patches just in case - they take up very little space and whilst they're not quite as good as a the DIY ones, they're good enough in an emergency.

    fwiw - I gave up using solid foods on my last few IM bike legs and just stuck to fuel and gels (with the occasional banana collected at an aid station) as I was finding I'd get off the bike with an undigested mass in my stomach which would feel uncomfy for the run. 

  • fat buddha wrote (see)

    fwiw - I gave up using solid foods on my last few IM bike legs and just stuck to fuel and gels (with the occasional banana collected at an aid station) as I was finding I'd get off the bike with an undigested mass in my stomach which would feel uncomfy for the run. 


    I had a real issue with this lately on longer rides - I'm going to switch back to just gels and nanas to see how I get on. Haven't used the powerbar gels and need to get used to them as I presume they will be the official gel of IMCH.

  • food.......got to have food on me.....

  • A piece of old toothpaste tube just in case a tyres blows out, weigh nothing but has saved me on a sportive before.

  • 2012 Outlaw

    Fuel/Fluids -

    Soreen; can't remember how much I had, but I carried it in a custom made bento box thing on the top tube.  I think I had a peice every 20 minutes.
    Dextro Energy Tablets; again don't know how many, taped in fours to the top tube.
    On my tri bars I had a marked 500ml bottle full of diluted gels, can't remember how many, but I didin't drink half of them.

    Two frame bottle cages; Started with 2x 500ml bottles of High 5, finished one bottle before first aid station and picked up a new one. Followed that "finish/replace" plan for the duration. The second bottle was a spare just incase I missed one and was used eventually, so I picked up two bottles at one station quite late on . I only picked up drinks at the aid stations, no foods.

    Under my seat in a saddlebag I had; 1 tube, patches, glue, levers, multi tool and a chain splitter. Then strapped to the oustide I had 3 more tubes and a lightweight jacket.  I had a pretty big pump as well (topeak roadmorph).

    I was trying to cover all eventualities and thought it was better to have something and not use it, than not have it and need it. a couple of minutes lost due to weight is better than a DNF due to getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with no support.

    Anyway I made it round uneventfully and even with a belly full of malt loaf still felt good on the run.

  • That's what I use the dollar bill for FF
  • Cable ties ... you can never have enough of them  image

  • thanks for responses, i think my only doubt is whether to take a bento box with food in or to rely on gel bottle and gels from stations
  • I used a bento with food in, I would recommend it, it's nice too have some actual food on the day as it is a long day after all!
  • definitely need food on the bike as its hard to take on stuff on the run

  • Yeah bento box is a good idea.
  • 15 gels!!   i got round with 4 special K bars, 2 or 3 gels and 2 bottles of hi 5. 

     

    Ah....... thats why i couldnt run the whole mara image

    or maybe it was the pre race alcohol consumption

    or the fact that i didnt train enough

     

    - more of the same this year though, it gives me a nice feeling of 'will I, wont I, be able to complete it'

     

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