Training & Nutrition - Is water enough

Gday all I ride 60klm a day 6 days a week. I was just wondering is water enough or should i take along some powerade, normaly i feel great but today 1hr 20 min into my ride i started to feel real sick and no energy. so any advice would be great
cheers
graham

for me anything more than 1.5 hrs i need atleast a gel. for 2 hrs plus i take cliff bars and eat 1/2 at 45 min then a gel about 1.5 hrs then the remainder of the cliff bar somewhere about 2.25 hrs. anything around 4 hrs i still need some solid food so i stop at a store and pick up something like a little cake. something with carbs. and continue the gels. i also carry 1 bottle of h20 and 1 bottle of endurox and fill them as needed with more.
carbs rule anything less hurts me.

...i started to feel real sick and no energy.
could be lack of calories. Could be electrolyte depletion. Could be something else.

I recommend getting some 'lytes -- sodium, potassium, magnesium -- with your fuel and fluid.

If I'm riding <2 hrs, I'll eat a banana and/or drink V8 before riding and then only need water during a ride. OJ is good, but most people don't like the acid.

Yea always carry a gel or two even if it is only for an hour ride or so that way if you happen to bonk you have something there that will get you going again quickly.

... I was just wondering is water enough or should i take along some powerade, normaly i feel great but today 1hr 20 min into my ride i started to feel real sick and no energy. so any advice would be great
cheers
graham

Hey graham58. I recently read an article on hydration by Dr. Wes Prince, who evidently is also an avid cyclist:

http://www.bgcycling.org/outspoken/2004/v2004401.html

Especially with it being summer for you down in Oz, some of his points might might apply. Cheers!

- RJ