Hi folks--
I'm a type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic and I'm trying to add to my distance. Earlier this week, I rode 36 miles after work. After about 2 hours, I felt all my energy drain and I was almost instantly exhausted. I'm new to riding, but I'm guessing this is *BONKing*, right? I didn't have a blood sugar meter with me, so I don't know what my sugar was. I do, however; always carry glucose tablets and I was able to recover and finish my ride.

This weekend, I rode my first 50 mile ride and ate one or two glucose tables (4mg carb each) every hour or so, just to keep some sugar in my system. I also ate a couple of apples throughout the ride. I also stopped every so often and checked my blood sugar. It stayed within reasonable limits throughout the whole ride. Oh, also worth mentioning that I use the insulin pump and I left it in the truck for the whole ride.

So my questions:
1. Are there any type 1 diabetics who have found good/better techniques for keeping sugars stable during longer rides?

2. Are glucose tablets better/worse than the gels, energy drinks, etc. that are routinely mentioned in the cycling forums?

Thanks in advance.
Dewbert