Originally Posted by Brian Ratliff

1+

Classic bonk. You rode too hard. Instead of tea, you should have had Coke (great stuff) and a gel if you had one; then back off on the way back home. You might have been dehydrated as well, but that is probably secondary (there is no such think as a "bonk" from dehydration; it's a sugar thing, not a fluids thing). Depending on the winds, 18-20 in "heavy winds" is not a pace to sneeze at. You seem like the type of person who doesn't listen to their body. Listen to your body. That's how you prevent a bonk. It also prevents knee injuries and a whole host of issues that people on this forum complain about.

There is no magic button you can push to hold your friend's pace and not bonk. Training is your friend and only by increasing your fitness will you avoid this problem. This is a season (or off-season) long endeavor; not something that will happen overnight. There is no magic in anything you drink on the ride either. If you were burning through carbohydrate fast enough to bonk on a 1.5 hour ride, no amount of anything you drink will keep you topped off. You have to train your body to utilize fat energy and save your carb stores for shorter, more intense, efforts. You drink coke to get a temporary high from the sugar and caffeine so you can get yourself home. It's not a true fix.

BTW, it will take more than one day to recover from a bonk. Take it easy for a few days until you feel stronger.