CanadianBiker32

Would I be ok doing this for a 100 mile Mountain bike race. regarding personal hydration.

I am doing 100 mile mt bike race soon.

there will be 5 aid stations around 25 mile marks or so along the course.

I am taking a Camel bak with water in it and one large water bottle that i will fill with Gatorade (sports drink) would this be enough or too much.
as i want to keep bike weight down. and not have too much with me, just bare min. and rely in refills at the aid stations?

Should i carry more or less?
thanks

unterhausen

I have done pretty well with gatorade in the past, but now it makes me sick. I'm not sure one water bottle with it in there would be enough for 25 miles for me, particularly after 50 miles. Not sure how that translates from the road to mountain.

I'm guessing that the camelback should get you through on water

Humenbean

Or just get two water bottles. Some people don't do well with packs, like myself. I can ride 40 miles without a pack and get leg tired, riding with a pack of any kind and I'm irritated after 15.

hockeyteeth

I have done a few 8 and 12 hour mtb races where you did the same 12-15 mile loop repeatedly. During any length of mtb race I have found that I was too focused on riding fast to drink much from the bottle during laps. In an endurance race I only carry one bottle on the bike and gulp down most of a bottle when I get to my pit area and trade for another full bottle to carry on the bike. And this is in the heat of the Florida summer. I usually use an electrolyte replacement tablet added to my water bottles to keep the cramps to a minimum. I also eat lots of bananas and a few gel packs throughout the race.

Assuming you are in good riding shape and well-accustomed to riding long distances, I think you would be more than adequate to carry a small CamelBak and one water bottle, although I would not personally drink Gatorade while riding because it doesn't sit well in my stomach. Good luck! I'm sure you'll have a good time. Endurance mtb races are a blast. Just don't give up when you're about 2/3 finished and every part of your body is telling you to quit!

StephenH

We don't know how fat you are, how hilly/rough the course is, how hot it is or really much of anything else. You could be out there for 12 hours and go through 3 gallons, you know? I've found that doing the exact same thing as other people at the same speed, I could go through twice the liquid of more fit people, so even if you knew what other people used on that course, it would be of limited help. (And personally, I can go through a 100 oz Camelbak and 2- 24 oz bottles in 30-40 miles on a hot day. On the road.)

unterhausen

I was in really good shape at the end of August last year, and I still went through 2 large water bottles in 15 miles on the road when it was really hot. That experience makes me feel foolish not carrying a hydration pack

Richard Cranium

As soon as you start a thread using a false premise - nothing but false suppositions follow. In this case - the "question" supposes that "100 mile" or MTB race - is all the info need to offer additional misinformation on the subject.

To be successful at anything that involves great physical effort - the body requires "training." The answer to this post could be found by recalling what the thread starter did during his previous workouts.

How or why anyone would believe they can answer questions like this - at least accurately - is a mystery to me.

I just got back from "bushwhacking" in the BIg Horn Mountain wilderness - how much water do i need for averaging 2 miles per hour in the back country brush?

max-a-mill

i gotta agree a little with richard's tough lover here.

you don't know how much you drink in 25 mile segments of mountainbiking that resemble those on the race course?

the fast guys will only stop once every other stop or so for a couple bottles and finish in 6-8 hours. some will drain a whole camelback between each stop and finish in 13 hours if that is allowed. you need to figure out where you sit in that spectrum through trial and error. i would err on the side of too much water if your still new to this.

but realistically in a supported race you'll never be too far from help if you do make a mistake so there is that to consider maybe as well.