went to the "make your own wine and beer" store, and bought a bag of maltodextrin for about $2.00. i put in in my water (it's totally flavorless) and never have a problem cramping. rode monacrch crest this weekend, my legs felt fine the whole time, and afterward as well. maltodextrin is where it's at.

i assume you all know about this or do it, but in case you are unaware of it, try it out and see if it works for you.

why dont you just eat normal food ?

It works well for me - but not for everybody

Pablo - I'm jealous of Fruita - I love the edge loop, probably one of my top five favorite rides

next time you are in town, let me know, i'll buy you a beer, you can crash at my place, etc etc. seriously.

i do eat normal food, when i'm not riding more than 4 hours at a time. when i ride so long, i dont' feel like eating, and i am always drinking, so it works. instead of cytomax or the other recovery/sports drinks, which have maltodextrin as a large part, i just make my own, without the sugar and other stuff in it.

You'll rot your teeth out.

Try mixing in some protein powder for the over 4hr stuff.

so maltrodextrin is a complex sugar. It won't help with recovery but will supply you with energy. Although it's a slower acting sugar than refined sugar so it is less likely to cause a sugar spike and crash. However, for recovery, one needs protein, preferrably an easy to digest protein, within something like 15 min. Of finishing a hard ride.

As mentioned, for longer rides, protein is also good for longer rides. Check out hammer nutrition for some more details. Also look at the ingredients for it's different products for endurance versus energy stuff.