gazelle5333

I finally purchased cages for my bike and ditched the mtn biking camelbak. I was just carrying water for the most part but last week I started carrying 1 bottle of water and one of gatorade. I tend to go through the gatorade bottle much faster than the water one...partly b/c it's easier to reach on the downtube instead of the seattube, and partly b/c I tend to feel stronger when I'm drinking it. I don't know if it's mental or actually helping.

What do you carry on your rides and when do you drink what?

If it helps, I'm 5'10" 135lbs, and generally ride through lots of rolling hills (3-5%) for 25-50 miles depending on the day, how much time I have, and which route I take.

deep_sky

I carry one bottle of water-only, which gets refilled on the route as needed. The second bottle is cytomax, which unless I am doing 100k or greater, generally doesn't need a refill as I also supplement with endurolytes to keep the electrolytes high. I sweat a lot, and electrolytes seem to be first on the train, so I have to do a lot of replacing.

botto 

i like H2O.

AEO

I like to have one of each.
but if there's only room for one, water.

Nachoman

Most of my rides are one bottle. But if I take two, it's one of each.

VA_Esquire

water in bottle one
50% water/50% gatorade in bottle two

though for your distances....I would just go with water.

roadiejorge 

Water alone does the trick for me for the distances you mentioned but when I go for long rides I like to take something to replace electrolytes, especially in the summer when I sweat a lot.

portland376

One water, one Hammer Heed electrolyte drink (lemon lime)

ptle

If I'm going to be riding for more than 90 minutes or if it's going to be hot (above 85*F) then I'll bring to water bottles. If I'm going to be out for more than two hours, I'll bring one water bottle and one "sports drink", which is a homemade drink I make. It's got a bit of salt, sugar, vitamin Bs, and 15-30mg of caffeine.

CrimsonKarter21

Why guys just tool around with anything but water baffles me.
Save the sports drink (and gels, for that matter) for race day.

fmcooper

Watered down (or actually iced down) PowerAde Zero for me.

urbanknight

If the ride is less than 2 hours, just water. 2-6 is 1 sports drink and the rest water. More than 6 and I carry drink mix with me to refill the 1 sports drink bottle. Water is always in 1 bottle.

CyciumX

1 water
2 sports drinks

Going for hard and/or long rides gets the sweat gushing out of my body and it leaves salt crust on my skin... I don't think water alone will replace what I lose.

Ex Pres 

It's good to have a plain waterbottle on those 90*+ days to dump over your head. Gatorade gets a little sticky.

mercator

For a two bottle ride I normally take one water plus one gatorade. I don't really like or need the gatorade but my wife seems to think it has some magical medicinal qualities that I can't live without. It's just easier to drink it than to argue.

streetspirit

+1

Sucks being out in the middle of nowhere with sweat / crap in your eyes and nothing but gatorade in your bottles. I usually carry 2-3 bottles of plain water, plus food for long rides.

gus6464

It has gotten very hot where I live (90deg) so even for a 30 mile ride I have to take 2 bottles because I will sweat a lot. I bought some NUUN tablets at the recommendation of some people and I am loving the stuff. I hate the sugar sports drinks have and the tablets solve that issue. Right now I am taking one bottle with water and another with the tablet in it and works pretty good.

MegaTom

For anything over 20 miles I always carry two 24 Oz. bottles of plain, partially frozen, H2O and a 20 Oz. bottle of GNC Endurance Booster or Sports Drink. With the 85-90º days we're having now, I can easily drink all 68 Oz. of liquid and need to refill on a 30+ mile ride.

AngryScientist 

thats a ridiculously general statement.

i drink water only on the bike, but if my training rides are going beyond two hours, which they routinely do, especially in the heat, i need something other than water as well.

ibarunnin

I'm a big fan of water....but when I do rides over 40 miles (...and I've only done two...), then I do diluted gatorade (50%h20, 50% gatorade). I've found that to work well. I really don't like a concentrated sports drink, way to sugary on those hot days...

hurley.girl

Why use something different on race day? You should train like you race.

Aero Sapien

I usually take 2 bottles of water if the ride is under 50 miles. If its over, I'll take a bottle of each, but probably drink out of the water only bottle twice as much (Though I drink in frequent sips). 2 bottles seems to last me quite a while. Then again I am short so my nutrient demands differ

coasting 

i use one of each but my "sports drink" is home-made with tea and salt and honey, or if i cant be bothered, 50% juice and 50% water.

ibarunnin

I second that. I said above that I use gatorade, but I forgot that my most recent rides have actually been diluted juicy-juice

coasting 

this juice thing really does work. I rode for 6 hours today in brutal winds and i didn't even get close to running out of fuel. I did stop for a croissant though and i had 3 flapjacks along the way.