Joe Gardner

I used a redbull to wake me up for todays century... 6am rides really suck!

When mtn biking, I would pour a can of redbull into my 100oz camelbak, It always seamed to work for me, the taste was much better with redbull then without.

fubar5

Yup! The water bottle I used still gives water a cherryish taste. And that was back in May!!! I'm impressed!

Astra

Radishs ?

Bandit

if i were ever tempted to resort to pharmaceuticals to boost my performance on the bike, i would immediately slap myself across the face and ask myself an important question:

"why do i ride?"

to which i would answer:

"because it's fun and it's good for me."

i don't ride to bulk up with ephedra or steroids; or to spin like a maniac with caffeine. i respectfully submit that if you ride for those reasons, perhaps you are defeating the purpose of riding? surely we must all realize that artificially boosting performance will, in the long run, be detrimental?

perhaps if million-dollar contracts and stage wins in a major tour were in my future, i might be tempted to do whatever it takes to boost my performance. but they're not and i don't.

nope. i ride because it's fun and it's good for me. and i wouldn't think of doing anything to counteract that simple fact.

Jeepbikerun

I went to a friend's birthday party and they had a cooler full of Red Bull on ice. They were using it to mix with Drambuie.

Oh and yes, they were up all night!

earleybird

I bought a can today on impulse, because they had no sparkling spring water.

I read all the warnings on the can and remembered all these posts of gloom and doom and I chickened out of drinking it!

Scared stiff I might have a stroke or be up for 5 nights without sleep

Trek2Kgirl

According to the ingredients listing on the Red Bull web site, there is NO ephedrine in Red Bull. The drink contains taurine, glucuronolactone (a naturally-occurring metabolite, a carbohydrate produced by the human metabolic system) and caffeine (Guarana), in addition to vitamins and carbs.

FWIW, if you consume caffeine on a daily basis, you probably won't much feel the effects of the caffeine in Red Bull. I eliminated caffeine from my daily diet over 3 years ago, so when I drink a Red Bull (or consume anything else containing a jolt of caffeine), I definitely get a boost.

Maelstrom 

And people wonder why ephedra mixtures get a bad rap. That is just stupid. (unless it wasn't real red bull then it doesn't matter)

[edit]
Looks like Red Bull in America isn't what it used to be. You can discard previous statement
[/edit]

Maelstrom 

Ahhh then they changed the ingrediants. Red Bull was banned in canada because it did contain Ephedra is 'lethal' dosages. I am also pretty sure the european stuff still contain the ephedra. It was originally designed as a speed replacement supplement at raves in europe. Trying to get kids to not use the 'real' deal.

Hmm I wonder if I can find red bull anywhere then.

[edit]
Funny - now it is banned because of the Taurine in it relating to muscle growth and potential steroid side affect. Oh man am I glad there is a gray market in this country.
[/edit]

Bikes-N-Drums

Someone left an AMP Energy Drink in my 'fridge and I decided to drink it before my ride today. I had never had an energy drink before. Firstly, it was carbonated and tasted like concentrated Mountain Dew (which I cannot stand). Here's the ingredients:

Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, citric acid, orange juice from concentrate, natural flavors, guarana, sodium benzoate, sodium polyphosphates, maltodextrin, caffeine, gum arabic, erythoric acid, taurine, panax ginseng, calcium disodium edta (to product flavor), potassium benzoate, brominated vegetable oil, yellow 5

Nutrition Facts: Serving size: 1 can (8.4oz); calories 120; total fat 0g; saturated fat 0g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 75mg; total carb. 32g; dietary fiber 0g; sugars 30g; protein 0g; riboflavin 20%; vitamin B6 10%; vitamin B12 10%; niacin 10%; pantothenic acid 10%


This stuff gave me a stomach ache of biblical proportions. They ought to call it "Cramp". It's a five-star diuretic and laxative also.
The first 20 minutes of the ride were terrible but afterwards, I must admit I had a good deal of 'energy'. I got a ton of stuff done today too. Still, I think I'll stay clear of this garbage in the future.

mike

No wonder it gives me a helluva headache. Really. I drank it in Thailand, so maybe it had ephedrine in it. Don't know, but it put thunder in my cranium.

astroboy

have you guys ever tried the glass bottles of red bull that come straight from thailand?

I have a few cases of these, and find them to be FAR stronger and more effective than the watered down, carbonated cans...

they are available in Toronto, I can find them.

CycleMON

Hey Astroboy, can you send me one, please?

astroboy

I probably could.
email me if you're serious.

late

Starbucks frappacino....the little glass bottles
they keep in the fridge. Great stuff, intensely refreshing.. Don't get the flavored ones, I disliked those a lot. First time I had one, was a hot day
in August and I had been over a mountain, nearly puked over lunch because it was hotter in the restaurant than outside, stopped at a gas station,
bought one, sent it down the chute, went back in, and bought another. In the middle of a long, hot, ride, the stuff is a little slice of heaven.

LngDistance

Yeah the Starbucks stuff is deffinately what you want to try. This summer a bunch of the people I was riding with and myself started buying the "double shot" espresso and cream in the black cans durring breaks at convience stores. It's like a serious kick in the rear, can is half the size of redbull (same diameter, but shorter) tastes good too.