Originally Posted by
zen_
My cheap ready made items are Gatorade powder, dried apricots or a banana, and Nature Valley crunchy granola bars from Sam's Club. For general training and riding, the name of the game is carbs that digest easy, and don't get messy / inedible when hot. That's the problem I had with trying to do things like rice cakes and other kinds of homemade energy bars (heat).
I also have a giant tub of maltodextrin to make DIY drink mix, but I didn't get it right this year, with a couple spectacular blowups from too much maltodextrin (which is usually very easy to digest) basically becoming a bomb that shut down my stomach. Next year I will experiment more with using stevia to add a slight sweetness instead of sugar in a lower concentration, and also using those coil things in my bottles to help it mix better. There's nothing wrong with Gatorade, but for very long rides it does get a little too sweet, and it isn't good for your teeth.
When you have that stomach bomb, it's because you didn't drink enough water to dilute it adequately. The during-ride solution is to not eat anything more for a while, instead drink plain water, a couple sips maybe every 5 minutes until you feel your stomach empty. It's very noticeable. The other thing I do, if that should happen, is to take two Endurolytes when you start the more-water treatment. But that's the reason one should always carry plain water. Never mix sugar in with maltodextrin. I use flavored whey protein to give it a somewhat nice taste which makes it more palatable on a long ride.
The before it happens solution is just to drink more water with it.