StephenH

Daily rides (20-40 miles)- water.
Long rides (brevets, perms, centuries)- gatorade in one bottle, Perpetuum in the other, additional bottles with water or gatorade.

AndiMann

Pretty much this. Gatorade powder about 2/3 strength in one bottle, plain water in the other, with some nuun in my saddle bag. I find Gatorade too sickly to drink more than a bottle or two at a stretch. nuun is nice and light by comparison, so on a very long ride I can do 4 bottles without wanting to gargle with mouthwash after every sip.

I will sometimes buy another Gatorade or similar on longer rides (water it down too); or refill the Gatorade bottle with tap water and nuun; rather than use up the plain water. Clean water is a useful thing to have around - for first aid, hygiene, sanitation, things like that, as well as drinking - especially if you ride solo (I do).

I have done a couple of non-scientific tests and perform better with sports drink than plain water. But I would happily believe a homebrew of water, salt, and koolaid would probably work just as well.

YMMV

DRietz

An electrolyte is really just a salt solution. That's why Gatorade has a crap ton of sodium.

I figured, why not skip the middle man?

colombo357

Monster Energy Drink in one bottle, electrolyte water in the other.

If it's going to be a tough ride, Monster Energy in both bottles, refill one with water + electrolyte tablet before starting the 2nd bottle.

The stuff works.

Waxbytes

Water and sometimes I bring a Redbull in my jersey pocket.. Mostly I find that in the summer anything in the bottles on the bike gets warm from the reflected road heat pretty fast. I hate the taste of warm/hot gatorade and poweraid whereas warm water tastes more or less like nothing.

subnoob

No comments about the Propel powder?
I love that stuff use it year round my favorite is the kiwi-strawberry.

subnoob

Monster and bike ride does not mix. I've have some crazy moments involving monster drinks and tequila. Im like this guy=

mxs

Usually either water or powdered red gatorade mixed to only 50% of recommended. I will also sometimes grab some of the Japanese sports drinks like aquarius as they are not too sweet.

531phile 

Is there anything like a natural version of Gatorade??? So far I've been just using water and carrying some bananas. The Bananas have a lot of potassium which is one of the electrolytes, but no sodium. Can't I just add table salt in my water for sodium? Gatorade has artifical coloring and high-fructose corn syrup both poisons that I don't do anymore.

How about adding some Tabasco in my water??? Will the acidity destroy my stainless steel and plastic bottle? An I nuts for suggesting Tabasco??? I can't get enough of that stuff.

About table salt, remember when Mexico had a cartoon manual that teaches how to cross into America illegally safely??? I distinctly remember that it recommended to add table salt into water bottles for survival in the desert heat.

Should I use sea salt from France??? My pops swears by that stuff.

All I have right now is Garlic Salt. Anyone use this in their bottles??? I can't get enough of Garlic too.

WHOOOSSHHH...

Usually a warm beer, if it's hot out. Hot chocolate if it's cold.

NathanC

Monster? Fizzy?

revchuck 

Gatorade has gotten away from HFCS. (Powerade still uses it.) Can't comment about the artificial food coloring. Heed (Hammer Nutrition) is all natural, and still tastes good when warm. It's what I use.

Morton Lite Salt has both potassium and sodium. It would work better than table salt.

Sea salt (from anywhere) is salt with traces of other stuff. I doubt if there's any benefit over table salt to using it in your water. You would stink to high heavens if you used garlic salt in your water on a day you sweat a lot. And the only drink that works with Tabasco is a Bloody Mary. Yes, you're nuts for suggesting that.

timmster

Can't go wrong with water.

But when you need a little more 'oomph' just a bit of gatorade. Just make sure you have a bottle with a nozzle...During my very first triathlon, I just crammed a wide mouth gatorade bottle into my bottle cage and took off...I look back and laugh when I think about how hard it was to unscrew the cap and drink without pouring all over myself.

Bob Dopolina 

I am surprised at the number of people who have drank the gatorade koolaid. Seriously. Save your money and just add some sucrose to plain water.

For a recovery ride: 1 bottle water

For intervals: 1 bottle water + 1 bottle water with BCAA8000

For a ride of 3~5+hrs: 1 bottle coffee with protein/carb mix (my own) + 1 bottle water with BCAA8000 with sucrose + 1 extra pkg BCAA8000 in the pocket for later.

I live in the tropics so hydration is super critical. There's nothing worse than bonking in high mountains in hot, humid conditions and being hours from home.

roadwarrior

A really good chardonnay, or if I am having a particularly bad day, Laphroaig. Islay single malts rock.

guadzilla

I have to say, I am very impressed by Perpeteum for long rides. That's the Good Stuff, even though it tastes faintly like chalk water.

spock

aig two ou, but sometimes I bring some apples with me. Sports drinks are just too yucky for me. I like water cause it's so pure. I ran evian water through the filter once and it all went through. So pure.

rjones28 

This is the correct answer.

531phile 

Thanks for the recommendation on the Morton Lite Salt. I'll check it out.

AndiMann

I assume you kill all your own meat, grow all your own vegetables, grind your own peanut butter, mix your own gels, forge your own frame, etc etc etc.?

At about 40 cents a bottle (I use the powder), who cares?

/you forgot the salt.

nixternal

DRietz, I used your solution on today's ride. Much better this go round. I added a little lime to the mix. At first I thought I was making a margarita with the lime & salt

learnmedia

Me too.

TMonk

Everclear, 5-hr energy (a full bottle) or high-octane unleaded, depending on the workout at hand.

darb85

Hammer nutrition heed on shorter rides, heed perpetuem mix on longer rides. Enduralite powder on hotter days.

Jed19

Water mostly. The last time though, whiskey. And my ride home was in the back of a police car. I kept telling the officer that I am not drunk, but he won't believe me.

Go figure