CheGiantForLife

What do you drink for rides under 1 hour?

What do you drink for rides over 1 hour?

Also, how do you carry more than one small bottle for longer rides?
I don't see dudes dressed up in those advertisement outfits wearing backpacks.

Chuck M 

Under an hour, a half bottle of vodka.

Over an hour, a full bottle of vodka.

Edit: If I don't finish the vodka, I toss it in the dumpster for fellow cyclists.
The problem of carrying water bottles on bikes was solved well before the challenge of carrying a golf club.

livedarklions

1 bottle cage on the seat tube, 1 on the down tube. Rides 50 miles or less, one water bottle on the down tube, over 50, I also carry a bottle on the seat tube.

People also wear hydration packs, but that's not for me.

Do you really not know what a bottle cage is? Google it before you ask.

Bogey Speedwell

I’m boring, and rarely get on rides more than 4-5 hours, on a weekend day so water works fine for me. Occasionally I will grab a Gatorade, but honestly that rare.

for your second part I have two bottle cages with mounts for 3. I have a feed bag on one of my bikes I can add the third drink to, which I have done when it’s hot.

Alleytom

Short rides one or two bottles, On my longest rides I started with 7, this is in Arizona, you use lots of water here.

Herzlos

There are too many variables. You want to try and get to the end without cramping up, feeling faint, or peeing yourself.

I normally take 1 bottle for shorter/easier rides or cooler days, and 2 bottles for warmer days or harder rides. I usually bring most of the water home.

Reflector Guy

Maybe he grew up in a family like mine? As kids, we had a bunch of old bikes and none of them had bottle cages. I always wanted to add one but my mom's rule was I shouldn't be riding so far away anyway!

WhyFi

Depends. How many clubs am I carrying in these scenarios?

andrewclaus

I use repurposed 1-liter soda bottles in my bottle cages, so I can easily carry two full liters for longer rides. Once or twice I've carried a two liter Platypus in a pannier for an overnighter in the desert. Water only.

Under one hour I usually don't carry any water at all. Sometimes I dump what I have before a climb at the end of the day.

bruce19

Under an hour....none. 1 to 2 hours 1 bottle of water with Hammer Endurolytes Fizz tab. Over 2 hours, 2 of the aforementioned. But, I don't really ride more than 2 hrs anymore.

livedarklions

This guy is no kid, and this is just the latest in a long string of absurdly basic questions over 2 years. He actually started a thread asking how people wipe their nose while riding.

Koyote

I lease my drinks before a ride, and return them afterwards.

livedarklions

That's an old joke I'd heard about both coffee and beer.

The best question I ever heard about coffee was "where does the brown go?"

phughes

I say you should conduct a test. Go outside, actually get on your bike, take your normal five minute ride without water. Then, go home, pick up your golf club, take the five minute ride, without water. Then find a hill, try to figure out your optimum gear, don't drink water. BY the time you get back home, from those rides, you may beed a glass of water. Drink at home, and enjoy.

Or, carry a water bottle. Your needs aren't that great.

Next thread: Looking for creative ways to carry water bottle for five minute ride and multiple curb hops

livedarklions

TBH, I'm fighting the temptation to give advice that involves non-mouth orifices.

Reflector Guy

Do you recommend he lease a bike for all this experimentation, or will any old bike be OK? Because, you know, a lot of the recent "innovation" is a bad bargain for those not pushing a competitive edge.

phughes

Oooh, good point. I hadn't thought of that. He will have to start a new thread for that.

smd4

I know I shouldn't, but...

I have two bottle holders on my bike. I usually use the 16 oz. ones. I fill them with ice cubes, water, and a little lemon juice to hide the taste of the plastic. The ice will melt, but the water can stay pretty cool.

If you need more than "one small bottle," they also come in 22 oz. sizes.

If you don't have the braze-ons for water bottle bolts, you can still mount them with hose clamps (make sure you have the ones that have the "tangs" that will allow you to do this. Most probably do).

Troul 

under an hour: 1/2 bottle of dumpster vodka
over an hour: haven't been able to make it an hour without blacking out.

phughes

You will have to break down the ratio of water to lemon juice, and the ratio of the water/lemon juice mixture to ice cubes, or we will have another thread on our hands. You also need to be careful to specify BPA free bottles so yeah, another thread. Oh, filtered, tap, or bottled water, and if bottled water, plastic bottles or cartons, and does the bottled water company damage the environment, or do they use low paid workers in a foreign country, and do they use up the locals' water source for their water.

There, that should cover it.

terrymorse 

Treating this as a serious question...

On short rides of an hour or less, it doesn't matter if you drink at all.

Rule of thumb that will get you through just about any ride:

One 24 oz (700 ml). bottle per hour — with electrolytes

I make my own drink mix containing dextrose, table salt, and lemon crystals for flavor. The dextrose is to aid absorption into the body.

The most water + electrolytes your body can absorb in an hour is about 1 liter [1]. Any more than that will just sit in your gut.

The average person sweats between 0.8 and 1.4 liters per hour during exercise [2].

---
1. Nordine, M., What is maximal water absorption rate during exercise?

2. Bernhardt, G., Cracking the Code on Sweat Rates

BobbyG

I know you're not supposed to feed trolls, but this is about hydration.

For commuting ~45 minutes, just water, one bottle.

For leisure rides 1 to 2 hours, one water bottle water with a yerba mate tea bags thrown in (for caffeine).

For leisure rides over 2 hours, two water bottles, one with yerba mate, one with Nuun (or similar) electrolyte+caffeine tablets, with extra bags and tablets for refills.

Your mileage may vary.

veloz

One tall bottle per hour if you're pushing it. I usually carry two bottles and stop for refills. A 60 mile race means I carry a third in my jersey pocket. Nuun or Hammer tabs for anything over an hour.

phughes

New thread: Should I stop to drink, or ride while I drink?

Inside the post: Which hand do you use to drink while riding? I am holding a golf club as well. Should I drink before or after shifting into the optimum gear?

indyfabz

Paging Velo Vol