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What’s In Your Water Bottle?

08.13.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 15 Comments

Electrolyte_drinksOne of our newer club members revived a time-honored thread that occurs each year during the hot summer months. She bonked badly about a month ago, and was wondering: What are you putting in your water bottle on hot summer rides?

She uses Nuun. Apparently, she’s happy with it, but was wondering what other alternatives there might be.

Some chatter within the club turned up a few ideas. One member said she just makes sure her water bottles are frozen the night before a ride, and carries as much as she can — which works out to two 24-oz. bottles.

Others go half and half — one bottle with water only, and the other a mixture of water and some kind of electrolyte replenisher, such as Nuun, or diluted Gatorade.

Myself, I freeze water bottles the night before a ride too, and use the half and half method. I also favor Nuun. But I’m only concerned about an electrolyte replenisher if I know the ride will run much longer than an hour. My usual 90-minute or less rides during the week are just fine with water only.

Our club president uses one bottle of plain water, and adds a scoop of Gatorade and a scoop of Endurolyte to the second. When that runs out, he’ll find a store that sells Mexican Coke — the kind sweetened with sugar, and not high fructose corn syrup.

Others carry some Endurolytes or E-tabs, or such in a plastic bag.

What I’m not seeing is heavy use of Cytomax or Hammer products.

What do you normally take on a ride to prevent the bonk?

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Categories // Heat Tags // bonk, electrolytes, sports drink, water

Money!

04.26.2012 by Ray Niekamp // 18 Comments

I was reminded during last weekend’s ride that I’ve been negligent lately in attending to a detail all bikers should address when going out on a ride: carry money.

It didn’t seem like a big deal. I had put three bucks into a baggie, along with my cell phone. I had two bottles of water with me, which would get me to our rest stop, a convenience store where I could easily refill the bottles. If needed, I could buy some kind of energy bar.

We got there, as I reported in the last post, and I felt fine. I hadn’t drunk enough water, and one of my bottles was still full. I topped off the other one, and we started back.

My friend David was slowing on the return leg, and I let the other riders in our group go, to stay with him. We had maybe eight miles left to go, when I stopped at an intersection to wait for him.

“Do you want to stop at this convenience store?” I asked.

“I’m all out of water, and I’ve got no money,” he replied.

“Well, here,” I said. “Take this, and buy what you need.” Not that three dollars would buy much.

But it turned out that this place priced Gatorade G2 the same as bottled water. David bought the Gatorade, and drained the whole bottle.

“I figured with the cooler temperatures today, I wouldn’t have the same trouble I have in the middle of summer,” he said. We started our ride at 55 degrees, but by now it was in the low 80s.

I decided not to buy anything, or even top off my bottles. I still had one full one, and could make it the rest of the way home on that easily.

We did make it the rest of the way back, but were moving slowly by the time we got within the last mile or so. After waving bye to David, I headed to Starbucks to rendezvous with other club members. Instead of going inside to grab a coffee or iced tea, I brought one of my water bottles to the outside table, and sipped at it while we talked.

Several years ago, I learned to pack money the hard way. I was on a 52-mile ride, with no money at the halfway point. Even though I had an energy bar with me, I really needed some kind of electrolyte drink, and maybe more nourishment than the bar could give. I bonked hard on the way back and was lucky the ride offered sag support. I caught a ride back to the start. Ever since, I’ve made sure I carry money if I’ll be riding any distance from home — and even around home, sometimes.

I think it’s time to make a New Year’s resolution: Bring more money on rides. Three dollars won’t cut it. Ten is a more reasonable amount. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll pack a credit card along as well.

Do you have a preferred amount of cash you carry on the bike?

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Categories // Rides Tags // bonk, money

I Think I Bonked – Almost

08.22.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

Guest poster Jeff Hemmel is back in Florida after summer in cool upstate New York — and he finds that reacclimating to hot, humid weather can be tricky.

I like to think I’m in pretty good cycling shape. But today I think I bonked…almost.

In hindsight, I probably should have expected it. Today’s ride was my first since returning home (just last night) to Florida. For the last three days, I’ve been off one kind of saddle and in another – the seat of my car, driving my two young children solo on a nearly 1,500-mile road trip. Sure, we stopped at Hershey for a diversion, but other than that it’s been three days of basically sitting in the car. I ate lousy fast food, indulged in a Mountain Dew every day to keep me awake following a post-lunch desire to take a nap, and drank way too little water. I also slept lousy, one night sharing a bed with my restless young ones while spending the next battling a cantankerous hotel air conditioner.

Then this morning, after just arriving home about 12 hours earlier, I ate a mediocre breakfast, threw on my cycling gear, and expected to knock out a quick 30-miles in the oppressive Florida humidity…after two months in the cooler, lower humidity of the Upstate NY mountains…without a problem.

Stupid? I’m starting to think so. My reasoning, of course, is that I was in really good shape. I’ve been riding steadily for years, and climbing big hills all summer long. A measly 30 miles on flat roads would be easy. But in the end, it wasn’t.

I started out strong. My bike computer’s battery had died, and I think I ended up pushing it a little harder than normal. Then I stumbled across a triathlon wrapping up, and fell in with a guy churning out some post-race miles on his TT bike. When I ultimately turned off to head home, I suddenly found myself battling a strong headwind, with no support in sight, and the beginnings of a weird tingly feeling I’ve rarely, if ever, felt on the bike.

I’ve never bonked, so to be honest, don’t really know the feeling. I recognized something was amiss, however, and tried to react. I downed a couple Clif Shot Blocks, and tried to drink some more of my Gatorade mix. But I never really significantly backed it down, reasoning that I would only if I started to feel dizzy or something. Of course, I was also somewhat vain. Passing me was by now an endless line of triathlon types in their cars heading home. I’m not sure I wanted the indignity of being the guy stopping by the side of the road just because he felt a little heat.

Toward the end I got unexpectedly passed by two triathlon competitors, then sped up to join them at a traffic light. Stopping for a moment, as well as starting a conversation with the pair, seemed to distract me from the weird sensation I was flirting with. When the light turned green I fell in with them and churned the pedals till I got home.

The afternoon, however, has been pretty much of a waste. I’ve got a headache, haven’t accomplished much of anything, and just feel really weird. Another thing? I’m not that thirsty, though I know I’m way behind on my water intake compared to normal.

Obviously, I staved off the bonk on my ride, by how much I’m not sure. But I’m certain I flirted with it, and perhaps continue to do more so as the day wears on.

What about you, any bonk-related close calls? And perhaps more important at this point, any good suggestions for recovery? I’ll read any and all…but first, I’m seriously thinking about taking a nap.

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Categories // guest post, Heat Tags // bonk, guest post, heat, Hemmel

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