Lightest weight and best energy drink/tab for tour

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

I have never used these before but reckon I'm going to need them...I noticed in the shop the other day that some of these come in tins of powder which can be mixed with water...I dont want to carry a large tin around, and I dont want to carry a reay mixed drink...I thought about getting some tablets?? I'm sure there will be times when a good meal isnt available when I need it so I was just wondering if any of you seasoned touring chaps and ladies carry such things on tour and if so what?

toontra · June 2007

I used to carry powder (bought in bulk) and take enough for the tour. Fiddly and quite heavy, so this year I've been taking Nuun tablets instead. Quite expensive - œ5 for 12 tabs, but seem to work OK and the time and weight difference make it worth it IMO.

BTW, bought them from Condor in London.

there's no such thing as steep hills - just the wrong gear

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

I have never used these before but reckon I'm going to need them...I noticed in the shop the other day that some of these come in tins of powder which can be mixed with water...I dont want to carry a large tin around, and I dont want to carry a reay mixed drink...I thought about getting some tablets?? I'm sure there will be times when a good meal isnt available when I need it so I was just wondering if any of you seasoned touring chaps and ladies carry such things on tour and if so what?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You'll really have to be in the middle of nowhere on a poorly planned ride to find yourself without sufficient nutrition to get you through the rest of the day.

Some folk bag up powders beforehand. Don't know about tabs.

I just call in a shop/garage/cafe and purchase my calories as I go along. I make sure that I have enough food to see me through 24 hours and don't bother with energy drinks on tours. Some days I'll fill my drinks bladder with an orange juice and water mix.

Slow release carbs from porridge pasta/ wholemeal bread/pitta baked beans supplemented with a range of meats and sauces plus malt loaf, jelly babies and bananas should render energy tabs/drinks redundant. A decent meal last thing at night and first thing in the morning sensibly topped up during the day is how I operate.

daviddd · June 2007

No, I don't bother with energy drinks on tour either - too heavy and awkward. It's not like a race, where you can't stop for something to eat. On my Alps tour lasy year I only drank water during the day with calories supplied by cafe's and supermarkets. I developed quite a liking for Yop - a yoghurt drink sold by the litre - some hot days I almost downed in one lol. Plenty of calories (and protein by the way) in such as that.

Alpine Tour July 2006:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=l ... =1914&v=9d
Forthcoming lap of Australia:http://www.davidddinoz.blogspot.com/

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by daviddd

I developed quite a liking for Yop - a yoghurt drink sold by the litre - some hot days I almost downed in one lol. Plenty of calories (and protein by the way) in such as that.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Funnily enough, I've just started drinking Yop and similar milkshkes on my 200km Audaxes, supplemented by jelly babies, the odd banana and pies/pasties.

Last weekend's 210km ride was fuelled by: 3 rashers of bacon, four large fried mushrooms, two eggs, four slices of wholemeal bread, two bananas, 100g of jelly babies, two pork pies, a cup of tea and a slice of fruit cake, 3 x 500ml bottle of milkshake and 1.5 litres of water. No need for energy drinks and I managed to pootle round at 13.5 mph.

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

ha[:D]! ..at the moment I look like a jelly baby (only huger!)[:D][:I]

..but with every pedal push I wobble a little less[8D]

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

Hey Daviddd..I just read through your Alps tour site...wow!...This is the kind of thing I aspire to, it will take me a few more years to get fit enough to even think about something like that but that's my aim.
Great read thanks.[8D]

ASC1951 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bigtallfatbloke

I have never used these before but reckon I'm going to need them...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">No, you aren't. Just eat what you normally eat but maybe more of it. It's a tour - if you're hungry or tired, stop for some food.
The only difference I notice is that if I'm exercising all day, I automatically eat less fat and more carbohydrate.

Philip Davis · June 2007

I'd suggest just bringing a pack or two of glucose tabs - they are quite cheap in Boots or other chemists. A few gels for emergency might get you out of a bad moment in the early days of a tour.

While i agree with the posters here that on a tour eating wise (and eating lots) is the best thing, if you've never done this before it can be very difficult for your body to adopt. On my first solo tour I was in the middle east - I was enjoying delicious local breakfasts (things like humous, fuul, local breads), but then bonking horribly after a couple of hours. I experimented a little and found (to my disappointment) that the problem was that local breakfasts just weren't giving me the easy carbs - when i drank a lot of pepsi and sugary things in the morning i felt much better. Later on in the tour, my body did adopt, so i could cut down on eating sugary rubbish.

The point of this is that you should take some glucose and some gels, but only for the first few days to help you find out a pattern of eating that suits you, and for maybe that emergency moment on a monster climb. They are far too heavy and bulky otherwise.

One last point - I've personally found a mix of locally bought nuts and dried fruits, nibbled at all day, to be an excellent way of keeping my energy levels up on a long days tour.

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

Unknown · June 2007

+1 for the dried fruit and nuts, and fresh fruit, bananas and yoghurt drinks

and biscuits, cakes, bread, cheese, pain au chocolat, in fact anything I can find.

I usually have a 2 ltr bottle of Sprite/Pepsi/Irn Bru on my trailer for later in the day when I need the sugar rush.

It all depends where and how far you are touring.

george

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Philip Davis · June 2007

Oh, and one other thing - in an emergency i.e. you are really suffering from bonks far from anywhere in hot weather), i believe a crude energy drink can be made up by mixing a 2:1 ratio of sugar to salt in ordinary water.

Also, since i assume you will be stopping in towns, in any pharmacy you should be able to get those powder sachets (diolyte? Something like that) that are given to people recovering from the trots. They are very similar to recovery drinks in make up, so they will help you hydrate and recover from a long hard day, especially if its hot. The blueberry ones are quite nice too. They are much cheaper than the products you get in sports shops.

Don't forget to wash out any bottles you use for sugary drinks - the residue can become a very nice breeding ground for all sorts of bugs.

I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

Oldknees · June 2007

You do use a lot more fuel when you tour and you should keep taking on food at regular intervals. One chap I know munches through a loaf of bread.

If you do get stuck my experience is that a bottle of Coke and/or a Boost bar will give your legs 15 to 20 minutes. Also pork scratchings are the way to go for energy and salt - little and often. Cheap, easily accessable leg and pump food.

I know some vegan food scientist will now take me to task but when you are in a fix these things work.

Also,

For me, rice the night before keeps the old legs going, pasta doesn't.

Hope this helps.

slow is good too

daviddd · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Philip Davis

Also, since i assume you will be stopping in towns, in any pharmacy you should be able to get those powder sachets (diolyte? Something like that) that are given to people recovering from the trots.
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Diocalm you mean - diarrohea tab plus sachet of rehydration salts. Actually they were discontinued in the UK last year for some reason. I think a glass of water with a quarter spoon of salt and a spoon of sugar might rehydrate almost as well - try googling for 'Rehydration'.

Alpine Tour July 2006:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=l ... =1914&v=9d
Forthcoming lap of Australia:http://www.davidddinoz.blogspot.com/

ASC1951 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by daviddd

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Philip Davis

Also, since i assume you will be stopping in towns, in any pharmacy you should be able to get those powder sachets (diolyte? Something like that) that are given to people recovering from the trots.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Diocalm you mean - diarrohea tab plus sachet of rehydration salts. Actually they were discontinued in the UK last year for some reason.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
No, he means Dioralyte. Still widely and cheaply available, as Uncle Google will confirm. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000800.html

Completely unnecessary, IMO, unless you mess up badly. I know it's a learning curve BTFB on your first tour, but it's not like going to the Moon. There really is no need for emergency trinkets for every eventuality. There will be shops all over the place and ordinary people selling all the things you need to get through life wherever it is you are going. Adaptibility is more use than a trailer full of 'what-ifs'.

Lightest weight and best energy drink/tab for tour

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