How much drink would you need for a 100k ride ?

VTech

On average, how much drink would you need to supply enough to last 100k ?

drlodge

2 litres of isotonic lasted me for 100 miles on the last Bank Holiday weekend, when it was pretty warm. I should have drunk a little more though.

The same lasted me for 80 miles on Sunday

CiB

I did 1 litre of squash over 46 miles on Sunday, but tbh was drinking it for the sake of it towards the end. It depends how warm it is, how much you sweat, how hilly etc. A litre should be enough for that distance on a typical English summer's day, more if it's warm or a bit sunny.

Bozman

750ml ish of electrolyte used on a 62 mile ride last week, sunny but not hot, 50 miles on Sunday and I used about 400ml.
Two 750ml bottles on a 100 mile ride is my rough guide but that drops in the winter, one electrolyte one water.

Grill

500ml of water. If it's boiling then 750 of iso.

If this is for you then it's best to be over-prepared as everyone fuels differently. I'd take 2x 750ml with at least one of those bottles be drink. Better safe than sorry.

cougie

Impossible to say definitively. On cold winter rides I wont even have a sip.
If its hot - I could go through 2 x 750ml bottles.

ju5t1n

For 100km I usually take a 650ml bottle of water with an electrolyte tablet. I often have some left when I get back. As others say - the weather is a factor

gavbarron

750ml bottle of squash and usually come back with just under half. Will go through a while bottle if doing intervals

elderone

My 56 mile ride the other day I used a 750ml and about 300 ml out of a 500ml bottle.Im still in the sip every 15-20 mins regime and works for me.Best have lots and dont use it than need it and not have it.Errrr on the side of caution until youhave a better understanding of your needs.

Mikey41

On sunday I took 2x 750ml bottles and had a quarter of the second one left at the end. It wasn't particularly hot and I wasn't sweating that much. If it had been hotter I'd probably have been most of the way through a 3rd bottle.

canny_lad

Mikey41 wrote:

On sunday I took 2x 750ml bottles and had a quarter of the second one left at the end. It wasn't particularly hot and I wasn't sweating that much. If it had been hotter I'd probably have been most of the way through a 3rd bottle.

This is very similar to what I drink. On rides of 50+ miles I've started taking energy drink (High 5) instead of zero cal tablets.

rich164h

As already said it does depend massively on the ambient temperature and also how hydrated I am prior to the ride, but I tend to get through one 750ml bottle for every hour that I'm on the bike, so for a 100km ride that would be about 3 x 750ml bottles.

IanREmery

rich164h wrote:

As already said it does depend massively on the ambient temperature and also how hydrated I am prior to the ride, but I tend to get through one 750ml bottle for every hour that I'm on the bike, so for a 100km ride that would be about 3 x 750ml bottles.

Same here, although I think I've got 600ml bottles rather than 750. About a bottle an hour, but then everyone is different. Experiment and carry more than you think you need, as someone has said above.

Bozman

A question for the folk that drink like a fish on a ride -
How do you manage to fill your bottles, if you're drinking 500/750ml an hour you must have to plan your ride around water stops. What happens if you can't get a refill? Do you stop and catch a bus or something?

Daz555

Bozman wrote:

A question for the folk that drink like a fish on a ride -
What happens if you can't get a refill? Do you stop and catch a bus or something?

There is no shortage of places to get a drink.

rich164h

Indeed. Unless you're right in the most remote parts of scotland you're always going to be passing a shop of some description or a pub at some point. To be honest, most people I've spoken to who are pottering about in their gardens are more than happy to top bottles up from their tap!

For the most remote of places then I'm generally taking more than just the bike with a tiny saddle pack. I'd probably be on my tourer with panniers in which case I'd take an extra litre or so in there. If you're going out to those areas, then yes you should by default plan your ride around what resources you are going to need. Food, water, shelter etc

Calpol

cougie wrote:

Impossible to say definitively. On cold winter rides I wont even have a sip.
If its hot - I could go through 2 x 750ml bottles.

^^^Similar to this. It is impossible to say as everyone is different and conditions are so variable. I had 2*750ml bottles on Sunday for 85 miles. It wasnt really enough and I reckon I needed about another 3-400ml to be sufficiently hydrated. I have read that dehydration, even a small amount can have a huge effect on performance and I was starting a flag a bit for the last 15 miles. Sunday didnt feel a hot day but it was warm enough to get the start of a Cyclist suntan so you have to be careful. For 100km I wouldn't have less than 1.5l and more if its above 18 degrees or so. I also use the electrolyte tabs and these seem to help stave off cramp but they can make you more thirsty.

VTech

Cheers for the advice, ive purchased some High5 tablets and new bottle sets so will have 2x 550mm or 2x 750mm depending on what im riding.

drlodge

Calpol wrote:

I had 2*750ml bottles on Sunday for 85 miles. It wasnt really enough and I reckon I needed about another 3-400ml to be sufficiently hydrated.

This is why I have some 1 litre bottles, on long rides I will get through more than 1.5 litres of fluid and I'd rather have some drink left over than being dry.

gubber12345

I drank about a litre on my one and only 100km ride to date.

markos1963

VTech wrote:

On average, how much drink would you need to supply enough to last 100k ?

What sort of intensity are you talking about?
For a RR or a TT I would carry about 2 x 750ml, one of which would be a energy drink the other being plain squash. For a club ride ride then just 750ml of squash as I would be stopping at a cafe at some point.

smoggysteve

markos1963 wrote:

VTech wrote:

On average, how much drink would you need to supply enough to last 100k ?

What sort of intensity are you talking about?
For a RR or a TT I would carry about 2 x 750ml, one of which would be a energy drink the other being plain squash. For a club ride ride then just 750ml of squash as I would be stopping at a cafe at some point.

Same thinking as above. How flat of hilly is your route?
How much do you sweat?
How fit are you?
How hydrated are you to begin with?
How much do you weigh?
How warm is it?

All have a bearing on the amount you would drink. I could get around 100km with one 750ml bottle and still not finish it. A few years ago I maybe would have drank twice as much. I also try not to take too much water with my if I am doing lots of hills as its just extra weight to carry around. If I pass a shop where I can buy some water I will do so instead.

Gizmodo

Taken for the Bike Radar article, Training for a Sportive

You might have read that you should drink 500-1000ml of fluid an hour while riding, but that’s only a rough guide. Work out precisely what you need at varying intensities and in different weather conditions by following this process over several rides:

Weigh yourself while undressed, before putting on your cycle kit. As an example, suppose that it’s 75kg.
On your return, note the amount you drank and ate during your ride. We’ll say it was 1500ml, which weighs 1.5kg, and three gels of 0.06kg each, so you’ve taken a total of 1.68kg on board.

• Before showering, eating or drinking, towel yourself dry and weigh yourself again. We’ll say it’s now 73.2kg.
• Subtract the second weight from the first to get your bodyweight change: 75 - 73.2 = 1.8kg.
• Add the weight of the food to this to get your total loss: 1.8 + 1.68 = 3.48kg.
• Estimate any bathroom stops because this will mean losses are higher.
• Divide total losses by the hours spent riding: 3.48 ÷ 3hrs = 1.16kg lost per hour

You won’t get to the end of your training ride or event at the same weight as you started, but eat and drink enough to be within 1-2kg. Never be more than 2-3 percent down in mass unless it’s a ride where you really can’t get adequate fuel down.

Anonymous

I know I have ranted on about this before, but my understanding is that it takes 3 days to hydrate your body properly, so if you have not done that then you are fighting an uphill battle.

Cleat Eastwood

heres a nice vid about what to take on a 100k ride

Wirral_paul

Well i just managed to get it completely wrong - forgot to take some money with me and my planned stop was scuppered as the kiosk beside the lake i was heading to had shut 10 mins before i got there so i couldnt get water!!

Had headaches for about 40 miles riding home into a headwind, and started struggling on the small rises that i'd normally fly up. Basically i had to make my 2/3rd full 2nd bottle last the final 50 miles - so did a total of 105 miles on 1.5L of energy drink, 1 gel and 1 energy bar. Feel pretty rough now - and found i lost over 2kg in weight since Tuesday. Thankfully the 2nd half of the ride was fairly flat - just a few short sharp rises of 10%+ and some gentle inclines.

Lesson learned - dont go short of water.

Here's my ride today anyway - ignoring the hills and the very approximate readings, plus the headwind that skews the figures down a bit - clearly my power was way down on the 2nd half

http://app.strava.com/activities/56223815

VTech

Wirral_Paul wrote:

Well i just managed to get it completely wrong - forgot to take some money with me and my planned stop was scuppered as the kiosk beside the lake i was heading to had shut 10 mins before i got there so i couldnt get water!!

Had headaches for about 40 miles riding home into a headwind, and started struggling on the small rises that i'd normally fly up. Basically i had to make my 2/3rd full 2nd bottle last the final 50 miles - so did a total of 105 miles on 1.5L of energy drink, 1 gel and 1 energy bar. Feel pretty rough now - and found i lost over 2kg in weight since Tuesday. Thankfully the 2nd half of the ride was fairly flat - just a few short sharp rises of 10%+ and some gentle inclines.

Lesson learned - dont go short of water.

Here's my ride today anyway - ignoring the hills and the very approximate readings, plus the headwind that skews the figures down a bit - clearly my power was way down on the 2nd half

http://app.strava.com/activities/56223815

Great ride, well done sir.

BTW, are you any relation to Ged Swarbrick ?

Wirral_paul

VTech wrote:

Great ride, well done sir.

BTW, are you any relation to Ged Swarbrick ?

Bit slow really - even though i was riding solo, but cheers anyway.

I dont know a Ged Swarbrick but little doubt i'll be a distant relation somehow. The whole family originate mostly from near Preston (starting about 350 or so years ago)

VTech

He was from Elsemere Port, great guy from my past, would have loved to know what he is up to these days, Ohh well

Wirral_paul

VTech wrote:

He was from Elsemere Port, great guy from my past, would have loved to know what he is up to these days, Ohh well

I'm originally from Ellesmere Port too!! My dad has a load of cousins around the town - so i'll ask him if he knows a Ged!! 8)