When I go out I use water in the Camelbak, and maybe supplement it with a Lucozade Sport if it’s a bigger ride….nothing by the way of ‘recovery’ drinks.
I’ve heard of a way of making a cost-effective during-ride drink that consists of juice, water, salt (I think)…anyone know of a good way of making cheapo effective drinks…and recovery drinks too?
If not, what ones do you use that actually make a difference?

I’ve been using osmo hydrate and water…I must say it’s really improved my whole riding experience….I’ve used zero tabs for ages and these are better.never get headaches and recover quicker…I’m a fan.

I use sis electrolytes,keeps me going and keeps the concentration levels up also,the carbohydrate and caffeine sachet is also very good.

When I go out I use water in the Camelbak, and maybe supplement it with a Lucozade Sport if it’s a bigger ride….

This, with an asdas own strawberry milkshake when I get home. Possibly an energy drink at the beginning if I’m not feeling all that up for it.

Nothing but water for me , maybe a g&t after a really big day out

I do a bit of road riding too (I have a road bike too but am no roadie) and find my legs ache the next day or so after a prolonged effort – the recovery drink is meant to help the muscles ‘heal’. A proper roadie I work with swears by all of that stuff.

Tenants super

I’m far to far south for tenants

Water. Ice as well if its hot.

Water mostly. Or Vimto squash If I’m feeling like a little flavour is in order.

High5 zero for the vast majority of riding, including big days out on and off road – like 100km off road kinda big day. If I’m racing it’ll be High5 2:1 energy source.

Recovery wise, half to a pint of milk as soon as I get in most of the time and then a decent meal within an hour or so usually sorts me out. For multi-day stuff a proper recovery drink instead of the milk then food as before

Water for rides of only an hour or so. Anything getting nearer two hours and I’ll probably stick some energy powder in or some of those electrolye tablets, like Nuun. If I don’t then I tend to get cramp.

high5 zero give me explosive diarrhoea, I tend to avoid them.

This stuff:

http://eletewater.co.uk

It’s brilliant.

Just water until I restock on sis electrolight the lime goes down quite well then a nesquick when I get home funnely enough has all the same properties at power bars recovery shake plus a little more suger iirc and is only £1 in asda atm

Water, and once the ride is finished a milk shake .

I use either one of the supermarket own brand lucozade sport copies topped up with water or the cheap electrolyte tablets from boots depending on if I’m going to need carbs or not.

+ 1 for the sis electrolyte mix on rides longer than 1hrs. I find if keeps my energy levels up much more than water.

Just water. Starts off in Camelback. Ends up in bladder.

I think you need to expand more on what a big ride is in terms of time and distance. Some on here thing a big ride is 30k but many would consider that a short blast for the evening (as it also varies massively with terrain).

Anyway for most riding the most cost effective drink is water and I find that works well. For general riding I don’t think you need special products but each to their own. Energy drinks give you energy but only if you are running low on sugar, they don’t give you fitness.

I use energy drinks on long fast rides and races. On long rides (50miles, 5h+) I need all the energy I can get so find the carbohydrate drinks help. If it is a slow club ride then I don’t bother as I have ample time to get food out of my bag at the top of hills, waiting at gates and when someone punctures.

For racing, especially on the road I use them because it is an easy way to get food without thinking. Last week I raced and we covered 70 miles at 23mph average – there weren’t many points when it was comfortable to eat – you were either hooning downhill or about to vomit up a hill.

Cheap alternatives

Energy

Juice watered down 50:50 and a pinch of salt if you like. I normally have a glass of watered down juice when I come in from a ride as a quick pick me up before getting some proper food. Juice is around 10% sugar off the top of my head so needs to be watered down.

Buy in bulk (Torq etc. sell big tubs which work out cheaper)

Recovery

Semi skimmed milk
Chocolate flavoured milk
Yazoo (no need to refrigerate so can leave in car)
Alpro chocolate rice milk. (no need to refrigerate so can leave in car)

All roughly the same carb/protein balance as recovery product and work just as well from the info I’ve seen. Google chocolate milk as a recovery drink.

A sugary hit can be good when you come in to perk you up. So the juice option above or leave a can of cola in the fridge. I’ve found this to be beneficial but not the recovery drinks (although they have the same “pick me up effect”).

Used the SiS stuff when I first started riding years ago, didn’t feel any better for it tbh, tried Lucozade sports drink 50/50 with water, same thing but not as expensive.

Just take diluted cordial now, same on the road bike, a bag of jelly babies and that’s about it. That will sort me out on a quick local loop or an all dayer. There’s always a cafe or shop to pop into on the way back

It’s all subjective to who you are, where, how long and what you ride.

I suppose if it makes you feel good, or you think it helps you recover quicker. Then whatever your using works for you in one way or another

High 5 zero. Tastes good and has electrolyte salts and a bit of caffeine in it.

Water for me, even on big rides these days. I don’t race but if I did I would use energy drink.

Generally I find it more useful to eat regularly, like every 45 minutes to and hour. Mostly I eat whichever breakfast bar is on special in the supermarket. Even with energy drink I used to find cramps would creep in on the bigger rides, but with regular eating I hardly experience any now, and my energy is more constant through the ride.

The benefit of water only in my pack is I don’t have to worry about scrubbing out black mould all the time either. A quick rinse suffices.

Recovery drink. Is a yazoo. As has been said already, there’s bugger all difference between that and a four times the price for goodness shake.

Stella Artois, and no not the 4% rubbish.

A sugary hit can be good when you come in to perk you up. So the juice option above or leave a can of cola in the fridge. I’ve found this to be beneficial but not the recovery drinks (although they have the same “pick me up effect”).

Whilst I agree with most of your post I dispute this. A recovery drink isn’t to ‘pick you up’. It’s to repair the damage to your muscles so you feel better sooner and can train hard again. Yes Coke will help you instantly – because Of the caffeine and sugar, but it won’t do anything to actually aid recovery.

For me I use sugar free squash up to 3 hours or so, mainly because I don’t particularly like water, and High 5 Source for over 3 hours or for racing, for the latter I add Elete water to stave off cramp.

I used to use the high5 green stuff, just water these days but I still break it out for really long/testing days out. Generally not in the water but in a separate bottle, made up so strong there’s lumps in it.

Never really know whether all this salts and that makes any difference, but even if it doesn’t it’s a psychological difference, “Oh man I’m not going to make it… marching powder time!”

Only water in a camelback-equivalent

Sis tablets on road when feeling flush (!) but mostly squash or diluted juice with pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.

Plenty of recipes showing that there is nothing special in most branded energy drinks.

For short rides where I’m not going to have to refill my bottle, water or squash.

Anything where I’m going to need multiple refills (I only carry 500ml mostly) then I’ll use Zero or Nuun initially. If I’m out for an extended period, I may pick up a Lucozade Sport at a shop (or pref the cheap equivalent) and chuck that in for some calories if I’m running on empty. It’s surprising just how good that stuff is at bringing you back from the brink…

Normally have a bottle of Lucozade with me anyways but over the last year I use CNP Eli

Normally have a bottle of Lucozade with me anyway but over the last year I use CNP Elite Energy in tropical flavour; lovely stuff – not overly sweet nor any chemical taste.

Cordial, not too strong with a teaspoon of sugar per litre and a pinch of salt if I remember.

On longer days out, if I can be bothered, a 50/50 mix of fruit juice and water – again a pinch of salt if I remember.

Not going to win me any sports science prizes, but it seems to do the trick and the OP has been out on a few rides with me and can vouch for my rate of perspiration!

Oh, and a strong sugary cup of tea on arrival home seems to work wonders post-ride.

Danny – meeting Andrew in WE at 12.30 if you fancy it!

Ooh, now that’s tempting. But unfortunately I am booked up today!

I am trying to get the missus to agree to let me ride over to Braggy to meet up with her, the kids and their cousins for a pootle (i can then take in a couple of diversions on the way!)

That is the limit of my ambition today unfortunately.

I don’t think electrolytes are intended to give you energy.

Depends on the ride for me, under an hour not much unless it’s warm weather then I’ll probably have a bit of water and I’ll use some kind of electrolyte which I understand make the water a bit more like the stuff I’m loosing through sweat. Over two hours or if trying hard, I’ll use some kind of energy which is normally sis gels but I recently bought some powder to mix up in a drink, this particular brand (maxi muscle) also contains electrolytes and some protein only used it a couple of times it seems to keep me going but I think I prefer the hydration and energy delivered separately, also the protein makes it taste a bit like milk shake.

I never used recovery drinks until a few weeks ago when I knew a meal wouldn’t be an option so I picked up some all in one recovery 1:1 carb/protein mix which I’m now hooked on, it stops me raiding the fridge and biscuit barrel after a big ride.

Robinson’s barley water.

Chicken Broth 😉