The sugary stuff in a can. What’s all that about? Several of them seem to be knocking back a can mid ride. It can’t be the best hyrdration/energy drink

just makes a tasty change – they just seem to have little airline size cans anyway

sugar and caffeine, nothing better to give you a kick at the end of a big ride

Yep, pretty common…makes a change from energy drinks for ’em, plus they can take a un-opened can of coke off spectators and not have to worry about what’s in it

Sponsored?

Some XC world cup riders knock back a can on their last lap. Instant sugar, instant energy, and it tastes quite nice.

it’s very common amongst racers – mtb and road. nice change, i like a bit of fizz (though I do leave it to mostly go flat), the caffeine is useful, it’s full of sugar, which again is a physical as well as mental boost. rarely drink the stuff other than mid ride/race.

as a last-lap perk, it’s brilliant stuff.

It’s reputed to be useful as a quick sugar rush towards the end of a ride, normally drunk pretty flat.

The most logical explanation I ever heard was that energy drinks day in day out are just plain boring and it’s good for moral to have a bit of something you like the taste of.

Surely too fizzy to knock back?

“I was bonking badly and some English bloke gave me a can of coke – just what I needed”

Sean Yates I think, donkeys years ago. First time I’d heard of ‘bonking’ in that context.

You put it in your water bottle and shake it to let most of the gas out, then drink it, as above, it’s great for one last ditch effort

I’d love to see one of the riders knock back a can, and unleash a might belch mid-peloton. You know the sort, when it goes off like a foghorn.

As has been said, when road racing, I would have a bottle of flat coke to drink with about 20 mins left – good sugar kick (and I guess caffeine) which makes you feel much better. In the TdF it’s usually if they’re flagging a bit and need a quick pickup – it’s drunk flat usually.

A tip I heard when doing support at a race was to put a little drop of water in the bottle then put the coke in. It flattens it quite quickly apparently.

I bet the bloke who had a water bottle full of fizzy coke explode over him wished he had known that.

a little drop of water in the bottle then put the coke in. It flattens it quite quickly apparently.

hazy recollection of a-level chemistry, equalibrium push?

Bottle of coke and a double decker is a damn good easily sourced bonk preventative.

TJ will be along soon to tell them how wrong they all are, I’m sure.

But yes – it’s really not much different physiologically to energy drink, but it tastes great and has caffeine in it. And perhaps other helpful stuff too.

I’ve found it to be fab for the last hour of a long ride. Stop at the garage, can of coke – blam. Caffeine is very effective when you’re really tired it seems.

It’s more than likely for the sugar, there’s not that much caffeine in coke.

Coke tastes better than SIS “blueberry” vomit stuff and once swilled around your mouth it tends to clean up the spit and also sticks a little to the backof you’re now sore throat..(after riding 200k’s that is)
I’m a ZipFit man myself.

molgrips – Member
TJ will be along soon to tell them how wrong they all are cut and paste large swathes of Wikipedia, I’m sure.

Actually before the great ‘energy drink’ indutsry was born, flat coke was the regular choice for many sports

To add to IAs comment, or at least spin a tale. Many years ago in my teens me and my mates had been on one of our summer holiday rides on a really nice, hot day. Got back to our local hangout by our local sweet shop. We all rushed in for stuff and I bought myself a large bottle of Coca Cola. Now in those heady early 70’s days a large bottle was probably little more than a pint if it was a pint. (The classic Coca Cola shape, glass bottle, a design classic). Anyway I get outside and knock the whole lot back in one go. The resulting burp was epic. It felt like it lasted about 20 minutes. Brilliant. I even got a light hearted telling off from one of the local ladies for it.

Brill. Those were the days.

Haha speaker2animals knows what I’m on about. There’s something just so satisfying about a burp that leaves your ears ringing.

TJ will be along soon to tell them how wrong they all are, I’m sure.

Will he?

Why, Mol; why?

flat coke was the regular choice for many sports

Pretty good when you’re suffering the effects of a heavy night of ale in a don’t want to/can’t eat anything kind of way.
I used it as a recovery drink in an attempt to get over gastroentiritis.

another thrilling aspect of the tdf

It’s more than likely for the sugar, there’s not that much caffeine in coke

Enough to have an effect, 35mg or so – like a cup of tea ish. IIRC.

Don Simon speaks the truth.

“and it tastes quite nice “

Taste is clearly a very subjective thing 😉

The only thing I can think coke’d be useful for whilst out riding is using it as a de-greasing solvent to get your drive-train a little cleaner for that last few km’s push.

Back in the 1920’s they were on Coke too, plus and Heroin and strychnine….

The good’ol days of Pot Belge

flat coke was the regular choice for many sports

Pretty good when you’re suffering the effects of a heavy night of ale in a don’t want to/can’t eat anything kind of way.
I used it as a recovery drink in an attempt to get over gastroentiritis.

Of course, north of the border Irn Bru is the beverage of choice.

It’s very good to have flat if you have an upset tummy – err dyspepsia

Clue is in the name