Drink up; but is plain water best while on the bike?

I\’ve read plenty about drinks for cyclists doing long rides. I\’m not sure I\’ve ever tried a carbohydrate variety. Zym, my preferred non-water, on-bike choice, is non-carb.

I\’m not sure that I really need a carb drink. I\’m not out there doing pro-level training; and I\’m not doing long, intense rides. I get the impression that carbohydrate drinks are best reserved for very long rides of 100 miles or more; especially if you\’ll be pushing the pace hard. Maybe they\’re a little easier on the stomach than solid food.

When I\’m doing a hard workout, I notice that my stomach starts to feel  uncomfortable. That\’s to be expected, I guess. It seems that everything I\’ve read about cyclist training says that, while you\’re riding, your blood gets diverted to your legs; heart; and lungs. That leaves much less blood for your stomach, compromising digestion; and makes training  your gut vital when you\’re working up to long rides.

Training the gut also includes fluids. It\’s easy to say, \”Drink up\”; but if I drink too much liquid while on a long ride, my stomach starts to feel \”sloshy\”. That\’s uncomfortable at best; so the trick is to drink enough that I don\’t dehydrate, but not so much that my gut approaches the edge of queasiness.

Yet another way in which cycling is a balancing act!