Thoughts on nutrition and packing.

March 24, 2015

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/board/message/?thread_id=634654

I recently started the above discussion on bringing enough, but not too much food and water.

This outing was a great chance to put the advice to practice. I did, sort of.

In my 55 mile day, I passed through a town about every 8 miles. Really, I could have gotten by with just one water bottle, or even none, if I were willing to get a drink in every town. Towns this close together are VERY rare on my typical tours. Usually there is a single town if that. I get used to carrying food/water out of habit. There have been a few memorable occasions where I've run out of water. That's not pretty. Or fun. I'd rather not repeat the experience.

For this trip I started out with my spare 32 oz. Platypus bladder. It lives in my seat bag, always full. Always weighing 32 extra ounces. A 24 oz. water and a 24 oz. Spiz (liquid meal replacement) bottle. I had the three apple halves photoed earlier. Two Greenbelly brand meal replacement bars, plus a few assorted snacks that live on the bike in case of an emergency. Truthfully, they've been living on the bike so long, it would have to be an emergency to eat them.

Why did I bring so much food when I could have stopped anywhere? A huge piece is convenience. I didn't have to stop and ruin my groove, I could keep pedaling. Insert big mental pause here. Yes, I believe that sums it up. I like to keep pedaling and not stop.

Geez, did I just bring this page to a screeching halt? That's the truth. I like to have enough sustenance with me that I do not have to stop.

I did make one stop each direction, for real food. In Carbondale I had lunch and bought a burrito for dinner in Redstone. On the return home, I stopped in Glenwood for a late breakfast. During those stops I topped off my two on the bike bottles and did not have to touch the spare. Could I have ridden faster or with more ease without that 32 oz spare? Hmmm. Perhaps? I'd hate to be in the spot where 32 oz would make a difference in my cycling performance.

I've owned a go fast bike for a few years now. I do have to say, riding it is EASY. Riding with less weight does definitely matter. Those ounces do add up to pounds.

I've been reading https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=13866 Bob's journal. They started out with camping/cooking gear and 11 pounds of weight each. Surely I could do a hotel trip for the same weight?

More research is necessary.

Let's think about this. Actual bags weigh something also. If I get strict like Wayne Estes and get rid of the little gas tank on the top tube (doesn't weigh much) and also the seat bag (is kind of heavy, but oh, so convenient) - will everything then fit in just the two underseat panniers? The handlebar bag is also my off the bike/valuables bag, so it's not up for discussion. I suppose we could argue against the rain covers, but as much as those panniers cost, I'd like them to last a VERY long time.

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