I’m mean it’s a gel in a bottle are you just sucking until your face collapses from the effort and you give up and eat a banana?
This topic was discussed on the TTL pod this week and I’ve also had the same question so figured I’d bring it here. I hear a lot about people putting their gels in a bottle (not a gel flask) for the bike. What’s your process?
Do you blend it with water?
Do you dilute it with water and just shake it up?
Have you had better success with specific gels? (not are the gels better for you but better specifically for getting them to work out of a bottle)
No promises, but if you share a great insight maybe they will share and give you credit on a future pod.
I always thought people did that because they liked their gels and the known caloric content so it was easy for them to just squirt them into their bike bottles with water.
I still think it’s a lot cheaper to do the regular sugar+salt in the bike bottles but I could see how some folks who swear by gels and/or have really sensitive stomachs if they switch to anything else might stick to gels even in bike bottles.
I used to do this, but now that we have high carb drink powders is there any reason to do this? Genuinely curious. I just make a super concentrated drink mix. If you have trouble getting it to dissolve, heat it on the stove and then cool it in the fridge overnight.
What is the value of an expensive gel source, other than marketing, if you are just going to put it in a bottle anyway? The point of adding a jellyifing agent is to make it easier to eat. Just put table sugar and salt in the bottle at a high concentration. No need to ad pectin or buy a name brand
Personally I like the gels I used over any mix I’ve found. So I use a flask with gels. But it’s a PITA and it’s limiting that I can only carry 5-6 and that isn’t enough for a full. If I could have them in a bottle vs flask it would be fantastic. So I’ve heard people doing it but curious how they do it.
Also curious if certain gels work better and if some suck. For example Frodo always mentioned having a Maurten bottle so somehow those do work just not sure how he made it work.
They’re not, the consistency is firm, closer to gelatin. I’ve tried them in a flask and it’s hard enough to get them out, I imagine using them with a bottle would be like this:
I use SIS beta fuel and put them in a 300ml kid bike bottle. No issue at all getting them out they flow pretty easy. Also Precision flow gel is the same
Hammer used to make large bottles of their gels specifically to pour into flasks and bidons for as long as I can remember. Just add water for the consistency you like. The first gels I ever tried were Leppin Squeezy brought over to Penticton by Kiwi Pro Brendon Downey in around '93. They were really runny and great to put in bottles.
I haven’t used gels in years as the cheap ass malto, dextrose powders do the job for a lot less money. Honey or maple syrup added to choc powder is a staple for bike touring.
I’ve always done this. My BTS is water with electrolytes, my BTA is my gel bottle. For me (for 70.3) that’s 8 or 9 PF&H gels in the bottle, topped off with some water and given a good shake. Nice and easy, and my familiar fuel source easy to use. The flow bottles with the wider spout are easier to drink from.
The main reason I prefer gels rather than powder in a bottle is that the thickness of them makes me feel a little ‘fuller’, if that makes any sense. I appreciate that’s a psychological thing but works well for me and it’s just so convenient having all my fuel in one small bottle (two if racing full distance).
For me, it’s mainly because I know my stomach is used to this gel and can handle it. I use the same gels from swim start through to run finish and feel great - no bonking, no portaloo visits and great taste - so apart from cost I see no reason to change. But when you’re paying through the roof for race entry, accommodation, flights, etc, 12-13 gels for race day isn’t going to be the thing that makes it unaffordable.
I’ve used a “gel bottle” for years. Some gels are too thick to work (ex. GU chocolate…it’s the consistency of hot fudge…good on ice cream though). Some are naturally thinner and work well (ex. SIS, though they are ~2x the volume of other gels, so you can carry fewer calories in a bottle).
I’ve found that GU straw/ban works well, and brands like Hammer (that I personally don’t like) can be easily diluted with some water.
These days I’m making my own gels (2x malto, 1x water, Mio to flavor) that flow well through a water bottle (Elite Fly in my case). It’s ~100kcal/fl.oz, so you can easily get 1600kcal in a bottle (400kcal/hr x 4hrs). Remember to factor for the last ~1oz that’s hard to get out of the bottle.
I use an aero bottle on the downtube and add gels, top with water to help with flow when drinking it. I also have markings on the side of the bottle, so I know how much to drink, at the right times (usually every 10kms). Just helps to ensure the right amount, and a steady source. Then a BTA and BTS with electrolytes (swap out with water if needed). I then just have a chew or thicker gel to “eat” with caffeine, just prior to coming into T2.
For a 70.3, 2x PH 90 gels in the aero bottle, topped off with water. Then the chew/gels in the bento. Works well.
