This requires a very long post......Originally posted by tomUK
Do you have any suggestions to overcome this issue?
It is very heartening to see you taking this issue so seriously, Tom, and the questions you ask are at the very epicentre of practical and healthy cycling. There is no universal answer as there are so many different situations that we may find ourselves in. In order to make sense of the question of how to imbibe nutrients "during" a ride, it may be useful for us to break the solutions into 2 sections - On the bike and Off the bike:
On the bike - Very difficult, as you have pointed out.
(1) In terms of beer, lagers are probably the supplement of choice as the head tends to die off fairly quickly. One solution to the bubble dilema is to carry a wad of lard or goat fat in the side of your mouth - when you crack the can or bottle, stick your lard-coated tongue in and around the opening as quickly as you can. I usually carry 3 cans, each in a stubbie holder (or a rolled-up sock), in my jersey. The bottle-holders that bikes are festooned with these days were originally developed for carrying long-necks, but namby-pamby marketing has changed the shape of the plastic replica's along the way and a good 375ml stubby, long-neck or can, no longer fits securely. A bit of tool-time down in the shed can fix this problem and enhance the value of your bike.
(2) Switch to wine. Wine casks, as we call them (plastic foil-coated bag of wine inside a cardboard box), were originally developed for cycling and are the pre-cursor to the Camel-back. Red wine is the one to go for as it has the same effects as EPO, but is socially acceptable.
(3) For the longer training rides, I usually carry an 18 Gallon Keg on my back (good weighted training and gets lighter towards the end of the ride). I spike it just before I roll off down the road and have 4 or 5 outlets on coil-bound hose coming off it. As this is more than sufficient for my own needs, I often gather quite a pack around me. These rides tend to turn into very social events.
(4) When racing, my manager drives near me towing a Mini-Tanker (rescued from New Zealand after the totalitarian Government banned them). I just drop back for a top-up whenever I feel my reserves are dropping.
Off the bike - plenty of scope and no wet spots.
(1) It's easy - plan your ride. Mark out all the refuelling stops along the way. If mountainbiking, do fuel drops up in front. On the road, check out all the pubs along the route. Pay particular attention to the Al Fresco outlets. In Europe, many kiosks sell cold cans and, to minimise your stop, you can pre-pay the vendors so they have the beer ready to pass to you. Make these pick-up points like a Spot Sprint or King of the Mountains and you will find new vigour in your riding.
Eoin (Wow, my mega-malt levels have never been so high. This really is good Ale) C