I keep reaching for a 0.1 g kitchen scale and a simple interval timer to dial carb intake on 2-hour rides, but I’m curious what gear moves the needle for you. Have any of you seen measurable benefits from a hydration tracker bottle or a macro app — things like steadier late-session power or fewer bonks?
@sandyR34 I ditched the timer and set my Wahoo to alert every 250 kJ — each ping I take about 30 g — and it’s kept my last-30-min power steadier on rolling routes; hydration bottles felt meh, but a one-off Gx Sweat Patch helped me nail sodium for hot days. Do you ride with kJ on-screen or just time?
A cheap 0–32% Brix refractometer moved the needle for me: I mix bottles to a ‘6–8%’ solution and tweak with heat/cold, which cut gut gripes and kept late-ride power steadier — nerdy, like being a barista for bottles. Would you try that or does it feel too fussy? If so, this planner is an easy shortcut for set-and-forget mixes: https://www.precisionhydration.com/pages/planning-a-fuelling-hydration-strategy.
I ditched packets for a 250–350 ml soft flask in the jersey with a 2:1 malto:fructose mix; I Sharpie lines — “20 g per mark” — so I can meter quick sips and hit about 80–90 g/hr without fuss, which cut my last-half fade. Caveat: in heat I split carbs between flask and bottle to keep the gut happy (a grown-up sippy cup). If you want a simple starting point, this planner helps: https://www.precisionhydration.com/pages/fuel-and-hydration-planner.