How much to carry onthe bike for first IM?

I'm deciding this as well. First IM I lived off the course and didn't stop at special needs. At LP they had volunteers at sn area to help get your bag. You should ask someone who has done Vineman how they are set up. Also since it is smaller race I suspect there are not 2500 bags lined up so if you stop things will be organized pretty well.

This time I'm making my own drink with maltodextrin, electrolytes and flavoring similar concept as infinite. I'll be 7 hours on the bike so I'll need 21 doses of it...each bottle can be up to 6. I don't mix is overly concentrated as I want stomach absorbtion rate to be right. I can either bring pre made bottles x4, leave 2 in sn, or bring the mix and add to bottles at any aid station.

Do you also have room for water on teh bike?

If so, I would just carry the two bottles.  That is what I am doing next week.

I have an aero bottle so I will grab water hand ups, dump them into my aero bottle, and keep on moving.

I had one bottle of Infinit on my bike. I put 4 hours worth of servings into one bottle. My bike time was going to be 6-7 hours, and I was doing Infinit every other hour, so I had enough for the entire bike. I still put extra servings in my special needs, which saved my butt... since my stomach got update around mile 80.

I wouldn't want to carry two bottles already made... along WITH water... so I'd say put it in Special Needs.

Just curious what you use for flavoring in your homemade mix? I've started using Infinit, but also like the idea of my VERY OWN custom blend on the cheap (and always at the ready and not necessary to order)...

Can you get your expected bike time in 2 bottles?   Do you have a space for water?

For IMAZ I carried two bottles each with 3 hour mix for a projected 6:00 time.  Rear cage had one water bottle.  I had an extra 3 hour bottle (can't remember if it was mixed or not) in SN in case the sh** hit the fan.  Took a sip of infinit every 10 minutes,followed by water, tried to replace the water bottle at each aid station.  Finished the first bottle about 3.5 hours in (i just do water for the first 3 minutes), tossed it, started on the second.  Never stopped at SN.  Also had a king sized payday cut inthirds that I finished.   Not for nutrition but for another taste.

Honestly, you'd have to compare how much 1 water bottle would theoretically slow you down vs. how long it would take to get a bottle from SN.  And, once the first bottle's done you toss it. I'd say it's a wash at best, and for me it was nice to know that the option to stop or not was totally mine.

Some people need a SN stop to get off and stretch.  I did stop at the portapotty 56 in, tht was the only stop. 

I've tried a number of things and find I like Strawberry Lemonade the best a little tart.

Other options are crystal light or something like Gatorade Endurance or a sports drink.

Maltodextrin is super cheap 55# for $55 and it will last me a couple of years of IM training.

For my sepcial needs bags:

At FL I had a spare tubular, two spare CO2, 2 bottles of my Gu2O and a Clif Bar.

At LP, I simplified it.  Extra tubular and CO2 cartridges, that's it.

I lived off the course for both races, even more so at LP as I only started with one bottle on the bike.

I did not pack a SN bag at all for the run in either race.

Keep it simple.  Really simple.

I have room to set it up however I would like it.  I live remotely and as I can do a 100 mile out and back without passing a store or rest area I can cary 140 oz  of fluids on the  frame. 

Thanks for the ideas.  I will likely be on the bike 6:30 to 7 hours (today's century 5:45 ish at IM pace add, 1 potty break, more hills and hotter temps).  

Ok I think this will work:  in the 2 chamber podiumquest I can load the large chamber with 1000 calories and dump 16 oz of water into the front chamber at aid stations and chuck the empty.  I can keep a bottle on the downtube full of just infinit and then add water at an aid station around 60 miles out and then dump that into the large chamber that the first 1000 calories were in.  That way I only need to stop at special needs if I blow a tube in the first 60 miles and can avoid carying the extra 20 oz of water for the first 60 miles.  Works well on paper.         

I'll probably toss something special in the bentos box for mile 100 as a motivator. 

Edited by Baowolf 2009-06-27 10:35 PM

Be forewarned, you may not be able to get a hold of your special needs bag. I would carry all of your nutrition with you from the beginning. I'm totally OCD, so maybe I'm paranoid. You just wouldn't want to get caught ina bind without nutrition. That can get stressful. I used my special needs bags as a Plan B in case something went wrong with my original plan. Just my thoughts...

Stupid question but where exatcly is special needs? Doing IMLP next..scuse me... this month.  1st IM.  Still trying to figure out what to carry and where to store things.  thanks

Do you know of someone who didn't get their special needs bag?

I've never heard of that happening... is all. Maybe I'll start a poll.

You typically have one about 1/2 way through the bike... and then another 1/2 way through the run.