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Tailwind 'logistics'?

4K views 26 replies 21 participants last post by  sockpup 
You will have to figure out how far the aid stations are and work backwards. 54 miles is a long way for the first drop. You can carry some mix in a ziploc bag and have it ready to mix with water available. It also depends on how many bottles you can reasonably carry. I can carry one bottle on my bike and maybe one in my jersey. If the aid stations are much longer than 2 hours apart then I'll strip the bike and just roll with the camelbak. I also carry a pack of shot blocks or couple small payday bars for insurance.
Pro tip: don't use a ziplock. Too messy, too imprecise. If it's windy, you might lose a quarter of your stash. A friend of mine was on a gravel grinder last year, dumped a little too much (well, a lot too much) out of his ziplock, went with it anyway, wound up with stomach distress/semi dehydration/big bonk/DNF.

I went to REI and got a couple of the small nalgene plastic bottles, like 4 oz. One of those holds two bottles worth of powder at my chosen mix.

And... Tailwind is coming out with single serving 2 kcal stickpacks. I don't know how soon those would be ready. But Jenny and Jeff from Tailwind monitor this forum, they may chime in.

My system has always been to have a source of clear water with me, and a bottle in my cage with Tailwind. I do far more self-supported things than big rides with aid stations, so I just carry my camelbak with water. I know that's not what you want. But you could bring as light as possible one, and not ever fill it to capacity...

I agree with Stupendous Man that 54 miles is too far. I guess I'd modify that and say "way too far". I'd be going through 3-4 bottles in that time, depending on difficulty and temperature. And a small bag won't be doing it for you. I'd be bringing 4 or even 5 of my little nalgenes for that. Which you could do in jersey pockets, but your jersey pockets will be pretty busy if you do. And that's assuming you don't need anything but your tailwind.

The one time last season I went without a pack was the Steamboat Stinger. Only a 50, three aid stations per lap (2 laps). I was barely able to keep up with my nutrition/hydration that day. But it was hot and a very strenuous course.

EDIT: in case it isn't obvious, you can quite quickly mix a new bottle from a hydration pack by dumping in the right amount of powder then just pinching the bite valve while you bend slightly forward at the waist. Siphon forces will bring out the water. I have a j.paks Snakpak that I put my nalgenes in so I don't even have to take off the pack. Just stop, pull the bottle from the cage, open the top, dump in powder, hose in the water, cap back on, shake it, go.

SnakPak J.Paks LLC

Oh, and I've had a Kate's bar in my snakpak for just in case. I pulled it out the other day and the rattling around had worn a hole in the package. It had been in there for most of last season. I love Kate's bars, and eat them all the time, but when I'm pushing my body and fueling with Tailwind I don't feel like eating solids.
 
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