I keep seeing recommendations to carry (and drink) both water and sports drinks like Gatorade and such. I never have. Is that bad? I really don't like the taste of the isotonic drinks (at least not any of the ones I've tried so far). They remind me of not very plesant things such as colonoscopies (had to drink stuff mixed with gatorade to clean out the system before colonoscopies and surgery).

I have a lot of experience with long days of endurance type stuff such as hiking for days in the mountains (months even) and I have always just carried water (and perhaps a cup of tea or cocoa to warm me up for lunch). Now that I am picking up the miles on my cycling though, I'm wondering if water is enough. I've been drinking at least 6 pints of water a day and still feeling thirsty. And I'm always craving salt, which I assume is because of sweating so much. Replenishing salts with crisps and pretzels is maybe not the best idea.

So what should I do? Will just increasing my water intake be enough? Should I force down some gatorade and try to keep it down? Or are there better suggestions out there? Lately I've been mixing in a bit of blackcurrant squash inbetween the water hoping that that might help.....