Do you need the sweet sports drinks for energy?

[alpinerabbit]

But Becky,

sweetness that has no use is pointless on the bike, don't you think? So I would skip anything artifically sweetened.

I'll go with water and gels, bars and dried fruit kinda thing. On long rides we take a break anyway and will have a sandwich, pastry or such, and coffee. Always lots of sugar.

But for liquid I prefer water, the rest turns out to be sticky.

And some of the sports drinks (I believe it's the fructose) have had delayed, negative effects on my digestion (I would describe it as jet propulsion... ... you guess)