Quote Originally Posted by Skippyak View Post
For sure define your goals, this is not your first one, so you are over the just finish mentality? What is it you want? Better speed? Joining a group? If it is organised, why are you carrying so much food? I would really limit what you carry, frankly the more riding I do the more disciplined I am becoming about the stuff I carry. I have weaned off my camleback unless I riding am solo + rural + distance. In an organised ride I would avoid taking it. The support is what you pay the $$ entry fee for.
Well, I didn't finish my first one (notice I say "attempt" after century each time), so yes, my one and only goal is to finish 100 miles and be happy about it. The Camelbak is almost as much for heat management as it is for hydration, and I'm still at the point where I feel more comfortable with it. (File that under "it works for me".)

Crunchy, dry foods like cookies and such don't work quite so well with me, and there are times that bananas don't work so well either (a banana needs to be practically green for me to eat it easily). So if I rely on the food at the stops, I'll really run the risk of bonking. I don't want to carry too much, so part of the reason for this thread is to help me feel that out, so to speak, but I also know I need to carry something.

I'm sure as I get more experienced, I'll scale down as you have. It's a process. :shrug: