I take Gatorade in my water bottle if I'm doing an afternoon/evening class. It's been too long since lunch and I don't generally have time to eat before I go. I've found that if I just bring water, I get hungry during class. I also bring Gatorade for those days I'm doing two classes back to back or going to swim after a class.

As far as bars go - experiment and find out what you like. Buy a few diffrerent types and take notes.

I don't really like to eat when I'm riding - so my water bottles are filled with Gatorade, which makes some people (like my hubby) sick. I've tried other energy drinks and I don't like the flavor as well. I just can't seem to choke down a bar as I ride, but I can eat a banana or Power Bites.

Thom loves Gu. I think it's nasty. When I open them from the back of the tandem, I'll usually have a little, just to get a few calories in. We don't usually bother with Gu unless we're doing a long ride - 100K or more.

Veronica