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How do you stay hydrated on long rides?

Here's an interesting paper on the diuretic topic (this is just the abstract. Click to get the paper, which is in French. Google translate does a good job):

Pretty interesting. I wouldn't have guessed it slightly reduced sodium reuptake. Some folks really love (lightly) salted coffee, I'm sure that would solve that issue of one was concerned about it. Doesn't seem to be something to worry about though.

I think the key takeaway beyond what has already been discussed is if you're not used to caffeine consumption, coffee is more of a diuretic than for a regular consumer.
 
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I just had my 2nd double espresso of the morning. That is normal for me.

Because my history is a long distance hiker I found espresso, for me, was better than coffee. Got a blast of caffeine to wake me up but not all the fluids that would need to be drained along the trail. I would hydrate along the trails slowly rather than taking in large amounts of fluid in my coffee. Seemed to work better for me. Regular sips of water used by my body rather than a cup or bottle which would cause me to flush the excess through my body.

I find it hard to duplicate that on the bike. So it turns out that I need to stop and drink.
 
Just rode back from Colorado last week. 95 on the plains. I stopped about every hour, bought an ice cup filled with water and a Gatorade with no sugar. Drank the water and poured the Gatorade over the ice. Repeat. Worked fine. Don’t eat much.
 
I too snack/eat very lightly when i ride long distances, though i go through several .5L bottles of water about 1@hr if i remember when it is hot out. Even though we are just sitting on the bike, our body needs to remain relatively normal in it's functions if we are going to expect a lot out of it(perform correctly) haha just sayin'! :{)
 
On my long rides I carry a couple water bottles OR a thermos (cold water) in case I really need to stop for a sip. But the vast majority of time I’ve found that my need to take a drink tends to coincide with my need to take a leak which coincides with my need for gas which coincides with a need to stretch my legs. It all works out about right. Yeah, I know - that didn’t really answer your question... I’ve tried the “sip as you ride” methods - to many encumbrances for me.
This… always carry water in warm weather. Getting caught with a flat, a mechanical issue, or “stuck” because a wreck has closed the road will quickly find you overheating on a hot day. ANY water is good, cold is better. My standard load out is a small soft side cooler bag with a ziplock full of ice, two water bottles and a Gatorade. I’ve used parts of this on occasion, and I’ve helped out others who were not prepared. Water from the melting ice is also good to help you cool off (soak your shirt-helps get core temp down quickly)
 
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