2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos

[JGcycle]

A few pics from today's 23km ride:

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

A few pics from today's 23km ride:

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Love the dramatic clouds and reflections!

Noticed your water bottle. Orange Gatorade is my go-to riding drink. Always hits the spot (even warm), not too much sugar, the price is right, and you can get it just about anywhere. The last 3 ingredients (including the yellow 6 dye) might be a little sketchy, but they're not deal-killers.

 

[JGcycle]

Love the dramatic clouds and reflections!

Noticed your water bottle. Orange Gatorade is my go-to riding drink. Always hits the spot (even warm), not too much sugar, the price is right, and you can get it just about anywhere. The last 3 ingredients (including the yellow 6 dye) might be a little sketchy, but they're not deal-killers.

Thanks Jeremy. As for the water bottle, I don't put Gatorade in it--instead I use diluted Costco lemonade (4 parts water/1 part lemonade.)

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Orange Gatorade is my go-to riding drink.

There are some facts that you might find interesting, Jeremy.

Poland is one of a very few world countries to introduce the "sugar tax" (Ireland belongs to the club as well). Any sugar or sweetener drink is taxed; when it comes to sugar, the upper limit for a fixed tax is 5%; the sweetener drinks are the subject to the same tax. However, drinks containing more sugar are progressively taxed more. For this reason, a soft drink such as Fanta Orange only contains 4.1% of sugar in Poland while it is as much as 13% in the original recipe!

In 2008, a smart businessman created the Oshee brand in Poland. He launched isotonic sports drinks similar to Gatorade. The key to the success was the bottle: a 750 cm3 container of the size of the cycling bottle (which cap can be opened with teeth) at the price a way better than Gatorade or Powerade. The bottle is designed the way you can empty the contents into your mouth very quickly. Nowadays, Oshee owns the Polish sports drink market.

I only drink Oshee Zero on my rides with a rare switch to the competitor 4Move Zero. In very rare cases, I mix Coke Zero with water.

The Oshee bottle is such a practical thing I once poured my own production of a strong apple wine into some 50 Oshee bottles! No bouncer at a club or a festival ever found I and friends were actually carrying wine inside!

 

[Mulezen]

Im increasingly concentrating on the minute and obscure, they are expanding their experience to a virtual competitive experience overlayed on reality.

There is much to appreciate in this line…it rises from the particular (Strava)

 

[Mulezen]

I mix a Pedialyte sports sleeve (Lime)…scoop of Creatine…and a nice dollop from a freshly squeezed bottle of Lime Juice.

 

[Chargeride]

Im terrible for not drinking, I did that mountain climb there and back without a single swig, my two friends emptied two bottles each.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Im terrible for not drinking, I did that mountain climb there and back without a single swig, my two friends emptied two bottles each.

Somewhat similar as well...

 

[Watana Bob]

Im terrible for not drinking, I did that mountain climb there and back without a single swig, my two friends emptied two bottles each.

Chris I thought that you stayed hydrated with rum and cokes

 

[JGcycle]

Chris I thought that you stayed hydrated with rum and cokes

Now we're talking.

 

[Chazmo]

Orange Gatorade is my go-to riding drink.

Likewise, if I’ve got it handy. I don’t particularly like the other Gatorade flavors, though I will drink them in a pinch. I drink the zero-calorie stuff as I don’t like extra sugar in my diet if I can help it (diabetic). I like the orange flavor and often mix it with seltzer from my SodaStream at home.

 

[Chazmo]

There are some facts that you might find interesting, Jeremy.

Poland is one of a very few world countries to introduce the "sugar tax" (Ireland belongs to the club as well). Any sugar or sweetener drink is taxed; when it comes to sugar, the upper limit for a fixed tax is 5%; the sweetener drinks are the subject to the same tax. However, drinks containing more sugar are progressively taxed more. For this reason, a soft drink such as Fanta Orange only contains 4.1% of sugar in Poland while it is as much as 13% in the original recipe!

In 2008, a smart businessman created the Oshee brand in Poland. He launched isotonic sports drinks similar to Gatorade. The key to the success was the bottle: a 750 cm3 container of the size of the cycling bottle (which cap can be opened with teeth) at the price a way better than Gatorade or Powerade. The bottle is designed the way you can empty the contents into your mouth very quickly. Nowadays, Oshee owns the Polish sports drink market.

I only drink Oshee Zero on my rides with a rare switch to the competitor 4Move Zero. In very rare cases, I mix Coke Zero with water.

View attachment 192538
The Oshee bottle is such a practical thing I once poured my own production of a strong apple wine into some 50 Oshee bottles! No bouncer at a club or a festival ever found I and friends were actually carrying wine inside!

Those bottles are a good marketing tool.

Stefan, is the tax applied to sugar-free sweetened drinks?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Those bottles are a good marketing tool.

Stefan, is the tax applied to sugar-free sweetened drinks?

Yes, the same base tax rate as for low-sugar drinks (less than 5% sugar). Strange but a fact.
Interestingly, the tax on caffeine and/or taurine drinks is double. These energetic drinks cannot be sold to minors, same as alcohol.

More on OSHEE. The brand claims its presence in the U.S. (but not Canada).

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I mix a Pedialyte sports sleeve (Lime)…scoop of Creatine…and a nice dollop from a freshly squeezed bottle of Lime Juice.

I might just try that. No deep thinking or science behind my go-to Gatorade, and I do like lime!

 

[Chazmo]

Yes, the same base tax rate as for low-sugar drinks (less than 5% sugar). Strange but a fact.
Interestingly, the tax on caffeine and/or taurine drinks is double. These energetic drinks cannot be sold to minors, same as alcohol.

More on OSHEE. The brand claims its presence in the U.S. (but not Canada).

Stefan, are you saying that minors can’t order coffee/tea? Or, buy a coke? If not, I have to say that’s a little silly.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan, are you saying that minors can’t order coffee/tea? Or, buy a coke? If not, I have to say that’s a little silly.

Yes they can. I'm talking about Red Bull and alike. The caffeine content is high and taurine adds its power. The law is law.

 

[Chazmo]

Yes they can. I'm talking about Red Bull and alike. The caffeine content is high and taurine adds its power. The law is law.

Gotcha’. I was merely commenting on the law, Stefan…

I don’t think kids should be drinking energy drinks either, but I can’t really see them as equivalent to booze or even cigarettes… Just an American hick talking here.

 

[Chargeride]

Same in UK, you have to be 18 to buy Redbull /Monster, you can buy a jar of coffee though..like three times the caffeine per drink.

 

[JGcycle]

A couple of pics from today's 27km ride:

 

[Chazmo]

Same in UK, you have to be 18 to buy Redbull /Monster, you can buy a jar of coffee though..like three times the caffeine per drink.

Oh, wow! OK, well, I think what I’m sensing here is more of a taxation thing than an attempt at social engineering — OK, given, those two things are related -- but it was already a foregone conclusion that you guys in Europe have much higher taxes, etc., to deal with than we do across the pond.