Bonking on tour

[Westinghouse]

About water / hydration, yes yes, unless you are cycling where water is everywhere, keep your bottles topped off as much as possible, or nearly. Some areas are bereft of potable water for fifty miles. You've got to keep watered up and the energy flow coming continuously. I was taking in three gallons of liquid a day on one summer tour of the ST through farm roads in Texas, and could not urinate at all for three and four days at a time. I was soaking wet all day with water pouring out of me as fast as I was taking it in. It was pretty tough, but I made it from Pensacola, Florida to coastal California. Now, I am seriously considering the ST beginning December, destination San Diego. It will be cold, but better that than the heat.

[bogiesan]

… we are not racing.  … Stopping is encouraged, admired and respected.  …I kept that mantra in my head all the way across the USA.  Sometimes the most important thing I could do was stop, listen, and absorb the world around me.   And eat a little, too, while I was at it.Mr. Bent

Amen.
That is only one of the many things I miss most about my deceased 'bent riding partner. He was always stopping for something and, if I wanted his company on our rides, I stopped, too.

When I'm out on his bike, I try to stop often for photographs, munchies, views, sunlight, lilacs, and newly mown alfalfa.

david boise ID

[johnsondasw]

… we are not racing.  … Stopping is encouraged, admired and respected.  …I kept that mantra in my head all the way across the USA.  Sometimes the most important thing I could do was stop, listen, and absorb the world around me.   And eat a little, too, while I was at it.Mr. Bent

When I'm out on his bike, I try to stop often for photographs, munchies, views, sunlight, lilacs, and newly mown alfalfa.

david boise ID

Yup.  Sometimes stopping is almost the best part of riding, especially when meeting other riders and people along the way.

[denbec]

I have Hypoglycemia in daily life so I was concerned on my tour.  I always kept some Fig Newtons in my handlebar bag.  They worked perfectly - but the secret is to recognize the problem and attack it immediately. The longer you push on after you feel the bonk coming - the worse the problem will be and the longer to get out of it.  As others have said - know your limits.

[johnsondasw]

  As others have said - know your limits.

And remember, as you age, your limits will change.  This can be an unpleasant surprise.