Simple Solutions

"Anger and coffee, feeling mean..."

I’m a fan of simple solutions. Most of my bicycles are simple. None of my bikes have hydraulic brakes, or a shock absorber, and I’ve never owned a cycling computer. Throughout the years I’ve tried quite a number of sport drinks, and here’s my conclusion, most taste terrible, especially when it’s warm. They are all pretty expensive (unless you buy industrial sized bottles at gas stations), and they all work about the same despite what their marketing department says.

Back when I pretended, that I was a bike racer, I drank gallons of that crap. Due to the expense, I started to look for a low cost alternative. Traditionally cyclist have taken a can of Coke, poured it in a water bottle, and then drank it warm and flat. I'll just say this, on a hot day, few things taste worst. As an alternative I came up with this. For a low expense “energy drink", squeeze about half of a lemon into your water bottle and sweeten the taste with honey. I have two lemon trees, so my cost is practically zero.  If you’re interested in something a little more exotic, I’d choose horchata.

For those of you who don’t know what horchata is, it’s a traditional Mexican drink made out of a mixture of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigemuts. As with all traditional foods there will be variations, but in general the ingredients are fairly similar, water, rice, sweetener, and spices. There are also a variety of powdered mixes that are available. I'm glad that some one has taken the time to do a taste comparison, because your introduction to horchata should be a good one.

I’ve made a simplified version of horchata using uncooked white rice, sugar, and spices. First you’ll need to soak two cups of uncooked rice in four cups of cool water, preferably overnight. Next, transfer the water and rice mixture into a blender, and then grind the rice to an extremely fine texture, then strain the slurry through some cheesecloth, add some cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar to find a great taste. Adjust and enjoy.  It’s simply sugars and carbs, what more do you want while on a ride? A little salt maybe? Worth a try.

Last but not least, there are very few things that I like better than a hot cup of coffee served “John Wayne” style (black, no sugar). A riding buddy of mine called me a real “hombre” for drinking hot coffee after a ride. I’m not sure if I’m really all that macho, but I’ll take a compliment when I can get one.

My health approach to riding may not work for everyone. People who have health risks, and have special dietary needs, are advised to steer clear of my approach. I’m not a doctor but there is some evidence to suggest that coffee may aid in recovery.