Nutrition on the road - What, How and Why?

Currently I'm trying This set up: one bottle of hammer perpetuam, 2 bottles of water, one in Jersey. Hammer gels x6. It's a 34km ave ride, flat but hot. Not getting dropped but really flagging by the end. And it's all freaking expensive.

I've made up a batch of the DIY cliffs bars (up thread) and will try adding a pinch of salt to them too next time. According to the blurb perpetuam should have 'everything I need.'

I think the simple fact is more fitness needed.

And bananas! Jeez, obvious is obvious!!

Just looked here:
http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/perpetuem.pp.html

It contains electrolytes but no fructose.

If you are cycling for over 3 hours consuming 90 g of carbs per hour is optimal for performance and this works best if you consume a mixture of carbs - glucose plus fructose or maltodextrin plus fructose in a 2 : 1 ratio.

^ this. Although 90g is too much for me. It depends on your body weight (amongst other things) as to how much carbs you can deal with, 90g is the highest I've figure I've heard. I'm sure hippy needs a hoisin crispy duck every 15mins.

Bananas take some beating, try them. Fructose and not too much fibre plus potassium, cheap and in biodegradable packaging too :-)