I’ve been a big fan of electrolyte tablets since they first started appearing on the market. They aren’t messy, like mixes can be, they slip into your bag or pocket and stay dry and intact in their tube, and it’s easy to share with a friend when you’re on the road.

There aren’t too many companies out there making effervescent electrolyte replacement tablets and I was excited to try a new product called ZYM Catapult from a Chicago-based company, BE Innovations. They’ve had a tablet on the market called Endurance for a while now. Catapult is a little different - it delivers a nice dose of caffeine from guarana and a jolt of vitamins B12 and C. The B12 is supposed to prevent the caffeine jitters but it also keeps energy levels high (remember your grandma getting B12 shots?)

I took a tube of Catapult to the Northern Illinois MS150 this weekend to give it a try. We rode 100 miles the first day and I was a little concerned about bottle after bottle of caffeinated go-juice. It really can make you wired if you’re not a big caffeine drinker, along with making you look desperately for the next porta-potty, so I mixed it up, drinking a non-caffeinated drink every other bottle. But I shouldn’t have worried - I never felt too caffeinated during the day.

The results were great! I felt strong and fresh-legged most of the 100 miles we rode that first day, until we hit headwinds that made even our team leader struggle. I’ve found that electrolyte replacement can make a huge difference in how quickly you recover after exercise, so finishing off the ride with a final bottle of Catapult helped get me ready for the next day of riding (well, that, and a huge plate of pasta). I really appreciated the B12 boost - it’s good stuff.

ZYM Catapult comes in a nice berry flavor and it’s a bit sweeter than the other effervescent tablets I’ve tried. None of them have actual sugar - they are all basically calorie free, using sorbitol to sweeten. The sweetness helps mask the salty taste of the electrolytes, but it’s not cloyingly sweet like some premixed drinks are. Each tablet makes 16 to 20 ounces of drink, just perfect for most cycling water bottles.

One tip I’d pass on to you: sports nutrition has gotten more complicated as drinks, gels, bars, and chews get more refined to target specific needs. You need to pay attention to what and how much you are getting as you mix them all, so if your gel has lots of vitamins or sodium, make sure your drink has less. While I was trying out Catapult, I made sure I didn’t overdo my gel, which also has caffeine in it. Not all rides are as supported as the MS150, with porta-potties every 10 miles!

ZYM Catapult: $8 to $10 for a 10 tablet tube, depending on where you buy it. Check out gozym.com for a list of distributors and retailers.

I love this bag! It goes with me on the bike, off the bike, everywhere. It’s just the right size to fit into my bike panniers (rear bags) with my clothes or lunch inside and, when the top is rolled down, it keeps the wet out on rainy days. Groovy little recycled tire tubes surround the webbing handles where your hands grip, making it more comfy to carry a heavy load.

If a whole grocery sized bag is too much for your cycling needs, check out Pedro’s Ethic seat bag, made of the same HDPE recycled plastic. Both the market bag and the seat bag have a 10 year life span and are totally recyclable when they finally blow out. I’ve got to hand it to Pedro’s for their efforts to bring eco-friendly products to the world of cycling. Visit their website sometime and see what they’re up to!

Pedro’s Ethic Metro Market Bag, msrp $23 www.pedros.com

We tested the Patagonia Wavefarer (left, msrp: $50) and the Minimalist II (shown at right in red, msrp: $55) Board Shorts this spring and found that they both offer a perfect fit, along with style and durability. Sand, salt, and boogie board decks won’t snag these babies or compromise the fabric in any way. Plus, they dry quick and look great around town. No need to bring another pair with you for apres swim. All you need is right here.

Patagonia Wavefarer, msrp $50
Pagatonia Minimalist II, msrp $55, www.patagonia.com

They say no matter how big your purse is, you’ll have no trouble filling it with unnecessary stuff. The Lezyne S-Caddy helps you control the tendency to over-stuff with little labeled pockets for tools and a main compartment big enough for a road tire tube. This is the sexy little clutch purse of the cycling seat bag world - a tiny suggestion of a bag with space for all the essentials. I got my bag with a Lezyne patch kit and a couple of tire tools, just as slim, elegant, and well-designed as the bag itself.

My regular bulky multi-tool wouldn’t fit in the alloted space on the bottom side of the bag, so I guess I’ll have to spring for one of Lezyne’s 4-bit multi-tools. There’s even a small, velcro sleeve inside with a dollar sign on it for your pit stop money. For those who really can’t survive with just those few items, the Caddy series comes in an “M” and an “L” size.

I’m normally a pretty disorganized, kitchen sink sort of cyclist. I’ve even done the MS150 ride with a rack pack on the back of my bike, full of sunscreen, food, spare tires, and even a hand towel. But using this bag makes you think seriously about what you actually need. Why carry around all that weight? And if you roll the spare tube just right, there’s enough space for a tube of lipstick, too. Who says you can’t have it all?

Lezyne S-caddy seat bag msrp:$14.95 www.lezyne.com