Cycles of all sorts

Drinking enough water is critically important. A number of racers scratch each year when they fail to drink enough, get severely dehydrated, lose the ability to digest food and become sick and/or hypothermic. It's possible to recover from this with rest, rehydration and careful eating but the process takes most people at least eight hours and being sick on the trail is no fun. It's easier and more pleasant to stay well hydrated. An average person exercising in dry cold needs at least one quart of water per hour to avoid dehydrating. It's unlikely that you'll be able to consume at that rate during the event; you will become dehydrated. By drinking as much water as you can, you'll minimize the effects of dehydration and you'll feel better and go faster.

Camelbaks aren't trouble free. They can leak or siphon their contents onto you and their drinking tubes can freeze. The first two problems aren't common, frozen tubes are. Work with your drinking system, under winter conditions if possible, before the event to find and cure its weak points. Try insulating the drinking tube, keeping it under clothes and blowing back into the tube or raising it while pinching the tip to drain it after drinking.

Some riders have done well with homemade insulated covers for their frame-mounted water bottles. Try running a drinking tube down into the bottle to get past the frozen top layer. Carrying the bottle upside down will keep the top from freezing before you can finish what's inside.

If you're adding powdered food to your water, premeasure the powder into the amounts you'll need for each water bottle or Camelbak. Use ziplock bags to carry these portions. A light plastic funnel will speed up your refill operations.

Several racers become sick each year from using unfamiliar food or overconcentrating their liquid food. Test your race food on training rides, especially long cold rides. Find out what works for you and don't make last minute changes. Remember that liquid food is still food; you will need to drink additional water.

If you'll be spending time at the checkpoints (most people do) bring your own cup and spoon.