Hi All
Hi Andrie! I usually rock Gatorade G2 in my bottle and water in my pack. G2 gives you the electrolytes you need with only half of the carbs in as regular Gatorade. I think about 7g per serving (8 oz.) for me it seems to be just the right amount of extra little boost in addition to my other nutrition I use consumer while riding. Check out the pick below, I found some G2 crazy cheap and stocked up! 
I tried a few other drinks but never really felt or saw any significant difference. FYI, I also finish my ride with a glass of chocolate milk (skim milk). Again if you compare carb to protein ratios of other recover drinks with those of choc milk they are almost identical. I compared to Hammer Nutrition recovery drink.
For high intensity rides you need high carb intake. I take in about 45 grams an hour through gels and drinks. For drinks I use Heed or CarboMax. Rule of thumb is start at about 140. Pre-ride meal of 60 grams with some fat (peanut butter maybe). Eat 1 gel every 45 minutes. Drink one bottle every 45 minutes - alternate water and electrolyte/carb drink. Keep basal at 50%. Don’t bolus for anything, until post ride. If it’s a race, up everything by 25% and boost basal to 75%. Immediately post-ride eat protein/carb balanced small meal (egg sandwich, protein drink). Bolus @ 50-60% normal. Keep your basal at 50% for 6-12-24 hours afterwards.
This is based on science from the Colorado School of Sports Medicine. They have helped diabetics do endurance sports for a while now. I just finished a 200K in under 9 hours, 4000’ of climbing. 15 gels, 5 bottles of Heed, lots of water. I finished at a nice even 140, didn’t spike afterward. My CGM showed me pretty even throughout.
The basic tenet is this - you can’t hammer if you don’t take in the carbs. And you gotta have the insulin to make the carbs do their job. Take their rule of thumb and try it for yourself. Log every ride. I do it starting the night before - every gram of carb, every drop of insulin.
Try it - it works - and there is science behind it. I hear lots of diabetics give me the ol’ line " everybody is different, maybe that works for you…" but I think that is an excuse.
Thank you for the inputs guys. I really appreciate it. Cannot wait for my next long ride.
Thank you for the feedback Joe! I know nutrition is the one thing I still need to master. I can burn hundreds if not thousands of calories on a ride and need to be more aware of how many calories I’m restocking along the way.
Everybody is different, maybe that works for you but I just need an excuse. 
(Just kidding)
I usually use G2 if I’m doing a light workout, or playing volleyball, or have just otherwise eaten. For longer workouts, runs, and bike rides, I try to half my insulin intake and just keep eating. I don’t do these competitively, but I do wear a CGM and BG at least once an hour.
I like the hammer products they don’t spike my blood sugar.
I use 3 scoops Heed in a water bottle for a long ride 100 miles i will use 2.
I also take a flask of hammer gel as a backup.
Raisins are my (got too low food) 1/2 a box or a full box will bring me up and they fit well in my jersey and don’t mess my stomach up.
I also take water in a camel back.
I always have dates and figs as my “got to low” fix.
The fibre prevent serious spikes.
Saturday was the first time I was out over 2 hrs without breaks, plus it was very hot. At 2 hrs, water + electrolytes is usually fine for me – I’m usually not burning enough calories for nutrition to become an issue.
This time, 1 l per hour was not enough fluid (or electrolyte – I tried HEED for the first time, more calories than I usually take in an electrolyte drink), and the HEED plus a Luna bar was probably not enough nutrition for the approximately 3.5 hrs I was on the road. (We’ll not discuss how crappy my speed was… too much time walking the bicycle up climbs.) I got home, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure about 30 points below normal-for-me, and blood glucose at 143 (“high” for me post-exercise is over 120 if I’ve fed mid-session, over 100 if I’ve not). It took about 2 l fluid for my blood pressure to begin to regulate, and my blood glucose levels have been completely out of whack (high) for the past full day.
The other thing was I did realize I’d have to throw tight control to the wind in favor of recovery food. (Not sure if trying Clif Shot Rocks was the best choice there…)
I ended up out too long w/o sufficient fluid and electrolyte intake for the heat (~3 l over 3.5 hrs, hauled in another 1.5 l when I got home, and another 1.5 l over the rest of the day).