CBR 80 was created from 32 years of training in Canberra. Long runs through the Arboretum. Early mornings on the trails. Big days riding the Cotter, Uriarra loop, out toward Tharwa, along the Monaro Highway, and through the roads and hills that have shaped countless hours of training.
Over the years, one thing became obvious: on long training days, you still need fuel when fatigue starts to take over, but after hours of gels, sweet drinks and food, sometimes the last thing you want is more sweetness. CBR 80 was built for that point in the day. It was designed around a higher-carbohydrate approach, using a 1:0.8 carbohydrate blend to help athletes take on more fuel across long sessions without relying on an overly sweet drink.
The flavour profile was deliberately kept light so it could remain easy to drink as the hours, and carbohydrate intake start to build. That means more flexibility to fuel longer, take on greater carbohydrate volume, and reduce the flavour fatigue that can creep in deep into endurance sessions. It represents the long days. The hard sessions. The cold Canberra mornings. The heat. The hills. The rides and runs where nobody is watching and the real work gets done.
CBR 80 is still coming. For now, this is just a first look at where it came from and why we built it.
