Price: $9.99 (4-stick single serving packs)
Availability: Instore and online (starting June 16, 2023)
Obtained by: Company samples
RBR advertiser: No
Refreshing Watermelon Hydration for Summertime Rides
One of the nice perks of being in the media is early access to products. Tailwind sent me a box of their newest Endurance Fuel flavor Dauwaltermelon (non-caffeinated), with lime inspired by ultrarunner and Tailwind athlete Courtney Dauwalter. This flavor drops on June 16th, just in time for hot summer rides.
“Courtney has been using Tailwind Nutrition products since 2017 when she first tried them at Run Rabbit Run. We are constantly asked how Courtney uses our products, and it seemed like the next logical step was to do a collaboration between us,” said Maggie Guterl, Athletes & Events Manager at Tailwind Nutrition. “It has been a ton of fun – exploring new flavors, a lot of tweaking to dial it in, mad scientist experiments (she was a science teacher after all)! The result is Courtney Dauwaltermelon with Lime, which she’ll be using this summer and on the course at Western States and Hardrock 100. We are excited to make this flavor available to everyone!”
“I have been training and racing with Tailwind for six years. Six years! The Limited Edition flavors always got my brain spinning on what flavor I would add to the lineup and I was so pumped when Tailwind asked me to help develop one,” said Dauwalter. “After tons of testing, we landed on watermelon with lime because I could picture how refreshing it would taste on a big adventure or during a hot summer race. Dauwaltermelon with Lime was born and I’m so excited for people to fuel their days out exploring and pushing their limits with this new fresh flavor!”
How I Tested the Product
I took a couple of packets on a recent trip to Lexington, Kentucky, and shared them with my riding companion. I’m still struggling with consuming liquid calories, but Tailwind gave me what I needed to finish a 102-mile ride with 7500 feet of elevation gain. Besides 200 calories per packet, Endurance Fuel provides electrolytes.
Nutrition label for Dauwaltermelon with lime limited edition endurance drink
The flavor is not overly sweet and is best consumed cold. There was no lingering aftertaste, and carrying the single-serving sticks to refill my bottle at rest stops fit easily in my jersey pocket. I never had any GI issues, but I did alternate bottles of Tailwind with plain water. My friend had a similar experience drinking this Tailwind flavor on her shorter but hilly 55-mile route.
My only complaint was how difficult it was to open the packets. At home, mixing bottles, I had to use scissors. I’d suggest Tailwind work with their packaging company to perforate the packets better.
Bottom Line
Dauwaltermelon with lime is a limited edition endurance fuel flavor and won’t be around forever, so order online or shop your LBS. But if watermelon isn’t for you, there are eight other Endurance Fuel flavors to pick from.
Sheri Rosenbaum regularly contributes articles and reviews products for RBR. She’s an avid recreational roadie who lives in the Chicago area and a major advocate for women’s cycling, serving on the board of directors and volunteering with the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club. Click to read Sheri’s full bio or visit her web site sunflowersandpedals.com.
Leave a Reply