# How many Bananas should you eat over 80 Miles ?



## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

How many bananas would you suggest one should eat over a distance of 80 miles ?
I ate 5 and am thinking this might be to many as people often refer to munching on a single cereal bar during a 100miler so im thinking 5 bananas might be excessive over 80 miles.


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## VamP (27 Sep 2011)

Did you suffer any indigestion issues? If not then it's not too many, but it's more than I would eat. 


What I really want to know is where did you keep them all?


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## numbnuts (27 Sep 2011)

one banana would do me, but I really like cereal bars Jordans Frusli I find the best


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## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

VamP said:


> Did you suffer any indigestion issues? If not then it's not too many, but it's more than I would eat.
> 
> 
> What I really want to know is where did you keep them all?



No not any indigestion issues thankfully.
I had a rucksack so i kept them in there along with my drink and spare tube/tools etc


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## RedRider (27 Sep 2011)

One banana, two banana, three banana, four etc (Soz)


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## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

numbnuts said:


> one banana would do me, but I really like cereal bars Jordans Frusli I find the best



Having suffered over 80 miles before with cramp and lack of energy i was erring on the side of over eating rather than undereating. I think that to get by on just 1 cereal bar you must be in some kind of terrific shape to begin with.
I was still as weak as a kitten by the time i got home btw.


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## lukesdad (27 Sep 2011)

Banjo does miles per jelly baby, he s an expert on the subject


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## VamP (27 Sep 2011)

apollo179 said:


> I was still as weak as a kitten by the time i got home btw.




That would be from carrying a rucksack for 80 miles  


Seriously, rucksaks hurt your back, stop you breathing properly, and generally are a sign of bad planning. Ditch it!


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## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

VamP said:


> That would be from carrying a rucksack for 80 miles
> 
> 
> Seriously, rucksaks hurt your back, stop you breathing properly, and generally are a sign of bad planning. Ditch it!



Really is that right. I have to carry some significant kit with me. Sometimes i also carry a laptop. What dyu do instead of a rucksack. Should i fit a rack. 
Is a rack better than a rucksack ?


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## vickster (27 Sep 2011)

Rack and panniers - even over 10 miles a rucksack is horrid!

Also, I think it isn't the best idea to carry anything too heavy and especially sharp (like a laptop) on your back in case you have a fall / accident


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## VamP (27 Sep 2011)

Anything to get the weight off your back. Panniers, saddle bags, or jersey pockets. If you can't fit into those three categories then don't bring it.


The above applies to long distances BTW. A lap top in a courier bag or rucksack for 15 miles is uncomfortable but bearable. 80 miles? Forget it.


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## Banjo (27 Sep 2011)

lukesdad said:


> Banjo does miles per jelly baby, he s an expert on the subject



I did a ride last week only about 45 miles but with 3 major climbs (Maerdy ,Rhigos +Bwlch,) decided to not take any food as I have put a few pounds on lately and shouldnt need it for 45 miles. On the last climb I really suffered, felt like I had done double the distance ,stopped for 5 minutes at the bottom of the hill feeling ill. rode it ok but wont ever do a hilly ride on no food again.

Doing a hilly Audax (3000 meters climb in 100 kms) this sunday. Allready have the snickers flapjack, cashew nuts and of course jelly babies in the cupboard ready  Will probably take a banana as well.

Back to the op unless you are cycling purely to lose weight then better to eat too much rather than not enough. bananas that have softened and gone a bit brown during a warm day will release there sugar into your blood stream more quickly than if their a bit under ripe. (A friend with diabetes told me that).


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## twobiker (27 Sep 2011)

I would not eat any, they repeat on me,whats the matter with a pasty ?.


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## zacklaws (27 Sep 2011)

As good as bananas may be for energy, they have a couple of problems with them, eat too many at once and due to the high pottasium content it effects the old ticker, A girl at work I work with, ate a pound of them in one go and was then carted off to the hospital with a suspected heart attack.

The second problem does not effect you cycling as a rule, but bananas have tryptopan in them and this makes you sleepy. I only discovered this when I used to eat them on Night shift and would come over all tired. Now I avoid them on nights, but for a good nights sleep, a couple of bananas helps.

Anyway, what was the original question?...................


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## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

VamP said:


> Anything to get the weight off your back. Panniers, saddle bags, or jersey pockets. If you can't fit into those three categories then don't bring it.
> 
> 
> The above applies to long distances BTW. A lap top in a courier bag or rucksack for 15 miles is uncomfortable but bearable. 80 miles? Forget it.



I regularly do 40miles with a rucksack and laptop on my back. I kindof had the idea that proper cyclists didnt do racks , you dont often see racks on bikes (good bikes). I know i shoudnt be worried about trying to look like a proper cyclists , i should just do whats best for me. I will fit a rack then , thanks for the advice , very helpful. Ive actually got an old bso with a rack on it that i use for going to tescos and similar. Aldi have a rack in there sale tomorrow so i will see if i can pick one up tomorrow.


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## apollo179 (27 Sep 2011)

Thanks vickster banjo twobiker and zacklaws all good advice.
Bit worrying about the girl with the heart attack though.


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## albion (27 Sep 2011)

According to Endomondo 80 miles is something like 6000 calories.5 bananas would hardly be one tenth of that.


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## Nebulous (27 Sep 2011)

One cool side effect of starting cycling for me has been discovering bananas. I eat a lot of them, where I rarely touched them before. However I wouldn't eat more than two on an 80 mile ride. I might have one before leaving home as well, but that would be an absolute maximum. Make sure you have some variety in your food. I use sports powder in my water bottle, though quite a lot of people on here don't have much time for it. 

I've done a bit of riding with a backpack, and you do get used to it - but you are better off without it.


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## MockCyclist (27 Sep 2011)

zacklaws said:


> As good as bananas may be for energy, they have a couple of problems with them, eat too many at once and due to the high pottasium content it effects the old ticker, A girl at work I work with, ate a pound of them in one go and was then carted off to the hospital with a suspected heart attack.



+1, been there, in hospital for a night connected to a load of sensors following banana overload


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## albion (28 Sep 2011)

It shows the old sayings such as "Man cannot live on banana alone" are so true.Supposedly 7 or 8 bananas supplies 100% of ones daily potassium intake..


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## zacklaws (28 Sep 2011)

apollo179 said:


> Bit worrying about the girl with the heart attack though.



It was only suspected due to her heart beating iregualer and feeling funny, once it was found out what had happened, they treated her, and she came straight back to work.


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## Moodyman (28 Sep 2011)

My long rides have been 60-70 miles. 2 bananas are enough. Throw in a few jelly type sweets, glucose drink and salted peanuts.


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## brockers (28 Sep 2011)

Here we go..

'Nanas are too bulky for me, so malt loaf, sliced and pre-buttered in the back pocket; 1/2 OJ / tropical fruit jooce and 1/2 water with a teaspoon of salt in the bidon; chewy sweeties of choice, and a can of coke for that final kick to get you home! Nutrition be damned!!


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## Norm (28 Sep 2011)

VamP said:


> Seriously, rucksaks hurt your back, stop you breathing properly, and generally are a sign of bad planning. Ditch it!


 This would be me today. Surplus of kids meant I was 10 minutes late leaving for my 65 miles ride (mostly off road, so it's over 80 on tarmac  ) so I just chucked everything possible in my rucksack to sort out on the train. 

Boy, did I regret that after 5 hours. Especially as I forgot my flask and salt tabs.

Great day for it, though.


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## apollo179 (29 Sep 2011)

reiver said:


> Great to hear someone else is a fruit monster. I eat vast quantities of the stuff, can not go cycling without a good supply, usually work out the distance to be covered then take a piece for every 5 miles, (50 mile trip - 9 pieces) usually bananas and oranges, try to alternate them between stops. And if my route is a good distance from home I like a pineapple or melon to cut up and eat on the drive back.
> 
> And at the moment blackberries are making cycling very difficult, Saturdays 30 mile took me just over 6 hours, too many good blackberry bushes that could not be passed.
> 
> One last thought, the perfect cyclists pick me up; pint of full cream milk, large bar of chocolate and a couple of ripe bananas - absolutely fantastic.


And that begs the question - where do you keep it all ?
In light of albions interesting info about the negligible calourific value in bananas relative to the energy used i am inclined to continue maxing out on the bananas , and apples. 
But rack not rucksack.
For me one of the incentives of cycling is that is legitimises eating lots when you get home as well.


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## Alun (29 Sep 2011)

albion said:


> According to Endomondo 80 miles is something like 6000 calories.5 bananas would hardly be one tenth of that.



6000 calories???? I wish it was!


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## lukesdad (29 Sep 2011)

Alun said:


> 6000 calories???? I wish it was!




I think it would depend on intensity, but it does sound a little on the high side to me.


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## VamP (29 Sep 2011)

Alun said:


> 6000 calories???? I wish it was!



Yep, that's way out. A five hour 80 mile ride will probably be less than 3000 calories. Any slower than that and it will be less still.


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## rich p (29 Sep 2011)

None or maybe one.

On a longish ride my body would prefer a chewy bar, a ham sandwich or a cornish pastie.


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## twobiker (29 Sep 2011)

rich p said:


> None or maybe one.
> 
> On a longish ride my body would prefer a chewy bar, a ham sandwich or a cornish pastie.


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## fossyant (29 Sep 2011)

Don't worry about it. I must have at least 8 of them before and during the Cheshire Cat in 2010. All the feeds had them, and I'd had a few before the start. I also had a stack of other food as well.


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## Crankarm (29 Sep 2011)

A couple of nicely blackened bananas before I used to start long rides and dried fruit along the way. I don't do long rides any more, or any rides, and therefore my need for bananas has diminished to occasionally one at breakfast.


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## Crankarm (29 Sep 2011)

zacklaws said:


> *As good as bananas may be for energy, they have a couple of problems with them, eat too many at once and due to the high pottasium content it effects the old ticker,* *A girl at work I work with, ate a pound of them in one go and was then carted off to the hospital with a suspected heart attack*.
> 
> The second problem does not effect you cycling as a rule, but bananas have tryptopan in them and this makes you sleepy. I only discovered this when I used to eat them on Night shift and would come over all tired. Now I avoid them on nights, but for a good nights sleep, a couple of bananas helps.
> 
> Anyway, what was the original question?...................



Were there any other contributory factors? Was she over weight by any chance or did she have a pre-existing condition?

Pasta also makes one sleepy but that is because it is pure carbs. Bananas are similar in that they are also rich in carbs but natural sugars which could also cause drowsiness?


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## apollo179 (30 Sep 2011)

reiver said:


> I adapted things so as my mini rucksack fits on the bike, advantage being, when I need to push the bike over rough ground etc, I can wear it on my back.



Youve invented the racksack.
Conventional thinking would say that your handlebars look quite high relative to your seat height. Obviously its about what suits the individual - im just remarking because as a complete novice trying to get his own bike setup the tendency is to treat these xpert guides as the gospel truth, but the reality on the ground is people doing quite different = me v confused.


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## Hicky (30 Sep 2011)

According to the leg-end that is Carl Pilkington....more than 6 bananas will kill you, Fact.

Oh and dogs cant look up, although I'm not convinced by that one.


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## twobiker (30 Sep 2011)

Hicky said:


> According to the leg-end that is Carl Pilkington....more than 6 bananas will kill you, Fact.
> 
> Oh and dogs cant look up, although I'm not convinced by that one.



Can't look up what ?


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## mcshroom (30 Sep 2011)

I prefer panniers or a rack bag to rucksacks, then again I prefer full mudguards on my bikes as well.

If you wern't suffering from indegestion then that's probably fine bananana wise, although you may want to mix in some nuts, apples etc. just for a bit of variety.

I find that I can ride on a good bowl of porridge before I set out for 50 miles +, but my favourite snacks on the road are milk and cake


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