# long distance fuel



## meadows (27 Sep 2017)

Hi as a newbie to longer distance cycle rides, can I ask for some advice regarding food. I am used to carrying gels, bars etc but as I am hoping to complete more day tours and perhaps even some multi day rides. I would like to become as self sufficent as possible so plan to carry a stove etc.


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## ianrauk (27 Sep 2017)

All you need is normal food. What ever takes your fancy. For cooking, Pasta and tinned foods. For on the go, sandwiches, pork pies etc


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## Yellow Saddle (27 Sep 2017)

Get off the gels and bars. They're just sugar bombs and keep you in a constant glucose coma. Eat real food.


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## Jason (27 Sep 2017)

keep a gel handy as a last resort, but real food is far better for you imo. home made flap jacks are easy to bake and carry. Tinned food won't perish, but there is the weight penalty, why not buy supplies at the last store before entering wilderness areas


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## raleighnut (27 Sep 2017)

I tip if you decide to heat/cook food on the stove, take a good strong carrier bag to put the pots into before they go back in the pannier/saddlebag.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Sep 2017)

Use cafe stops during your ride. Eat good wholesome food. Not the crap you get in gels.


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## Crackle (27 Sep 2017)

Long time ago, I used to carry a stove when I rode with a mate. We used to cook bacon and eggs for lunch. I still recall making him a perfect egg, hard on non-stick pans and then as I went to take it out I burnt my hand on the edge of the pan. The resultant twitch flipped his perfect egg straight over his head into the field behind. He didn't forgive me for the rest of the day.


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## Cronorider (27 Sep 2017)

YukonBoy said:


> Use cafe stops during your ride. Eat good wholesome food. Not the crap you get in gels.



Just pointing out that gels are useful when doing hard workouts or riding distance at a higher pace. They do have a purpose and work well for me.


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## slowmotion (27 Sep 2017)

At least have some porridge for breakfast. It's wonderful stuff and you can make it in a microwave in three minutes, eating it out of the bowl it was cooked in.


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## Profpointy (27 Sep 2017)

Crackle said:


> Long time ago, I used to carry a stove when I rode with a mate. We used to cook bacon and eggs for lunch. I still recall making him a perfect egg, hard on non-stick pans and then as I went to take it out I burnt my hand on the edge of the pan. The resultant twitch flipped his perfect egg straight over his head into the field behind. He didn't forgive me for the rest of the day.



Surely 10 second rules apply so you could just have picked it up again. Blow on it first to remove any germs if you're particularly OCD about such things


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## srw (27 Sep 2017)

slowmotion said:


> At least have some porridge for breakfast. It's wonderful stuff and you can make it in a microwave in three minutes, eating it out of the bowl it was cooked in.


When the OP suggested carrying a stove, I don't think a large lump of metal and a generator was quite what they had in mind.

My favourite stove for touring belongs to a hotel.


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## slowmotion (27 Sep 2017)

srw said:


> When the OP suggested carrying a stove, I don't think a large lump of metal and a generator was quite what they had in mind.
> 
> My favourite stove for touring belongs to a hotel.


Oops!


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## growingvegetables (27 Sep 2017)

Soreen.


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## Crackle (27 Sep 2017)

Profpointy said:


> Surely 10 second rules apply so you could just have picked it up again. Blow on it first to remove any germs if you're particularly OCD about such things


It was no longer a perfect egg, plus my twitch launched it a fair distance and he just kind of sat there open mouthed in shock, holding his plate.


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## meadows (27 Sep 2017)

slowmotion said:


> Oops!


I was actually thinking of towing a burger van complete with pancake hot plate but on second thoughts maybe I should just scale it down to a compact camping stove!!!


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## Heltor Chasca (28 Sep 2017)

Alpkit's Kraku stove is about the size of a lighter. Paired with a small gas canister, you won't get much smaller.

I'm giving Huel a go at the moment. I've done a short Audax powered by it to satisfaction. Only used it car camping, so touring is still an unknown.


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## RoubaixCube (30 Jan 2018)

If you honestly need to boil water but want to keep the weight down, a hexi burner is good. The blocks dont tend to last long but you can boil some water and fry some eggs and bacon if you have time to spare. You can buy hexi blocks pretty cheaply on amazon and ebay.

I think my longest ever ride was the dynamo. foodwise I just took a small bag of sweets and quite lot of cereal bars or flapjacks that are high in carbs. I tend to favour the Alpen fruit bars. one or two gels are always at the bottom of the bag just incase I really really need something for the final push.

I try to buy real food along the way or at least have one proper meal if possible. In terms of the dynamo it was the burger stop which i think was around half way. bloody expensive but well worth it!!!


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## pawl (30 Jan 2018)

A stove would be to heavy.A small microwave would be better.


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

meadows said:


> Hi as a newbie to longer distance cycle rides, can I ask for some advice regarding food. I am used to carrying gels, bars etc but as I am hoping to complete more day tours and perhaps even some multi day rides. I would like to become as self sufficent as possible so plan to carry a stove etc.


REAL FOOD.
Beer.


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

pawl said:


> A stove would be to heavy.A small microwave would be better.


Wimp. Real tourist use an AGA with cast iron pans....


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## pawl (30 Jan 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> Wimp. Real tourist use an AGA with cast iron pans....






Will a carbon fibre frame support an AGA. Also it would take some time to cool down and the frame may melt.


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## greenmark (30 Jan 2018)

growingvegetables said:


> Soreen.


^^^ this


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## raleighnut (30 Jan 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> Wimp. Real tourist use an AGA with cast iron pans....


I use a Pizza Oven, luckily it comes in kit form,


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## pawl (30 Jan 2018)

Cold toast spread with Marmite cut ln to bite size pieces 

Real food for real cyclists .Always did have peculiar tastes.


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## Profpointy (30 Jan 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> You know those flexible Fresnel lenses that you see stuck on the back windows of buses, or that bookshops sell as reading lenses. Could you get one of those and roll it up (perhaps for convenient storage inside the seat tube) and when dinnertime comes unfurl it and use it to concentrate the suns rays for cooking? Look out Crowdfunder, here I come.
> 
> I did consider the idea of mounting a stone on your bike, and setting up a magnifier to heat it as you ride, and then when dinnertime came you would have a pre-heated hot stone. But I decided that might be a silly idea.



That's not quite as silly as it sounds and should work shouldn't it?
You'd have to have your tea before it got dark mind


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

pawl said:


> Will a carbon fibre frame support an AGA. Also it would take some time to cool down and the frame may melt.


You don’t have a cast iron frame???


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## dave r (30 Jan 2018)

growingvegetables said:


> Soreen.



Yes, if I'm riding and don't have a cafe stop planned I carry a few slices of their malt loaf.


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

I used to travel with a Trangia or gas stoves, but for my recent trips I invested in a Pocket Stove (the Ti version weighs nothing), a MyTi 600ml mug from Alpkit and an Alpkit wind shield.

The pocket stove will run on Hex blocks, Meths burner or twigs. Hex blocks are cheap, light, and faff-free (though yo get a bit of soot). The combo boils water well for tea/soup, but also holds a std 400ml can of soup, beans, rice bud etc. as a baine-marie and works really well. 
The whole rig is small and light enough to carry in a small bag when out for an afternoon stroll.













It all depends how gourmet or how quick you want to be!


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

raleighnut said:


> I use a Pizza Oven, luckily it comes in kit form,
> 
> 
> View attachment 393857


Look what it's done to his forks!


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

dave r said:


> Yes, if I'm riding and don't have a cafe stop planned I carry a few slices of their malt loaf.


I think a lot depends where you are. In the UK, you're rarely far from a source of food. The outer Hebrides or the Highlands can be a different matter. In the OH you needed 24hrs supply of food* rations because shops and eateries are few and far between....

*and beer of course....


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## dave r (30 Jan 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> I think a lot depends where you are. In the UK, you're rarely far from a source of food. The outer Hebrides or the Highlands can be a different matter. In the OH you needed 24hrs supply of food* rations because shops and eateries are few and far between....
> 
> *and beer of course....



I'm in the west midlands and know most of the cafes locally, so there plenty of places for me to stop, but if I'm riding an event and don't plan to stop malt loaf is my prefered fuel.


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## raleighnut (30 Jan 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> Look what it's done to his forks!


New back wheel too.


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

dave r said:


> I'm in the west midlands and know most of the cafes locally, so there plenty of places for me to stop, but if I'm riding an event and don't plan to stop malt loaf is my prefered fuel.


Ahhh.... I always plan to stop :-)


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> La di dah.
> 
> Get you, masterchef.


One shouldn't let standards drop whatever the circumstances...


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## pawl (30 Jan 2018)

Fab Foodie said:


> You don’t have a cast iron frame???






No afraid not.Jusr ageing muscle and crumble bone.

I have to be. Careful when I pass a hospital as I get offers to deputise for the skeleton that med students use to study bone structure.


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## Fab Foodie (30 Jan 2018)

pawl said:


> No afraid not.Jusr ageing muscle and crumble bone.
> 
> I have to be. Careful when I pass a hospital as I get offers to deputise for the skeleton that med students use to study bone structure.


Well at least when you lie on the beach people don’t start throwing buckets of water over and try to roll you back into the water....


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