# What is your pre ride eating routine?



## BigMeatball (27 Aug 2019)

Hello

Just curious to know what you guys like to do and eat before your weekend ride.

Do you eat at all or do you prefer to start on an empty stomach and maybe stop halfway for a bacon roll or a cake?

And if you do eat before your ride, what do you normally like to fuel up with and how long before your ride?

What's your favourite treat and what gives you the most energy?


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## ianrauk (27 Aug 2019)

Before a long ride it's usually toast or cereal and a mug of tea.
Not one for munching on the go. At a halfway stop it's what ever takes my fancy. Fry up, baked potato with whatever, scrambled Egg on toast, or burger. Washed down with a cake of some description, tea and/or a beer. Last weekends 100+ mile ride also included a beer stop after lunch.


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## graham bowers (27 Aug 2019)

Cooked breakfast with carbs and protein, low fat. Grilled quorn sausage, tomato, mushroom, poached egg, baked beans.


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## Crackle (27 Aug 2019)

If I'm out early and not doing more than 30 miles, then just a coffee until I get back. If I leave later then I'll have breakfast, an oaty, yoghurty type one. I normally carry one of these cocoa Nakd bars as an emergency or as in journey snack before lunch on a longer ride. I've not done any longer rides this year so I think the same nakd bar has been travelling with me for about 800 miles.


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## Sharky (27 Aug 2019)

Nothing special, just normal breakfast cereal etc. But I rarely do long rides anymore. Usually drink a glass of water before I head out, then rarely drink or eat much on rides up to 2 hrs.

On race nights club 10's, dont like a heavy meal beforehand. Just a banana or piece of fruit cake. Thrn will eat afterwards.


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## PeteXXX (27 Aug 2019)

Porage, usually with some fruit in it. Banana or blueberries, depending on my mood. Mug of tea. 
That does me for up to 4 hours.


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## Drago (27 Aug 2019)

Last nights pizza or kebab leftovers, a small glass of home brewed mead.


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## Cycleops (27 Aug 2019)

Oats are good and will keep you feeling fuller for longer, add bananas or raisens, no sugar. Plus poached eggs on toast.
Take plenty of water with you as you can get quite dehydrated even when cool. Some like to add ORS.


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## Drago (27 Aug 2019)

In all seriousness...

Complex carbohydrates.


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## sleuthey (27 Aug 2019)

Malt loaf, cocacola, banana or nakd bar. One or 2 of, not all 4


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## Racing roadkill (27 Aug 2019)

I’ll usually have a banana before setting off. Then it depends on the ride, as to how I feed on the ride. It could be something simple, like cake and a coffee, somewhere on the route, or a full on steak and eggs, with all the extras, and a pint. It’s dependent on mileage and intensity, and conditions.


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## derrick (27 Aug 2019)

A good meal the night before, then a yogurt in the morning, what ever i fancy for lunch. After the ride it's a few beers, works for me.


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## Dogtrousers (27 Aug 2019)

Before ride depending on season porridge or muesli and coffee. En route sandwiches, pies, malt loaf, Eccles cakes, whatever I happen to have.

Favourite treat. Pork pie.


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## lane (27 Aug 2019)

Muesli and or toast plus coffee. Take some cereal bars a well. Time is often short so my priority is speed of breakfast more than anything else.


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## vickster (27 Aug 2019)

BigMeatball said:


> Hello
> 
> Just curious to know what you guys like to do and eat before your weekend ride.
> 
> ...


How far are you going? What’s your normal breakfast?


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## Fab Foodie (27 Aug 2019)

Breakfast of choice, tea, second schitt, ride.


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## Heltor Chasca (27 Aug 2019)

Raw oats, Greek yoghurt, fruit and honey. If it is really early (before 05:00) and I can’t stomach much, I have a tin of rice pudding. Coffee or a mug of tea. Banana if there’s space. My rides are 10-12 hours usually. Lots of snacks on the bike and proper meals at proper meal time. I try not to break my routine.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Aug 2019)

Drago said:


> Last nights pizza or kebab leftovers, a small glass of home brewed mead.



Don't forget the turkey left overs from 1977...


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Aug 2019)

No routine, weekends I have breakfast and that's it. Unless you've been starving yourself you'll already have plenty of fuel on board.


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## Tigerbiten (27 Aug 2019)

It doesn't matter if I'm going out to do 5 miles or 50.
I eat what I normally eat when I would normally eat it.
I've enough reserves of body fat not to need to eat extra ...........


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## jongooligan (27 Aug 2019)

For longer rides I usually start on an empty stomach, specially if it's an early one. Eat a Nakd bar around 20 - 25 miles then stop for a proper breakfast around 50 miles.

Shorter rides are more likely to happen later so I'll have eaten something but not specifically fuel for a ride. Also, if I've drunk alcohol the previous day I always have something to eat before I set off no matter what the time.


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## Alien8 (27 Aug 2019)

Horses for courses.

For my weekend ride (typically 105/110 miles this time of year), porridge and a mug of tea.

Jelly babies, cereal bar, and High5-Zero during the ride.

Only stopping for a call of nature.


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## PaulSB (27 Aug 2019)

BigMeatball said:


> Hello
> 
> Just curious to know what you guys like to do and eat before your weekend ride.
> 
> ...



Breakfast is always the same routine. Two cups of coffee, one litre of water, porridge (60gm of oats) with either honey or dried fruit and a spoonful of creme fraiche. About 30 minutes before leaving.

On the bike one bottle of water, one of electrolyte. Drunk during first 40/50 miles.

In the cafe. Americano, beans on toast with poached eggs. Water to drink. Refill water bottles.

This gets me through 100 miles at which point I'd need another cafe stop.


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## gbb (28 Aug 2019)

Tigerbiten said:


> It doesn't matter if I'm going out to do 5 miles or 50.
> I eat what I normally eat when I would normally eat it.
> I've enough reserves of body fat not to need to eat extra ...........


In a way, me too...although I m relatively skinny. When I did 50 milers I'd invariably stop at a cafe and stoke up. Equally some rides I wouldn't.


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## SpokeyDokey (28 Aug 2019)

I don't ride far enough to even think about fodder pre-ride. Most I ever do is around 40 miles and more usually 20-25.


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## HLaB (29 Aug 2019)

I usually have 2 weetabix or fruit porridge before a ride and if its a more intense ride I like to rehydrate and also eat a banana.


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## slowmotion (29 Aug 2019)

Porage with lots of milk, and two mugs of coffee. Perhaps a banana.

Ham rolls halfway, maybe a KitKat but no cake.

Yellow beer afterwards.


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## Globalti (29 Aug 2019)

Read my account on "Your ride" about how I bonked last weekend after only a bowl of Bran Flakes at 05.30. I'm normally more careful to eat properly before a ride. 32 years of cycling have taught me the need for that.

When we used to ride Polaris Mountain Marathons the most awkward meal was always breakfast on the Sunday morning. There isn't really anything high energy like scrambled eggs on toast that you can carry and cook in a tent.


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## byegad (29 Aug 2019)

Cereal and fruit with semi-skimmed milk, tea. Just like any day I'm not riding.


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## Sea of vapours (29 Aug 2019)

On a longish ride, meaning 5-10 hours: an avocado, a banana, about 50-100g of nuts and several spoonfuls of hummus. During the ride, just a nut/seed bar which I make myself with the minimum amount of black treacle to hold it together.


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## Blue Hills (31 Aug 2019)

Cycleops said:


> Take plenty of water with you as you can get quite dehydrated even when cool. Some like to add ORS.


ORS?


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## Cycleops (31 Aug 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> ORS?


Oral rehydration salts;


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## geocycle (31 Aug 2019)

Normal toast or cereal here, croissants if the Tour’s on. I eat more if on a credit card tour, usually poached eggs. The bottles only have water in them. Normally stop for coffee and flapjack, occasionally will have sandwich on a long ride. Raid fridge when I get home.


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## Welshman (1 Sep 2019)

Weetabix, banana, and go bar cup of tea before ride then if doing more than 30 miles take a chicken salad wrap


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## All uphill (5 Sep 2019)

Porridge and fruit, a boiled egg with toast. Mug of tea. 

With that inside I can meet the world with a smile.


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## johnblack (6 Sep 2019)

If it's a couple of hours first thing, would probably not have more than one slice of toast and a cup of tea, eat when I get back.


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## VeloMule (15 Nov 2019)

2 hours pre ride I'll have a porridge pot and mug of tea, sometimes I'll eat a cereal bar just before ride begins depending on distance.


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## Soltydog (15 Nov 2019)

Not always a weekend ride for me, shift work means my 'weekend' starts next Wednesday  If I'm out for a long ride I like to have toast, bacon, egg & mushrooms before I set off & just 1 coffee (any more coffee means too many comfort breaks) Might have a cafe stop after 60-70 miles, or sometimes will just make do with a cereal/energy bar. Did 100 miles last week on breakfast & energy bar, with no cafe stop. Late(ish) start & no lights meant I had to be home before dark, so was a little pushed for time & this time of year especially, I don't drink enough whilst cycling. I didn't quite finish 1 750ml bottle of drink in 100+ miles


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## Gunk (15 Nov 2019)

Toast and marmalade cup of tea before I go, take a cereal bar with me and try and stop half way for a coffee and cake.


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## derrick (15 Nov 2019)

A good meal the night before.


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## Ian H (15 Nov 2019)

derrick said:


> A good meal the night before.


That's the key, if you're doing any distance or you're racing.


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## Algarvecycling (16 Jan 2020)

My daily ritual is a yoghurt - which I share with my dog  - a banana and a can of Red Bull Sugar-Free for the caffeine (hate coffee). I'll then take a gel if it's a 100km+ ride. I'll always have a gel or two in my pocket too. Water: one bottle is just water, the other has an electrolyte tab in it.


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