eating and drinking when cycling

[yello]

Coke is loaded with sugar, i.e. quick energy. Some drink it flat to avoid the belches afterwards!

For a 20 mile ride, I reckon water is enough. Take a banana, flap jack or muesli bar kind of thing (like the aforementioned Jordons) just in case... or just to enjoy when/if you have a break. If you're really concerned, pick a route that includes shops or petrol stations. Pretty much any food is better than nothing.

And just enjoy it!

 

[HLaB]

that reminds me of a question i was going to ask during the Tour but never did.

There were a lot of riders drinking from a can of coke. I've never seen that before.

why coke as opposed to an isotonic energy drink for example?

I went to a couple of stages in the Vuelta last year; in the mountains plenty of riders were drinking small cans of coke. The bloke next to me got all excited when he got a water bottle thrown at him; all I got was a can of coke thrown at me; needless to say I never kept it as a souvenir. I guess a small can of coke has a lot of sugars, etc that will be a good boost in the mountains, plus it probably tastes better than energy drink and being a small can it isn't enough to be too gassy.

 

[Klaus]

This morning I did 16 miles, with one hilly bit. An hour before I had my usual breakfast, big bowl of porridge and cup of coffee.

For the ride I filled my bike bottle (1 litre) with water and dissolved a tab to make electrolyte drink. Plus a 300ml bottle of Lucozade (apple taste which I like). That was all consumed during the trip.

For this distance I wouldn't worry too much, just take care of the hydration (this morning got quite warm).

I am actually "training" to do a ride to work, which is 30 miles round trip - I am not intending to commute, it's just a way to gradually to build my stamina and maybe one day do a longer trip.

Enjoy your rides!

 

[Paul_L]

I did 22 miles this morning on a route i do quite a lot. Two slices of toast an hour or so before i set off. Drink wise, just a bottle of diluted squash which i normally drink it all, just sipping throughout the ride. As for food, i always take a banana, but most of the time i don't have itm but it's there for emergencies.

Then i'm ready for a huge lunch when i get back!!!

 

[iAmiAdam]

I will happily just drink water for about 40 miles. Anything above and I'll get some PSP22 on the go.

Muesli bars are good for topping up energy, but not gaining energy. If that makes sense.

 

[Scotmitchy]

Thanks guys ... I can see the epic journey of 20 miles, which I think is a major milestone, is nothing to you regulars lol.


My first planned route is from Bo'ness to Dunmore, and back, the only thing holding me back is not having my bike yet.

I can just tell that the bike will come and the heavens will open for, ooooooooooo, four weeks or so lol.

I will happily just drink water for about 40 miles. Anything above and I'll get some PSP22 on the go.

Muesli bars are good for topping up energy, but not gaining energy. If that makes sense.

 

[GrasB]

20 miles don't worry about on-ride energy as long as you've had a decent amount of carbs for breakfast (eg a bowl of porridge), these days I'm putting in a hardish 25 mile ride every weekday morning on nothing more than a 200ml glass of fruit juice. That said I'd always have a gel or money to buy something, if not both, in my back pocket just in case I end up going further than expected.

For a drink I find that an electrolyte replacement tablet in the water is essential for me if I don't want to end up with a banging post-ride headache, but then again I tend to ride quite hard so will be sweating much more than most people over the same distance. Again I'll have some in my back pocket incase I need to buy more fluids during the ride.

 

[iAmiAdam]

Haha.

As some have said, at a steady pace, you'll be fine with about 500ml an hourish.

You've gotta remember most of us are on our bikes daily so we've got used to pushing and knowing when to get fluids down us. You'll figure it out once you get on your bike.

Oh, and slight tip, put the bottle in sideways into your mouth, and squeeze into the other side of your mouth, else it can cause you to choke, if you just drink normally.

 

[Scotmitchy]

Haha.

As some have said, at a steady pace, you'll be fine with about 500ml an hourish.

You've gotta remember most of us are on our bikes daily so we've got used to pushing and knowing when to get fluids down us. You'll figure it out once you get on your bike.

Oh, and slight tip, put the bottle in sideways into your mouth, and squeeze into the other side of your mouth, else it can cause you to choke, if you just drink normally.

Goodness, it's another world lol!

 

[kevcampbell]

you can visit my blog if you want to, the link to it is in my signature, i will occasionally put some what to eat things on the blog, like later or tomorrow i will make a blog post about my ride today, where i went, how long i was out for and what i had to eat and drink

take care

 

[slowmotion]

Bananas and flap-jack bars washed down with blackcurrent flavoured Dioralyte. Dioralyte is just sugar and salt, I think, but it tastes good and has a placebo effect for me....

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

20 miles is a decent mileage to start with...I'm only on 45 miles now, though my last incarnation as a cyclist I've done 100s heavily laden...

You don't need to eat for it if you're doing 20 or 50 at a leisurely pace. After that, well, you can view it as valued weight loss or if you're pushing for a time then you will want to give your body what it needs do do it fast.

The unfortunate thing is that the human body is so bloody efficient. If we'd been designed like cars, then we might do 12MPP (miles per pastie). But we don't - unfortunately we might do 60 miles per pastie. Which is a shame in some ways/

I did try dilute C-Vit in a bottle a couple of times...got fed up of never being able to properly clean the bottle. Water bottles are for water....other bottles can be carried in luggage for when a refreshment break is taken...which is fine if you're not racing against the clock

 

[mgarl10024]

If we'd been designed like cars, then we might do 12MPP (miles per pastie). But we don't - unfortunately we might do 60 miles per pastie. Which is a shame in some ways/

I may have to start using the MPP metric.

 

[jimboalee]

Haha.

As some have said, at a steady pace, you'll be fine with about 500ml an hourish.

You've gotta remember most of us are on our bikes daily so we've got used to pushing and knowing when to get fluids down us. You'll figure it out once you get on your bike.

Oh, and slight tip, put the bottle in sideways into your mouth, and squeeze into the other side of your mouth, else it can cause you to choke, if you just drink normally.

Nah, just squirt it under your tongue. Riders hold the bottle sideways so it doesn't block their vision.

 

[HLaB]

Haha.


Oh, and slight tip, put the bottle in sideways into your mouth, and squeeze into the other side of your mouth, else it can cause you to choke, if you just drink normally.

Or buy a bottle that you don't have to squeeze