food on a bike.

[mrcunning]

Im doing my longest ride upto yet on saturday 85-90 depending on which route we take..skeggy by the way.
Anyways what intake of food would i need before and during this ride,i know not everyone is the same but a few simple ideas would be appreciated.
Ive done 45-50 miles but seem to run out of steam due mainly imo to lack of food.

 

[BSRU]

I usually take sandwiches, pack of crisps, pint of milk and some Jordans Frusili bars, plus some sweets, normally jelly beans.
I try to have a good meal the night before, lasagne last time and some porridge for breakfast.

 

[davdandy]

Why not stop half way and have a cafe stop and eat something there and rest your legs for half an hour?

 

[mrcunning]

We most probably will stop off but theres 10 0f us going and they do it every year and im a newcomer,it doesnt look good first year in and im throwing my weight around..lol

bsru,thats the routine i was thinking of to be fair..pasta and porridge..

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I usually take sandwiches, pack of crisps, pint of milk and some Jordans Frusili bars, plus some sweets, normally jelly beans.
I try to have a good meal the night before, lasagne last time and some porridge for breakfast.

So do you eat while you're cycling, or do you take pauses to break out the sandwiches and crisps? I have a suspicion my problems may stem from the twin issues of not being comfortable with the control issues of eating while cycling, but not wanting to actually stop moving forward and spend time 'refuelling'. I think the latter comes from when I used to do long distance motorbike events.

 

[BSRU]

So do you eat while you're cycling, or do you take pauses to break out the sandwiches and crisps? I have a suspicion my problems may stem from the twin issues of not being comfortable with the control issues of eating while cycling, but not wanting to actually stop moving forward and spend time 'refuelling'. I think the latter comes from when I used to do long distance motorbike events.

I always stop to eat, only 10 to 15 minutes. I stop once I have cycled past half way, so then when I get back on I know I'm on my way home( I always seem to go faster when heading home).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Make sure you fuel up properly in the days before, specifically the day before.
On the ride, we go with peanut butter sandwiches & jam sandwiches, with stops for breaks and snacks, though recently I have also taken to eating on the move - usually a fruit & nut bar and making sure I get plenty of water (finally mastered the art of unwrapping the bar and eating it whilst cycling!). And I keep a gel handy for emergency use only - don't really like them do sometimes they really do help. I find ready salted crisps are useful later in the day and usually chase that down with some Fanta (though there are surprisingly few calories in it when you actually want them!)

 

[mrcunning]

The way things are going ill need a picnic hamper strapped to my back

 

[vickster]

Jelly babies (preferably haribo) flapjacks or some sort of cereal bar (like the alpen ones with raisins), soreen for me. Plus a cake / Sarnie stop with latte. Fish and chips at the seaside, or at least chips and an ice cream

I can't eat or drink while riding, but it's never been a problem when out with @jefmcg (I don't think!)

 

[w00hoo_kent]

So, if you stop and eat, how often. Is it time based, i.e. I'll stop every three hours or so, or is it distance based, I'll stop every 30 miles or so. As I need to re-educate myself to be stopping to fuel, it'd be interesting to know how other people gauge it.

On my ride yesterday I stopped at the 26 mile mark, although had probably decided I would be stopping at the next bench 5 or so miles before that as I wanted to check my feet. I then stopped again at around the 36 mile mark, which was under 10 miles to home because I knew the big hill was coming up and I wanted to make sure I'd taken on fuel before hitting it. Last time I did the same ride I didn't stop until the 38 mile mark (which was the top of that hill and wasn't an optional thing!).

 

[vickster]

Personally, given we don't ride against the clock, probably a longer stop every 3 hours. But I have quite a few short stops as I ride a bit quicker, probably why I am crocked!

Basically, when weary, hungry or a bit bored! Recreational cyclist, not sportive rider ( well I might have been in August if I hadn't had to withdraw from ride 100!)

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

So, if you stop and eat, how often. Is it time based, i.e. I'll stop every three hours or so, or is it distance based, I'll stop every 30 miles or so. As I need to re-educate myself to be stopping to fuel, it'd be interesting to know how other people gauge it.

On my ride yesterday I stopped at the 26 mile mark, although had probably decided I would be stopping at the next bench 5 or so miles before that as I wanted to check my feet. I then stopped again at around the 36 mile mark, which was under 10 miles to home because I knew the big hill was coming up and I wanted to make sure I'd taken on fuel before hitting it. Last time I did the same ride I didn't stop until the 38 mile mark (which was the top of that hill and wasn't an optional thing!).

one of my habits I picked up/developed on my long (12 month) tour was eating at the top of every hour. It didn't have to be a lot just a few handfuls of nuts/dried fruit/bar of some description and I have my garmin set to give me an audible alarm every 30 mins to remind me to drink. The only time that is different, on the eating front, is when I know I am only out for under 2 hours, then I don't bother eating whilst on the move, but I will carry something with me just in case - that is generally my commute.

Yesterday I was out between 10am and 4pm on a +100km ride and it was breakfast & lots of fluid before we left, a stop after an hour at a café, lunch about an hour's riding after that, then a fruit and nut bar whilst riding, a break around 3pm for another bar & 1/2L Fanta and next stop home... guess I haven't dropped the hourly habit on longer rides. I also got through around 2.5L of water (the sun came out here and it got very warm in the afternoon). But all that said, I have to pace myself and watch my potassium/sodium balance carefully because of having adrenal gland issues and being steroid dependent.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Personally, given we don't ride against the clock, probably a longer stop every 3 hours. But I have quite a few short stops as I ride a bit quicker, probably why I am crocked!

Basically, when weary, hungry or a bit bored! Recreational cyclist, not sportive rider ( well I might have been in August if I hadn't had to withdraw from ride 100!)

Fair, I'm asking most of these questions based around the sportive which is where my head is pointing at most of the time I'm thinking bike at the moment. When we are touring round being leisurely we'll stop when we like the look of a café or ice cream shop, and I'll usually nom a muesli bar now and then as the mood takes me, but it's a very different type of riding.

 

[BSRU]

Fair, I'm asking most of these questions based around the sportive which is where my head is pointing at most of the time I'm thinking bike at the moment. When we are touring round being leisurely we'll stop when we like the look of a café or ice cream shop, and I'll usually nom a muesli bar now and then as the mood takes me, but it's a very different type of riding.

I did a 100km ride on Friday and Sunday, both times I stopped at about 60km for breakfast, both times I hadn't eaten before going out, if I was planning on a longer ride I would have eaten breakfast. I made sure I had been well fed and hydrated the day before.

 

[vickster]

Fair, I'm asking most of these questions based around the sportive which is where my head is pointing at most of the time I'm thinking bike at the moment. When we are touring round being leisurely we'll stop when we like the look of a café or ice cream shop, and I'll usually nom a muesli bar now and then as the mood takes me, but it's a very different type of riding.

You'll still want to stop, it's not a race, Although there is a time limit. Not that this was the specific reason for me being told to pull out, time and distance and elevation and thousands of people with risk of accident!

If it's hot as hopefully it will be in August, liquid will be more a concern than food I would think, you'll need to be stopping to get more fluids