Originally Posted by crypticlineage
I eat half CLIF bar 15 minutes before the ride, and gulp it down with 8-12 oz water. Then I am good to go for a ride. When I come back I have my regular oatmeal breakfast. Although, I always have this dilemma whether I should eat this breakfast before taking shower or after. Should you have recovery food immediately after the ride, or it can wait half an hour?
I do a full clif bar half an hour before the ride, and a glass of accelerade. Having the sports drink makes a big difference for me - otherwise I have to wait for the clif bar to get digested.
If it's a long ride (more than a couple of hours or so), I'll drink a serving of Endurox before I hit the shower. If you are hungry, you need to get the recovery food *right away*, or your body is going to get the glycogen from your muscles. If you used a hydration drink and you aren't really hungry, you may be able to put it off, but in my book, earlier is better.
You can mix the recovery drink in a water bottle and take it into the shower with you...