Training & Nutrition - insanely early group ride - drink/eat what??

I am hooking up with a fast group ride that leaves at 5am. I would like to sleep until about 430am, get up, dress and out the door at 4:50am to arrive at meeting place at 5. The ride is fast according to guy who asked me. I'll have 300 on-board calories in my drink (ride lasts 90 minutes). What should I drink or eat before I head out? My normal routine won't cut it. I'm thinking 8 oz. chocolate milk and a banana. thoughts?

That'd work, but I'd still advise getting up earlier. That food will still be pretty heavy in your stomach and could give you the heaves. I'd advocate mixing a scoop of glutamine into the milk, and bringing along food to have right at the finish.

i wake up at 4:30 for my rides during the week, which typically last 2 hours.

you'll want to have a good large meal before you go to bed. don't stuff yourself needlessly, but make sure you eat enough.

in the morning, i have a breakfast bar, a banana, and coffee. on the bike i bring a half water\half gaterade mix, and toss another breakfast bar in my jersey (i usually don't eat it) in case i get hungry.

that's about it. 90 minutes isn't a whole lot. just eat food that you know you can digest easily (for me, bananas are super easy to eat early in the morning). i would stay away from a lot of milk, but that's just me.

i wake up at 4:30 for my rides during the week, which typically last 2 hours.

you'll want to have a good large meal before you go to bed. don't stuff yourself needlessly, but make sure you eat enough.

in the morning, i have a breakfast bar, a banana, and coffee. on the bike i bring a half water\half gaterade mix, and toss another breakfast bar in my jersey (i usually don't eat it) in case i get hungry.

that's about it. 90 minutes isn't a whole lot. just eat food that you know you can digest easily (for me, bananas are super easy to eat early in the morning). i would stay away from a lot of milk, but that's just me.

god, you are an animal!
or mebbe just another smart New Yawka... with good preservation instinct ! (where do you ride in the AMs?)
like timmhaan says 90 min isn't really a long ride, and even for a solid hammerfest, I'd prolly do similar in prep. ALthough I am trying to drop the coffee thing. It just takes me up too fast and drops me dead too soon. I Luv the taste of coffee, but it really hammers me, and then I gotta go pee :(
early-ish rides for me usually find me making a smoothie the night before and puttin in the fridge for quick consumption + a banana for more of same and some electrolytes, carry a power bar (mostly in-case, I've been carrying the same bar for 3 months now) and a Gelpac, which I've found to be really great for at about the 30 mile mark of a hammerfest ride (again, works for me).
Cottage cheese before start, occasionally, if its a 50 miler.
Starting to mix my own electrolyte drinks since I don't like the Off-The_Shelf' stuff, mostly.
Been tryin some of the 'formulas' found in searchs here on BF - some are quite OK.
too much milk for me seems to hinder the digestion of other stuff - fruits - good Ole Fructose works fine for me.

My morning commute starts @ 5:00 and ends at 7:30.

Around 4:15 I eat something w/ peanut butter on it. Anything like (bagel, toast, poptart, etc.)
Then I take oatmeal squares and/or clif bars to eat on the way.
Plus, it's usually powerade to drink.

I can't eat anything that soon before riding flat-out, so I wouldn't have a thing.
At best I could probably handle some choc powder and/or a cup of coffee.

The big issue, as I see it, is the morning dump!! :) I'm too scared to leave the house before that's out of the way, but I guess getting up at 4:30am would throw the routine out a bit

If I were you, I'd probably drink a can of Ensure as soon as I got up. Ensure Plus has 355 calories ... enough to keep you going for 1.5 hours.

Now the part I find amazing is that you can be up and out the door in 20 minutes. When I'm going to work, I can do it because it is just a matter of a fast shower and then tossing on whatever I've got in the closet .... but when I'm going out for a ride, it takes a long time to layer up with my polypros and wools, braid my hair, get my booties on (especially if I use my neoprene ones), don my headband, neck gaiter, helmet, gloves, etc., fill my water bottles, prepare my HEED mix, knock back an Ensure, check my tires, get my bicycle outside, etc. etc. etc. I have to be up a good healthy hour before I head out for a ride.

I am hooking up with a fast group ride that leaves at 5am. I would like to sleep until about 430am, get up, dress and out the door at 4:50am to arrive at meeting place at 5. The ride is fast according to guy who asked me. I'll have 300 on-board calories in my drink (ride lasts 90 minutes). What should I drink or eat before I head out? My normal routine won't cut it. I'm thinking 8 oz. chocolate milk and a banana. thoughts?
I get up as well at 4:30am to ride with group. It's a hammerfest depending on which knuckle heads show up.
I eat cream of wheat and coffee. Then on the way I drink 1/2 a gatorade (10oz). I take a gel with me, sometimes I use it and sometime I don't. It was through trial and error to figure this out for me. So far so good.

report: thanks all for the input. Based on all this I went protein smoothie (8oz), banana, and small powerbar. Took 350 cals in one water bottle (1 scoop HEED, 250 cals of dextrose). It was a hammerfest with lots of small hills, sprints and one long 28 minute interval at 90% LT around the local island with no lights. No stomach issues - but damn I couldda used the coffee. Caught an amazing sunrise on a really gorgeous day here in Seattle. The number of teams and groups out training/riding at this hour caught me by surprise too.

Timing worked fine too - up at 430am - had all clothes ready and organized - bike at front door preloaded with drink - out door at 450am and hooked up with group at 5am and off by 5:05.

I'm up at 3:30 and am on the bike by 4:15 about 3 times per week. All that I need is a banana and I am good for about 90-120 minutes. Then I eat breakfast right as I get back home.

Struggling with this now, since I'm trying to meet up for a 5:45 group ride. Usually do a smootie for breakfast, but can't those early mornings since it wake up the house.

Going with banana, oatmeal, coffee & water for now.