Road Cycling - I got my bike!

I got my Bianchi Eros today, my first real bike in 10 odd years. Full campy. First time riding clipless, the whole 9 yards. It was slightly drizzling outside so as soon as it let up I jumped at the chance to get out. Installed a computer on there to keep track of numbers since I'm primarily concerned with distance and exercise. It was great! The bike is so comfortable and everything about it is just awesome. It doesn't feel like I'm riding a bike it just feels like an extension of my body. I'm so excited to get down to the 'trail' tomorrow and just bust it out. Just testing it out for 15 minutes I realized I had gone 4 miles. Crazy. This post is kind of meaningless other than I'm just really excited I got my bike and how amazing it is to go out riding on it. Any advice for beginners. My legs were pretty tense after riding but I did some stretches and feel ship shape. I'm most interested in diet tips. One could say my diet is pretty poor, I eat like once a day. Should I eat before I ride, if so what, after? I don't want to overexert myself and not eat right. Getting healthy is great, but I realize it's not just about biking as far as possible. :D

Congratulations on your new Bianchi! They make a great bike. As far as your diet is concerned, yes, you will need to eat before you ride when you get into longer distances. In fact, you'll need to eat during the ride, too. If you don't have at least one water bottle holder on your bike, make sure to get one soon. Dehydration can come on quickly during a ride and it's just as important as food for your rides. A good rule of thumb is to take about 4 gulps of water every 15 minutes. Food and liquid are the fuel for your bike's engine.....that's you.

If I eat something like eggs before will I get kinda sick? I'm curious as what is some good energy food.. maybe some fruit, a bagel?

I've been working on my diet because I get sick really easy if I eat the wrong things before, during and after my ride.

So whats worked so far (keep in mind this is a work in progress and may not apply to your bodys issues)

Safe Before ride foods:

Oatmeal, Bagel

During ride foods:

Bagel

After ride foods:
bread/peanut butter

night before food:
Pasta

3hr before ride food:

Canadian Club sub from Mr. sub (no mayo light on sub sauce)




Ok my list isn't comprehensive but its the only things I have found not to make me sick so far, if others could add please do so. Keep in mind I can't eat a chocolate bar in the middle of my ride or I get sick, I've tried power bars they cramp me up and make me sick. I find water and or gatorade on my rides keeps me going good.

Chad

Congrats on the new bike. I just got a new (my first) roadie too. Trek 2100. I love it.

Anyhow, here is my list of good riding foods (for me at least)

Night before:
Pasta. I have been eating tortilini lately, and it works great

Morning of: depending on the length of the ride, sometimes I just eat a clif bar and get some water in me. I've found that one piece of pizza (it doesnt sound like a good idea, but it worked very well. Twice so far) will do me well.

I have no advice for duing the ride. I'm getting that worked out myself. One thing i can say though is that I cant eat oatmeal before a ride. It seems strange, but whenever I try to make it my pre-ride meal, I bonk like a champ.

Bianchi eros, good job... POST PICS :D
ride safe and keep us posted :)

Riding foods:
Night before - Double martini
Early morning - Double espresso
During ride - What ever you can find or bum off the person your riding with
After ride - Appetizer- Crackers/cheese/raw onion Entre -Steak plate Rehydration - 6-8 amber brews @ McSorley's (NYC) :-)
Enjoy your new bike!!!

http://www.threed.nu/bianchi1.jpg
http://www.threed.nu/bianchi2.jpg
http://www.threed.nu/bianchi3.jpg
http://www.threed.nu/bianchi4.jpg
http://www.threed.nu/bianchi5.jpg

Sorry for the blur :(

I've been eating Bananas before rides and they keep my energy up pretty good. Can see my shoes in the pics. Interchangeable foot pads for winter and summer, brilliant. Hah. The best part of the day is getting out and riding. I'm so bummed my bike is sitting here and I can't go out right now. I had a little bit of a weird kind of 'dry creaking sound' earlier. I'm not sure what that was. Maybe a little extra dirt in the crank from the recent hurricane... If it makes it tomorrow I'm gonna stop and check it out more. Might be because my clips are pretty loose too. I need to tighten those things, I keep popping out now that I pedal harder and longer now. Also, I tried a track stand today, oh lord, that is gonna need some practice...

Eating just once a day is not good for for so many reasons , but if you're doing any sort of hard physical activity it's worse. Getting your diet in order is a life style not just a 12 week plan. Just start by trying to eat (much) more often. 5-6 small meals is best but hard. Avoid processed foods like the plauge. Apples, applesauce, or apple juice? Apples! Get it? Use foods with concentrated calories for energy only or at least very sparingly. Examples are raisins, nuts, etc. Replace bad fats with good fats. Olive oil, flax seed, fish oil, but don't just add good fats to a bad diet.

Bottom line is just eat healthy, you know what choices are right (grilled not fried, steamed not boiled) and don't get caught up in the minutia of it all. Just make the right basic choices that you can live with and if you fall off the wagon get back on. It's a life style not a "diet".

Sorry if that sounded preachy. It wasn't meant that way. BTW, Beautiful bike!

congratulations! nice looking bike you got there.. i got my 03 Bianchi Veloce a couple months ago and love it! can't beat that Bianchi Celeste color either..

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=55920&highlight=veloce

Beautiful bike! Hope you get a ton of great miles out of it. BTW, I have never owned one but damn I love Bianchi's color.

Anywho, here is my typical race day (and before) diet. It works for me, maybe not others.

Night before - Chicken parmesian from Olive Garden
Morning of the race - 3 scrambled eggs (in the microwave), two pieces of toast with apple butter

1/2 hour before the start - A granola bar (one of the 25 centers)

During the race - Powerbar Power gel's (raspberry cream) about once every 1/2 hour.

Once I finish - Anything edible I can get my hands on