wcoastbikr

So I woke up late today ended up getting out at like 12pm only had a bagel with cream cheese and water. So I go for about a 60 mile ride and I'm really pushing myself harder than I usually do. I had a clif bar with me which I was kind of nibbling on every now and then along the ride. So about 3/4 through I start feeling really weak, starting to slow down a little. I knew it was because I didn't eat properly. But I kept pushing. So I finally get home and ended up throwing up on the front yard, got inside and pretty much passed out on the floor.

Right now I'm still a little queezy, keep burping, and feel exhausted.

Lesson learned.

ggatsby

Did you plan on doing 60 miles? Because if you did, and only ate one bagel...I don't see how the bonk wasn't expected.

wcoastbikr

No I actually planned on doing ~30 miles...I had a rough week and was really looking forward to riding this weekend and once I was out there, kind of ended up doing more.

ILUVUK

i bonked my ass off yesterday and to add insult to injury my ride was only 25 miles. Granted, I played 3 sets of full-effort tennis immediately prior to the ride, but still. i was bummed.

Richard_Rides

You should keep a couple of gels or Power Bars in your saddlebag for contingencies like this.

Ratfish

This kinda thing is really bad for your health.

Carbon Unit

I have wondered how many calories I need to eat per hour to keep up my energy. A GU packet has about 100 calories. I had a long distance cyclist tell me that I need at least 300 calories to keep my energy level.

Any idea how much I should eat on say a 60 mile ride?

wcoastbikr

That's a good question...I wouldn't know. I just kind of nibble the entire ride depending on how I feel and it usually does me ok. Anything under 30 miles and I don't even worry about bringing food.

Also are those GU packets easier to down then cliff bars? I wouldn't say cliff bars are hard to down, it's just that it's physically a lot to kind of chew down.

Carbon Unit

I like the GU packets. They come in multiple flavors and only take a second or two to suck down. They tend to be on the sweet side so you will need to take a drink after you have one.

The link below is on the expensive side. You can usually find them for about $1.00 each.

https://www.rei.com/product/610028

ggatsby

I personally get somewhere between 200-300 calories (food and drink) per hour for anything over an hour of riding. Anything under an hour and I'm find with just a bottle of water. Gels work for me for rides up to about three hours. Anything over that and my tummy asks for clif bars or some other type of solid food. How much solid food I bring usually depends on how much food I ate prior to the ride.

CbadRider

Gu and other gels can be like trying to swallow a bunch of Smucker's caramel dessert sauce. They can be on the thick side, sticky, and overly sweet. I generally have to drink water to help swallow them. It's best to try one before you go on a ride.

ILUVUK

That's for damn sure! I've never tried a gel while riding, but I have while running. My only experience with a gel was on mile 11 of the St. Jude Memphis 1/2 mary. I had minimal water to wash it down with and was gagging until the next water station. will never make that mistake again! gel + water = OK

Ratfish

Hammer gels are supposedly not as overtly sweet.

Wkend_Warrior

where did you go in south bay for 60mi?
just curious.

wcoastbikr

Malibu...was a nice day. Not too hot, not too cool.

cuattop

I do better on real food like PB&J sandwich, salted almonds, those cheese crackers with peanut butter in between, Trader Joe fig newtons, etc. I usually have one bottle of water and one bottle of Cytomax.

trinity000

IMHO Hammer gels are far better than GU. Well except the blueberry pomegrante GU Roctane. But those are like $2.00 each!

I really like the chocolate and Espresso ones from Hammer. They both kinda taste like sugarfree chocolate sauce. They are thick though and require drinking some water with them at the end to reduce the gumminess. The other cool thing with Hammer you can buy the jugs and then use a flask to mix your own flavors (1/2shot of each flavor). Rasberry+Chocolate= for a Rasberry mocha, or Orange+Vanilla = Orange Creamsicle. Or any other combo you can think of.

wcoastbikr

I've tried the Hammer Sampler pack and imho disliked all of them. I've also tried various clif shot electrolyte packets and don't like those either. I've always hated gatorade.

If you haven't noticed I really hate sports drinks. I just can't drink a lot of them. I'd much rather drink plain water and make up for it with gels, bars, shots, etc...I do like shot blox though! The margarita flavors , yummmmmm. Hands down the easiest things to down. But, they don't have as much stuff that you need as most bars.

kostyap

Strange. I've done quite a few 50-60 miles rides with no food at all bar some v8/tomato juice to keep my electrolytes in check. Usually feel really hungry at the end of the ride but nothing so major as bonking.

trinity000

Which is why there are SO many choices out there, and i am VERY glad for that. Personally every other Gel i have tried tastes like crap i can always pick out the brown rice powder or whatever other carb they are trying to use and it ruins it for me. Only other gel i will use are Honey Stingers but they are SUPER SWEET i can barely get through one. However i still believe in trying everything even if you found something that works, keep that as a mainstay but try the new stuff that comes out, it more then likely will be worse but sometimes will be better.

Just recently i switched sports drinks, went from Accelerade to Cytomax (love that stuff) but now i am on a container of HEED just to see and try to consolidate supply sources. ATM it isn't working as good for me as Cytomax though.

KiddSisko

You're killing me! With unlimited options for grabbing some quick energy along that route, and you didn't stop for anything? Didn't bring cash or plastic? A favorite 50 mile cruise for me is going from Topanga Canyon Blvd and PCH to the end of the bike path south of Redondo Bch, then back. I always stop at the Redono pier for something to eat. Pizza, smoothie, whatever.

wcoastbikr

No money...like I said, I didn't plan to be out for a longer ride.

I'm feeling a lot better though, not 100% but almost there. Pita chips really help.

rick1

200 to 300 calories per hour in the form of GU and Cliff bars. If it's hot and it's a long ride I bring nuun tablets with me for the electrolites. 1 tab = 360 mg of sodium plus magnesium and potasium. Nuun contains no carbs as I manage my sugar through the gels and bars. I guess you can say Nuun is an insurance policy.

tntyz

I used to think this, too, but learned my lesson this last Friday. Started to bok pretty bad at the tail end of a 30-mile ride. Likely just didn't have much fuel in the tank to start with and ran it down from there.

As a prior poster mentioned, have a handy stash of some extra calories just in case.

Ed in GA

I just wonder about drinking/using those "5 Hour energy drinks"? Good Idea? Bad idea?

Anybody tried this??