bobcdc

I found when upping my ride mileage cramping was an issue with me. Not saying that will be a problem for you of course! But, everyone will handle extra mileage differently. For example, putting in more miles might reveal a problem with pronation which doesn't crop up with a shorter ride. It also depends on how hard you are riding, hills, etc. I'd recommend something like Thermotabs or Endurolytes for electrolyte replacement if you have any cramping problems - they have much larger amounts of salts in them than Gatorade or other similar drinks.

Those tablets made a dramatic difference for me, basically without them I could not have done any rides over 30 miles.

Smokehouse

I'm a much larger fan of something like Hammer HEED...it doesn't taste super awesome (or super bad for that matter) but they focus on the caloric intake without the heavy use of sugar and tone down the sodium BIG TIME. They also add more minerals in the mix over Gatorade. I've been drinking it for some time now and I do not have issues with cramps. There have been numerous studies that show heavy salt intake does zip to stop cramping with most endurance athletes (note I said HEAVY intake, something like HEED will provide plenty). Couple that to the fact that we are mortals who are not 1% body fat ultra endurance athletes, you'll find that most of us consume plenty of sodium without the need for swilling 300mg+ of it on a long ride.

https://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...-energy-drinks

(no, I'm not affiliated with Hammer...I just like their products)...

merlinextraligh

Depends on the effort, and your fitness/training level.

50 relatively easy miles, for someone with lots of miles in their legs is not a problem with no food.

I did 80 miles last weekend on half a bottle of Gatorade, but it was all Zone 2 work.

For the Op, light breakfast, and the granola bar sounds fine.

But people get carried away with eating while they ride, it's one reason you see a lot of fat cyclists.

It's typically not necessary on rides under 2 hours, or easier rides in the 3 hour range.

Carbonfiberboy 

Fine to start without eating before the ride. But then start eating after about 15 minutes. Folks who are just starting to do longer rides are more calorie sensitive than conditioned long distance riders, i.e. they bonk easier. The first 50 mile ride I tried after laying off biking for 30 years, I was sitting in a ditch at about 40 miles watching the world strobe. So eat ~200 calories in each of the first two hours, then see how you feel for the rest of the way. I certainly wouldn't wait to eat until the halfway point. Success of any long ride depends on how one eats and drinks in the first 3 hours. I wouldn't worry too much about cramping as long as you aren't going harder than usual. If you bring sports drink, only put it in one bottle. When a rider's stomach gets upset, plain water is the only thing that helps. I do always bring a little coin purse with Endurolytes, but usually only take them on much longer rides. HEED is good stuff.

I also certainly wouldn't worry about eating on the bike making you fat. One can figure about 40 calories burnt per mile. Thus it is fairly obvious that it's hard to eat more than about half of what one burns. How riders get fat is eating too much after the ride, which is actually more likely if they don't eat during the ride.

Smokehouse

I'm not trying to be a jerk...but I feel this is bad advice. If this is how your body works...that's great but I can tell you some 10oz of fluid on a 80 mile ride is not a good idea, no matter what "zone" your doing.

Having been in a situation, I know the difference between having a good caloric intake and not. It's not in my head, my blood sugar crashing and getting the shakes is no joke to me. I've also seen other riders do this. No one is suggesting he take a gentleman's feast with him on the road but telling him he needs nothing outside of water for 2 hrs or more of continuous exercise is setting him up for failure. Heck, even pros eat on the road...I'm not saying we have to eat what they do...but we still have to eat.

zx9rmal

Hammer makes some good products. I take one of their Gels with a glass of water 20 minutes before I ride and/or use a scoop of their Heed or Perpetuem in my bottle. They also make a great energy bar. Good luck.

Chief Brody

Unrelated to the food discussion...

I'd be tempted to do the first loop by myself and then go with the group for the second loop. I think the befits of this approach might outweigh the cons.

Reynolds 

+1. It's very unlikely to bonk on an easy 3hrs ride, almost impossible if you've had a good breakfast.

merlinextraligh

First, I agreed with the advice that for the OP trying his first 50 mile ride, he should eat some breakfast, and take a granola bar, or something with with him.

Second, you don't need to eat for a 2 hour ride, particularly if you're well trained, and you're not doing anerobic efforts. Your body can store enough muscle glycogen for a 2 hour effort. Riding below anerobic threshold for most of the time allows your body to also use fuel as a fat source, extending the amount of time you can ride without the need to replenish calories.

Third, you're trying to extrapolate your experience to a universal truth. My point, to which you take exception, is that the need to eat is relative to your workload and your training for handling the workload.

A 50 mile ride at 17 mph average is going to be quite different for Rider A, who's never done 50 miles, and has to ride at 90% of threshold power to average 17mph, and Rider B who's done ton's of centuries, and can average 17mph at 60% of threshold power.

Rider A needs to eat for that ride. Rider B doesn't, because his body is better at storing glycogen, and he can burn fat for fuel because he's working sub aerobic.

Fourth,
Sure Pro's eat when they ride. I've spent a fair amount of time riding with, being coached by, and occassionally racing against, professional cyclists. I can tell you most pro's aren't concerned about eating enough on a 50 mile easy ride, particularly if there's not a hard effort coming the next day.

Fifth,
There are advantages in not eating too much on the bike; a) most of us need to lose weight, overestimating the caloric demand of shorter, eassier rides, and eating too much doesn't help with that, and b) not eating on longer, lower intensity, rides trains your body to use fuel as a fat source, which helps preserve mucscle glycogen on longer harder rides.

So, you need to eat to fuel your rides, but how much you eat needs to be tailered to your workload and fitness.

wheelreason

You are going to be on the bike for like 3 1/2 hours, on a ride twice your normal distance. Eat breakfast (whatever you usually eat), and snack on the way if you get hungry. Otherwise your spare inner tube will start looking yummy around mile 35...

Smokehouse

Again...for you. Your level of fitness, your metabolism and internal chemistry is not his. This is like an Ironman champ saying "50 mile ride? Hell, I'll do that for a warmup, you'll be fine on an empty stomach!" I've seen benevolent advice turn bad when an experienced rider or someone with a specific metabolism gives advice to a novice and it blows up in the rider's face. I tend to side with a caution...telling someone to consume 1 bottle/hr with around 100 or so calories and mild sodium intake is sound advice. Telling them "meh...just east some breakfast, you'll be fine" is not. Were talking about 2-3+ straight hrs of exercise here...not a 10 mile ride through the country.

This guy's top is 25 miles, doubling time on the saddle effects everyone differently. I know like I know my name he'l be fine, he had just better plan a bit.

Reynolds 

I'm not a pro by a loooong shot, not even fast for that matter, but it's true I don't have the need to eat as much as some other people. However, what I said applies to most cyclists I know who have some fitness level.
I agree it'd be wise for the OP to carry some food just in case.

RPK79

I always bring something along, but I don't always eat it.

Smokehouse

You know...I apologize for coming across as a jerk. Sometimes I type with fervency and it somehow comes across as being scolding or arrogant. Sorry about that. Same to you too Merlinextralight...I certainly didn't mean to be a jerk.

I guess I've seen to many experienced riders gave personal advice to new riders and have it end poorly...myself included...

on the path

I have gone up to 50 miles through hilly terrain with no nutrition and little or no water. I have gone much shorter distances and needed some nutrition and lots of hydration. Mileage is only one factor. Others, such as ambient temperature, terrain, wind, effort level, ones fitness level, are perhaps more important factors. Everybody is different. Every ride is different.

jsutkeepspining

I like a cliff bar every hour, but just because i burn over 800 kjs per hour on my normal "easier" z2 rides (low zone 2). I can easily ride without the food, but then i'm starving when i get off the bike and over eat. Also it's easier to do multiple big days if you eat during the ride. Helps with recovery and not being tired.

UnfilteredDregs

Excellent read here. I'm doing my first 50 on the new bike on Saturday... I'm not anticipating much of an issue simply because I was doing 40 miles on the same route, on a mountain bike during 95 degree high humidity summer days... My fluid intake was 44 oz of Gatorade/Water, 50/50 split over 2.25 hours... I was slogging

Im looking to push to 100 miles here in the early Spring, the new bike is so much easier and enjoyable to ride, and I've been contemplating the nutrition logistics in order to accomplish the 100 mile mark. It seems that it comes down to excellent hydration always with just enough electrolytes to keep things going. For actual fuel it sounds that the quality of the calories is the most important aspect...

Im thinking a rule of thumb for my first attempt would be 100 calories/hour beginning at the 2nd~ hour mark. Frankly though, I'll leave that to how I feel. Hungry, eat, not? Wait a bit.

Im more concerned at this point with refining the quality of my intake. It sounds like Gatorade is bad news. So, water and a quality source of electrolytes is the better method?

for foods... I love bananas, pb&j, beef jerky, etc...

WestPablo

Prepare a nice mix of Raisins, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, and Pistachios to take along with you ( about 1/2 pound or more).

Make certain that you eat a bowl of cereal with milk before leaving.

* And don't forget your water bottle!

Miami Biker

Interesting read. We are all different so that means the OP should be prepared with liquids and some nutrition. That said today was a typical 50 for me in 3.5 hours with just a large and small bottle with electrolytes. Did a 68 miler this week on just liquids.

Have ridden a road bike for just 26 months and average about 40 miles per trip and never eat. Never bonked (at least no one notices any differences). Yes I'm older, weigh over 200 and ride on flat Florida roads with nutsy drivers.

YMMV as they say.

Ed

RPK79

50 miles in FL is equivalent to 5 miles most anywhere else, right?

Gramercy

Is hammer gel comparable to the clif bar clif shots or GU? It looks like it comes in a squeeze bottle and doesn't look portable if you buy the 26 serving bottle.

Miami Biker

Oohh! Thought less than five so thanks for clarifying. But then the roads are bumpy and drivers seem blind to bikers. And our hills are winds here. Today for example winds were about 15 MPH!

bbbean 

Don't let the hillbilies give you a hard time about riding in the flats. People in town and in the hills have no idea what it's like to fight straight on headwinds for 10s of miles at a time. I'd trade Delta headwinds for hills any day of the week!

BB

RPK79

We have corn fields here with plenty of wind. Luckily I also have the option of riding in the hills. Unfortunately, I also get cold and snow several months of the year...

wphamilton

My experience is a little divergent from the conventional wisdom so take it in that light. First, if you need to eat you should do it about an hour to an hour and a half in because it's going to take an hour or more to take effect. Two and a half to three hours is the boundary where your energy gets low if you haven't replenished so halfway is too late. However, a 50 miler might take 2.5 to 3 hours so I don't think it's strictly necessary to eat anything! If it does take longer, I'm advising something simple like a banana, P&B roll, or jelly donut (which is my favorite) after an hour, nothing fancy or heavy. Snack a little for a short while more (power bar, nuts, etc) and that's it for the rest of the trip. Not calories/hour, no schedule, just the one recharge. Plenty of water.