saviourag

I'm going to Sicily tomorrow morning, @5am, and I'm gonna try to ride 200km in one day. The longest ride I've done before was only 85km, which I managed to do in 4hrs. This will be less hilly though since I'll be riding along the coast. What do you suggest I should carry with me, regarding food? There are many places where I can buy food along the way, but I think it's best to have something to resort to in case of emergency.
Thanks.

Machka 

I'd carry enough energy bars (or cookies, or cereal bars, or granola bars, or packets of salted almonds, or dried fruit, or bananas, or whatever you like) to keep you going for approx. 100 kms.

You should plan to eat 250-300 calories per hour, so if 100 kms takes you 5 hours, for example, plan to bring at least 1250 calories worth of food with you. Then you can pick up the rest at places along the way.

All the best!

challengea2z

eat anything that'll fit in you cycle shirt pockets and you like eating forget all the bars etc that you need teeth like a cleaver to bit a morsel off, when i raced I ate a big breakfast of cereal(sp?) bananas, pasta, and rice pudding with a protien shake and isotonic drinks to increase my carb and fluid levels, whilst on my bike I ate sanwiches(sp?) bananas, soft breakfast bars, loads of carb sachets,and loads of iso drinks. the main thing is that you like the food so that you'll eat it!!, if it taste like ***** you'll end up not eating and getting the bonk or knock.

bccycleguy

You'll have to pace your self if you're not accustomed to riding that distance, most people build up to ride longer distances. Go out trying to look like a pro for the first couple of hours and you'll be lucky to finish.

On 100 km + rides I take a short break approximately every 1 - 1 1/2 hours, eat an energy bar and drink as much water as I feel like. Typically I'll stop for about 5 - 10 minutes, walk around a bit, loosen up, have a pee, and get back on before you cool off.

kayakboy

Never underestimate the power of fruit. I guess what ever kind you like best, but Kiwis have lots of juice, they take a little bit to get at. Bananas are fast, so are apples, pears and the like. I beleive that is one of the purest forms of energy, straight from the earth, so your body doesnt have to process it. But definatly get in a good solid breakfast to start with. Plenty of protene (sp) and carbs obviously.

babysaph

How many calories do you guys burn on rides like that

Machka 

500-600 calories per hour.

If you have been eating regularly, your body has about 2000 calories in storage. Add to that breakfast at about 500 calories to make 2500 calories to start with. By eating 250-300 calories per hour, you are depleting your calorie stores, but most people can't handle more than that amount of calories per hour while riding (the stomach doesn't like to digest much more than that). You can ride for about 6-8 hours before you really start to feel the effects of the calorie loss. I will try to eat a sit-down meal on my long rides about every 6 hours or so to attempt to bring the stored calories back up again ... and that seems to work for me.

On a 200K, I burn approx. 5000 calories; on a 300K - approx. 8500 calories; on a 400K - approx. 11,000 calories; on a 600K - approx. 18,000 calories; on a 1000K - approx. 32,000 calories; and on a 1200K - approx. 40,000 calories.

Eating becomes a huge pain after a while on those rides.

Marcello

Arancine. Sicilian rice balls are high in carbs, with a little protein and fat to balance. And tons of flavor.
If you are going to be in Trapani or Marsala, on the West end of the island, stop for lunch or dinner and enjoy a big plate of fish cuscus. In Palermo, see if you can find one of the few remaining local "fast foods stands" that sells "pane e panelle", chickpea pancake sandwiches. In the southeast of the island, see if you can find Scacce, baked rolls of dough filled with all kind of savory goodness. And since you are going right after Easter, make sure you look for some of the special pastries that may come out only this time of the year. If you are in a part of the island where they have the Mustazzuoli cookies, grab a handful. Made with honey, durum weath and candied orange peel, they are the original powerbar, the perfect bike food. I take a few kilos back to the USA every time I come back from a vacation in Sicily. Wherever you go in Sicily, try to sample lots of local food. It is some of the best in the world. Lots of it is portable, and the rest deserves a stop.

And after the ride, please come back and tell how it went. I am going in June for a 1000k brevet (Sicilia No Stop) and would love to hear any stories you are willing to share.

Machka 

That one is on my list of rides to do one day too ... you'll have to post a write-up about it when you get back.