Ngchen

Today I think I bonked in the middle of a ride in the late morning. After sitting down and resting for a while (I didn't track the time), I got up and continued. In retrospect, I probably should have had breakfast. And I was lucky I was able to recover enough to continue riding.

So, besides eating sufficiently before lengthy andor hilly rides, I was thinking how it would be smart to have something edible or drinkable in the event of bonking, i.e. an emergency bonk kit. What would be something that's good for said purpose?

gcottay

I often have a generic granola bar or two along, but, for me, nothing beats chocolate mile from the nearest convenience store.

xtrajack

I heard that chocolate milk is good for recovery,never tried it though. I always have fruity oatey bars,root beer barrels and plenty of water, seems to work for me.

Mr Danw

banana fuse drink

CbadRider

Moved to Training and Nutrition.

UmneyDurak

An energy gell. Pretty much all carbohydrates and it doesn't go bad so you can keep it in a saddle bag for a while.

UD

Machka 

Yeah ... eating something before you go out for a ride is usually a good idea.

And yeah ... bringing something to eat with you when you go for a ride is a good idea. I take it you're new to cycling or exercise that lasts more than an hour or two.

When you start doing longer rides (longer than 2 hours) you're not going to be able to eat sufficiently before your rides because your body will use up what you eat. You'll have to bring something with you to eat, and the general recommendation is about 250 calories per hour.

I don't bring an "emergency bonk kit", I bring cookies, granola bars, beef jerky, salted almonds, or whatever I figure I will need to get me through a ride. And I've always got a gel or two in my handlebar bag.

The Human Car

Just to note that chocolate milk is a bit hard on the stomach in a middle of a ride, very good after a ride though.

ericm979

Eating before a ride is the best bonk prevention.

For long rides, I just bring a little extra of whatever calorie sources I am bringing on the ride.

If you are riding in a populated area, a $20 and a $1 in your seat bag make a good "bonk kit" The $20 is for buying food/drink at a store; the $1 is for a coke from a coke machine.

Luddite

Emergency bonk kit sounds like something you need before a hot date, lmfao.

Lately, if I spot a blackberry bush ramble/raspberry bush I pull over and eat a couple handfuls. Free. :thumbsup:

ltmark

I'm 62, smoked for 35 years and love cycling! I have been reading all the nutirition info on this site religiously since I stopped smoking a year agao and have been riding a lot of miles. I'm currently training for a Century in Utah next month. This particular century always is bad becasue of the elevation (I'm from California). During the last 1/3 of every century I have ever participated in or even any real long training ride (60+ miles) I always feel terrible. In fact, two years ago, I stopped at 101 miles out of a 107 Utah Century. That's pretty hard for me to do, so you can guess how bad I felt?!

Anyway, Yesterday, I rode 81 miles on the (SART) Santa Ana River Trail ( a nice bike path for cyclists in So. Ca.) It goes from the San Gabriel Valley to Newport Beach...about 30 miles each way. After reading all the info on this site, I hydrated real good on Fri., ate very good, got up and ate breakfast and started the ride. During the ride (4 hr. 38 min), I took in 5 gels, 8 fig newtons, 6 oatmeal cookies, 3 bottles of gatorade (I carried 2 in my jersey pockets) and 2 bottles of water with 2gr. of salt in each bottle. At the end of 80 miles, I felt better than I have ever felt. Obviously, all the training for the last year after stopping smoking made a big difference, but the food and hydration was the thing!

I think I got used to riding when I was younger and being able to get away with being careless with food, etc., but now, it really makes a difference!

Thanx for all the good info from everyone! By the way, in the last year, my resting heart rate went from 77 to 46. I don't think I would have quit smoking if I didn't like riding so much!

Luddite

I'm 35 and I could not ride 80 miles! Good for you!

Machka 

Sure you could! Sign up for the local century ... one that runs in late August or September. I'm sure your area has them. And then build up your distance till then.

drew55

Congrats on those acheivements! Sounds as though reading all that info and doing the practice worked quite well for you.

Appears that you've beaten a good deal of the damage done and got yourself back in shape.

In regards to a bonk kit. I'm diabetic, and bonking has a whole different meaning for those of us with that. Stop by any drug store and pick up a package of quick acting glucose tablets. If really trashed and worn down to the dangerous point, one of those and sitting out about 15 minutes drinking a bottle of water or most any electorlyte replacement takes care of the bonk threat. Talk to your doctor about getting a glucose tester, the testers are realtively cheap, and test strips run anywhere from $.30 to $1 each, but it is a concrete test of where you stand on how much food and reserve is in your system. It would just require a very brief instruction from a nurse practioner and some discussion on what normal levels are and should be.

rumrunn6

bananas; raisins; snickers bar; chicken sandwich

ericgu

First of all, are you sure you bonked. Standard signs are going from feeling good to feeling pretty bad in the space of 5 minutes, getting a bit disoriented, having trouble riding at 13 mph, etc.

I don't like gels in general, but I always keep two in my seat pack in case I (or somebody else) needs the calories.

blamire

work for me every time

esther-L

The school system where I live has a list of emergency items for classroom teachers. One item is a small tube of cake icing (not frosting, icing) for treating low blood sugar in a diabetic. pure sugar. Does not take much effort to open the tube, or to swallow the stuff.

Tom Stormcrowe

For rapid recovery from a bonk, I carry some Glucose Sublingual tabs for diabetics. Immediate glucose to the blood stream, and then you can follow it up with somethng like a Clif or other bar or gel to sustain. The Gu tab will simpy get sugar to the brain, which can only run n blood glucose. This is great if you are bonking so badly that your cognitive function is impaired and you are shaking so bad from low blood sugar that you can't open up a Clif bar. (Been there, done that, you can pop out a tab from the roll easier and faster)

Arkansan07

Coffee and Doughnuts are magic for me.

bhkyte

"Bonk" means something very different in the UK!

Kotts

Actually, it means that in the US, too. We just tell the difference from context.

I'm pretty good, but I don't think I could do that kind of bonk in the middle of a century ride. Sounds like a good chance at some nasty road rash...

rumrunn6

I heard it takes 3 days to fully digest a donut.

rumrunn6

bonk prevention ...? get married

aham23

the OP didnt bonk. you dont just rest out a bonk then ride home. jus sayin. later.