worldtraveller

I like to ask. On my long distance rides of 3 hours + i often bring food with me to keep energy up

so far i been using this Trailmix made by PLanters

here is the link

https://www.planters.com/varieties/trailmix.aspx

Would this be effective, or am i doing something wrong?
i find it does work well for myself

what are other things you all use for on the bike food for your long rides etc.

What do you suggest?

Why does it work?

How long have you used it?

palesaint

The best long-distance foods are calorie dense. You don't want to be carrying a bunch of food and you don't want to spend a lot of energy consuming large quantities.

A favorite seems to be PB&J (or banana, or honey, or...) on a nice hearty bread. The trailmix above is good and can be consumed while rolling if you've got just a little bit of talent. I am a big fan of perpetuem , by Heed. It's an endurance energy drink mix with some fats and proteins for long distance. You can easily mix up a 250-300 calorie bottle without too strong of a taste. Drink one per hour and that's all you need for a century (maybe even a double century). For an easy 5 hour century that's all I'll consume. For a 10 hour intense ride, I'll start packing real food, stopping to eat, etc etc.

gregf83 

Trail mix is mostly fat which won't help. You need more carbs. PB&J, dates, bananas, sports drinks, clif bars all work fine. Experiment and see what works. If trail mix makes you happy then stick with it. Seems awkward to eat while you're riding.

dahut

I like keeping things simple - and my wallet closed. Road food is probably as close as your kitchen.

Whole grain crackers or toast.
Peanut butter and other nuts.
Hard boiled eggs or cheese.
Dried fruits, like apricots
A never ending supply of fresh water.

OldsCOOL

Scooby snacks or similar (fruit snacks) in the little packs. I put about 6 of them in the seat bag. That holds me over for the ride and if needbe I will stop for something substantial when on longer trips (75mi or more).

Sekhem

I fuel differently for a 40 mile riide vs a 400 mile ride. not because a calorie is different on a longer ride but my tolerance for food narrows (non tolerance = volcano vomiting). The longer the ride, the more careful I am to avoid junk (hammer products, gels, preservative laden sandwiches, gas station crap), include real food (egg sandwiches, rice & beans- items that contain a balance of carb : protein:fat), and pace the intake of calories (the stomach needs to be trained too...). Remember that you must hydrate correctly and intake sufficient electrolytes if you want your body to absorb the nutrients from the food you eat..

good luck.

Machka 

Have you tried reading through the other threads in this forum? This question has been asked and answered many, many times.

What does "effective" mean to you? What do you mean when you say, "Why does it work?" What exactly is it that you want the food to do?


Food simply provides fuel. Food is not going to magically make you faster or stronger. When you start cycling longer distances, you should aim to consume 200-300 calories per hour in order to keep your blood sugar levels up so that you do not bonk. As you become fitter, you might be able to get away with less, but I'd still recommend carrying that amount of calories, or knowing for sure that you'll be able to buy food along the way just in case.

The foods you eat are up to you. You have to experiment to see what works for you ... what tastes good, sits well, and provides you with an adequate amount of energy.

Lots of cyclists try various energy bars when they first start getting serious about cycling, and that's not a bad idea. Try several different kinds and see if there are some you like. You can find energy bars in the pharmacy section of your local Superstore, and also in MEC, bicycle shops, and outdoor goods shops.

After a few years, some cyclists decide that they don't like any of the energy bars anymore, and they switch to real food. For this, investigate what you've got available in your local grocery stores. Walk the aisles. Look at the food. Pick several things that appeal to you and give them a try. You'll discover that some things don't work for you, but some things do.

For example, as much as I love honey, it simply does not work for me if I eat it before a ride. I suspect honey boosts my blood sugar levels, and then the levels drop quickly ... and I go into the early stages of a bonk about 20 km into a ride.

What works for me are things like:
-- oatmeal raisin cookies
-- oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
-- granola bars
-- potato chips
-- cheezies
-- salted almonds
-- dried fruit
-- oranges, apples, bananas
-- beef jerky
-- sandwiches - chicken, turkey, or grilled cheese
-- pizza pops
-- burritos
-- hamburgers
-- chips
-- french toast and maple syrup
-- pastries
-- muffins


Just to name a few.

dahut

What do the TdF fuel with as they ride the stages? I saw one of them eating what looked like a sandwich the other day.

DataJunkie

Every other year I get sick of energy bars and diversify. I'm on another energy bar kick at the moment.
One of my friends likes gummy bears and later in the ride chocolate milk.
On a recent ride I ate 2 energy bars, some gel, a banana, a pbj, a chocolate chip cookie, and drank a coke. It is really whatever I have a hankering for that I know works for my stomach. Another favorite is anything with figs in them or plain figs.

gregf83 

Garmin uses rice cakes. I've made these and like them. They're a nice change from power bars.

ericm979

I'll second the rice cakes. I came up with a different recipe that's more like sushi. Rice vinegar and sugar instead of soy sauce, and of course no meat since I am veg.

Not quite as easy to eat as a bar, but tastier. I get sick of bars on long rides/races. I think for my next long race I'll try small sandwiches too.

zowie

Oreos & granola bars for general fueling
Gushers for fast simple carbs, if needed.
Pickles for salt, if needed.

Not all at the same time.

kenji666

The PB in PB&J is fat too. Just sayin.

Mithrandir

Now when you guys say Peanut Butter, do you mean the manufactured kind loaded with sugar, ie for the carbs? Because after trying to get healthy I stopped eating that stuff and only have the organic non-sugar-filled kind...

that would be kind of funny to have to start buying the sugar-filled kind again

electrik

Depends on how hard you're going...? if it's hard you can usually only stomach fluids, if it's easy you can eat lasagne or w/e !

dahut

Here's a sample TdF feed regimen for a day:

Breakfast - 3 hours before stage start

• Banana (1)
• Muesli (150 gr)
• Pasta (150 gr -- weight is non-cooked)
• Croissant with chocolate (1)
• Coffee (250 ml)
• Soy milk (300 gr)
• Mixed fruits (200 gr)
• Orange juice (300 ml)


Pre-race - 1 hour before

• Pasta (150 gr)
• Water (500 ml)

Race
• PowerBar (4)
• Fruit cake (100 gr)
• PowerBar carbo drink (4000 ml)
• PowerBar energy gels (4)
• Coca-Cola (400 ml)
• Turkey sandwich (2)
• Water (1000 ml)

Post-race
• Recovery drink (500 ml)
• Turkey sandwich (1)
• PowerBar (1)
• Coca-Cola (330 ml)
• Fruit cake (100 gr)
• Water (400 ml)

Dinner
• Mixed vegetables (200 gr)
• Pasta (200 gr)
• Chicken breast (250 gr)
• Sauce (100 gr)
• Plain yogurt (350 gr)
• Mixed fruits (150 gr)
• Water (800 ml)


Make of it what you will

dahut

Andy Schlecks daily food intake on tour:

gregf83 

I know but it tastes good! The way I make it I get a little over 50% carbs, 13% protein and 28% fat in a 440 Cal sandwich. Not ideal but better than trail mix.

gregf83 

Get whatever tastes good but there's no point in avoiding the sugar filled peanut butter.

palesaint

Actually I think this is almost a perfect ratio. Again, I'm assuming a long enough distance to warrant a more steady pace. If you are riding a double century, you typically keep your heart rate in a zone that doesn't require such a large amount of carbs. If you plan to do the double century in 8 hours, you will definitely want tons of carbs - but for the rest of us that would do the same ride in 13-14 hours, a more balanced fueling is beneficial. Plus PB&J's just taste awesome.

andrizzle

https://www.perfectparadoxworld.com/w.../img_29871.jpg

this bad boy is awesome for a pre-ride. w/ clif bars and banannas. FORGITABOUTIT

kenji666

Andy Schleck eating:

gregf83 

Sorry, I don't do double centuries so my advice would be for shorter rides up to 5 or 6 hrs. I agree for randonneurs and longer rides, normal balanced nutrition is better than just carbs.

C_Heath

PBJ sandwich cut into 4 squares, orange nabs, cliff bar, its a myriad here.

sscyco

I have done a bunch of long (endurance type) racing for several years now. About 2 weeks ago I raced in the Cascade Creampuff 100 mile off road race w/ 18k feet of climbing. I decided to change things up - I was not happy with my previous (3) results due to stomach issues. Previously I had always consumed solid foods - or a mix of solid and gels - and always some type of prerace meal. This time - prerace I only consumed black coffee - probably about 10 ounces. About 15 min before race start I had a GU Roctane gel - and continued to take 1 in every 45 min until the end of the race. I also had 2 bottles of a very rich mix of Gatorade - followed by 6 more bottles of a much lighter mix. I placed in the top 10% over all and about 1.5 hours better than my previous best. I did train by starting my rides early with nothing but coffee - so I knew it worked for me. I know this may not work for every one, but I suggest changing things up a bit to see what works best.