Originally Posted by cg33
After years on the bike, I've determined that for me at least, the pre-ride fuel of choice before a long ride is plain-old oatmeal, a low-GI food. Not only can I tolerate it well (don't feel pukey on the bike), I generally feel strong going into the third hour, just when my friends' energy begins to flag.
Oatmeal's fine, unless you're in a long (multi-hour) race. Then there's the distinct possibility of needing an unscheduled bathroom break at the worst of times. I learned that lesson the hard way. The morning before a race, I stick with liquid nutrition only. Ideal time is 3 hours before the start, but 2 hours before seems to work okay for me.