Originally Posted by JamesRL

I will pass along another lesson learned....

Once upon a time I was doing a ride to my parents place. Its only 100 kms but at some point I have to climb the Niagara escarpment which is a decent grade and a longish climb.

I made the mistake of taking a break for lunch just before the climb. Must have been hubris, I was in pretty decent shape, even if I wasn't a great climber.

I had a burger/fries combo at Dairy Queen.

I waited about twenty minutes and began the climb fairly strongly. But by the time I got to the top, I was cooked. I found a tree and sat underneath for a while and rehydrated.

Of course I learned that you only have so much blood in your body, and that when you are absorbing a big meal and pushing your body hard with exercise, a little war takes place. And you lose either way.

Of course it wasn't fatal, just waited a bit to recover and thankfully it the rest of the ride is flat.

And of course the ride back, going down that slope is an amazing ride. I know there were times I could have been stopped for speeding. Totally made up for the bonk on the way up.

So its great to have lots of calories when riding, just give yourself time to absorb them, and have only snacks when riding.