Originally Posted by
bikebreak
That doesn't mean you should eat 500 cal while riding...
The cheapest calorie source is your onboard supply of 30 pounds excess body fat. Fat is 9cal per gram, so that's about 123,000 calories.
That is on top of the glycogen in your muscles and liver, usually a 2 hour supply there. Just bring water, you are already fueled up.
Do not eat, so your body will burn the fat (make it into ketones to fuel muscle actually). If you eat sugar etc your body will stop burning the fat.
If you are riding fast (like over 17 with hills or over 20 on flats) you will find it very helpful to keep the tank topped off with simple carbs. Yesterday I ate a banana and a clif shot gel (Maltodextrin), and about 33% gatorade in the water. A total of ~250 calories, over 45 miles and 2700 feet at 19+ mph. I eat everything slowly, takes me 10 miles to eat a banana. You don't need a lot of calories to prevent bonking, just keep something coming in.
This works for me as I practice a lower carb diet which lets me hop on the bike and ride for a few hours a day at moderate intensity (25-30kmh) with no need for anything except water and there is no bonking as I am not relying on carbs to get me from A to B.
I also have enough gas in the tank to up the intensity for hill climbs and sprints and again, there is no bonking.
I like bananas for their carbs and potassium, dates and almonds are great, and I avoid any processed / artificial foods or grains save for the oats I put in homemade power bars... commercial granola bars tend to be loaded with way more sugar than I can tolerate and I can regulate the sugar content in my own bars by tweaking my recipe which uses a little honey, oats, peanut butter, and nuts.
On their own almonds are great as they are nutrient dense and 100 grams of almonds is almost 600 calories with a 50/22/22 breakdown of fat, protein, and carbohydrate... they are a staple in my diet.