Originally Posted by
UnCruel
Yeah, that's the point. Calories I'm burning are calories I need to complete the ride. If I don't eat it, then it has to come from somewhere else. Maybe my metabolism is unusual, but my body just doesn't have the energy reserves to get me through a ride that long without taking in some carbs, and/or it can't convert fat to energy fast enough to keep me going. I have really struggled on longer rides, and it's clearly because I have failed to supply myself with enough or the right kind of energy sources along the way. However, I don't think I'm that unusual in this regard. Everything I've been reading about it suggests that 60g per hour is what a rider my weight should be taking in for the kind of riding I'm doing (not racing, which requires even more).
\Well, you know your body/metabolism/performance better than anyone else! I'm different - a good, but not huge breakfast and coffee and I can go 4 1/2 hours with just what I described, without any feeling of low blood sugar.
Personally, if I had to ingest 800 Cal on a ride, I'd want at least some of it to be more solid. Bars, or at least chews. I find both easier to deal with than gels, because neither one leaves a sticky mess on my hands. You'll want to experiment with different bars, see which is easiest to open on the fly, but also which agrees with you.