Originally Posted by bostontrevor
Well it totally depends on how much I've eaten. If it's just a small bowl of cereal or something then I can head out in as little as 15 minutes. For optimal performance, I like to eat a big ol' breakfast about two hours before riding.
I also like to drink watered down orange juice, about a 50-50 mix. I-so-tonic, man.
Eating a big meal a few hours before riding should top off the sugar in your muscles and liver, while also providing plenty of freshly digested amino acids (protein building blocks that help restore muscle tissue) and even fats, which are important for energy in their own right. Two hours should be plenty of time to allow your stomach to be past the need for excess blood for digestion. Sounds like a plan, to me.
(Orange juice rocks. Much better/cheaper than bottled "energy drinks.")