thcri

I am diabetic so I have to watch my blood sugar levels. Not being low but being high if I don't eat any carbs. I get what is called Liver Dumps. If I am riding anything under 30 miles I take water and a 50/50 mixture of Gatorade and may eat two three shot bloks during the ride. I also keep some Almonds/Cranberries mixture for it we stop. I will eat lightly 3 hours before the ride. Not after. Longer rides I may also take a Cliff Bar with me but I will eat bits and pieces through out the ride. I have found too much of them I get sick. If more than 30 miles I will go heavier on the shot bloks and stops will eat the almonds.

RichardGlover

You might want to check out https://type1rider.blogspot.com/ Tony Cervati is riding the first day of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure with me (or rather, I'm riding with him - if I can keep up). He's not doing the second day because he has to get ready for the Tour Divide. They're filming a documentary on that (see: https://www.type1riderthefilm.com/). Cause he's just THAT awesome.



Back on topic...

I eat fig bars. Not the 2-pack oversized bars. I buy the store-brand packages, and eat one square fig bar every 15 minutes on rides that are going to be more than 40 miles. Each square bar is about 50 calories, so that comes out to ~200 calories an hour - plus the ~24oz of gatorade gives me another 150 calories, so I'm taking in ~350 calories/hour on long-distance rides. I experimented with fewer calories, but found that I still bonked - 3 bars/hour, for example, caused a bonk at about 70 miles. I could probably do less... but I'm not experimenting with what works.

Scheduling the fig bars helps me digest them; they're kind of dry, so I have to drink with them - which helps me keep my fluid intake going even when I don't 'feel' thirsty.

ill.clyde

Cool tip ... thanks for sharing that. Might give that a whirl this weekend

bradtx

CR, I think the amount of effort should be included in the miles/duration formula. I generally will eat a light breakfast a couple of hours before a ride and may prepare one or two PB and banana sandwiches cut into quarters for a flat century or a hilly 50 mile ride. I'll start with one bottle of water and another 50-50 mix of water and coffee and generally refill with water (and sometimes coffee) along the way.

Now that it's in the mid to upper 90s, fluid takes a great leap forward in priority. I'm also going to use my old/new touring bike on my next century as it has three bottle cages and pack extra food in bite size portions in the rack bag and nibble along the way and see what's left over at the end.

Brad

RichardGlover

Another tip: put the fig bars into a sandwich bag (I use fold-top cause I'm a cheapskate), which then fits nicely into one of the outside rear jersey pockets. Don't close the bag; after a little practice, you can reach into your pocket, into the bag, and get a bar out without stopping.

Other people cut a small hole in a (closed) sandwich bag, pull the bag out, and use their mouth to work a single bar out of the hole. Didn't work well for me, but it might work for you - and probably works better when you're using a snack that's not quite as crumbly as the outside of a regular fig bar.

Profgumby

I'm a big fan of protein before and protein after a ride. More than 40 miles I will pack along, or stop and buy a little something. Less than 40 miles it is usually only water. I will pack along an energy drink (all natural, no funny chemicals) when I think of it, especially on really humid and warm days. A Boomi Bar is a fun little treat to nibble as I ride on longer rides too. I break it up in a sandwich bag and grab a nugget here and there. This is also good for chasing down that damned bug I always seem to swallow on just about every ride!

On century rides I will stop and have a yogurt and some fruit, or a burger, sans bun (if they have grilled foods) at a rest stop. I sometimes will pack along a hard boiled egg too. I try not to ride on a full stomach nor do I overeat. You'd be amazed at how little food you really need while riding a moderate distance.

It sounds like I eat like a hog on a ride, far from it. I drink whe I am thirsty and eat a bit on long rides.

BTW, breakfast is almost always an egg or two and some meat. And a nice scrambled egg and water or Iced Green Tea (home brewed - no funny chemicals or sweeteners) is always a winner after a ride. Or my regular meal depending on when I ride.

B.Alive

When I was a runner, I always struggled with nutrition. Turns out it wasn't necessarily the amount, but what I was taking in. I recently found out I have Celiac disease and need to be on a gluten free diet. Kind of sticks, but I do feel a lot better after 3 weeks.

Now, I eat a Lara bar every hour. I drink around 21 ounces of fluids per hour--water and Gatorade (it's gluten free.) I'll also grab a banana when available.

I'm still working on figuring this out, but I do miss th fig newton's on long exercise sessions!