dendawg

Turduckin. :-)

Seriously just finger food (energy bars, trail mix, goo) and energy/electrolyte mix in my water bottles. Most rides there is somewhere to stop to get food. If I'm going somewhere I know there won't be a food stop I'll make a sandwich and stuff it into one of my jersey pockets.

Rwc5830

Where I live all the convenience stores have coca cola in glass bottles from Mexico. I never drink sodas with sugar unless I'm on a really hot ride in my area; so sometimes I will have one. A lot of the people I ride with will buy one of the Mexico sodas midway during our group rides.

They really do taste better.

Guess it helps that I live five miles from the border ;-) Now if we could just do something about the heat and humidity!

Flaneur

Before a morning ride, i always have a bowl of muesli with milk- it gives me lots of slow release energy. I would usually have a couple of cereal bars and a banana in my pocket. I only drink water, as a rule. I used to be in a club that always stopped for lunch, 50 miles from home, at a pub. The memory of those rides home is pretty grim- but avoiding wobbly back wheels probably helped my bike handling.............

cyanemi

Bananas and dates.

wphamilton

Like others I don't bring anything for rides less than 40 miles. For rides up to four hours I like to bring a banana, powerbar, bag of trail mix, and sometimes fig newtons, cookies or jelly doughnuts. I've been known to carry a roast beef sandwich or stop at Burger King but that's more on the order of a regular meal than on-ride fuel.

cocar

Always take 1 bottle water and 1 bottle with nuun tablets in it. Take additional nuun tabs to use as needed.

Shorter rides, take these slightly odd things all our groceries sell called buddy fruits. They are in packets like gels, but are basically pureed fruit and sugar--kind of like high octane apple sauce. For longer rides add PB & J and almonds and possibly beef jerky.

berner

If a ride is long enough to bring food on, I've lately been eating a sandwich of some sort. Peanut butter and banana is good. Today's sandwich was turkey and lettuce on dark bread.

DnvrFox

Up to 30 miles nothing except water. Right at 30 a banana and or apple. 35 is about my limit

Chaco

< 40 miles - just water with 0 carb electrolyte tablets. Longer rides - KIND + fruit and nut bars I get from REI: 210 cals, 17 grams carb, 10 grams protein. I bring 1 bar for every 15-20 miles over 40 miles.

stapfam

Depends on the ride--Distance-Length of time and how hard. On the long rides I used to do and it was snacks in the pocket and munch from shortly after the start. Fig Newtons- Dried fruit mix- Cereal bars- Cake and some protein in the form of cheese. This kept me going till about 6 hours in and then it was something more substantial to eat- A Marmite Sandwich- creamed rice or noodles. Snacks after this were something soft that did not take much effort to eat as the throat used to dry up.

But after the event then it was fat and grease in the form of KFC-and lots of it. No idea why but all I wanted after all that effort was fat. And to replace all the calories used up in the ride.

apesrunner58

Cliff blocks and a cliff bar

OldsCOOL

Scooby snacks. (gummies)

Bikey Mikey

I now do 37 mile rides as a norm--eat a Quaker Oats breakfast bar around the 23 or so mile mark. Before I start a ride I still eat a banana and half a slice of rye or pumpernickel bread and drink a 16oz cup of water. When I did a 60 miler, I also ate a cut up apple around the 40 mile mark.

DGlenday

These :



Take a few out of the freezer just before the ride, enjoy a PB&J on the road. No mess, no cutting sandwiches, no jam squeezing onto your riding gloves.

Very convenient.

Dudelsack 

That's a very weird product when you can make the original at a fraction of the cost.

Lord Chaos

Up to about four hours, I just bring water after eating a decent breakfast. I get home in real need of food, though. Longer rides, I take roasted nuts, oranges or tangerines, dried fruit. I have used Zone bars and Balance bars, but they perform no miracles for me. If I happen to have other portable foods I'll take those, such as Trader Joe's "wrap" sandwiches.

DGlenday

True - I only take food on centuries or longer.

AzTallRider

You always have enough fat stores (regardless of how thin you are) for a ride of any length, so don't worry about fat during a ride. If there is some in the bar, it's no big deal, but there is no reason to intentionally add fat. For your long rides, just add a little protein into the mix of what you eat. Honey is a wonderful source of carb's. On the recommendation of our physiologist, it's what most of the folks on my team use during rides and races: honey and water mixed in a flask. Unless you are in the 3+ hour range, it's all you need, as you are only looking to replace the glycogen you burn. But do get some easily digestible protein into your system as soon as you finish your ride, so the amino acids are there as your muscles are rebuilding.

Here is an article by our physiologist (Ben Stone) on recovery supplements: https://www.sigmacoaching.com/recovery-supplements/

rumrunn6

banana; chocolate covered raisins and or regular raisins are staples of mine. I will often also pack whatever granola bar I can find in the cupboard. if I go on a long ride with a lunch break I like a fresh chicken or turkey deli sandwich.

I knew a guy that swore by PB&J sandwiches cut into quaters that he could consume at regular intervals without stopping.

rumrunn6

AzTallRider ~ nice link btw!

gregf83 

Had a quick read but didn't understand one statement: "Make sure whatever product you choose is high in sugar and NOT maltodextrin. Sugar will spike insulin as quickly as possible making the entry of carbohydrates into muscle much more expedient." I don't eat maltodextrin after a ride but I'm curious why he appears so strongly against it.

AzTallRider

As a general rule, Ben likes to keep things as pure, simple, and unprocessed as possible. I don't know if he has an overall objection to maltodextrin, or just for this application, but I'll ask next time I see him.

jim p

It sounds like some of you guys ride just so you can eat all kinds of delicious snacks.

One simple food to take on a ride is a baked sweet potato. You can eat the peel and you have no trash left over. Your mileage per potato may vary so make sure that you carry enough.

k7baixo

I do a short 46 mile on Saturdays. It's before breakfast so I always stop at the same store and enjoy some crackers and a Gatoraide. That's at the halfway point. This past Saturday, I forgot my water bottle but it was before the heat set in - I was lucky!

If I'm on a longer ride (i.e. brevet), I eat 2 - 4 Fig Newtons every hour and wash it down with water mixed with Nunn's as I ride from control-to-control where I can grab a sandwich or something more solid.

If the temps are high or if the distance is more than 200 miles, I'll also chew a couple of antacids every 2-3 hours after lunch - it seems to help eliminate cramping.

If it's an organized ride or a brevet that has more support, I'll eat whatever they offer. My favorites are baked potato that has been cut into bite size pieces, fruit, cold Starbucks coffees, PBJ sandwiches - you name it, I'll eat it.

Lord Chaos

Interesting note on the sweet potato. I ran into some backpackers years ago who said the same thing: easy to carry, and good nutrition. I like sweet potatoes/yams, but have yet to try one on a ride.

I should also note, re what I posted earlier, that my typical four-hour ride is not a century. It's around 30 to 40 miles, climbing something like 3000 feet total. First 2.5 hours or so is mostly level riding and then climb, after that some minor up and down, and then the long descent to home. So, in road-ride terms, it's more like two hours' worth of work.