Doing my first century....
 

And I've got questions. I am nearly crossed-eyed now for reading all I can about hydration and such. After an hour + of reading...not sure I am any closer to answering my question:

What do I take with me (besides water) on the ride? I have a few gu packets and some energy beans, but at my slow pace (we are tackling most of the Kitsap Peninsula), that is a long time to just live on those things.

So...what do you bring with you on your century ride?

Is there a point (time wise) that we stop and eat something a bit more substantial than a cliff shot or gu packet?

The last thing I need to is have to call home for a ride because I wasn't prepared. I'd never hear the end of it (if you know what I'm referring to)

Standing by with my note pad open....

My last century I ate:

Five Payday Candy bars (I love those things when I ride, a little salty, easy to get down)
Two Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches (yummy)
Apple
Bananna
Some dried fruit

I usually just drink water all day. Others like to put stuff in their water (Nuun, Recoverrite, etc.), personally that stuff gives me an upset stomach after a while, so I just drink water.

Everyone is different in what they like and what works for them. You just need to go ride some longer distances and come up with a plan for you.

First of all good luck with your ride.

In addition to preparation for riding you should think well in advance to prepare your nutrition.
For my first century the GF and I bought a wide range of energy bars and supplements to test three things, did it taste good enough to eat, was it easy to eat while riding, would it upset our stomach or hinder riding in other internal ways.
What we found worked best were "realfruit" bars which were essentially oversized fruit leathers with good marks on carbs and protein. I ate 4 of these bars and a banana over our 5:45:00 ride.
Also condition yourself to be drinking more water than average.

(for reference I weigh about 150)

This is close to the way I eat on a long ride - I lean toward "real food" vs. gels, packets or energy bars.

I do like to mix in more protein, though - either some beef jerky, or a ham sandwich, or something similar. Chocolate milk is nice, too. Oreos, fruit, Snickers, etc.

On an unsupported ride, I like stopping somewhere to forage for food instead of bringing everything with me....it gives me something to look forward to, and forces me to get off my bike a bit. I *never* start a long ride with enough food to make it through the ride - I usually make sure I know where (approximately) I can get food along the way (cafe, grocery, gas station, convenience store, etc.).

I do like Nuun - either diluted or Nuun in one water bottle, plain water in the other.

Also, don't try to over-hydrate before the ride. Your body can only absorb so much liquid in a hurry. I was just reading that 16 oz in the hour before you start is about all your body can absorb. Anything more than that will result in a quick pit stop early in the ride.

The suggested caloric intake for endurance riding is 250 - 300 calories per hour. Some riders prefer a little less and go the route of gels, bars, and liquid calories. Others, like myself, would rather eat real food and bring fruit, candy bars, and sandwiches.
It's all a matter of what your stomach can handle while you're riding. Some people can't eat a salami sandwich and ride another 50 or 60 miles.

When I'm out for a century, I take a good lunch (a couple of sandwiches, some fruit, etc.), some cereal bars (I like the South Beach Diet High Protein Bars myself, especially the cranberry-almond), and a fair amount of both regular water and sports drink. I'll stop every 20-25 miles for a quick bite, with a lunch at the 60 mile (or thereabouts) point. For lunch I'll find a nice place with a table, relax a little and have a nice lunch while enjoying a book.

I'm not generally a big fan of the gels and such. OTOH, a banana at the end of a long ride can look, uh, interesting.

On the other hand, I would ride 50 or 60 miles *just* to eat a salami sandwich, as long as I could chase it with a doughnut and some chocolate milk.

My normal ride food is a mix of cliff shot gels, peanut butter + banana sandwiches and loose bananas. I drink nunn +water for the most part. At long stops I might get a meal if I am with a group ride and they want to stop. I can go all day on my mix, though I carry multiple sandwiches. I refill with water on longer rides adding nunn tablets as needed.

If I am at a stop and I crave something I get it and eat. I have also used falafel pita sandwiches, but I need to take it easy after eating one of those for the next 10-20 minutes, I can't push as hard until I digest enough of it.

I like the Payday candy bar idea. Wonder how it will hold up stuck in the back of my jersey or in my seat bag. Will it melt? Hope not. Weather isn't supposed to be that hot tomorrow.

On a 75-miler recently, we stopped at the 55 mile point to eat. Ignorant in what I should eat, I had to jump on the burger and fries. Satisfied as I ate half of my burger and about a quarter of the fries, we were still sitting there chatting. So...I ate the rest. The meal sat in my stomach like a ton of bricks and I felt like crap for the remaining 20 miles. Can't do that again for sure!!!

I do like the idea of not packing for a 100 mile trip. Instead, stop periodically to grab a bite to eat and refill the water bottles.

We rec'd the "Outsider" magazine yesterday. In it is an article which is talking about various aspects of riding (stretching, eating, hydration, etc.). It notes that using processed fuels (like gu and hammer gel) are better because they are easily absorbed. Good in theory....I guess. Is this what you've experienced? (I've only used hammer gel once. I am a sport beans kinda guy).

Thanks for all the education.