maximum01

Hi all,

Today was my first group ride in a long time. Was a 50 mile loop with strong headwinds. To cut a long story short, for the first 30 miles I was performing perfectly, felt strong and able, then suddenly...bang...my energy levels just dropped and I started craving for food.

Trouble was I'd only taken a few candy bars burried deep in my seatpost so I had to peel off from the group for a feeding session.

My question is, should I be eating all the way through a ride and if so how often and what's a convenient food to eat on the move?

I don't want the same thing to happen next ride.

Many thanks

FormerBMX'er

Sounds like you bonked to me! The consensus seems to be "Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty". Depending on the ride, having a snack every 20~30 min should be ok. BTW, you're snacks should be easily accessible, not burried deep someone...just a little FYI .

55/Rad

Ummmm yea, managing one's energy levels through food and drink is vital to any type of ride over about an hour.

55/Rad

'nother

Yeah, you should eat well before, during, and even after the ride. You can fake it for an hour or maybe 2, but longer than 2 without replenishing calories you're going to have problems.

My strategy is to try to eat 1-2 hours before a long ride (this usually tends toward the shorter end of that scale for early-morning rides), have a gel or clif bar or something every hour, plus sports drink and water during the ride. Then immediately afterwards have a good mix of carbs + protein with minimal fat for recovery.

Edit: convenience-wise, stick your food in your jersey pocket. Eventually you'll figure out how to eat while riding (if you need to).

Jakey

If I am going for more than about 30 miles, I'll take at least one powerbar and a gel pack with me. For longer rides that are unsupported, I'll take two of each. Lets say for 100 miles, I'll eat a powerbar every 25 miles. Its better to overdo it then not...

On supported centuries I'll take something along for bonk protection, but usually they have enough to eat at the stops that I'm not too worried... 'cept for torture 10,000 lol...gel packs saved me on that one.

rubber_souls

Yup, that's a bonk. I make sure to drink a bottle of drink mix every 1.5-2 hours. When it's really hot I'll have one every hour.
As for food, you'll need to experiment to find something that works for you. I don't recommend paying the big bucks for power gels and things like that for a group ride. Save it for the races.
I've found that the quaker chewy bars https://www.quakersnackbars.com/CHW_P...colateChip.cfm are awesome. $10 CAD for a box of 40 and you're good to go for a few weeks. 120 calories so you can have one every hour.

Hope you find something that works!

silversmith

The eating/drinking advice above is excellent.


I might wonder if you weren't quite ready for the longer ride. The wind and riding with some stronger riders may have simply caught you up.

Machka 

On rides that you know will be over 2 hours, eat 250-300 calories every hour, starting right away with the first hour .... or in other words, approx. 1 energy bar per hour.

I use a Bento bag so that my energy bars are convenient and I don't have to stop to get at them. You might consider something similar.

Hipcycler

What's a bento bag?

johnny99

This is a product that clips above your top tube. Definately not for OCP types who use their back pockets only. Bento bags can also be a problem for people who like to climb out of the saddle.

Machka 

That's it. Although mine is called an Atac Pac .... so there are different varieties. They also come in different sizes. Mine is quite small, and only holds two energy bars, but apparently others are larger.

I climb out of the saddle, and I've never had a problem with mine ... in fact, I'm kind of puzzled by that comment ...... what sort of problems might a person who climbs out of the saddle encounter?

However, I listed the Bento bag in the "Top 10" of my items that have made my cycling more comfortable and enjoyable (a list I started over in the Touring forum). It makes eating so much easier, and is especially handy in winter when you're riding with heavy gloves. I guess I prefer comfort and convenience to looking stylish on a bicycle.

substructure

Not a bonk. But, not a good feeling though.

Drink before you're thirsty and eat before you're hungry. Soon it will become second nature and you'll do it out of habit.

Make sure your food is readily available.

johnny99

Anything clipped to your top tube can bump/rub your crotch and/or knees when you climb out of the saddle. Depends on your riding style. In addition to being obnoxious, that can potentially throw off your balance or (with all those velcro straps) rub holes in your shorts/tights.

maximum01

Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure the sudden energy drop was due to food rather than fitness because I had food cravings just before and during my sudden fatigue.

Because I hadn't ridden with this group before I wasn't sure if they took pit-stops or not, and wrongly assumed I would get a chance to access my saddle pack for candy.

I think I'll try some of those crispy bars, as we get them over here. Any advice on eating on the move as I found it hard enough getting my drinks in with the constant pace?

Is it a good idea to unwrap energy bars or cereal bars before the ride, and stuff those into my back pocket?

GuitarWizard

I just stuff my jersey pockets...can fit plenty of bars and gels back there for hours of riding. Never quite heard of anyone jamming a candy bar in their seatpost though....

johnny99

Practice opening your energy bars while riding. You may want to partially open them and put them in your pockets, then just bite off pieces on the road. Candy bars are a lot messier.

GuitarWizard

Ahhhh....saddlepack...that makes more sense now....I was thinking to myself how funny it would be watching someone trying to retrieve a candybar from a seatpost, or picking their bike upside down and shaking it without the seatpost in so their food will drop out of the seat tube.

Machka 

I guess my climbing style is such that none of my body parts touches my bento bag. But then, as I mentioned, my bento bag is quite small, so that might make a difference too. I wouldn't want anything large there.

Machka 

That works for those 3 days a year where we might ride without a jacket. But when you've got a jacket on, it is quite challenging to dig anything out of your jersey pockets!! And those jacket pockets with the zippers are hard to work with when you've got heavy gloves on.

DannoXYZ 

I wouldn't unwrap as your sweat will make them all soggy. Easy enough to just bite the packaging and tear it off with one hand.

The other thing to pay attention to is pacing. The faster you ride, the more calories/hr you burn and a higher percentage of carbs and less fat you burn, so the quicker you bonk, 2-3 hrs maximum typically. At a brisk 800-900 cal/hr pace around 18-22mph average, a very fit rider can be burning 60/40 carbs/fat (500/300 cal/hr). Riding at a slower pace of 600 cal/hr, that same rider might get a 50/50 ratio (300/300 cal/hr) and can go farther before bonking. A less-fit begining rider might be burning 80/20 carbs/fat (480/120) at that slower 600 cal/hr pace.

You can only digest 200-300 cal/hr, so you want to balance your calories being burnt vs. calories ingested. Below a certain pace, you can go forever as your intake will balance your burn-rate, above that pace, the bonk is inevitable, it's just a matter of when.

GuitarWizard

Heh...haven't worn a jacket since being out in March (although on days in the low 50's, it gets a bit chilly from time to time)....I just wear layers with my cycling jersey on top.

It was in the low-mid 60's on Friday, and did a quick 35 miler in short sleeves....it was absolutely great! I can't wait for mid 70's though.

Machka 

Actually ... it got to 17C/63F on Friday here ... and I was down to three layers on top: a sleeveless jersey, a heavier fleece jersey, and a light jacket. That was quite comfortable for me.

I tend to be very cold when I ride ... it has to get above 27C/80F before I'm comfortable without at least a jersey plus a light jacket, or two jerseys and a vest, or something. And unfortunately, since the summer of 2002, I've had a cold, rainy weather front following me around all over the world. I've rarely experienced a day above 27C/80F in 3.5 years.

FormerBMX'er

Ditto, chewed open a Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar (140 Calories - Soft/Easy to eat) on my 20mile solo ride today with no problems. Sometimes I'll use both hands to unwrap, but today was too windy for that.

GuitarWizard

Yeah....my 3 layer system for right now is a short-sleeve wicking layer, a long sleeve neoprene/fleece "shirt", and my cycling jersey on top. Regular cycling gloves, PI Ultrasensor shorts, cycling socks and my road shoes. When it hits the 60's, for layers I just wear the wicking t-shirt and my cycling jersey.

I would ideally like to get a windproof vest for chillier days, but didn't find one in my size. As far as my legs go, I also typically don't wear anything more than shorts unless it gets into the 30's and below. Not trying to be macho or anything, but if I dress warmly, I can overheat REALLY quickly, and my energy levels just go way the hell down. As long as I keep my core, hands, feet, and head comfortable, I'm usually good to go.

baj32161

Fig Newtons kept in a small plastic sandiwch bag would do the trick in your Jersey pocket. I have tried them and they seem to work for me....whenever I get out for more than a couple of hours.

Cheers,

Brian