I have a pretty good idea ... BUT certain things can vary the timing of a bonk, such as:

-- if I haven't eaten much during the day, 30 minutes into a ride, I can get pretty shaky.
-- if I eat honey (like a piece of toast with honey, for example), I will last about 20 minutes before I need to stop and eat. For some reason honey is very much the wrong thing for me to eat before a ride.
-- if the ride is particularly hilly or windy ... more than expected ... I'll get shaky earlier than I would on a flatter, calmer ride.

Do your ride without eating, as you mentioned, and pay attention to how you feel. A bonk is, very basically, low blood sugar and has the same sorts of symptoms as hypoglycemia. (For example: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/low_b...a/page3_em.htm ) A bonk also doesn't happen all at once ... it usually starts gradually and builds up. It's not like you're riding along feeling good, and the next thing you know, you're lying in the ditch ... there are warning signs.

My early symptoms are things like irritability, restlessness, and shakiness. I might feel like my jersey isn't fitting quite right, or I might feel very irritated with the person I'm riding with or I might feel like my tires have gone flat or something. I might stop talking, because carrying on a conversation becomes too much effort. If I'm not riding with someone, I'll find that doing mathematical calculations in my head becomes difficult. I have difficulty concentrating. I get more irritable and shaky. My breathing doesn't feel right. I feel tired. I have no energy. And then I might start feeling hungry. By the time I start feeling hungry, it's definitely time to eat. If I ignore that, I kind of settle into a haze and zombie-like state for a bit, and then I start feeling quite nauseated, and really feeling utterly horrible ... like, 'let me lie in the ditch and die' kind of horrible.

So I wouldn't recommend going that far, just take it to the point where you start to experience some of those symptoms and see how it goes. When I start shaking, that's usually my trigger to eat.

No, it doesn't sound fun. I took the advice from my elders when it came to running and marathon training to avoid it.

Applied similar strategies to cycling. Bonking on the bike, with cars on the road, seems excessively dangerous. Down right stupid to intentionally put yourself in that scenario.

Thanks for the lesson

Guess I'm just hungrier than most haha.

I usually get the Promax bars from Ralph's. They have some simple carbs (20gm of shugar) that help me fuel during the longer rides. For $1 @Ralph's, this price can't be beat. I'm into bodybuilding also, and they make a great snack as well as post-workout protein.

Just talked to my neighbour and his 2010 honey crop will be ready tomorrow... have already put in my order.

He also said that he is thinking of selling his business as it is hard work and moving those 50 pound boxes is not as easy as it used to be.

I always start my day with a bucket of oatmeal... on long rides I aim for that 300 calories per hour mark and besides my power bars will keep a few other snacks in my handlebar bag and trail mix is a favourite as I can grab a small handful and it is very calorie dense.

Mainly Myoplex or Zone since I work for Abbott and get a deep discount

Cookies in parenthesis.

I saw this:
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
* 1/3 cup raisins
* 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



But some folks are doing a non bake version and letting the oatmeal sit overnite and they usually mix in fruit and nuts flax or whatever.

Here's one from BF ;
"Mine usually include oats, peanut/almond/cashew butter, hemp milk, raw nuts, quinoa, & depending on the day coconut, chocolate chips, goji berries, with a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

More or less stir ingredients and let sit over night."

There are some good alternative energy bar recipes in Brendan Brazier's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Nutriti...3463378&sr=1-1

I've hit it twice. Once at 40 miles 15 years ago when I didn't do any nutrition and a couple years ago on a century at about the 80 mile mark when I did some nutrition but not enough (probably more about dehydration and electrolytes). I know when it's coming now from the PT. 10% drop is usually the sign that something bad is happening. GL

That's rather funny.....cliff bars at wal-mart....on sale for .90c the other day. Honestly though, I've never seen the wally-world protein bars.

I've never seen them not .90-1.09 at Walmart.
Always $.99-1.09 at Target.
Always $1 at Publix.
12 for $11 at WholeFoods
Often on sale at REI or Performance.
Them, larabars, or odwalla for $1/ea at Kroger. They seem to rotate.
But like you, never seen Walmart generics.

Thanks for the video and Alton is one of my favorite DIY cooks but omg, that is way too complicated. He's basically saying that I could store 10 different perishables to time-wastingly make bars that will spoil in a week and find some kind of convenient wrapping on my own and have too much cholesterol and not enough carbs or go buy a box of 6 bars for $6? Uh, I'll take the door on the right. Cool to know though.

I make these ...

https://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710...249194,00.html

I vary them by changing up the 3.5 cups of granola cereal to a combination of trail mix and oatmeal so that there is a bit more protein (almonds). I've also played with flavourings a bit for some variety too.

The ingredients are common ones many people have in their cupboards (flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, eggs, butter, etc.) They are easy to make, and when I make a batch, they don't last long (no need for special storage techniques). I'll eat 5 or 6 on a 100 km ride, and so will Rowan. Toss a few into lunches, do several rides, and they're gone.

And they taste so much better than energy bars. I was over energy bars several years ago.

Thank you, Sir! Thank you very much!

I tried these over the weekend, and they worked great!
Some random notes:
- They get mushy. Really mushy. Good thing I wrapped them in plastic wrap.
- Freezing them doesn't keep them non-mushy for very long.
- You can't eat one while it's frozen. It just can't be done.
- I need another brand of PB that's not as "gritty."
- I do not need to bring 6 of these with me for a 50 mile ride.....2 was plenty. LOL. Good to be prepared though.

Anyway, I just wanted to come back and put a Thanks on this post because I followed it precisely and I was very happy with the results.

I tried the oatmeal mixed with peanut butter and a little milk and a scoop of chocolate protein powder...came out pretty tasty, but I don't know how portable it is. Seemed like it would really hit the spot after a ride.

Simple and inexpensive.

You pay lotsa $$ for lotsa hype on nutrition bars . . . eat real food.
Eat apples, bananas, grapes . . . fig bars . . .drink real tap water.
Been doing that for over 35+ years and 300,000 miles.

I dont know why, but I am suddenly feeling famished....

some good recipes there, shall try them.

Ya, getting the shakies and the grumpies is pretty common, I am pretty fanatical about having a good oatmeal breakfast, and really keeping on top of fruit and veggies (thats one of the things I loved about travelling in France, can usually find great market stuff on most towns or villages)
I also always have a couple of granola bars in my pannier, I cant stand feeling hungry, even its because Ive done more errands than usual and am out for a few more hours than expected.

interesting reading all this.
again , tks for recipe ideas