undisputed83

I don't know what it is, but I always have to force myself to eat a cliff bar or what not. I drink plenty when it's hot, but I never have an appetite. I did this route last monday https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/6780880 Which is an annual memorial day group ride, and probably one of the toughest courses I've ever ridden. It's only 81 miles, but that's close enough to a century.

I admittedly walked the hurricane mountain part, which was the catagory two climb around the fifth mile. I tried climbing it, and was having trouble keeping my weight foward on the bike to keep my front wheel on the ground, and my bars are raised slightly, so it felt like my hands were up to my chest given the 20% grade in spots. After biking up a short way, I decided to walk the rest and save my legs.

The descent down the back was about the scariest ride I've ever taken. You had to ride the brakes the whole way. The road was so insanely narrow, and had cars coming up. Thick woods on both sides, steep and unpredicatable corners. It seemed like I couldn't grip the brakes tight enough, and when you hit a bump or frost heave, you automatically let go of the brakes so you can grip the bars so you don't fall. So your bike instantly accelerates 15mph before you can get back on the brakes. It was a two mile ride down.

From there we tried catching up to the group, my friend and I. And both ended up bonking around the 20 mile marker lol. The whole group met at the top of Pinkham Notch, which was the second major climb. Even though I was bonking, I trucked up the climb without any major issues. All 70 of us had lunch, and left shortly after. I only ate half a protein plus bar. I recovered very well and was very strong from there on. I rotated to the front of a group to take a pull, and ended up dropping the group. That was around the mile 40 or so. Then I annihilated the last major climb which was a long gradual catagory five. I ate three bananas from the support vehicle at the top even though I wasn't hungry at all.

What does all this mean? I even did a 140 mile ride last year and awsn't hungry at all, and forced myself to eat. Is it just something I probably won't have to worry about?

vespoli

...

Beaker

You had a support vehicle with bananas?

This thread has it all.

Machka 

1. Eat well the day before.

2. Try to consume about 500 calories for breakfast. I know this can be hard, but what has worked for me is Ensure Plus, Poptarts, or a bowl of oriental noodles. But you will have to experiment with what will sit well for you.

3. Don't eat the usual "energy bars. Yuck! Eat foods you like. I like granola bars, oatmeal cookies with raisins or chocolate chips, salted almonds, potato chips, dried apricots, etc. etc. You'll have to figure out what you like to eat, and it's usually something you crave when you're riding.

4. Nibble. Use a bento box or handlebar bag to store your food conveniently. Take one bite of your large oatmeal raisin cookie, and then put it way. 10 or 15 minutes later, take another bite ... 10 or 15 minutes later, take another bite etc. When I thought I had to eat a whole energy bar or whatever all at once, I felt sick a couple bites in. But allowing myself time to digest the little bits I bite, makes my stomach so much happier.

5. Use liquid nutrition like Ensure. You can get it in small, convenient to carry, bottles or in powder form. I usually save my bottles till the last 50 km or so of a long, long ride. Usually by then, I'm desperate for energy and my stomach is not happy with solid food anymore.

6. Have a flask of gel ready to use, just in case.

Shimagnolo

Climbs have category ratings???

Machka 

There'd be no such thing in this part of the world. Bananas are $15/kg ($6.80/lb) now because of the summer cyclones in Queensland. A cycling club couldn't afford to have a support vehicle with bananas!

Machka 

Umm ... yes.

https://www.adcc.asn.au/index.php?opt...=article&id=75 ... although other sources vary slightly from that.

And although there are 5 categories of climbs, technically there is no Category 5 climb.

Val23708

1. those are weak climbs and thats a fairly easy course

2. descending at less than 15 mph is isn't a good idea... route doesn't look that bad. probably fine at 25 mph

3. 81 miles isn't "close enough" to a century. thats closer to a metric.

4. A real bonk is unrecoverable. Bonking is reaching the point where your body has no more glycogen left and starts turning protien into carbs to feed your brain. even 50 watts hurts.

5. HTFU

CbadRider

+1 I've only really bonked once, during a marathon, and my legs got to the point where they just didn't want to work any more and my brain was very fuzzy. I was able to finish the race but I don't remember much about the last part of it. Maybe the OP is confusing hunger with bonking?


I have to make myself eat during long rides. After about 70 miles, I lose all interest in food and pretty much have to eat by my watch. I make sure to take in solid food every 30 minutes.

undisputed83

You might be able to go more than 15mph down that mountain, but at my ability level that's a whole new level of gravity. It really was an insane descent. And maybe I didn't truly bonk. But I could only go 7-8mph on flats with the head winds I was facing and was really frustrated by the fact i couldn't HTFU. I was winded, and my legs felt depleted. Even going down some hills I could only comfortably get the bike going 15mph. I was much much stronger in the middle and end of the ride.

Clipped_in

I would worry about it. Riding past 2 hours without fuel can spell really bad news and dramatically affect performance. My answer is to go to a liquid fueling philosophy. Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem is a good product, or you can get your hands on some maltodextrine and soy protein to create your own for considerable savings.

Shimagnolo

As soon as I started doing long rides I learned I couldn't eat solid food.
I keep maltodextrin/fructose mix in one bottle, and also eat the occasional ice cream bar at convenience stores.

Shimagnolo

The best description of a bonk I've read here went something like:
"When you are riding home at 8 mph, choosing the flattest route you can find, while fighting off the urge to eat your own arm."

Val23708

Could be false flat.

As for headwinds, riding in the drops will net you 2-3 mph. Some people like to spin into the wind, but my personal preference is to go like 60 rpm. Drafting helps quite a bit too..

big john

Really? I love to eat on rides. Last week in the mountains I had a tuna salad sandwich at around mile 30 and fries at 50.

foresthill

I have a hard time eating something as heavy as a Clif Bar on long rides, too. I've found energy chews are much easier to stomach. Personally, I'm partial to the "margarita with salt" flavor of Clif Shot Bloks. They're really easy to eat, and as a bonus, much easier to get out of the package quickly while you're on the bike.

On centuries, I've sustained myself with a whole lot of these (5 packages = ~1000 calories!) and Gu's Electroyte Brew energy drink. I do try to eat something more solid like an energy bar at some point on the ride, but simpler things like the Shot Bloks will keep you going.

dissident

I have kefir grains.. a kefir smoothie before biking is just great... 12-25 ounces of kefir with about 10 ice cubes from a big store bought bag, 12 strawberries, 2 bananas, and some artificial sweetener all blended up. Easy for me to eat, so delicious.. I have a sweet tooth.

I don't really get the urge to eat on a ride either, but I don't go 100 miles yet either.

gjb483

i live in the area and hurricane mountain road is definitely one of the toughest climbs around, especially if you don't have the gearing for it. i generally climb from the north conway side to the freyburg side so the descent isn't too bad, but going the direction you did, you really don't want to go much faster than 15mph considering the switchbacks, frost heaves, blind corners and oncoming traffic on a narrow road. don't feel bad about the internet guys telling you htfu when they have no clue what this climb/descent is about.

Val23708

come to California

gjb483

i don't need to go to california to say that 10-20% grades aren't easy.

Lucky07

You had a 'support vehicle'?!@ Wow. I eat & drink little on long rides, but I can't imagine not eating at all on an 80+ mile ride. Even at slower speeds, you're burning off a ton of calories after pedaling 3-4-5 hours.

TheBand

What's the point, if not to eat?

banerjek

If you bring crap that you really have to chew on, of course you have to force it down[/QUOTE]

On longer rides, nutrition is important. My guess is that the reason you have no appetite is you may be riding a little too hard. It's possible to get away with this for surprisingly long periods (especially if you don't just put plain water in your bottles), but you will reach a point where the strategy doesn't work. BTW, three bananas is a lot to eat at one time.

Like many of the other posters, I recommend liquid nutrition.