coolbreeze02

I've been doing some 50 mile and 60 mile rides over the last few weekends with the local group, and during our stops, I've purchased "fuel" from the convenience store. One day I got a hostess apple pie, and another day I picked up an oatmeal cream pie. I've heard/read that you should take in 200-300 calories per hour for fuel, and I'm drinking accelerade or gatorade, so I'm getting calories there. Anyway, I noticed the apple pie was 500+ calories, and the oatmeal cream pie was 300+ calories. After seeing that, I thought "gracious - I've got my calories covered for the next hour or two." I've also read that gels and stuff are better/more easily digested/something for fuel. So I've been wondering - what is the advantage of gels, bananas, and/or something like a cliff bar compared to a convenience store calorie bomb. Is it the carbs or the calories? What's the difference? How do they matter?

As a footnote, the pies were tasty!

10 Wheels

I have tried the gels. They did nothing for me.
Enjoy the pies.

Joe_Gardner

Try pearsons nut rolls. Often found 3/$1. They are more durable then pies when stuffed into jersey pockets...

gregf83 

You don't need to take in 200-300 Cals/hr. That figure is normally suggested as the maximum amount your body can process so there is no need to take in more. How much you personally need is a function of how well fueled you are to start, how long and how intensely you ride. If you're riding at an endurance pace your body will be using mostly stored fat so you may be able to get away with no additional food. If you like the pies and they don't bother your stomach then there shouldn't be a problem. They wouldn't be suitable for racing or a fast ride but that doesn't sound like an issue in your case.

JimF22003

ditto on the nut rolls. Just about perfect combination of sugar and protein and salt from the peanuts.

You can justify a Snickers bar on the same principle

Machka 

The pies are just fine ... provided you are riding for more than 2 hours. And if you eat more than about 300 calories, just ride easy for a bit so you can digest it.

Arkansan07

Ive never had any trouble with food on my stomach. Last summer it was really hot and I was about 35mi into a 70mi ride and stopped and had a country fried steak and okra, mashed potatoes and gravy. I know horrible for me, but I rode the rest of the ride at the same pace (17-20) up hills and all and didnt get sick. Whats weird is I know guys that eat anything and they are sick. I dont get it.

Carbonfiberboy 

A racer buddy of mine always goes for the Hostess fruit pie. I like them, too, just not more than 1/ride. They are a little high in fat, but that can be good, too. Every one is different. Mini-mart food is just fine for most riders.

Arkansan07

poptarts and paydays all the way

Daspydyr 

This sounds so unholy! Shouldn't you pay like $3.99 for a piece of cardboard in a slick rapper, maybe have a skinny chick in lycra on the cover?

$ick3nin.vend3t

Pop tarts, Pies & Cream pies?. Is the thread still about recovery or the fastest route to the morgue?

Why not just push the boat out...

UmneyDurak

Neither.

sknhgy 

Yup

UmneyDurak

Honestly I don't understand why anyone would think this processed junk food is a good on bike fuel, or good in general.
Ingredients:
Hostess Blueberry Fruit Pie

* in 1 review
* Made by Interstate Brands Corporation show contact info
*
Ingredients

Enriched Wheat Flour [Flour, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron)B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1)Riboflavin (B2)Folic Acid)Blueberries, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (contains One or More of: Soybean, Cottonseed or Canola Oil, Beef Fat)High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, contains 2% or Less of: Soy Flour, Salt, Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Sulfate, Agar, Locust Bean Gum, Dextrose, Sodium Phosphate, Corn Flour, Corn Dextrin, Citric Acid, Cornstarch, Artificial Flavor, Sodium Propionate and Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness)FD&C Yellow 5, Red 40.

I think more then half ingredients are made from corn. Oy.

Carbonfiberboy 

Well, it's like this . . . it's late and getting dark and you're not sure if you're hungry or are going to throw up and you're wandering around the mini-mart looking for something that you might be able to choke down and you see . . . Hostess fruit pies . . . and there's a magnetic attraction that takes hold of you and you pick one up, take it to the counter and pay for it, and wolf it down in about 20 seconds and you realize that yes, you were hungry and yes, that tasted good and yes, you probably can get back on the bike and keep pedaling and yes, all is suddenly right with the world again.

paulclaude

It's funny how it goes sometimes. Despite concentrating on a "clean" and nutritious diet (for the most part, anyway!), one of the best performing training sessions i've had this winter was after chowing down a lunch containing a stack of mini sausage rolls (basically, chopped sausage wrapped in pastry) at a birthday party, which is basically bad fat, carbs and protein. So I say go for the pie on that ride and don't get too hung up on keeping to "healthy" choices all the time. A little of something you enjoy isn't a bad thing.

$ick3nin.vend3t

I wonder if this guy agrees with this thread.




Michael Rasmussen

tadawdy

that's one ugly upper body.

electrik

Nice tan! Why is it relevant?

Anyways, when selecting gas station food, stay away from the hydrogenated oils... then try to stay away from the saturated fats.. go for protein and unsaturated fats with carbs and electrolytes(sodium, potassium) - Banana split with nuts on top??

Machka 

+1

Been there. Done that!!!!

On a long ride (and I'm talking 150+ km) I'll eat anything and everything that takes my fancy. I've consumed french toast, eggs and bacon, pizza, hamburgers, and a whole heap of convenience store foods from pastries, cookies, etc. to chips and cheezies. One one ride, I bought a fairly large bag of cheezies, put it in my handlebar bag facing me, and rode with the zipper of my handlebar bag open just enough so I could reach in and grab cheezies all night long. Perfect!!

RonH

300-500 per pie?
I usually take one or two Hammer Gels. They taste good and they work for me.
The only other food I've ever carried on the bike is bananas and P&J sandwiches and that was on a long ride with no easy to get to convenience stores.

whitney0125

So based on what you had mentioned it is better to eat the oath meal pie than the apple pie because it is lower in calories. The 200 calories difference is already a big amount. So go for the healhtier one.

thanks,
_____________
barbecue smokers

Machka 

Depending on your goal, of course. If your goal is to do short rides and lose weight, yes, the lower calorie pie is better. If your goal is to ride long distances and to consume as many calories as you can in as small an amount as possible, you might prefer the higher calorie pie. On my randonnees, I'd definitely go for the higher calorie pie.

gitarzan

What are those? Kaposi's Sarcomas? eww

Lamp-Shade

It didn't feel right, it was like nerve pain that crawled up my legs and through my throat. My tongue was dry. My head was dry. My stomach, it was the driest of them all. I had to eat something. I had to eat PANCAKES.
I thought that once I rested while waiting for my table at IHOP, that I could reorganize myself to walk in straight lines, sit still, and not stare at a child who was failing miserably at realizing that you can't erase crayons. Once its there you can't go back. I was there. There was no going back. Triple stack. Quadruple stack. A truck full of pancake batter and a maple orchard. All of it. On the plate. Now.
I stood up too fast on the way to the table, everything got dizzy. My legs had just enough in them for three more steps, just three more until-
*KSHHHHHHHHHH, KUUUUSHHHHHH, KSHHHHHHHH, KUUUUUUUSHHHHHH* Thats a funny noise.
*Dink*
The noodles hanging off my hips whipped an oxygen tank across the floor, ripping the mask off of Lord Fat and causing him to relieve the soldier booth he was sitting on of its grand duties.
It kind of felt like farting in church. On a grandmothers sunday hat. During the part about the blood of christ.
They tossed me out, threw my bike at me.
But they never tossed away the desire
I had pancakes in the ER for breakfast, after passing out in the parking lot. Suckas.

But yeah. Pies are good too.