UKH

Hi guys

As I begin to cycle more, I am wondering what the best food+drink combo is for a very long day ride (as much as 100k+).

I'm making my own energy drinks and things, but I'm not personally a fan of energy gels. A friend suggested boiled eggs and small sweets. I ride with a small backpack (around 25 litres) so I have space for something smallish and light.

Best

H.

In reply to Hans:
Flapjack, cereal bars, marmalade sandwiches, bananas. Gels work but are expensive and can mess with your digestion so I try to eat 'real' food as much as possible. I don't like your mates boiled egg suggestion as protein can be hard to stomach when you're working hard but everyone is different when it comes to nutrition.

In reply to Hans:

£20 go to a cafe

In reply to Hans: jelly babies . Only an "idiot" would cycle along chating to their mate sucking on a hard one . <ahem>. ( I do wonder sometimes how I've made it this far ) . Also ditch the back pack and get a bar bag , much nicer .

In reply to Hans:

A good breakfast with brown toast, lots of butter (not marge) and jam or marmalade or a bowl of porridge is a good start and will do you for the first 90 minutes. After that you'll be dipping into your reserves so it will help if you can top up your fuel by adding some carbs to your drink bottle; I buy maltodextrin, which is pure carbohydrate, in large bags from from Myprotein and decant it into a small bottle then pour an inch or two into my drink bottle. In hot weather I add a fizzy electrolyte tablet to stave off cramp. This really helps to keep up energy levels; I've done very hilly 100 milers on this and it keeps me going. On long days I'll even carry a fresh dose of maltodextrin in a small plastic bag to add when I refill the bottle.

Only one disadvantge - after a few hours the pure carbohydrate makes you a bit flatulent.

In reply to Hans:

For that length ride I'd plan on a pub or cafe stop. Otherwise a good breakfast of porridge or Muesli/fruit or toast and peanut butter. On the ride a banana is good for breaking up the sickliness of energy drinks etc and trail mix is pretty good stuff. Worth persevering with a gel as a get out of jail card when the going gets tough.

In reply to the power:


What sort of cafes are you frequenting? Most Sundays our club does a 100 - 160km ride with one cafe stop and we complain if it costs more than £6 for beans and egg on toast and a pot of tea! Sometimes on a longer ride we'll have a second stop for a coffee and cake so around £10 for the day is sufficient!

If it looks like it could be a hard / windy day, I normally shove a mini Soreen loaf in my back pocket along with a couple of gels to ward off any hint of the dreaded bonk on the way home ( particularly before the last hill).

In reply to Hans:

If you have a good breakfast before setting off, you'll probably find you either need to eat something substantial after about 60km or snack on muesli bars, flapjacks and suchlike as you go along (or possibly both). If you eat at this sort of interval, you'll gradually find yourself building distances towards an imperial century (100 miles/162km) or more.

Personally, I have a bowl of muesli and a cheese omelette before setting out, and plan a cafe/shop stop every 60km or so for a cup of tea/cake or a roll. I also have a few Nature Valley granola bars, as well as the sweet potato & ginger bars that Aldi do (not to everyone's taste though!).

In reply to mike123:


Ditch them both and put your food in your pocket (re: rule 31 (with some interpretation) and 32)

In reply to Hans:

If I'm out with friends on a casual ride, then there'll be a cafe stop somewhere.

If just me, then I'll take flapjack, even a sandwich if cool, but if it gets hot then the filling can go grim. If it's warm, I'll use cereal/energy bars (buy in bulk and they're not too expensive for the amount I use).

Also use electrolyte tablets in bottles - even carb mix for sportives.

I always carry a spare bar and a gel for emergencies.

In reply to Hans:

Thanks for all of the replies - kicked the boiled egg into touch pretty quickly!

A decent breakfast for me is always a must. Getting a slow cooker soon so that should make for more breakfast options too. Regarding the bag, I am combining biking with hiking, so there's a hiking distance on top of the riding distance.

Am building up slowly to this, but it is always good to test out what works and what doesn't and collect a bit of advice from those in the know.

Jelly babies and malt loaf are both excellent - thanks again.

Will try out the pure carbohydrate...

Best

H.

In reply to Hans:

Ditch the Rucsac it'll be sweaty, uncomfortable and unneccessary. If it won't fit in your jersey back pockets you're carrying too much. If you really need a little more space then a frame top bag such as this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-tri-bag-with-drybag-cover/ is he way to go.

In reply to Hans:

With utmost respect, whilst 100k+ may be long distance for yourself, it isn't.

A flap jack and water would suffice energy need wise. Probably lots of snacks if you get bored, and can ride and eat safely. Caramel waffles from costa have always been my favourite, followed by cans of coke, choc chip brioche rolls and figs/dates.

In reply to Hans:

Do you mean 100 kilometres or 100,000 something (miles?)

In reply to zimpara:

Well yes, 100k+ for me is a long way, but as I mentioned there are other activities to be tagged on the end. My hope is to do a longish ride of 60k, a hike or run of about 5-7 hours, followed immediately by another 60k bike trip back home. It is possible but I need the right kit and the right food, plus the right training to build up. I am concerned at the moment with getting the food right, so I need ideas and options.

If you can do 120k with ease then you have my respect. You have obviously worked harder at it for longer than I have. Right now, 70k is my max but I am convinced that diet is the problem.

BTW - a can of coke when exercising pretty intensely is not the best idea. Caramel waffles sound good though...

In reply to Siward:

Just 100.

In reply to Hans:





Diet is not a 'problem' you're convincing yourself wrongly! All you've got to do is ride your bike more. I can ride 100km on a banana and an energy bar, nothing to do with being better than anyone else I just ride lots!

Coke can be fine on the bike, Pro's regularly pass round a can of coke, a quick sugar and caffeine hit doesn't go amiss sometimes.

In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:

If i tried to do that it'd be bonk-ville for me after about 40km. Im certainly a way off being an experienced cyclist but Ive found i have to eat quite a lot to maintain energy levels on continuous rides up to 100km.
Bowl of porridge 30 minutes before leaving (i tend to puke it back up if i have it any sooner...) followed by a banana/granola bar/cereal bar every 30-40 minutes. Im a fairly sweaty guy too so 1 bottle of water & 1 bottle with electrolyte drink so i dont feel hungover afterwards. I'll take an energy gel with me too just incase i need a quick hit.

In reply to Hans:

Ridden one 200miler, avg 18.8 recently
and two 230milers, 11hrs each time when i was a junior. Bonked in the last 10miles on the last one.

The secret to building mileage is to ride mileage.
If i am off the bike for a while, i get back on for a week, poodling around 40-50milers easy, then do 100milers, every couple of days. Not racing, not pacing, just riding miles.

Enjoy.

In reply to zimpara:




This ^^ (Although it's not a secret )

In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:

On a 1-200k solo ride I'll probably stop around lunchtime at a co-op or similar for a meal deal. BLT, Coke and saltnvinegar say. If there's a proper bakery to hand then pasties are an even tastier option. Maybe stop for a mars bar and another coke in the late afternoon.

On a sociable ride meanwhile we'll certainly stop at a cafe for lunch. I know from hard experience the fry up is not a good option so the tried and tested beans or scrambled egg on toast goes down with a pint of coffee. Plus the cake and ice cream if I'm feeling peckish.

Other than that I carry a gel for extremis and a pack of haribo for when my wife starts moaning about the distance to the cafe.

HTH.

In reply to Hans:

as mentioned already - flapjacks (home made) and water
youll find out as you go how much and when, so take more than you need, and just eat as you need to, water water will depend on the terrain and temperature, cant be more specific than that sorry

In reply to Hans:

If you want to try the maltodextrin without committing yourself to alarge bag, go and but a bottle of SIS powder or similar, it's an expensive way of buying it but you'll get to try it for half a dozen rides.

I vote for stopping and eating properly then cycling 100km+. Restaurant > cafe > supermarket. I find that my total time is much better if I have 30 - 45 minutes stop eating well compared to not getting of the bike for all distance at all.

On the bike with me I carry only water and bananas. Adding sweets if I have a hangover after drinking last nigh.