Long Rides & Energy
cpaman87
Posts: 193 Member
I am trying to prepare for a 64 mile ride. Have been doing 25 - 30 miles lately. When I try to do 40 I seem to be running out of steam. There are many energy products on the market but I am completely unfamiliar with them. What works for you?
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Of course, hydration is key to not bonking, so water is important. Other than that, I go with ZipFizz and Clif bars. The ZipFizz has some caffeine for quick energy and lots of B-vitamins for longer-lasting energy. The Clif bar is for the protein. I stop for a rest about half way through my ride, no matter how long it is to eat the bar and sip on the drink throughout the ride. Keep up the good work and good luck on your ride.0
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I generally carry 3 bottles for longer rides. 1 bottle has a GU per every 45 mins to an hour I plan to be riding that I dilute in water. The other two have Ironman Perform in them. If an exceedingly hot or humid day I'll take a couple Salt Stick capsules with me in my bento box.0
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Nuun.
The end.0 -
I'm also interested in these responses. I've started eating some Clif Shotbloks every hour or so during my rides and i really like them, but i was wondering what other, more substantial, things people are eating.0
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I carry 3 water bottles (hydrate-drink often whether you want to or not), cliff bars (protien-mid way to re-fuel), dried fruit (carbs-quick shot of energy when I'm getting sluggish) & shot blocks (electrolytes-really hot sweaty days). The real key for me is hydration, once you fall behind you can't catch back up, so you have to drink before you get thirsty. The best advice I got before my first big ride was... If you are riding with experienced riders, do as they do, drink when they drink, eat when they eat. Good luck!
Also try out products before your big ride. Nothing worse than gastro intestinal distress and no toilet paper. GU and Gatorade are rough on my system after about 60 miles, but I've found the shot blocks work for me.0 -
Nuun.
The end.
Nuun is an electrolyte tablet. It has no carbs or stimulants (caffeine) so I'm not sure how this addresses the energy issue. Not to mention Nuun has sorbitol in it as a sweetener. Sorbitol is a diuretic. Be careful if you're a heavy sweater or prone to cramps in using this product.0 -
I really like Hammer Heed. Energy and electrolytes. I also use gel shots. They are disgusting but do the job.0
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Road or Mountain? Elevation Profile?
I love Carborocket, you should give it a try: https://carborocket.com/333-Half-Evil-Endurance-Fuel0 -
I am making a list of things to try. Thanks for the input.0
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I would recommend reading rules 6 and 91.
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Seriously though on 40 miles I will do some overnight oats with a TBSP of honey or agave syrup before I leave.0 -
I use Shot Bloks every 20-30 minutes of riding or so, and add a Honey Stinger Waffle or pull apart a Clif Bar if I'm going to be out for an hour or more. Also, I hydrate every 15 minutes or so, depending how far on the face of the sun I'm riding, I'll carry a bottle of G2 Gatorade in one of my bottles, often cut in half. Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty. It took me awhile to train myself to remember to do this, but it totally makes a difference.0
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For 40 miles I'll carry 1 banana and 2 bottles of water. Depending on temp I may only use 1 bottle.
For 100 miles I'll carry 2 bottles of water, 1 bottle of Perpetuem, 2 bananas, 3 gels.
Nutrition is really going to be very individual so I'd recommend carrying more than you think you need. Better to have enough than to run out. I'd really look to get in about 200-300 cals per hour for multiple hour rides.0 -
I'm also interested in these responses. I've started eating some Clif Shotbloks every hour or so during my rides and i really like them, but i was wondering what other, more substantial, things people are eating.
I use the Cliff Shot Bloks also. The amount you take should correspond with what you are burning. Carbs is equivalent to the fuel tank in your car. I don't care how strong you are you have to refill you tank on longer rides. Me thinks you are light on how many you take. Do some research I wish I could find an article I read a while back, maybe I can that talked about refueling while riding long distances.
As for water I drink 16 oz of water or a 50/50 mixture of gatorade or equivalent every hour. So on longer rides such as when I do the 100 miles I have to make sure there is stops or support.0 -
Also on special occasions I use "Uncrustables"
Keep them frozen and throw one in your jersey pocket. By the time you're ready to eat it has thawed and you have a great easy PB&J to eat. No muss, no fuss.0 -
I'm also interested in these responses. I've started eating some Clif Shotbloks every hour or so during my rides and i really like them, but i was wondering what other, more substantial, things people are eating.
I use the Cliff Shot Bloks also. The amount you take should correspond with what you are burning. Carbs is equivalent to the fuel tank in your car. I don't care how strong you are you have to refill you tank on longer rides. Me thinks you are light on how many you take. Do some research I wish I could find an article I read a while back, maybe I can that talked about refueling while riding long distances.
As for water I drink 16 oz of water or a 50/50 mixture of gatorade or equivalent every hour. So on longer rides such as when I do the 100 miles I have to make sure there is stops or support.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm going to start using the approach of taking more than I think I need, and eating before the hunger kicks in. One of my buddies at my LBS thought I might like the stinger waffles and I'm going to see how the Clif bars suit me as well.
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Bananas............0
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Oh I left something out: any supplemental nutrition, on my part, will be taken before the ride-- for me, that's half a protein / energy bar. Subjectively, 40 miles isn't long enough (two and a half hours or so) to worry about anything more than hydration, and even then if I needed energy for a longer ride I'd swap one Nuun bottle for FRS bottle.Nuun is an electrolyte tablet. It has no carbs or stimulants (caffeine) so I'm not sure how this addresses the energy issue. Not to mention Nuun has sorbitol in it as a sweetener. Sorbitol is a diuretic. Be careful if you're a heavy sweater or prone to cramps in using this product.
On the run, however, as it's gotten much warmer I've had to include a gu for anything longer than 7.9 miles. Thing about a lot of things is I've seen some people not tolerate the gels very well the first couple times (it goes in and comes right back out).
In a way I don't look at it as managing energy so much as managing fatigue (and the pain that goes with it). To that end I am also wont to employ a naproxen sodium + b-12 cocktail pre long run/long ride.0 -
I am trying to prepare for a 64 mile ride. Have been doing 25 - 30 miles lately. When I try to do 40 I seem to be running out of steam. There are many energy products on the market but I am completely unfamiliar with them. What works for you?
Google 'bonking' and understand the symptoms and try to avoid them. If you have ever bonked on a ride you will never want to again. Stayed fueled as most have said on here. Your body burns both fat and carbos. At higher paced speeds it is mostly carbos doing the fueling and you will need to refuel often. The suggestions you have sought out vary on the kinds of fuel, but the key is to stayed fueled. Most events have evenly spaced rest stations so you should stop at each one and refuel. You will be on the saddle about 3 1/2 to 4 hours so don't forget your butt and lube up.0 -
All sounds too complicated to me... if you're actually racing (like ironman or a crit) then go for gels + electrolyte, but otherwise get a bento box for the front of your bike and fill it with wrapped up 1/2 sandwiches, and eat something every hour. Put a couple of high sugar candies in there just incase you need a boost, but otherwise you should be good on regular food, plus a lot of water. I like cheese sandwiches because you get some salt from the cheese, but it might not work for you.
it's important for me to have it in clear sight, to remind me to eat. Putting it in a saddlebag or my jersey pocket and I tend to forget.0 -
Banana, Fig Newtons, and usually carry a Clif Bar if needed.0
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Gu gels (I use these for short rides)
Cliff shots
Honey Stinger Waffels
Coconutz (these are all natural/whole food and gluten free).
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
bananas
coke
condensed chicken noodle soup.
Or I've even made my husband homemade rice cakes from the book "The Feed Zone" if you are looking for some more natural.0 -
Well - if it was a "sociable" ride, I'd take along a couple of energy bars/gels, just in case I ended up "bonking" - but hopefully not actually need them as i'd fuel up properly before the ride - porridge, wholemeat toast with PB&J - and hopefully on a "social" it'd be a cafe stop mid-way for additional fuel. If however it was my more normal solo unsupported ride, I tend to either take a 2xTorq Gels (Rhubarb Crumble is fantastic!) and a couple of Mule Bars/Cliff Bars, along with 2x750ml water bottles, one with Torq Energy drink, the other with High5 Zero electrolyte tablets in there. If I'm a little more organised, I'll probably have a couple of small sections of Baguette with Ham and Cheese foiled up and in my back pockets, and eat them instead of the energy bars - but i'm seldom that organised, and I do have a big tin full of the energy bars just in case.
It's fine to say "you can do a 40 mile ride on water"... yes, you can, but an awful lot of people on this site are trying to lose weight, and are therefore running on a restricted intake of food already. So, I guess, we're already just a little closer to "the man with the hammer" because of that. I've had the awful sensation of bonking with 50 miles to go from home, no money with me, and nothing in my pockets/waterbottles. It wasn't big, and it wasn't clever, and it certainly wasn't pleasant, and I've NO intention of repeating it. So - I take something with me - I may well take the same gel-pack out for 7-8 rides before it gets broken into... but, like a puncture kit and pump - it's REALLY nice to know it's there if it's ever needed.0 -
I am trying to prepare for a 64 mile ride. Have been doing 25 - 30 miles lately. When I try to do 40 I seem to be running out of steam. There are many energy products on the market but I am completely unfamiliar with them. What works for you?
Google 'bonking' and understand the symptoms and try to avoid them. If you have ever bonked on a ride you will never want to again.
*giggles* Google "bonking" for the UK definition and I'd quite like the symptoms, gives the "bonk on a ride" a whole other meaning!!!
Back to the topic....I tend to take water, maybe one bottle of an energy drink like Powerade, a banana, cereal bar, that sort of thing. I don't like dried fruit, or energy gels or any of those things unfortunately - but I do like jelly babies!!!0 -
First off, how long does 40 miles take you?
2 things -
1) make sure you're eating and more importantly drinking well the days leading up to the ride. Energy levels have as much to do with what you do the day or two before a ride as what you do during the ride.
2) have some calories with you. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - a banana, half a PB&J, rice crispy treats... all work well. If you want to go with something more trendy, then there are zillions of energy products to try. I'm a big fan of Hammer and Clif products. The biggest thing is to find something that doesn't upset your stomach and that's easy to eat (texture, taste, etc).0 -
Thanks for all the great advice. I went shopping and picked up Clif Shot Bloks, honeystinger waffles, Clif energy bars, honeystinger energy chews, coconut water and jelly belly sport beans. Some of the suggestions are difficult to come by locally and need to ordered online. Today I fueled up better before the ride, increased my hydration and used the shot bloks during the ride. I did 40 miles in record time and could have done more. I am very excited.0
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My usual rides are 30--50 miles. As soon as I get hungry, I eat something. That's key for me... if I wait, then I'm starving. I also don't take breaks, because I'm more likely to bonk if I get off the bike and sit down.
Here are some things that work for me:
1. I mix 1/4 can of Rockstar Recovery and 1 scoop of Cytomax in each water bottle. The cytomax calories will keep you going and the caffeine in the Rockstar will lower your perceived effort.
2. I eat peanut butter Gu. Any sort of energy gel will hit your bloodstream faster than solid food. So, if you waited too long to eat and you're already hungry or close to bonking, gel is the key.
3. I eat dried bananas and almonds. Well, when I can remember. They are a slower burn than Gu.
If you like supplements, there are at least three things that have been scientifically proven to reduce perceived effort. The first is beets. Yep. Beets. The second is Rhodiola Rhodesia. The third is caffeine.
You don't have to do exactly what I do, but definitely put some sort of calories in your water if you're riding more than a couple of hours. And definitely eat something. And I highly recommend adding caffeine to your workout. You'll get the most benefit 1 hour after you consume it (that's according to studies, not to personal experience).
And most importantly, have fun!!!0 -
I don't like the storebought stuff, too many things in them that I don't think should be in me :bigsmile:
Bananas, they are great, and the wrappers are biodegradable!
A quick and easy energy drink is some real Cocacola the kind with sugar in it, mixed with water, maybe 50-50 or 30-70 the little hit of caffeine can be good too.
Stick to the ABC rule of riding, that is "Always Be Consuming" you should drink from your bottle every 15 min at least, learn to be able to reach down and take your bottle out of the cage, drink from it, and replace the bottle without looking down, don't take your eyes off the road. Ride around a parking lot for 10 min now and then practicing this skill, it will allow you to drink more often and be safer on the road!
I got this homemade power bar recipe from my buddy and cycling mentor Tim Smith......
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You can make your own for far less and work just as well or better --
1) Nutella
2) Oatmeal
3) Whey powder
4) Eggwhites
5) Karo Corn Syrip (increases carb load - optional)
Mix the nutella and eggwhites together and microwave or double boil so its warm and creamy. Add in the dry ingediants and then just let it sit in the fridge. Voila, power bars. And ANYTHING with Nutella is far more 'pro' ."
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You can come up with your own name for them, we have several for the TTB like "Tim's Turd Bars" but they are great!
You can also add dates, figs, dried fruit anything you like and these things rock, they taste great, are all natural, and are very cheap to make, go to your local market and if you can find banana leaves, wrap the bars in said leaves and then you have a biodegradable wrapper, no need to pack all that sticky foil garbage all the way home.
I hope this helps!
Cheers!0 -
Thanks for the recipe! I will try these out, but with Justin's hazelnut chocolate butter instead. It's a thicker texture than Nutella because i think it still has bits and pieces of hazelnut. About how much of each ingredient do you use? Thanks again!0
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Thanks for the recipe! I will try these out, but with Justin's hazelnut chocolate butter instead. It's a thicker texture than Nutella because i think it still has bits and pieces of hazelnut. About how much of each ingredient do you use? Thanks again!
The Nutella and the oatmeal are the main ingredients, usually they have about equal amounts, then the other ingredients will make another third, but really, you can play with it, each batch I make are different, so there is really no set recipe. The egg whites are what hold them together, so they are kind of important, I usually use 3 -4 egg whites to make 8-12 bars. I often use peanut butter instead of nutella, but the Nutella is the best! Play with it, make small batches at first, you will soon get the hang of it, but be careful, if you leave these bars laying around they seem to disappear, people think they are just good cookies! :bigsmile:0 -
IMHO (and from what I have read,) you shouldn't need Gels or energy bars for rides less than 100 miles; as people have already said, hydration is key!
I drink 2 litres of water before a ride and depending on the length of the ride, decides on whether I take 1 or 2 bottles with me. I use Zero High5 tablets (much like Nuun) in my drinks (which are low cal/carb hydration aids).
Build up to longer rides and back off the pace a little and you'll be surprised what you can achieve
Just my $0.02 (£0.02) worth ;o)0
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