Long Rides & Energy
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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 -
"Tim's Turd Bars"
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: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)
In general I agree with you are saying, but it really depends on how long and how hard you are going. I've ridden lots of 100 - 150 Km rides, but I don't ride that fast, so it will take me from 6 to eight hours to do that kind of distance. In a normal day I would be consuming at least one meal in that time frame, so I think you do need to eat, but I agree that you don't need to be eating all these over processed energy bars. I've never understood the gels, maybe they are something that an elite athlete needs to boost their performance, but, speaking only for myself, they are certainly not something I need.
Hydration is the real key, like you said, some of the much fitter cyclist I know here in Japan when it is VERY hot and humid like it is now, they say that if they have a big ride planned, and I'm talking about 150+ Km with well over 1000m of climbing, they will drink lots of water for a day or two before the ride. How much is enough, well one guy says, that when his urine is colorless, then he considers himself hydrated :laugh: Like I said, these guys are hardcore, most of them also race, they are very lean and they suffer a lot on their rides, doing distances, climbs and speeds I can only match on a motorcycle :happy:
I'm just saying that the whole "Energy Drink/Bar" thing is mostly fueled by marketing, really, you don't need it, eat real food, lots of it is easy to prepare and take with you on a long ride.
Cheers!0 -
... but it really depends on how long and how hard you are...
:noway:
You'll have to ask the wife
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
... but it really depends on how long and how hard you are...
:noway:
You'll have to ask the wife
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Nice edit :bigsmile:0 -
In general I agree with you are saying, but it really depends on how long and how hard you are going. I've ridden lots of 100 - 150 Km rides, but I don't ride that fast, so it will take me from 6 to eight hours to do that kind of distance. In a normal day I would be consuming at least one meal in that time frame, so I think you do need to eat, but I agree that you don't need to be eating all these over processed energy bars. I've never understood the gels, maybe they are something that an elite athlete needs to boost their performance, but, speaking only for myself, they are certainly not something I need.
Hydration is the real key, like you said, some of the much fitter cyclist I know here in Japan when it is VERY hot and humid like it is now, they say that if they have a big ride planned, and I'm talking about 150+ Km with well over 1000m of climbing, they will drink lots of water for a day or two before the ride. How much is enough, well one guy says, that when his urine is colorless, then he considers himself hydrated :laugh: Like I said, these guys are hardcore, most of them also race, they are very lean and they suffer a lot on their rides, doing distances, climbs and speeds I can only match on a motorcycle :happy:
I'm just saying that the whole "Energy Drink/Bar" thing is mostly fuelled by marketing, really, you don't need it, eat real food, lots of it is easy to prepare and take with you on a long ride.
Cheers!
Good points there Stu; however it has been proven that a hell of a lot of people mis-interpret the 'signals' from their stomach to their brain. Most don't know the difference between feeling 'hungry' and being 'thirsty', hence the advice to drink a glass of water (a proper 500ml+ glass of water, not an egg cup full), when you feel inclined to eat; if you still feel 'hungry' after the water, then you are genuinely hungry and not thirsty.
Like you have said; a lot of the 'sports nutrition' out there is marketing 'mumbo jumbo'. I would never drink a 'Poweraid', 'Gaitoraid', 'Lucozade Sport' etc over water - the amount of crap they have in them is beyond compare! That is why I like Zero High5's at 11 cals each tablet.
Listen to your body people; then test it to see if it's lying to you (i.e. the glass of water)!0 -
bumping because I will need to show this to hubby later.0
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bumping because I will need to show this to hubby later.
What did he say?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!
Water only for 100 miles? Even at 20 mph that is still 5 hours on the road.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!
Water only for 100 miles? Even at 20 mph that is still 5 hours on the road.
Yes to water, no to manufactured, processed stuff in foil packs, eat real food :bigsmile: :drinker: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!
Water only for 100 miles? Even at 20 mph that is still 5 hours on the road.
Yes to water, no to manufactured, processed stuff in foil packs, eat real food :bigsmile: :drinker:
IMHO the need for gels/liquid calories comes from my perspective is having to run off the bike. Have you ever tried to run 1/2 or full marathon with a sandwich in your stomach?
And really you should be taking in calories while you ride. There is no way I could finish a century with no calories.0
