Best REAL food to take on rides???

[Dave7]

On my MTB.Off road. Age 65
The longest ride to date is 30 and I am building up to a 50. I'm looking for advice to help enjoyment/performance. I am not racing and will make time to stop to eat when necessary.
What I eat/drink is.........

• Before setting out I have an ISO energy drink.
• Water.....take with me
• Malt loaf........ take with me
• Some jelly type sweets
• A cereal bar.

I have tried taking a banana but find it got badly bruised/squashed (maybe the heat?)
I have seen the "fig biscuit" thread but noted the ah er 'toilet' warnings

Any advice appreciated...particularly stuff that can fit in back pockets.
Thanks

 

[Andy_R]

Flapjack - the sugars in the honey give you instant energy and the starches in the oats give you slow release energy

 

[black'n'yellow]

You don't need 'slow release' energy on a 30 miler - you will be back home again before it's had a chance to 'slow release'...

Your body is capable of storing around two hours worth of glycogen (muscle fuel), so unless you are riding significantly beyond two hours then you shouldn't really need to take any food on the ride at all. For longer rides, my preference is papaya chunks - stick a handful in your back pocket and eat as required on the move...

 

[PpPete]

For this sort of length ride, especially in the warmer weather, focus on your hydration.
Use an electrolyte (Nuun or High5 Zero) or Electrolyte + "fuel" (e.g.SIS GO Electrolyte) rather than just plaiin water. Or (cheaper) diluted organge squash with a pinch of salt in it.
Handful of Jelly Babies, and a cereal bar as a "just in case" should be sufficient.

Try the banana just before you set out.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Interesting post as i basically do the same distances as dave three times a week.
I usually have a bowl of porridge and then eat a banana just before i go out.
I fill my bottle up with water and drop a high 5 tab in but take no food with me.
My question is should i be taking food,energy bars with me etc.?
My cycle jerseys have no pockets and my small cycle bag is full of tools and a inner tube and my shorts have two small pockets so space is limited.
If energy bars,do i go for the expensive ones or the cheaper ones you would find in a supermarket.?

A few questions there but i'm sure you knowledgeably lot will be able to answer these.

 

[black'n'yellow]

My question is should i be taking food,energy bars with me etc.?

if you are already comfortable doing those distances without taking food, then there's your answer...

 

[Dave7]

You don't need 'slow release' energy on a 30 miler - you will be back home again before it's had a chance to 'slow release'...

Your body is capable of storing around two hours worth of glycogen (muscle fuel), so unless you are riding significantly beyond two hours then you shouldn't really need to take any food on the ride at all. For longer rides, my preference is papaya chunks - stick a handful in your back pocket and eat as required on the move...

I should have said......this is on my MTB so depending on the route it is 3 hours plus and a lot harder than road cycling. (Original post now amended)

 

[GetAGrip]

I should have said......this is on my MTB so depending on the route it is 3 hours plus and a lot harder than road cycling. (Original post now amended)

 

[smutchin]

You don't need 'slow release' energy on a 30 miler - you will be back home again before it's had a chance to 'slow release'...

Depends on the rider, doesn't it? For some people, that's a three hour ride, and the OP is talking about stepping up to 50 miles, which could be as much a five hour ride (or maybe even longer, since it's offroad), in which case taking some proper food would definitely be a good idea.

Edit: I was just typing this when Dave7 posted his last reply...

d.

 

[smutchin]

Personally, I like to take a cheese salad sandwich on long rides. Flapjacks and sweets and malt loaf are all very well, but after a few hours of riding, I crave something savoury. Nice malted granary bread, decent strong cheddar and plenty of lettuce, cucumber and tomato. Wrapped up tightly in clingfilm, it will stuff easily into a jersey pocket.

d.

 

[bluemint]

My snack of choice are chocolate crepes. Easy to pack away and yummy. They can be a little dry though.

 

[black'n'yellow]

My snack of choice are chocolate crepes. Easy to pack away and yummy. They can be a little dry though.

where do you carry the frying pan and stove..?

 

[marzjennings]

I've yet to find a 'real' food that one, isn't a hot mushy mess after a couple of hours in my back pocket and two, is as compact or as light as power bars. I can carry a couple thousand calories worth of power bars in my back pocket, which would be tough to do with bananas, flapjack or sarnies.
The best way I've found to eat real food on long rides is to carry cash and plan rides that go by pubs, cafes and shops.

 

[smutchin]

I've yet to find a 'real' food that one, isn't a hot mushy mess after a couple of hours in my back pocket and two, is as compact or as light as power bars. I can carry a couple thousand calories worth of power bars in my back pocket, which would be tough to do with bananas, flapjack or sarnies.
The best way I've found to eat real food on long rides is to carry cash and plan rides that go by pubs, cafes and shops.

All really good points, which tally with my experience of doing audaxes. However, on a very long ride, you do sometimes find yourself wanting proper food when you're a long way from anywhere, so that's why I like to carry my own supplies. I imagine this is even more likely if you're offroading.

My general rule if I'm out for more than a few hours is to have a proper meal at proper meal times, and keep myself topped up with high-energy bars and gels and stuff like that in between. If there's a cafe en route where I can take that proper meal, so much the better, but a packed lunch will do at a push.

Also, for audaxing, I generally use a saddlebag with a decent capacity, so I don't have to keep everything in my jersey pockets where it will indeed get hot and mushy. The convenience more than compensates for the extra weight.

Learning how best to deal with these practicalities, and what suits you personally, is as much part of doing longer rides as the actual riding.

d.

 

[Recycler]

I never take food with me but my butler follows and he always has an interesting selection of tasty morsels for me.
One needs ones nourishment, don't you know?