Breakfast, to eat or not to eat....

[martint235]

I did try having breakfast (muesli) but found that on my first (and only but big) hill I struggled to breath cos of the milk. Now just have a black coffee, fill the water bottle and go. I haven't noticed any difference in average speed (15-16mph in London traffic) over a 10-11 mile commute so I'd say go with what feels right.

At weekends sometimes do a run of around 50 miles with just two water bottles and a cup of coffee before and get round ok but am seriously starving when I get home.

 

[gb155]

I dont, I commute between 18 and 22 miles, in the mornings, on nowt but water.

 

[GrasB]

I tend to find if I eat something substantial within an hour of getting up I feel s**t for the rest of the day so I don't have much at home, a piece of fruit & a smallish drink then ride into work. By the time I've got to work my 1 hour is up so I'll have a proper breakfast, it starts with a recovery bar & electrolytes when getting off the bike & continues with some porridge + coffee once settled in at the desk.

 

[cyberknight]

Couple of pieces of toast or a bowl of cereal then have a small muesli bar when i get to work, i have a manual job and if i do not have something to eat i feel hungry by 9 am or so .
I do start work at 7 am mind breakfast is 5.30 am

 

[jonny jeez]

never have anything (water, food, warm up) before my 20 mile ride into work ( AS i DONT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME) BUT ALWAYS HAVE A BANANA AT 5.00 BEFORE i LEAVE AT 5.30 ISH.

sorry bout the caps lock, cant be aresed to retype

 

[longers]

I read a while back that rides of a medium ish intensity up to 20 miles or so are fine on an empty stomach if you keep hydrated. They are supposed to be beneficial as your body learns to burn fat more efficiently.

I'm no dietician but think it was Joe Beer in C+ who wrote this and I think I've seen it elsewhere too.

Eating soon after is essential I would say.

 

[Bandini]

I need to eat before I set off my 20 mile commute some toast or a bagel. Same as I have when I am not cycling. I am not arsed about burning fat - though it is a nice side effect!

 

[eldudino]

I've found I get the best fat burn by bonk-training. I do between a 5 and 20 mile commute (depending on work commitments and how I feel) and pretty much always have my breakfast when I get to work. I find it's important to keep hydrated on anything over 12 miles or so.

 

[Telemark]

My 7 mile commute is uphill with a steep-ish bit near the start, and mainly along main roads that get very busy during rush hour (not a lot of choice unfortunately). So I need to leave the house around 7 AM to get a reasonable quality of ride.

The trouble is that I find it very hard to get out of bed in plenty of time , so I tend to step into my cycling clothes and go after a glass of water or orange juice. Lovely hot showers at work & I'm at my desk before everybody else arrives, tucking into a healthy breakfast. I don't find the delayed breakfast a problem for that length of ride, but have to say if I got up with more time to spare, I'd probably eat at home ...

T

 

[Bandini]

I tend to step into my cycling clothes and go after a glass of water or orange juice. Lovely hot showers at work & I'm at my desk before everybody else arrives...
T

Same - apart from I have an unhealthy bagel or toast with dripping butter before I set off AND a healthy breakfast at work!

 

[BentMikey]

I dont, I commute between 18 and 22 miles, in the mornings, on nowt but water.

Yeah, but you run on different fuel - look how empty your tank is getting.

 

[hackbike 666]

I must admit I have bonked a few times over the years though and had to stop in petrol stations for choccy/milky bars.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I agree with the comments on water only.

For my commute (27.5km, or 17.1mi. for you Pommies ), the morning one is normally a bit slower (although the prevailing winds have something to do with that). Given that the morning ride is after roughly 9.5 hours of fasting while the afternoon ride is after 4 hours of fasting, I naturally have more energy to burn in the afternoon, but I agree that a tall glass of water before the morning ride does help.

 

[The Eighth Man]

I set off at 6:30 on a 8 mile commute and do eat until 10:30, but it does not seem to bother me.

 

[jimboalee]

You should absorb enough sugars from your toothpaste for a 6 mile commute.