T4tomo
Legendary Member
i'm struggling to compute
Hour and half ride snacks?
- Thread starter Shoxt3r
- Start date
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i'm struggling to compute
davidphilips
Veteran
- Location
- Onabike
If you are diabetic then take some food with you otherwise listen to all the sound advice already given.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
we dont know the Ops current fitness, how long they have been riding etc etc to some thats a lot of climbing and to others nothing
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
Just one point on water... Don't allow yourself to be shamed or made to feel unusual at taking lots of water, there's a bit of a trend sometimes on cycling fora to compete to see who can be most camel-like with their miserly water intake. Ignore it, if you feel like drinking two or three big bidons in an hour, then drink them. I'll do two in an hour easily on hilly warm days.
Thanks all!
So just to give some more context, this is a new route that I've only been doing a couple of times but have definitely struggled on the "big" climbs - having to stop at least once on the steepest. My bike setup probably isn't the best for climbs (2x8 gears) or maybe I'm just unfit 😂. I basically just wondered if I was needing some more fuel to get me up those hills or whether it's just practice?
My routine is usually to have a decent salad with chicken or ham for lunch with maybe a granola bar or some biscuits in the afternoon. Like I say I then have a bottle of water before going out and a banana. I regularly drink water throughout the day.
Here are some stats from Strava if it helps too...
So just to give some more context, this is a new route that I've only been doing a couple of times but have definitely struggled on the "big" climbs - having to stop at least once on the steepest. My bike setup probably isn't the best for climbs (2x8 gears) or maybe I'm just unfit 😂. I basically just wondered if I was needing some more fuel to get me up those hills or whether it's just practice?
My routine is usually to have a decent salad with chicken or ham for lunch with maybe a granola bar or some biscuits in the afternoon. Like I say I then have a bottle of water before going out and a banana. I regularly drink water throughout the day.
Here are some stats from Strava if it helps too...
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
You only really need a single bottle for an hour and a half. Given the heat, you might benefit from one of the electrolyte tabs - zero carbs stuff.
vickster
Legendary Member
What bike do you have? If it’s a heavy beast on chunky tyres, hills are always going to be harder. Lighter slick tyres might help a little and also making sure you’re in the right gear (the number of gears doesn’t have an impact as long as you have low enough ones). Your own weight will make a big difference too!
T4tomo
Legendary Member
Just more practise and your legs will get stronger, defo take water with you.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
100% agree. Frankly, trying to big up the idea of not keeping properly hydrated is ridiculous. You only need about 2% loss of body mass (so maybe 1.5kg) due to sweating for it to have a large effect on physical performance. On a warm day with a hilly ride, I'll drink 1 litre per hour
If you want to ride to the best of your ability on a bike, more water not less is the way. Nobody gets overhydrated while cycling but many get dehydrated and don't even realise it at the time
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
the number of gears is not an issue its the spread , i have bikes that all have 11-28 ratio, 3 are 2x10 and one is 2x8 , the latter has less gears so bigger jumps between gears but still has the same upper and lower ratios for climbing.As @vickster says if you have a relatively heavy bike then hills are harder work, the commuter bike fully loaded rolls well enough but as soon as yo go uphill you know your doing it .
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I would eat a small flapjack or snack bar after an hour, especially if my speed is yoyoing as much as that graph makes it look. I know many others don't need to, but I've realised over decades that I do!
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
It mostly sounds like you’ve progressed your duration too quickly. You’ve jumped from 30 mins to 90 mins. Would I also be right that you are also trying to tackle the 90 mins at the same effort level as the 30 mins?
Some things to try
If you are determined to stick with 90 mins as it makes for nice routes. Then as well as dropping effort well down. Take something like a couple of short bread fingers (or a pack of jelly babies) and have one if you start to fatigue a little. Don’t worry about stopping for a few mins to snack if you want. A 45 min ride, 10 mins snacking and resting and looking at the view, then another 45 mins is fine.
Some things to try
- Drop the duration back to 45 mins at the effort level you used for 30 mins
- Drop duration to 60 mins and drop the effort level down a bit from your 30 min outings
- Keep the duration at 90 mins but drop the effort level right down. Don‘t worry about being slower. You’re trying to build endurance.
If you are determined to stick with 90 mins as it makes for nice routes. Then as well as dropping effort well down. Take something like a couple of short bread fingers (or a pack of jelly babies) and have one if you start to fatigue a little. Don’t worry about stopping for a few mins to snack if you want. A 45 min ride, 10 mins snacking and resting and looking at the view, then another 45 mins is fine.
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PapaZita
Guru
- Location
- St. Albans
While it may be true that you shouldn’t need food on a relatively short ride, and don’t really have time to get the fuel to your legs, there may still be a benefit in taking a small snack. I find that riding on an empty stomach can get quite uncomfortable, particularly if I’m drinking a lot. Plain water sometimes seems to irritate more than a sports drink. A mouthful of cereal bar seems to calm the gurgling, so I always carry one.
Personally, I'd take that advice with a pinch of salt.... not that you'd have anywhere to put the pinch of salt!
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
Agreed on the fuelling. For fluids I always take some, but sometimes don't use it. However I feel it is worth the weight penalty 'just in case', whether for drinking or for rinsing a wound.
