What do you eat or drink while out on bike?

[bubbles3]

I'm in need of advice. I've entered the Bangor coastal challenge sportive 100km in june. Having not done to many long miles before i'm not sure what to drink to keep the energy levels up or what or how often i should eat.

Yesterday i did 45miles when i got home i realised i'd drunk about 300mls of water. i had stopped after 28 miles had a mars bar and a cup of tea and 2 slices of malt loaf.

i really struggled yesterday not sure if it was the wrong food and drink or the fact that the wind was in my face for the last 12miles home or a combination of the two.

there seems to be so many different energy drinks etc on the go it's confusing. Any advice is welcome.

also how regular should i be eating on my longer rides? I'm doing a 50 miler this weekend and plan to raise that by 5miles every week so i can do the distance before middle of june.

i've been getting out 5 times a week but this has consisted of long sunday ride, 10 miles mon, 15 tues, rest wed, 15 thurs and 10 fri. i know this will have to increase as well.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Each to their own. You will get lots of advice (some conflicting). I do the following:

Drink: Water. Only Water. I've used water with 30% orange juice and a pinch of salt (which seems to work) but best of all is WATER.

Eat: Fig Rolls. Hot-Cross Buns, buttered and quartered. Bananas.

Take stuff you like to eat and drink.

 

[MrJamie]

I don't like energy drinks much because they tend to be sticky, so I usually take water, orange squash and sometimes a bottle with a high5 hydration tab if its warm. Because I'm big and heavy I like to take jelly sweets on longer rides to help offset my energy consumption.

Most of the time my mid-ride nutrition is more likely to be a pint of water and a pint of beer at a pub, an icecream or a piece of cake. On the 100k ride, id probably just take a pack of those mini flapjacks from a supermarket bakery and some sweets, so I might not be the best person to ask, but it works for me.

 

[User16625]

Food

 

[BrianEvesham]

Drink water. Eat jelly babies, dried figs and Bananas. Cake if a cafe stop available.

 

[buggi]

Jelly babies, tracker bars, orange or lemon squash, bananas. sometimes, if i'm on a really long ride, i'll treat myself to a bag of chips or pub lunch

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

For the north down being such a big run (1000 entries) it might be worth taking whatever you find works for you,with you. Theres no guarantee that A)the feed stop will have anything left or B)have what you've been training on.

I usually plan a stop in a long ride so usually have no shortage of potential food. I've had everything from scones to pancakes ,flapjack pieces to jelly babie, energy bars to energy gels.

The most important thing is use your training miles to figure it all out. What you like,the quantity and frequency. I have a time alert set on my garmin as a reminder to eat and drink.

ps: Im probably doing it too

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

What TMHNET says is spot on.

Don't try a different food or energy drink at event time. Train with a few variations and see which one tastes best, goes down best and allows you to perform best. Only you can find that out before hand.
I use flapjacks, bananas and gels to name but a few. All of these might turn in your stomach and make the ride miserable but they agree with me. Too many gels makes my stomach turn. Pre planning is the way forward.
I would also suggest taking two water bottles. One just water and one with an energy drink that works for you.

Also eat at least every hour, depending on intensity. I sometimes eat every 30 mins if it's tough going.

Good luck.

 

[Ben M]

Drink sugary water and eat flapjack.

Carrying two water bottles (not necessarily full) one with water and one with sugar water is also a good idea.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

What TMHNET says is spot on.

Going to print,laminate and frame this

 

[boybiker]

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/ride-fuelling-help-please.129267/

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Going to print,laminate and frame this

There is a first for everything.

 

[Poacher]

Beer.

Lotsh of beer!

<hic!>

4 or 5 pintsch should see you through a 100km.

Things are different in France, where a combination of wine with brandy chasers is preferable, or half-litres of cider with calvados chasers in Normandy.

Beware, though; you may end up doing considerably more than 100km when you take zig-zags into account.

 

[Chris Norton]

For me, it's two bottles of water sipped often just to keep the hydration up. I have a gel flask (can take 5 gels worth) but I fill it with liquid honey (produced by my own bee's) with a bit of lemon juice to make it a bit more palatable. Gel's really don't agree with me and I need to slug the honey down with a bit of water too.

For eats it's a combination of cereal bars and for me the best thing out there Kelloggs Nutri-grain bars.

Little and often for me. But do NOT underestimate the previous day's intake on your performance. It's not always what's on the ride that will make the biggest difference.

 

[Tribanite]

2 bottles. 1 has plain water,the other an energy drink. A banana for rides over 2 hours, jelly babies + grenola bar for 3-4 hour rides.
Anything longer and i buy whatever i fancy at the halfway point