Fuelling for long rides/sportives

[widowmaker]

I am curious what people eat and drink on long rides/sportives 50 odd miles and how they store the food.

I generally take a couple of bananas and a couple of apple bakes and make my own drink with 50% water/ 50% juice and a pinch of salt. I have tried everything from flapjacks, Jaffa cakes, marmalade sandwiches etc. I have tried gels but don't get on with them.

I don't typically like to stop, I take a while to warm up and find it a real struggle if I stop for too long at feed stations. Just need something I can store in my jersey pockets which I am able to eat on the go.

 

[mattr]

50-60 miles? Generally never bothered BITD, two bottles (one water, one with weak energy or other isotonic "stuff") and an emergency energy bar.

These days it's going to be 4 hours on the road instead of 2.5. So probably similar to you. Banana, couple of bars of some description and a couple of bottles, both with something added.

Never stopped back then (unless it was *very* hot, for a water top up) unlikely to stop now. As the food/drink offered is quite often not what i want.

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

Thanks just wondered if my usual routine could be tweaked a little - not on the day of the ride though as in the past I have done that :facepalm:

I am going to do my first 50 for some time soon. I shall have a couple if bananas in one side jersey pockets, a couple of frusli type bars on the other broken into 3rd's with the top cut of for easy eating going along. A couple of bottles, one with 50/50 water and one with electrolyte type drink. I drink throughout at regular small intervals so I don't dehydrate.

And a handful of jelly babies in case

 

[The History Man]

Ed, is it a race? If it's your own route design a pleasant stop at about 30. Tea and cake is a great reviver. Or a nice bench with a lovely view.

Cliff bars are really quite rewarding. They say you should nibble hourly to avoid bonking.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

I'm with you on the drink, but how much salt do you use? Too much and it tastes gross!

For me, flapjacks, fig rolls and jelly beans. They don't melt on a hot day.
When i did HONC in the Spring, 100km, I had a drink every 10 minutes, something to eat every 20. Need a drink with fig rolls!

If I stopped, my legs would stiffen up, so stops are minimal

Mike

 

[widowmaker]

Ed, is it a race? If it's your own route design a pleasant stop at about 30. Tea and cake is a great reviver. Or a nice bench with a lovely view.

Cliff bars are really quite rewarding. They say you should nibble hourly to avoid bonking.

Not a race, an upcoming charity ride. I just want to get round in a decent time without spoiling the day and push my training buddy a little.

I often ride where I am on my own, take the camera, enjoy the scenery, stop for a pint and let things go, and am partial to a tea and cake

 

[widowmaker]

Re: Re:

I'm with you on the drink, but how much salt do you use? Too much and it tastes gross!

For me, flapjacks, fig rolls and jelly beans. They don't melt on a hot day.
When i did HONC in the Spring, 100km, I had a drink every 10 minutes, something to eat every 20. Need a drink with fig rolls!

If I stopped, my legs would stiffen up, so stops are minimal

Mike

My drink is pretty similar to how other people make them 900ml water, 100 ml of sugar Ribena and a pinch of salt as it does taste horrible if its too much. When I first started riding long distance especially in organised events where I would get wrapped up in the occasion I used to forget to drink unless I was already thirsty :facepalm: so wrote on my arm to remind me.

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Eat/drink whatever you like the taste of and agrees with you.
Sounds like you've kind of settled on something that works for you already.
I often take energy gels , flapjack, Clif bars, peanut butter & honey sandwiches, a banana (not all of them on same ride though! ). Along with energy drinks and electrolyte drinks.
The key is to keep eating & drinking regularly, I occasionally forget or think I feel ok so don't bother, then end up suffering for it later in the ride.

As THM says, a planned stop at say 30 miles is a good idea, plus you don't have to carry quite so much food with you in your pockets etc

Edit: are there no feed stops on the charity bike ride.?

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

There are feeds stops which is good, I am not criticising the ride/route, just that they don't always fit with when I want to stop and once I am warmed up really suffer if I stop too long.

Having cycled most of the route for the last decade I suppose I have got set in my ways. One stop is on steep hill where once I stop I almost need a push start to get going

 

[The History Man]

For proper rides such as honc and mayhem etc or longness I have found high5 tabs to be really beneficial. Not for energy as they are zero cal jobbies but the contain all the things you need to replace during and after a ride. I was sceptical until I used them on my week long tour and found that I was getting far less effects of the previous day. I would also make sure I continued to drink a bottle of it in the evening.

Amazingly a pint or two of milk is known to be as effective as many of the isotonic drinks for recovery. This was tested by a consumer programme.