Tell us what you eat pre-ride and drink during your ride...

[daveaasmith]

As it says on the tin - what do you eat pre-ride, and drink during your ride?

I ask as I've had a spate of the bonk :shock: (always makes me laff)recently - probably been pushing myself too hard. I've not been doing training rides, and then expecting my body to handle 30 milers every month or so .

I seem to do the first 20 miles without any probs - then it sets in - although I've been supp'ing water throughout, and dining on the occasional chunk of flapjack.

 

[Frank West]

Usually have a bigger breakfast than usual with fried eggs on rye and then while riding I'm all about the ontbijtkoek ("breakfastcake"):

An Ontbijtkoek is a Dutch spiced cake. Rye is its most important ingredient, coloring the cake a lightish brown. It is often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade and nutmeg, and is occasionally served on a slice of bread. Mostly however, this "breakfastcake" is used in the morning with a little butter on top of a slice.

Looks like this:

It was recommended to me by runners, tonnes of carbs in a delicious and compact form. Nicest thing is you can just grab 500g in the supermarket for 40 cents and laugh at guys chomping down $4 nutritionally identical power bars.

The downside is it's pretty hard to eat a somewhat soggy, buttered slice while riding but then I like sitting down and admiring the scenery anyways.

 

[IbocProSX]

You mean apart from copious amounts of alcohol and cheese the night before?

I used to start with Muesli before a ride, and found I had the same 20mile-2h dip you describe. Now I start on a liquid Brinta breakfast, sort of thin milk based oatl porridge (think of Brinta as the Dutch equivalent of Weetabix). Then I have one muesli/chocolate/energy bar every hour or so during the 3 hour ride.

I have a 3 litre camelbak (100 oz) that is filled up with water only, quantity depending on weather/season. Ater the ride I drink a sports recovery drink to replenish the ions/salts. If I leave the recovery drink out in my experience I have sore muscles later in the day, sometimes cramps e.g. the night after the ride.

And then I sit at the table with the family for Sunday Lunch, YMMV but this is what works for me.

 

[kaiser]

Before a race(running) I would eat porridge,bananas and honey which I felt kept me going. Though I believe the carbo loading thing is starting to get a bit debunked and what you eat 2 days before your ride can be more relevant. You can't convert and store the carbs to glycogen quick enough. During riding avoid energy drinks/gels or sweets etc which have high sugar levels too early on as you'll spike and bonk though good enough to get you home. Dried fruit can be palatable, malt loaf is quite nice too or a banana. I've used gels and bars but only in long races or training for them. Afterwards something with a protein /carb mix to aid recovery and refuel. Some people love forgoodness shakes and I have a cheap home recipe too

 

[clockworkgazz]

I don't tend to eat anything during my rides but then again I don't tend to ride more than about 30 miles anyway- if I do eat anything it will usually be a banana or a mars bar :roll:

Bacon sarnies before is my fav. and some pasta the night before is my rule of thumb.

 

[Pickle]

Tiffin

 

[messiah]

Same as I always eat and drink. I avoid anything overly sugary as this always brings the bonk on for me - blood sugar spiking. Muesly bars and flapjack etc is dreadful - the only energy bar I find good is the GO bar. Sandwiches and pork pies etc are the best for all day rides.

When I raced I used to use Maxim powder in my camelback or water bottle - but over dilute it as too strong risks stomach cramps.

Poor mans Maxim is "Arrowroot" or "cornflour" in the water bottle - allegedly.

Having said all this I was out for four hours yesterday in baking sun in the mountains, I ran out of water half way through and had no food at all with me... dumb dumb dumb. The last half hour back to the car was purgatory.

 

[cornholio's RC200]

Drink?

Depends which pub I stop at in the middle :mrgreen:

Seriously, granola in the morning, banana during with water/sis gatorade stuff to drink.

 

[Pickle]

Having said all this I was out for four hours yesterday in baking sun in the mountains, I ran out of water half way through and had no food at all with me... dumb dumb dumb. The last half hour back to the car was purgatory.

I can sympathise with you :roll:

Last summer, I went out for an early start ride and as I was filling my Camelback up before I left, it split (it was my old, old one!).

So, I took my water bottle.

1hr 30 mins from home, the clouds lifted, the sun beat down and my water bottle ran out......

It was hell on the way home!

And, to add insult to injury I became dehydrated and had a SPLITTING headache that afternoon and was almost in tears that night it hurt so much.

Never, ever doing that again

 

[al]

I used to have a fag on the fly when i was a smoker!

thats ironic,i used to be far fitter when i was smokin' tabs than i am now.
Go figure as our American friends might say.
Then i was younger without a prolapsed disc!


Al.