For me, it is the previous day that seems to matter. If I'm trying to drop weight, and I ride on, say, Saturday and minimize my food intake, I cannot ride on Sunday without food before and during the ride, or I bonk after about 1.5 hours or so.
I used to ride in the morning before work (4:30 - 6:30 am), and at that time I would ride before breakfast. However, I found I had better performance if I took in some calories during the ride, particularly for harder efforts (intervals).
The body is amazingly adaptable. If it works for you, then fine. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if you found that your cycling improved if you ate before and during long distance rides.