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whats your pre-ride meal?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

whats your pre-ride meal?

Old 01-18-13, 03:15 PM
  #1  
evan938
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whats your pre-ride meal?

Just curious.

For me, if its a 50+ mile ride, a Tim Hortons plain bagel BELT (bagel, egg, lettuce, tomato) with sausage, and a small iced cap about an hour before I start.

Shorter rides 30-40 mile weeknight group rides, a PB&J sandwich

I know my nutrition could be way better, but I mainly do casual group rides, and I've found the following to keep me feeling pretty decent on rides. Im not necessarily looking for better suggestions as I've had no issues with this (except the number on the scale not moving down, but it doesnt move up, so im happy ), but curious what others eat before hand to have available to burn off during the ride. Maybe ill try something and see how i feel.
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Old 01-18-13, 03:48 PM
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A pop tart and water.
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Old 01-18-13, 03:53 PM
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seymour1910
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short morning ride= hand full of almonds, banana, and bottle of water
longer ride=turkey on whole wheat one hour before, gel 15 mins before
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Old 01-18-13, 03:55 PM
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I know it's weird, but . . . 2-3 hours before the start of a long competitive ride or event I drink 400 calories of a 7:1 mix of maltodextrin and flavored whey protein, dissolved in a pint of water. Then I start eating almost as soon as I start riding.

Before ordinary training rides, I might eat anything at any time or nothing at all. In these cases, it depends more on training goals than on what's going to stay down and fuel me best.
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Old 01-18-13, 03:57 PM
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No eating for me for at least 2-3 hours before any serious activity.
Drinking ... yes ... but eating ... no.
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Old 01-18-13, 04:20 PM
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Normal food. For a morning ride, it's standard breakfast foods like oatmeal, eggs, or cold cereal with fruit. Then, depending on the length of the ride, I'm refueling on the bike. Gels and bars are fine, but so are cookies, fruit, and nuts. Your stomach can only hold so much food and your liver can only store so much glycogen so it's pointless to eat a gigantic meal before a ride.
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Old 01-18-13, 04:27 PM
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nutella on toast
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Old 01-18-13, 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by caloso
Normal food. For a morning ride, it's standard breakfast foods like oatmeal, eggs, or cold cereal with fruit. Then, depending on the length of the ride, I'm refueling on the bike. Gels and bars are fine, but so are cookies, fruit, and nuts. Your stomach can only hold so much food and your liver can only store so much glycogen so it's pointless to eat a gigantic meal before a ride.
same here
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Old 01-18-13, 04:41 PM
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Either some apple cinnamon oatmeal with a banana, or Nutella on toast.
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Old 01-18-13, 04:45 PM
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One of these:
https://katesrealfood.com/

And a bunch of water, with a diet coke chaser...
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Old 01-18-13, 05:33 PM
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Refried beans, cabbage, and lentils. Maybe throw in a few serranos for flavor.

Either that or the same thing I'd eat if I didn't ride. 100 miles plus, I tend to favor Ensure Plus and avoid solid food at the beginning of the day.
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Old 01-18-13, 06:42 PM
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I usually ride in the morning, up at 7 get kids ready and packed up, 8:00 have a protein shake with frozen fruit with oatmeal thrown in mixed with milk. On the road by 8:30, if its a huge ride I like to start off with pancakes.
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Old 01-18-13, 06:47 PM
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No food before serious riding, else I'll puke it all up!
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Old 01-18-13, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by banerjek
Refried beans, cabbage, and lentils. Maybe throw in a few serranos for flavor.

Either that or the same thing I'd eat if I didn't ride. 100 miles plus, I tend to favor Ensure Plus and avoid solid food at the beginning of the day.
Your bike must be jet powered.
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Old 01-18-13, 08:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Adrianinkc
A pop tart and water.

I thought I was the only one and a banana
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Old 01-18-13, 08:37 PM
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The usual.
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Old 01-18-13, 08:39 PM
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A cliff bar or a corn bread muffin. I don't generally eat much, if anything, during the day, but try to eat a little something before I ride.
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Old 01-18-13, 08:53 PM
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tons of oatmeal
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Old 01-18-13, 08:56 PM
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OJ, sachet of oatmeal and tea if it's a weekend group ride. Early AM workout before hitting the office it'll be some OJ and possibly a latte in the hour before I ride from my office. Solid food when I'm done.
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Old 01-18-13, 09:18 PM
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+1 on a bowl of oatmeal 1 hr prior to my ride followed by GUs or a Cliff Bar after the 1st hour in the saddle and an additional GU every 40 mins thereafter.
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Old 01-18-13, 10:00 PM
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Before riding to work - cereal and juice.
Before riding home from work - sandwich, fruit, cake.
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Old 01-18-13, 11:38 PM
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where's RichinPeoria when we need him?
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Old 01-19-13, 11:16 AM
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If I'm going for an organized ride I try eating home made spinach ravioli with roasted tomato sauce. (possible a few bits of Italian sausage). I found I was running a calorie deficit by trying to digest my usual oatmeal and hemp seed breakfast.
Not everybody can stomach that kind of breakfast.
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Old 01-19-13, 02:40 PM
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I'm not hungry when I wake up early for my 6:30 a.m. rides, but I force myself to eat half a bowl of cereal and half a cup of coffee, just to have a little sustained energy.
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Old 01-19-13, 03:07 PM
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2 eggos, lightly toasted.
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