what is your go to mid-ride food(nutrition if you want to sound fancy)
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what is your go to mid-ride food(nutrition if you want to sound fancy)
Yesterday, I had a lot of saddle time to think about what and how I eat on rides.
On anything less than 20mi, I dont have anything.
Rides over that, I always have on the bike a couple of apple sauce squeeze pouches and a Kind granola bar. If its a 30mi rides or so, Ill for sure have these while riding.
Mid-day rides are always a loop(i hate out and back) and inevitably route through a small town around the mid-point so there is for sure a Casey's or Kum & Go. Ill grab a slice of pizza and a gatorade then.
I was actually thinking about this yesterday while sitting in the shade on a curb at a small town Casey's. I only eat Casey's pizza or have gatorade on a long ride.
Not exactly the fuel of champions, but man its good!
On anything less than 20mi, I dont have anything.
Rides over that, I always have on the bike a couple of apple sauce squeeze pouches and a Kind granola bar. If its a 30mi rides or so, Ill for sure have these while riding.
Mid-day rides are always a loop(i hate out and back) and inevitably route through a small town around the mid-point so there is for sure a Casey's or Kum & Go. Ill grab a slice of pizza and a gatorade then.
I was actually thinking about this yesterday while sitting in the shade on a curb at a small town Casey's. I only eat Casey's pizza or have gatorade on a long ride.
Not exactly the fuel of champions, but man its good!
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I always fuel up before a ride with some carbs and protein. When it's not blazing hot I sometimes don't need anything else for several hours, but in warm weather or if the route is hilly, it usually goes something like this:
2-hour rides get a couple of Clif Bloks
2 to 3-hour rides add a bar of some kind and a Nuun in water
Over 3 hours add a PBJ
All rides get a beer afterwards or during. Sometimes a taco.
2-hour rides get a couple of Clif Bloks
2 to 3-hour rides add a bar of some kind and a Nuun in water
Over 3 hours add a PBJ
All rides get a beer afterwards or during. Sometimes a taco.
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I live near Amish country, and I know an Amish lady who makes fried pies; imagine something like those Hostess fruit pies, but homemade, of good ingredients, and about 1000% better. After I get a dozen or two dozen from her, I will place them individually in ziplock bags....Then, when going on a long ride (>50 mi) I will put one in my jersey pocket when heading out. After a couple hours it is thawed, and it's like rocket fuel.
Shorter rides, and early and later on a longer ride, I also use Clif Shot Blocks and stuff like that. But right in the middle of a long ride, the fried pie is awesome.
Oh, and cookies. Yeah.
Shorter rides, and early and later on a longer ride, I also use Clif Shot Blocks and stuff like that. But right in the middle of a long ride, the fried pie is awesome.
Oh, and cookies. Yeah.
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#4
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On three hour or longer rides, I stock a baggie of fig newtons to graze on as I go. Easy two bite morsels that seem to digest easy and quickly, and much cheaper than compressed saw dust Clif bars.
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If over 30 miles I bring an apple or two, maybe a fig bar or a couple of carrots. I do not eat much even on a longer ride but I do drink watered down sport drink for quick absorption of calories. Most importantly I try not to put in many more calories than I burn up, but what calories I do put in I shoot for things that provide quick energy (other than the carrots, but I like carrots!).. Too many solid foods have a lot of calories that metabolize slowly and hit your system too late to do much on the ride.
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I just buy Clif bars in bulk at Costco and munch on one of those for every hour or so I am out.
I buy a tub of Gatorade mix and carry one bottle of that stuff if it's hot outside. nothing fancy because I'm cheap and not winning anything.
I buy a tub of Gatorade mix and carry one bottle of that stuff if it's hot outside. nothing fancy because I'm cheap and not winning anything.
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For any ride over 3 hours for me it is any combination of Fig Newtons, a zip lock bag with dried dates and pineapple chunks and mini cliff bars.
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I like real foods for rides over 3 hours. Trader Joe’s has individually wrapped packages of olives and those are my current favorites. Salty, oily goodness.
Fig newtons are good, and peanut butter Snickers are my main convenience store go-to. Peanut butter and banana burrito is less likely to fall apart than a sandwich.
Fig newtons are good, and peanut butter Snickers are my main convenience store go-to. Peanut butter and banana burrito is less likely to fall apart than a sandwich.
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Yesterday, I had a lot of saddle time to think about what and how I eat on rides.
On anything less than 20mi, I dont have anything.
Rides over that, I always have on the bike a couple of apple sauce squeeze pouches and a Kind granola bar. If its a 30mi rides or so, Ill for sure have these while riding.
Mid-day rides are always a loop(i hate out and back) and inevitably route through a small town around the mid-point so there is for sure a Casey's or Kum & Go. Ill grab a slice of pizza and a gatorade then.
I was actually thinking about this yesterday while sitting in the shade on a curb at a small town Casey's. I only eat Casey's pizza or have gatorade on a long ride.
Not exactly the fuel of champions, but man its good!
On anything less than 20mi, I dont have anything.
Rides over that, I always have on the bike a couple of apple sauce squeeze pouches and a Kind granola bar. If its a 30mi rides or so, Ill for sure have these while riding.
Mid-day rides are always a loop(i hate out and back) and inevitably route through a small town around the mid-point so there is for sure a Casey's or Kum & Go. Ill grab a slice of pizza and a gatorade then.
I was actually thinking about this yesterday while sitting in the shade on a curb at a small town Casey's. I only eat Casey's pizza or have gatorade on a long ride.
Not exactly the fuel of champions, but man its good!
under 20 or so miles I like a snack bar, banana, or those small PBJs like Crustables, pic below. I freeze them than throw it in my bike bag.
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Snack size zip top bag filled with dates and figs.
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This thread is getting me hungry.
I rarely do anything beyond electrolyte mix for rides under 30 miles (maybe a gu or a clif bar if I haven’t eaten anything yet that morning). Much over that (40 or so) and I am definitely going to be taking in steady calories during the whole ride if possible.
My go-to easy snack is a dried fruit (dates, craisens, figs, etc) mixed with some almonds or peanuts with extra sea salt. Sometimes I convince myself I need some M&Ms too 😁
edit: Beer after.
I rarely do anything beyond electrolyte mix for rides under 30 miles (maybe a gu or a clif bar if I haven’t eaten anything yet that morning). Much over that (40 or so) and I am definitely going to be taking in steady calories during the whole ride if possible.
My go-to easy snack is a dried fruit (dates, craisens, figs, etc) mixed with some almonds or peanuts with extra sea salt. Sometimes I convince myself I need some M&Ms too 😁
edit: Beer after.
Last edited by wheelsmcgee; 09-20-20 at 04:26 PM.
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Eat every hour, as a rule of thumb. Clif Bloks, Clif Shots, Picky Bars, home made fruit/nut bars, PBJ, banana, something easily consumed while pedaling, but not too messy. So, any ride over 1 hour I take in something, generally speaking (not a rigid rule). Long rides (160km and longer) almost always have a food stop in the middle, since I don't rate a SAG vehicle and a feed bag, I have to stop for real food, like a real meal. It has to be quick (stops under 30 minutes, so I don't wind down)...burger, pizza, Döner, pasta plate, charcuterie, pomme frites (I live in Europe, it's what they do here)...protein and fat for a real food meal, but not huge amounts, for obvious reasons. Edit: this is easily achieved over here, there are restaurants and beer gardens everywhere, even in the forests.
Also, I ALWAYS roll with some sort of electrolyte in the water bottles (starting out); my go to is Nuun (I get a pro deal, so they're the least expensive for me and they work).
Also, I ALWAYS roll with some sort of electrolyte in the water bottles (starting out); my go to is Nuun (I get a pro deal, so they're the least expensive for me and they work).
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I also eat about every hour. Gotta keep the furnace burning.
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I normally drink four cups of black coffee and do about 30-40 miles without stopping and eating. On longer rides I do eat before but I rarely eat during a ride.
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I keep to one strong cup in the morning, it tends to clean me out. If I time it right that happens before I get on the bike!
#17
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I always try to balance sweet/salty and make sure it's easy to pack/consume. Nuun is my go to electrolyte drink. I too have been gravitating towards olives on my longer rides.
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#18
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I've regressed to mostly Lemon-Lime Gatorade powder and Nature's Valley crunchy granola bars for my ride calories. Far from optimum, but they are very cheap, digest, and taste reasonably good regardless of temperature.
Had a couple blow ups using maltodextrin based drinks this year, which do digest better, and don't spike blood sugar as much, but they taste so bad when the fluid gets hot, and don't always mix well. It's hard to force down something that taste awful 5-6 hours into a tough ride.
Had a couple blow ups using maltodextrin based drinks this year, which do digest better, and don't spike blood sugar as much, but they taste so bad when the fluid gets hot, and don't always mix well. It's hard to force down something that taste awful 5-6 hours into a tough ride.
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Had a couple blow ups using maltodextrin based drinks this year, which do digest better, and don't spike blood sugar as much, but they taste so bad when the fluid gets hot, and don't always mix well. It's hard to force down something that taste awful 5-6 hours into a tough ride.
Anything under 4 hours I'll eat a Stinger waffle about every 1.5hrs. I'm on a Stinger kick right now because I haven't gotten around to ordering from Hammer. They're less then a $1/piece from Walmart when you buy a box of them. I don't get tired of the taste, but I do have to stop and eat one unlike gels.
80+ miles I continue the malto-madness with gels/waffles but I'll alternate each hour with a quarter of a "butter and bread" sandwich. Just butter, italian bread, maybe a couple slices of salami or cured meat. Works well in quarters because two slices of bread are close to 300 calories, then the butter and meat for an extra 100 calories. It's tough to ride over a century without something savory.
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LARABAR Has been my new go to to throw in my top tube and in my camelbak.
I still have 1 water bottle mixed with pink sea salt, baking soda, and potassium chloride powder. For electrolyte loss. Been needing less of it in the dryer climates though.
I still have 1 water bottle mixed with pink sea salt, baking soda, and potassium chloride powder. For electrolyte loss. Been needing less of it in the dryer climates though.