Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy

Really? A 20-30 mile ride? When I started endurance cycling, I was on my lips after a double century. After doing more high-mileage rides over the next few years and getting the nutrition more dialed in (more high glycemic carbs during), I felt fine after a double and a shower. A little tired, but not too bad, certainly not exhausted. Driving myself home after a 300k or 400k was fine, even though it was usually dark by then. That's all just from training and getting plenty of carbs. My experience is not unique or even unusual. It's normal for experienced endurance riders.

So getting plenty of carbs on the bike is not about the top 1%, it's for ordinary cyclists who ride for sport and enjoy a long climb. One gets that adapted simply by riding. The fat-burning part kicks in by itself. As it is said, "fat burns in a carbohydrate flame." Endurance athletes spend a lot of time riding below their VT1 - they have to. That increases their max fat burning ability. I've been doing group rides for decades. I've never met a keto rider on any of them. Why? They couldn't begin to keep up. It's definitely not the 1%. If anything, the 1% are the keto riders whom I never meet.

I'm 77 and weigh 5 lbs. over my high school graduation weight. That extra weight is mostly muscle. I'm not skinny though. BMI is 23. I can still do 150 mile day rides. I've been eating organic pesco-lacto-vegetarian for about 50 years, but on the bike it's all rocket fuel. That's what folks do because that's what works.

Try doing longer rides. IME a well-trained ordinary club rider should be able to ride a century on any given day, no special prep, just get on the bike and take plenty of fuel.

https://www.gssiweb.org/en/sports-sc...uring-exercise