I'm also in the pre-ride oatmeal camp. Whole grain oats in 1% milk, sometimes with a splash of real maple syrup. It's my go to for any ride or race in which I'm looking to put in a good performance. On the bike I default to Cif bars (if there's been a recent sale), Belvita bytes (lower glycemic) or pop tarts (high glycemic), and if a really gung-ho ride, a scoop of gatorade powder and two spoonfuls of brown sugar in a bottle of water.