Bassmanbob

I was wondering how you folks open energy bars or snacks while you are riding. I struggle with opening a Cliff Bar or a Larabar with only one hand while riding. I don't feel comfortable riding with no hands. If I use my teeth, I just make a mess and often lose some of the bar to the street.

I considered adding some kind of sharp object (pointed away from me) on the bike, but I'm concerned that would be too dangerous. My wife suggested placing the bar/snack in a standard sandwich sized ziplock bag. That's the plan so far, but I hate the waist of the bag, and I don't want to potentially waist the bar if I don't eventually eat it.

What do you folks do?

tomato coupe

Stop riding while you open the package?

datlas 

If you KNOW you will be eating a snack on the ride, pre-tear it a bit so you can easily finish opening with your teeth.

Plan B is open at a stop sign or other convenient stopped sitch.

mstateglfr 

Bite the perforations and tear. Pull out food. Consume food and place packaging in pocket.

shelbyfv

Another way is to hold the snack with the same hand you leave on the handlebar and open it with the other. Give the package a bite to get it started. It could be worse. I once rode with a guy who had to stop to drink from his bottle!

genejockey 

It seems to me that Clif Bars, among other snacks, used to come in packages that opened really easily, but have become much harder to open. This is why I added a stop at the midpoint of my long Sunday rides, so I don't have to try and open them on the road.

genejockey 

I find that older (80s ad 90s) bikes seem to have their downtube bottle cage mounts a bit lower on the tube, so I have to reach way down to grab and return bottles. I wondered why they put them so low, till one day I was riding one of my bikes with DT shifters and the bottle didn't want to come out of the cage so I had to pull extra hard. When it did come out, the back of my hand hit the rear shift lever and dropped me into a smaller cog.

On a climb.

So I guess they knew what they were doing.

Outrider1

How do I carry a golf club on a bike?

Iride01 

I usually just get my carbs from the stuff I put in my bottles. For 3 hour or less rides I seldom carry anything to eat any more. At one time I was using power bars and stuff. For those that were hard to open, I would make a small cut in them before my ride. Learn to hold it with the same hand you keep on the bars while you rip it open with the other hand. Or get comfortable with riding no handed... but not in a group!

But eventually they just got to be too much fuss while riding and I always worried the used wrappers would fall out of my pockets when I was going for other stuff and become litter.

Chuck Naill

Can't imagine riding non stop on a bicycle or anything for 3 hours.

Trakhak

"Snacks" are in the bowl that people balance on their gut while they sprawl in the BarcaLounger and flip channels. Whatever it is you bring with you to replenish your energy while doing your ride, it's not a snack.

Iride01 

It's very doable. Though I do have to stop for crossings and red lights. Stay hydrated, manage your energy appropriately for the climbs and accelerations and ride just hard enough to keep the weight off your saddle.

I'm sure others routinely ride non-stop for at least that long if not more.

Inusuit

First world problem.

Chuck Naill

I am not questioning that it can be done, just why? I've ridden for four plus, but I am allowed to stop to eat.

sir_crash_alot

My first "big" crash was from trying to open a snack bar.

I was in the hurt locker, trying to avoid getting dropped when a more experienced rider gave me an energy bar. I tried to open it with my forearms on the handlebars.

It didn't end well. I lost control and my bike twisted under me and I went hard into the gravel beside the road. The point of my seat came up into my pelvis and I thought I had crushed a testicle. I limped into the bushes and felt around to make sure all my "boys" were all right. Fortunately, they were.

I had a sore spot right next to my genitals for several weeks following the crash and some uncomfortable showers due to road rash.

Ultimately the fallout was relatively small (I think. Will let you know as I start a family), but it could have been muchworse.

So, er, no advice, just that it's a skill to practice and take care with!

wheelreason

reach into right pocket, pull out snack, shift up a gear or two if on the flats or slight downhill, sit up and use both hands to tear open package, eat snack, put wrapper in left pocket or into left leg of shorts. I also carry water in the 16.9 oz bottles they come in and undo the cap and drink out of them similarly.

Troul 

I just lean the top of the packaging into the rotor & let the deadly saw like item slice it open... Works fantastic if you bring a chunk of ham, turkey, or roast beef & want to slice it up for sammiches!

really, I don't bother unless its an all day ride & I don't plan out a quick stop somewhere. Rip it open using the teeth, using better judgement with road conditions (not while approaching railroad tracks or a round about)

SpedFast

Fortunately I can still ride no handed. Drop into an easier gear and sit back on the saddle and have lunch. But like Iride01 stated, if it's 3 hours or less, why bother with the "snacks" (fuel?). Most times I just suck on a mint to keep my blood sugars in order and drink occasionally to stay hydrated. Just turned 74 and while I crash occasionally, never while going no handed because I'm paying attention while doing so. Not so much the rest of the time I guess.

shelbyfv

If you ride with folks who are faster, you may have to learn to eat on the bike. By the time we backmarkers get to a regroup, others are sometimes ready to roll. And yes, under the hem of bibs/shorts is a good place for sticky trash.

coupster

If I know that I'll probably 'need' a snack mid ride, I'll cut the end off the wrapper before I leave. Sounds too easy but the solutions to most 1st world problems are.

Mtracer

I shifted to drinking my calories for several reasons, this being one of them. Most of the time I would just stop, while I like to keep my pace up, I wasn't in a race so stopping for 20 seconds and open a wrapper. Other items I would pre-open the wrappers. Or as mentioned, I would have pretty good results, holding the bar and the snack bar in one hand and using the free hand to work the wrapper. Usually after an initial tear with my teeth.

Last time I rode no handed was 40 years ago, it's not a skill I feel I need to develop now.

Calsun

Most of the time my energy snack while riding is a small box of raisins which it easy to open and swallow some. I make my own carob brownies that are gluten and maltodextrin and sugal alcohol and refined sugar free. I put one in a baggie that does in one of my rear pockets. If you read and fully understand the ingredients on the snack bars you would find something that is real food and not anultra processed industrial product in non biodegradable packaging.

Chuck Naill

Another reason to ride solo.

bblair

Unless you are riding a race or time trial, why not just stop for 30 seconds and open the package? You can still eat while riding.

You must have figured out all the "really" important stuff like tubless, slammed stems, proper sock height and glasses or or outside helmet straps.

Sy Reene

Duct tape to your handlebars