Body tech - what mid ride grub works best

bluechair84

Just read the article on eggs and it crossed my mind that a boiled egg might be quite nice as a mid ride snack, but does it offer enough energy to make it worth eating? So I would like to find out what sort of foods people eat on long rides and what they feel works.
When I get around to the spa, I usually pack a Sorean malt loaf and munch that. Bananas and homemade flapjack are my seconds.
Other people I ride with eat cheap tuna sarnis from Aldi, or pack a massive pack of caramel biscuits. Turns into quite a banquet when we spread the love. I'm always looking out for good food for long endurance events or just when I'm particularly unfit.
please vote in the poll and drop a messege as to what you reckon is top sustainance for long rides.
And - any homemade water additives? Someone I ride with adds sugar and salt to his camelback.

supersonic

Fig rolls! Cheap, easy to carry, nice sized portions.

delcol

granolla bars. i use the nature valley ones £2 in tesco for six in a box. or go to shhhhhhhhhhhhhh is any one listening cough cough b&m bargins they 10 p each....

i also like bananas

Sikora

I usually take a banana. I aim to try and lose a little weight by cycling, so dont want to fill myself with fatty products

Anonymous

Lard. Loads of calories.

Either that, or a flapjack, preferably yoghurt covered or something like that.

If neither of the above, I'll just eat my spare innertube.

Amos

I sometimes take home made flapjacks, but usually I take mint choc clif bars. The SIS energy gels with caffeine are always quite good for getting a second wind going!

jmeadows

yeh, soreen, banana, sweets, mars, even little cereal boxes, carbs carbs carbs, with a little protein for me

SGT74

Usually out just long enough for 4 squares of Sainsbury flapjack to be enough along with a couple of bottles of Lucozade Sport and some water.

xcracer

How long is the ride?

If I'm out for full day I will have a proper lunch item (sarnie, pastie etc) and then some cake or flapjack later on. I don't think I could do a full all-dayer (6/7/8 hrs) on a couple of bananas and I'm sure it's not advisable to try it. If it was a shorter ride (3-4 hrs) I would try and have decent breakfast or lunch before I left and take a flapjack just in case.

I will start buying energy gels the same day that I buy my XTR groupset and start shaving my legs (ie. probably never).

Dazzza

Local tesco's sell power bar ride bars that are rather addictive.

If it's a long ride you can't beat a good sarnie but generally a cereal bar or gel will usually suffice.

bluechair84

Could you line an innertube with peanut butter instead of stans slime, then it's a multi-functional gourmet spare part...
The worst thing I've ever been offered was Kendal Mint cake as a mid ride munch... That needed nearly all my remaining water to flush that down!

Splasher

For rides up to a couple of hours, carbohydrates are key. A mixture of fast (sugary) carbs and slower (fibrous) carbs provide the boost you need bu also last. So the classic oaty cereal bar works well.

Longer rides benefit from some protein as well to help the muscle recovery process start as soon as possible.

Fat is essential to the diet and is the most calorie dense nutrient, however the body cannot quickly turn fat into energy and so it is not that useful as a cycling fuel in any great quantity.

One last point - mood food. On a very long trip, your chances of succeeding are as much about your mind as your body. So on big days, take something that you know will help your mood. Go bars are fine for the body but their not going to pick you up when you're down.

So, cereal bars and dried fruit during the morning, egg or tuna sandwiches for lunch, more cereal and dried fruit through the afternoon with a pork pie/chocolate bar/bag of crisps/jam doughnut* for the 3:00 sense of humour failure.

* delete as appropriate

cee

bluechair84 wrote:

Could you line an innertube with peanut butter instead of stans slime, then it's a multi-functional gourmet spare part...
The worst thing I've ever been offered was Kendal Mint cake as a mid ride munch... That needed nearly all my remaining water to flush that down!

mmmmm peanut butter inner tube tempura! yum

I know what you mean about the KMC....its packed with calories, so in emergencies is great, but you are so right about washing it down. It just seems to stick up your entire face!

I like to keep a packet of either jelly babies or M&S percy pigs in my backpack...they are my sense of humour failure rescue kit.

Back to eggs though, i sometimes take a couple of scotch eggs for longer rides....all the eggy goodness, plus a bunch of salt, fat, and carbs in the breadcrumb coating... mmmmmmmmmmmm

bluechair84

ooh yes, now thats what I'm talking about... Scotch eggs... I'm going to dedicate a little bit of my ride to savouring a scotch egg in future...

Phippsy

Jelly Babies. Pure glucose. Swear by them.

You want to avoid fatty stuff when you're out, it takes ages to break down in to useable energy.

BlackSpur

Phippsy wrote:

Jelly Babies. Pure glucose. Swear by them.

Well said - I also use them for water polo tournaments - pop a few in my gob between matches!

lunaeventer

Have a mars bar stored in my bag which seldom gets used on normal rides - but the jelly beans get opened everytime!!

Longer events (trailquest or adventure race) I have used a carb/electrolyte additive in my camelback & bars/gels. Seemed to work very well with attention to good carb intake day before & a good breakfast.

Gr.uB

It depends upon the intensity of the ride.
Normal ride, not much - maybe buy a cake or flapjack at a cafe.
Sportive when I am going for it - sports gel.
Audax - not much - maybe a cake or bacon sarnie / bacon and egg sarnie.