What do the "proper" riders eat??

drumsmasher

I have just completed my first 100 mile sportive yesterday (Rutland). I filled my pockets with cereal bars, my bottles with High5/Rego and even stuffed a load of jelly beans into another pocket.
The sugar/carb content got me round ok apart from my teeth feeling like they had a layer of paint on them, but what do the proper riders eat? Do they continue to just ram sugar into their bodies or is there another way? I'm not talking about team cars bringing sandwiches out, but is there anything that you can put in your pockets without arriving back feeling sick! These guys that do multi-day rides surely cant keep ramming that amount of simple sugar down??? Thanks!!

Bhima

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2008/07 ... atory-diet

That doesn't just apply to the Garmin-Slipstream team; loads of teams are now trying it.

On the bike, they all tend to go with energy gels, as opposed to "proper" food during races, but I have seen some training videos of a few teams where they're constantly getting handed bananas from the team car.

drumsmasher

Cheers, there's some good info on that. Its more the on the bike stuff i need but i had not considered rice cakes before.

Rich158

I use Clif bars, and try to eat roughly one per hour washed down with High 5 energy drink. I save the gels for tough climbs of the last 30 mins or so. That seems to work fine for me, and is relatively easy on the stomach, but then I do have a rairly robust constitution.

mark_d

I can't find it now but I remember reading musettes (the bags handed to riders in feed zones) contain things like fruit, small sandwiches, cake, cans of coke, etc. I presume this is in addition to gels/energy drink. I expect they eat whatever they can tolerate -- when racing energy demands and riding intensity are so high that whatever goes down and stays down is the food of choice.

I completely avoid gels -- they're expensive, unpleasant, bad for your teeth and provide no more energy than a banana. Portability is their only positive. I stick to one bottle of energy drink and one of water and real food -- bananas, dried fruit or oaty/fruity cake. On a really long ride something long-lasting like sandwiches on wholemeal bread. Food should be enjoyed for its taste as well as its energy content!

giant_man

drumsmasher wrote:

I have just completed my first 100 mile sportive yesterday (Rutland). I filled my pockets with cereal bars, my bottles with High5/Rego and even stuffed a load of jelly beans into another pocket.
The sugar/carb content got me round ok apart from my teeth feeling like they had a layer of paint on them, but what do the proper riders eat? Do they continue to just ram sugar into their bodies or is there another way? I'm not talking about team cars bringing sandwiches out, but is there anything that you can put in your pockets without arriving back feeling sick! These guys that do multi-day rides surely cant keep ramming that amount of simple sugar down??? Thanks!!

Well done for doing the 100 miles. How did you find it? Good route? I was going to do this one but couldn't make it in the end.

Food wise, I tend to carry gels and protein bars myself, along with a good quality performance drink (SiS preferred.)

oldwelshman

I take marzipan, and bananas ond when racing or competative ride, take a gel or two as they also have electrolyte.
Energy drink is tri drink from myprotein.

Chubby on a compact

I take high 5 4:1 to drink, fig rolls, banana's and poridge cereal bars. If they have sandwiches at the feedstations I'll eat them as well. I'm lucky in that I can eat most foods without feeling sick. The only thing I have to watch are some of the sports drinks on offer. Some of them can make me feel sick.

drumsmasher

giant mancp wrote:

drumsmasher wrote:

I have just completed my first 100 mile sportive yesterday (Rutland). I filled my pockets with cereal bars, my bottles with High5/Rego and even stuffed a load of jelly beans into another pocket.
The sugar/carb content got me round ok apart from my teeth feeling like they had a layer of paint on them, but what do the proper riders eat? Do they continue to just ram sugar into their bodies or is there another way? I'm not talking about team cars bringing sandwiches out, but is there anything that you can put in your pockets without arriving back feeling sick! These guys that do multi-day rides surely cant keep ramming that amount of simple sugar down??? Thanks!!

Well done for doing the 100 miles. How did you find it? Good route? I was going to do this one but couldn't make it in the end.

Food wise, I tend to carry gels and protein bars myself, along with a good quality performance drink (SiS preferred.)

Hi mate, thanks for the info. The Rutland was excellent with some good hard hills but definately what i would call rolling countryside. We were lucky with the weather as well. Cheers mate.

r3 guy

sis Gels, all the way for me