First 60 mile ride - nutrition advice please!!!

SPOODZILLA

Hi,

Doing the Manchester to Blackpool next month. I know for many this isnt a big ride, but its the first time for me and i'm a little worried i'll run out of steam half way. My riding currently consists of a 25 mile round trip commute 4-5 days a week. This is 45 minute each way, which I can handle no problem, but i'm worried i'll collapse when faced with 3-4 hours of riding.

What do you guys recommend for eats before, during and after the ride? porridge? energy drinks? Any advice appreciated.

badhand

Hi there,

You should really try and extend a couple of those homeward rides by a few extra miles or adding some weekend rides to get closer to that 60.

I've recently discovered SIS energy gels that really help when faced with that horrible last hill on the way home after a 50 mile ride. One lasts about 45 mins depending on how much you're floorin' it. Combine it with a snickers/banana combo and PSP22 energy drink but don't forget to clean your teeth afterwards!!

Good luck in the M2B

bobtbuilder

Drink little and often - preferably a sports drink containing electrolytes, which you lose when sweating, but which cannot be replaced by water alone. depending on your weight and the temperature, 600 - 1000mls per hour is a reasonable amount.

Personally, I would eat every 45 mins after the first hour or so. Energy bars are good, but not essential. Fig rolls, small sandwiches, nuts/ berries, malt loaf will all do the trick.

Good Luck.

badhand

But gels are sooo weenie and don't stick to your hands like the jam sarnies.

Also, oncw I had to take my camelbac out specially cos the missus had baked me a dundee cake for the journey. God my jaw ached at the end...

Rich Hcp

Pork pies are good

Bannanas, although they can gety squashed!

I take a packet of Skittles, for a high sugar energy rush if getting tired

I'd extend current runs to one and a half to two hours, and vary the routes

It'll take 4 hours, so pace yourself.

badhand

They'll be loads of refreshment stops for cake too. So add an extra hour!

petejuk

Good advice here, my tuppence worth would be to say that actually getting used to eating on the move (thats if you aren't used to it already) would be a big help. I've done a few long charity rides and have found that I initially tended to not eat until the latter stages of the ride and suffered towards the end.
My advice would be to start early with a couple of pieces of dried apricots or raisins etc and snack lightly every half hour to 45 mins. I echo the advice that little and often is best.

That goes for drinking as well of course.

zoglug

I was going to post something along these lines as the M2B is my first 'long' ride too. Thankfully i dont need to! Where do you usually keep your energy food? In you jersey pocket or in a saddle bag?

Im just interested as my saddle bag is likely to be rather full with tools, tyre levers, spare tubes ect.

Cheers

Zog

Tino4444

SPOODZILLA wrote:

Hi,

Doing the Manchester to Blackpool next month. I know for many this isnt a big ride, but its the first time for me and i'm a little worried i'll run out of steam half way. My riding currently consists of a 25 mile round trip commute 4-5 days a week. This is 45 minute each way, which I can handle no problem, but i'm worried i'll collapse when faced with 3-4 hours of riding.

What do you guys recommend for eats before, during and after the ride? porridge? energy drinks? Any advice appreciated.

Hi,

If you are commuting 4-5 days a week over that distance then I dont think your going to have too much of a problem.

My mate did the GYBR with me on Saturday having done hardly any training and he managed to get to the end of the 72 mile course with no great difficulty. If you pace your self you will be fine.


I would say if you had a large bowl of porridge and a banana before setting off and then drink energy drinks and bars you should be okay.

Good luck,

Tino.

Porgy

on my most recent ride (52 miles) I ate:

no breakfast
ginsters pasty
banana
sandwich
flapjack
small packet of wine gums

8)

freehub

Today I'm going to do around 55 miles hilly.

2 bottles, 520ml I think, 750ml
2 mars bars
1 nutrigrain elevenses

Most likely will come back with 1 mars bar left that I'll microwave.

I ate a bowl of muesli this morning, cup of coffee, 3 cups of blackcurrant juice and had my vitamins, cod liver oil and glucosamine tablet.

Porgy

oh yeah - forgot to mention that i drank about 4 litres of water, and took a load of vitamin pills and cod liver oil in the morning.

edhornby

I'm doing the Manc - blackpool this year as well, if uou see a guy on a red fixed gear say hello!

I did a warm up ride onthe weekend that was 30 miles each way (with sunday lunch at mum and dad's im the middle)

breakfast was big bowl of cereal, some toast and a big coffee

on the way out I had water and took some fig rolls and this was fine - on the way back I didn't eat anything as I was too full

I reckon I'll take fig rolls in a plastic bag in the jersey pocket and water in a bidon, this should be fine

badhand

nice breakfast!

markos1963

Fig rolls are good as they don't break up and are just the right size. For a 50 I would have about 4 plus a banana and in reserve a packet of jelly beans or skittles. If its hot then a litre of fluids split 50/50 between energy and electrolyte.

NoNotAgain

60 miles - this is not a race, is it?
In that case I'd vote against all this sophisticated gel and premade electrolyte crap.
Pour 1/4 of apple juice into your bottles, add some grains of salt, fill with water.
Have a banana or a sandwich before you ride. Maybe take a banana with you.
If you really feel like starving during the ride, simply stop at the next café and have some cake.

FyPunK

badhand wrote:

nice breakfast!

+1
I am doing this run too. The furthest I had ridden was about 30 miles, I have been doing 35-45 mile training runs and the other week did 58 miles. Personally I had two toast with jam, a bowl of porridge with a desert spoon of honey. On the ride I took 1ltr of water and 800ml of homemade drink (50/50 fresh orange and water with a pinch of salt) I managed an average of 15.8mph and didn't feel at all knackered which I thought I would. Good luck, I may see you there.

a_n_t

freehub wrote:

will come back with 1 mars bar left that I'll microwave.

eh?

freehub

a_n_t wrote:

freehub wrote:

will come back with 1 mars bar left that I'll microwave.

eh?

Microwaved mars bars are the best.

rolf_f

I did my first decent length ride in 20 years on Saturday (and the first run on my touring bike in 10 years) - I'm aiming for a hundred but I wanted something a bit more attainable as a first target so went for 65. I took the car up to a village North of Knaresborough and did a fairly flat loop through Borough Bridge, to Easingwold and back via Aldwark Bridge. With minor concerns as to how my bike would take it (not to mention me!), the two lap approach meant I was never more than 15 miles from the car and I knew that after the first lap I'd not be able to find a good excuse to stop. Furthermore, whenever you travel down a road for the first time, the first time it always seems much longer.

So, it was actually pretty easy. Walzed past the bimbling GYCR folk just outside Easingwold on the first lap and was starting to bonk a bit there on the second. Had a banana before I started, another at Easingwold, an energy bar at the end of lap one and a pork pie and ice cream in Easingwold on lap 2. That, some gel and energy drink kept me going and I wasn't that tired when I finished.

guilliano

I ended up doing 70 miles on Sunday, having ridden no further than 40ish before. Breakfast was a banana and a jam sarnie with 3 cups of coffee. Had a flapjack riding to the sportive start then one energy bar on the way round. I should have eaten more to be fair..... but energy bars get a little boring. I'll take flapjack, malt loaf, fig rolls and a load of sultanas next time.

If you haven't already, practice riding upright with no hands, it's a lot easier to unwrap food that way

freehub

Well today I did 73 miles, but I felt abit tired when I got home, so I must have not ate enough, I did it all on just 1 750ml bottle of water, 500ml, museli in the morning, 1 coffee, 3 cups of blackcurrent, and on the ride 1 mars bar and 1 nutri-grain bar and that's it.

SPOODZILLA

Wow, thnaks you guys, tons of advice there!!

Fig rolls, bananas and energy drinks look like a winning combination. As its bike week work are offering some halfrauds vouchers to the cyclist with the highest miles in the week, ideal opportunity to add a few to the ride home each night.

Are we talking the likes of lucozade for drinks containing electrolytes? blackcurrant corrdial tends to be my drink of choice for the commute.

geoff_ss

If you're riding 25 miles/day at that sort of speed you'll have no problems at all. I guess there'll be a cafe stop about half way so I don't see any need for any special nutrition except to carry something 'just in case'.

Our Wednesday geriatrics ride is usually between 50 and 70 miles for my wife and I and it's not much of a problem. It's not fast and we have a leisurely lunch at a cafe somewhere.

You'll be fine.

Geoff

taz3611

My personal choice would be;
Breakfast - Bowl of muesli followed by 4 Weetabix
Cup of coffee

Then 1 hour before ride, start drinking about 500ml of made up energy drink

On the ride I would have another bottle of energy drink and would consume a gel sachet and an energy bar.

After the ride, a recovery drink.

The calories in this lot would see me through for 2.5hrs+ (60 mile)

Anything over that and I would take another drink and gel as well as some more substantial food (malt loaf, fig rolls, etc.)

Remember to go to the toilet before you set off though. A lot of carbs hitting the stomach in one hit can sometimes have slightly explosive results if you're not used to it.

Pokerface

There is at least one designated rest stop on the way where you can get food and water. I did the ride last year, then turned around and rode back 120 miles in about 7 hours. Mostly on gels, bananas and energy drink.

It's a good day out and there's a heavy duty BBQ waiting for you when you get there.

Just hope for good weather!

CiB

Hijack - I'm doing my first century in many a year (15?) on Saturday. Is the advice given on here sound for that extra 40+ miles, or am I eating into bigger reserves and need more fuel en route?

My schedule includes a stop for a proper lunch break at around 65 miles, with fig rolls, bananas & dilute apple juice + grains of salt to keep me topped up on the way. I did a 85 then 90 miles recently into N Wales on succesive days but was flagging a bit on both at round 65 miles. Don't fancy that again this time round.

Is 100 much different to 60 / 80? My instinct is no, as long as the pace is right. Reckoning on about 6h in the sadlle + lunch break & a couple of other pauses if it becomes necessary.

petejuk

Is 100 much different to 60 / 80? My instinct is no, as long as the pace is right. Reckoning on about 6h in the sadlle + lunch break & a couple of other pauses if it becomes necessary.

imho the extra 20 miles could be very emotional if there is a strong headwind on the final few miles or if you've struggled to get down enough food. I would recommend going fairly easy immediately after your lunch break and concentrate on re-hydrating to help digestion. start snacking again (only very small amounts) before you feel hungry and keep some food by for towards the end if you start to flag.

Porgy

freehub wrote:

a_n_t wrote:

freehub wrote:

will come back with 1 mars bar left that I'll microwave.

eh?

Microwaved mars bars are the best.

how long?

frenchfighter

A good breakfast is vital. Forget all this nonsence about riding flat to burn fat etc. If you come back exhausted and feel terrible then you are not doing your performance any good and will suffer in the long term. Museli is preferable as it is very nutritious and has mostly slow-burn carbs.

Pace yourself. This is extremely important and something most newer riders get wrong. It is also more of a factor in sportifs etc where you are excited. For the fisrt hour or so you will likely feel poor - do no push it at this point. Do not push it for the first half even when you start to feel good. You need to keep a relatively even effort level. If you feel good with 10miles or so to go then you can start putting the hammer down as far as you are comfortable.

If possible, take a day or two off from commuting to work (train/bus if possible). This will make a huge difference, leaving you fresh and without heavy legs for the day.

Definitely do a 30-50 mile ride every weekend before if you are able.

With energy drinks, I notice some people are advising against them. There is nothing wrong with them and Lucozade, water+salt+sugar or squash etc are certainly not as good. These are specifically designed products to replace the key electrolytes you lose. By no means necessary, but they do work well. I normally take one energy drink (High5) and one water. I do not follow their guidelines and use about 30-50% of what they suggest.

If you bonk then don't fight it. You could stop and do some light stretching or just spin with a high cadence, have something to eat and drink and wait for the energy to return.

Hope it goes well - it sounds like a good fun ride, especially with a BBQ at the end!

nosmo-king

If you are just going to enjoy the ride and not worry about how fast you travel then I agree with an earlier post and forget the energy drinks and gels. I usually have porridge for breakfast, then take 2 x 750ml bottles of barley water, fig rolls,malt loaf and jam & peanut butter sarnies. That should see you through no problems.
There really is too much emphasis put on electrolyte drinks and expensive gels and energy bars. There ok if you are a serious road man but ott for the average cyclist. Don't worry too much, just enjoy the day!