energy food?

freeride-mike

Ive done a few rides so far 10 - 12 mile but im doing my 1st long'ish ride (18 miles) next weekend and was wondering what type of food is good to keep u goin and what small snacks help along the way?? not looking to buy cycling specific stuff just the sort of things u have at home

cheers

GHill

Jelly babies for boosts of energy. Shouldn't need much more for 18 miles.

Take a banana if you're feeling healthy.

Atz

flapjacks, energy bars, fig rolls, snickers, bananas, the list keeps going.

The Northern Monkey

Banana's here... wack 2 in my pack and they keep me going

fredy

flapjacks are good, but as said before, you shouldn't need much for 18 miles, it will fly by.

Briggo

I always take a snickers with me unless its stupidly hot, which then I just take some jelly babies or fig rolls.

chedabob

Sainsburys Basics oat and raisin bars, and a couple of bags of crisps :P

freeride-mike

its a shame hate banana's seems there top of most peoples lists, got some oat and raison bars and mite grab a pack of jelly babies on the way.

thanks for replys

Oxygen Thief

Snickers is awesome. Get your boost from the sugar and there's some slow release carbs from the nuts. Could do 1miles on nothing though really.

Buckled_Rims

For trips less then 10 miles I'd probably just have an energy drink. For 10-25 miles I usually carry light, a *Lucazade energy gel, *Lucazade energy glucose tablets, Bassets Jelly babies, some chocolate (unless it's a hot day). I doubt you'll need more then that.

The problem with me with oat bars is that the oats can stick to my dry throat and teeth and I end up coughing and choking.

I find the best thing is to have a good breakfast, then before a MTB ride eat a banana or sandwich with a Red Bull type drink.

*I only use Lucazade because I can easily get it from my local supermarket 300 yards away

I've also very recently used a small bottle of caffeine called "Voltz" that a local shop sells for 40p on 2 recent road sportives it bucked me up a bit and is quiet light and small.

merlie

GHill wrote:

Jelly babies for boosts of energy. Shouldn't need much more for 18 miles.

Take a banana if you're feeling healthy.

I've always had accidents with carrying bananas ... better to make yourself a banana cake ! really simple to make - just google it

tsenior

Merlie, you NEED one of these!

http://www.bananaguard.com/

you may get a few funny looks when you, erm whip it out though

Anonymous

Not sure you really need anything apart from water for 18 miles. Maybe take some sweets?

sophsoph

Banana, peanut butter and jam sandwiches. boom!

sophsoph

Banana, peanut butter and jam sandwiches. boom!

llamafarmer

Just eat little and often while you ride. Have a pasta meal the night before and a decent breakfast and you'll be well set. Jaffa cakes, buttered malt loaf, cereal bars, fig rolls - all awesome!

Bananas are brilliant MTFU and eat them!

hoochylala

freeride-mike wrote:

its a shame hate banana's seems there top of most peoples lists

I feel your pain! I haven't eaten for over 20 years and its gone so long now I just cant bring myself to do it Annoying as I knows it such a good source of energy etc...

Flapjacks are a good option for me. I must say Julian Graves do some lovely ones, and are generally on 3 for £1! Various flavors and a good size.

tlw1

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Not sure you really need anything apart from water for 18 miles. Maybe take some sweets?

+1 esp as you can do 12 miles

MattJohnson

take a look at SIS products

they do energy drinks and gels etc designed for sports

SIS Starter Pack is only £10 and contains some great products and a free bottle

.blitz

freeride-mike wrote:

Ive done a few rides so far 10 - 12 mile but im doing my 1st long'ish ride (18 miles) next weekend and was wondering what type of food is good to keep u goin and what small snacks help along the way??

Shouldn't need too much for 18 miles if you can do 12 OK.

I can do a hot lap of Cannock (27 miles or so door-to-door) on 1.5 litres of drink but if it's a slower more sociable pace I'll take a banana, fig rolls, dried apricots, snickers, eccles cakes etc just for something to eat during the stops.

Anonymous

hoochylala wrote:

freeride-mike wrote:

its a shame hate banana's seems there top of most peoples lists

I feel your pain! I haven't eaten for over 20 years

bloody hell, you must be starving!

Northwind

18 miles? The only question is whether I take Starmix or Supermix If you don't like bananas but want a fruit option dried fruit works pretty well, but I ask myself, why eat fruit when you can eat sweeties?

borntobemild

bananas, flapjacks or ginger cake.

Something that's moist and releases energy slowly.

I avoid anything like chocolate or red bull. They give you a quick boost but then you feel worse after.

I also suck wine gums to stop my mouth getting dry.

Anonymous

I love wine gums, but they completely dry my mouth out!

reevie25

I ussually take Soreen Malt Loaf on long rides and just water from the good ol' camelbak......

jayson

Eat a fat bowl of porridge before u go and u wont need to eat anything else whilst ur out, its fantastic stuff and i swear by it

Anonymous

porridge never works for me. If I have it for breakfast, I find I'm starving again 30 minutes later.

gazeddy

yeehaamcgee wrote:

porridge never works for me. If I have it for breakfast, I find I'm starving again 30 minutes later.

do you get your porridge from the chinese:P

Anonymous

BigShot

My current favourite snack is Nakd bars.
Apple flavour seems a bit more moist but the Strawberry one is a nicer flavour. Either way it's a wee bit on the dry side so you'll be wanting to have a sup of water with them.
They do a cocoa one if an all-natural fruit and oat bar seems to healthy.

They've got a gluten free range in a pile of flavours and a sepcial outdoorsy "trek" one too... I've never had them though.

Not the cheapest but well worth carrying along.


As for 18 miles being fine without food - probably true - but why would you WANT to do it without food!?

Stopping for a bit of scran on the trail is definitely one of the finer things in life.

Northwind

BigShot wrote:

They've got a gluten free range in a pile of flavours and a sepcial outdoorsy "trek" one too... I've never had them though.

Ah cool, I'll need to check that out, looks like Tesco just discontinued the gluten free breakfast bar I've been using and replaced it with a really horrible rice-and-fruit abortion So I've been back on the rice crispie squares.