How long without grub?

cycladianpirate

I know that this is a bit of a "piece of string" question, but I was wondering at what point the seasoned cyclists of this forum would bung more than a bottle of water on their bike/person.

I didn't quite 'hit the wall' earlier today but, after a couple of hours with no more than a few fisherman's friends, I was polishing off cereal like it was going out of fashion on getting home.

A quick trawl of t'internet suggests anything from 45 minutes to 2 hours - that's quite a spread.

Anyway, your views would be greatly appreciated.

peejay78

it can vary. but eating a little and regularly is a good way of staving off the knock.

micken

I'm weaning myself off energy drinks in order to use just water. I carry gels just in case. On Saturday morning I did a 40 mile ride with just water but following a few boiled eggs and bread for breakfast. On a 34 mile route in the same area tonight I used one gel about 3/4 round, but hadn't topeed up since lunch.

On longer rides I'd start eating a little and often after 25 miles or so.

Must admit I'm not missing the energy drinks.

briantrumpet

Up to a couple of hours/40 miles I'll normally take just water, over that I'll add in banana/flapjack. I had my first experiment with High5 4+1for a 65-miler on Saturday, as I want to improve my nutrition particularly on 100-milers. Certainly didn't do any harm.

phreak

Depends how much food you eat before you go out

pottssteve

phreak wrote:

Depends how much food you eat before you go out

Agreed. Anything over about 45km and I start to get hungry, despite having had Weetabix and a banana before going out. I always carry a small pack of crackers in case I get hungry and /or lost.

Pigtail

I'm coming to the conclusion I need less food/drink than I thought I did. Either that. or my body is getting better at coping. I started road biking in October, most of my rides are 30-40 miles. When I was beginning, on a 30 I would have taken an energy drink (currently using high 5, 4:1) and stopped briefly at halfways for a banana. On a 50 I would take 2 bottles of energy drink and a banana.

Now on a 30 I often find I come home with about a third of the energy drink left and my banana uneaten. On a 50 I would now take one bottle of energy drink and a bottle of water. I'd still take my banana though. Maybe my bike control is getting better as well - because rather than having a few minutes break I find myself slowing down and eating my banana on the move.

nferrar

I just take a bottle of water for an hour ride, if I'm going 1.5 hours(ish) I take an energy bar or gel in case I start blowing (would rarely use it though). 2 hours+ and I'll carry a second bottle with energy drink in it and 2 or 3 energy bars/gels (normally just use one if under a 3 hour ride).

Swansea_Dave

I always take a full 750ml bottle but usually just Zero (isotonic but no energy value) - I'll top up with more drink as I go along (shops, garages, etc). I try to eat every hour - a snack bar or a banana, just 100-200 calories at a time seems to keep me topped up. Every 4 hours or so I'll stop for some serious calories.

I always try to keep one or two energy bars in the back of my jersey as an 'anti-bonk' reserve.

At the moment I am using Elevenses as my weapon of choice. Quite cheap in boxes of 6 (usually £2.40 ish) but have high calories / low saturated fat in some flavours.

freddiegrubb

:oops: I take the elevenses as well - they're not too sweet & don't contain anything that can melt in your back pocket. I always keep an eye open for the offers then make a hit. Warburtons have recently brought out a nice product - imagine a square thinnish pitta bread already sliced, the square cheese & a nice slice of good quality ham fit nicely - foil wrap -good fit for the pockets.

Liam 2010

I've done 30-40 mile rides with nothing but two large bottles of water. But it takes time to get used to, your body has to adjust, and that might take several rides or so.

I find if I eat a ceral bar or a mars bar, when I'm out cyling, I always feel a bit stuffed and yucky on the way back, but In some cases (like long sportives) it's unavoidable......but everyone's body is different.

Listen to your body, if eating a certain thing makes you feel sluggish or makes you need the toilet, try something elese, and use some trial and error to see what works for you.

See how you do without any food, but bring something like a mars bar with you, just in case.

Have a nice breakfast about 2-3 hours before you ride and keep hyrdated....but don't over do it on the liquids. Little and often.

I hope that helps.

Liam

JohnBoyUK

I'm another muncher of elevenses, especially the raisin bake ones...so yummy

Slack

I think it also depends on the intensity of the ride. 2 hours at almost full tilt will certainly use alot more up of your energy stores, compared to a 2 hour bimble.

50 - 60 miles I'll take one bottle of energy drink and one bottle of straight water, with perhaps one snack like a banana or small flapjack. Above 70 miles I would usually take 2 bottles of energy drink, a gel for the mid way point and one or two other snacks.

If you're riding hard for say 2 and 1/2 hours, I would consume a gel at the 2 hour point - not for in ride energy, but just to start the replenishment going sooner than later, so that I don't go too deep into the reserves, so that post recovery is quicker.

Monty Dog

Depends on how hard you are riding, but at higher levels of intensity, you only have 1-2 hours of energy in immediate 'reserves' stored within your blood glycogen, if it's not topped-up, then your body switches to burn fats and longer-term reserves - this change in metabolism is known as the 'bonk' or 'knock' in cycling, or the 'wall' in running. Your 'economy' and tolerance improves with training, but if planning to go longer than 2 hours, best to start 20 minutes into the ride and eating/drinking regularly - waiting 2 hours and stopping is probably too late as it takes times to digest any food.

sub55

Monty Dog wrote:

Depends on how hard you are riding, but at higher levels of intensity, you only have 1-2 hours of energy in immediate 'reserves' stored within your blood glycogen, if it's not topped-up, then your body switches to burn fats and longer-term reserves - this change in metabolism is known as the 'bonk' or 'knock' in cycling, or the 'wall' in running. Your 'economy' and tolerance improves with training, but if planning to go longer than 2 hours, best to start 20 minutes into the ride and eating/drinking regularly - waiting 2 hours and stopping is probably too late as it takes times to digest any food.

Although your right , it is something that can be learnt and trained into you. Would never eat solid food in a 100 mile tt, which would equate to a flat 4 hours. Fluid, yes gallons of it and im not alone in that. I think you`ll find that most testers who are there to win so the better ones wont eat solids and i know several who wont eat in a 12h. Thats not to say we`re not using some sort of go go juice.

Warwickshire Whizzer

I think it all depends on how hard you ride and what your body tells you.

For example I know I can do up to 40 miles without anything than a 750ml bottle of squash. If I'm going over 40 I know i need to eat something around mile 30-35 so I don't start feeling iffy after mile 40. But thats me, my Bro in Law feels he needs to take stuff on board for every 2 hours.

In short, it's trial and error, only you know what your body needs.

northpole

It really varies with how I'm feeling on the day. This morning for example, I rode 25 miles and despite having had porridge for breakfast, I needed a bite of an energy bar after 15-20 miles. Must say though that the pace was quite aggressive by my standards and there was a stiff headwind for most of the trip.

I always try to take on fluids regularly throughout a cycle.

Peter

Nifer

I did 40 miles today. Half way round I had a bacon sandwich and a piece of cake, then at the end I had 4 pints of ale. That's how you do it

cyberknight

JohnBoyUK wrote:

I'm another muncher of elevenses, especially the raisin bake ones...so yummy

I have just discovered these , not to heavy on the stomach and after trying a gel last week i think i prefer the bar.
Only just got into longer rides in the last month and i have been having a munch after about 1.5 hours on a 3 hour ride.

jibberjim

Pigtail wrote:

I'm coming to the conclusion I need less food/drink than I thought I did. Either that. or my body is getting better at coping..

It's very likely you're getting better coping... Lots of the adaptations as a result of training will mean you need less food whilst riding to do the same thing. The amount of glycogen you store is very different between the trained and untrained, and obviously the intensity (so the amount of glycogen you're using) will also drop a lot if you're doing similar rides, especially if you're only using the terrain to push yourself.

The huge differences is the reason people shouldn't be telling people what to or not to eat. Eat if you're hungry, drink if you're thirsty, doesn't matter how much or how little.

Alibran

Elevenses .... I love those, can't get them here in Spain.

I take isotronic drinks with me, but no energy drinks. If I'm going to be out for more than 1.5 hours I'll take some kind of high carb snack, and stop to take my time eating it somewhere there's a nice view. But I'm a pretty laid back cyclist. I don't race, or push myself very hard, but I don't take it really slow either. Somewhere in the middle, I guess.

MrChuck

Pretty variable for me. Most of my rides are 30-40 miles, and I always take 2 bottles of water and a few cereal bars. Sometimes I don't eat any of them, usually I have one, sometimes I feel like I need all of them. Lots of variables, and IMO depends largely on what I've been eating and doing in the couple of days beforehand. Gels and SIS or whatever in my water I save for events.

cycladianpirate

Many thanks for the comments. I guessed it was a personal thing and so, it seems, it is.

I really thought that I could go for a couple of hours without worrying about food but the same thing has happened to me again today (the last few miles were like cycling through treacle).

Something else to squeeze into my saddlebag - the emergency Mars Bar!!!!

Cheers.