100 mile gels!

Tom_0787

Right guys,

I'm doing my first 100 mile sportive on Sunday. I plan to take gels with me and wanted to know- I intend to use gels and go-bars as my fuel rather than rely on the refreshment stops. So how many gels should I take?

The manufactures suggest 3 an hour. I'm going to aim for 6 hours but surely 18 gels is rather a lot???

I bought the high 5 race pack so have a loaf of the sachets of energy you add to water too.


Any advice?

mroli

In a completely unscientific way, I look at doing a bottle of energy type drink every hour to hour and a half, a gell every hour, a bar of some description every hour and a couple of bits of cake/bananas to keep myself topped up. As you say, 18 gels would get pretty bloody tedious - flapjacks, cake, sausage rolls etc can make life a lot more interesting!

I would grab actual food at the pit stops if you can - it'll have a different release speed to gels etc and will include stuff like salt that will stop you cramping (hopefully!)

General rule of thumb is that you can't take on board too much food/liquid, but if you take on too little, you will find out about it pretty quick sharp!

In relation to "energy" drinks - I take along my own sachets of High 5 and top them up with water - that way you know that you're getting the full lot and it isn't stuff that turns your stomach - you won't know how much has been mixed in and whether your stomach is ok with it.

Good luck - have a great ride.

Anonymous

Too many gels, you need some hydration help and proper food. Try the SIS hydro sachets. These will stop you cramping, you can carry spares and just get water at stops. I eat croissants filled with jam, cream cheese and ham on long rides and eat snickers/boost bars. These will work on longer rides as the food will slow release and you get your fluid from the hydro sachet/water. By all means take some gels for a boost but 18 may give you a bad stomach. Have a good breakfast, stay away from fatty stuff and you will be fine. good luck, hope this helps.

daviesee

18 gels in one day? !!!!!

Your stomach won't thank you, I am sure.
I would have thought 3 would do it, plus a banana or whatever and plenty fluids.

gbs

One flaw in yr plan may be the 3/hr gel consumption rate; I wouldn't be surprised if that is suggested by the manufacturers to meet pro-racer needs - higher speed at greater aerodynamic resistance.

I am told that jelly babies offer similar benefits.

SBezza

Try about 4 or 5 bars and no gels, unless you are going at an intensity where it is physically hard to actually eat. You don't need to eat that much if you have a decent breakfast prior to starting. For 6/7 hour rides I will have breakfast, and then start eating a bar every hour, or hour and half after about 90 mins.

As mentioned above, fluid is more of an issue I would have thought, and a stop at the refreshment stops is a good idea, even if it is just to top the bottles up.

Take a couple of gels as a quick pick me up towards the end if you need it, but I wouldn't relie on them for the whole ride.

The only time I use gels is when I am racing 50's and 100's, as it is virtually impossible for me to eat at the intensity I am riding at. Even then the max I will have in a 100 mile race would be 4, but lots of fluid.

liamb93

on a longer ride i tend to use energy drink in bottles, and drink little sips regularly. i use a bar every 15-20 miles and then a a gel or two to get me over the last 20 miles . i would take 5 bars and about 5 gels just in case, its always better to have to much than too little

ut_och_cykla

Most people can't take up more than about 60g of carbs per hour which is about 250kcal - i.e one bar. I got round a 11 hour Quebrantaheusos on about 2000 kcals from bars, gels, sports drink and a few Spanish biscuits which is about 45g an hour all told.
Power bar gels jhave about 27g carbs so 2 an hour max will do most people. Make sure that if you use real food, its tried & tested, easily chewable and digestable - white bread jam sarnies for example or RIPE bananas, dried apricots, raisins etc

farmgirl

I did the Marmotte at the weekend on gels and bars alone with sports drink, I consumed 8 gels (high 5 ones) and 3 bars in total with 6 bottles of high 5 sports (4 of the energy stuff and 2 of the 4:2 protein mix) drink I took sachets with me to make up the water from the feed stops. This got me round in 8 hours 10 mins. probably not really enough energy but it just about worked for although I was a dribbling mess going up the Alpe by the end.

You need to trial and error in training to find out what strategy works best for your body.

Bobbinogs

I cycled the 6th stage of TDF yesterday (I was the ginger one next to Cav), 226km and I got by on 2 crisps, a walnut, half a suasage roll and a small bag of grit.

boondog

Bobbinogs wrote:

I cycled the 6th stage of TDF yesterday (I was the ginger one next to Cav), 226km and I got by on 2 crisps, a walnut, half a suasage roll and a small bag of grit.

you try telling that to the kids of today, they just won't believe you.

Jon8a

Latest research suggests cramp experienced my athletes isn't lack of salt. I it was it would be whole body cramps. The one's you get in your legs are from pushing too hard.

Adssuming a 5 hour ride I'd take 3 bars and 6 gels for the end, one every 20 minutes.

HAving a bit extra is a lot better than not having enough and bonking

Garry H

Bobbinogs wrote:

I cycled the 6th stage of TDF yesterday (I was the ginger one next to Cav), 226km and I got by on 2 crisps, a walnut, half a suasage roll and a small bag of grit.

Pah, ya greedy git. I was the one behind you on a Raleigh Chopper. Got by on an old sock and a bit of tree bark!!

Barteos

I've done several 4-5h hard rides on 3-4l of High5 drink and 2-3 gels.
If you get the concentration right, High5 Energy Source is like a rocket fuel.