100km ride what food should I take?

#david2012

A week until my first sportive, just trying to plan what to take along?
Planning on a good pasta meal evening before, plus a few weetabix on the morning (porridge=yuk)
Advice appreciated

chrisaonabike

#david2012 wrote:

A week until my first sportive, just trying to plan what to take along?
Planning on a good pasta meal evening before, plus a few weetabix on the morning (porridge=yuk)
Advice appreciated

I had spaghetti last night, and I had two pieces of toast and marmalade this morning.

Then I took 7 pieces of flapjack and 2x600 ml apple juice diluted with water (about 1:3 apple juice: water) with me today, on a 55 mile ride. Not quite 100km, but not that far short.

I ate 6 of the 7 pieces of flapjack, and had about 1/3 of one of the bottles of diluted fruit juice left at the end.

I wasn't particularly hungry till dinner time.

CiB

A breakfast that I find works is to load up before the start using slow-release foods. Weetabix x 4 with a generous covering of porridge straight from the packet (uncooked), and plenty of milk & sugar. That and a couple of mugs of coffee. If it's local I'll do that at home then set off; further afield the same thing semi-prepared in the car before the off.

A lot of people can't stomach porridge in its normal cooked state (oddballs mainly ) but out of the packet with milk & sugar it's a good starter. Proper porridge at 80p a ton, not that mix of sugar & E numbers with a load of added flavour though.

60 miles is only about 4 hours so a couple of snack bars, cheese sandwich or similar will keep you topped up to the finish. Don't get carried away with the distance. 100km isn't that far.

#david2012

Thanks both.. I'm doing regular 40+ milers at the mo and take no food at all and get through half a bottle of juice... I'm sure it's a mental thing at the mo.. I'm sure after this one the experience will help me loads.

Jim C

Advice above looks ok. I can't stomach flapjack, but its good quality energy.

Gels and bars are what most people use. I'm not a fan

A soreen malt loaf in the back pocket, take a big bite or two every half hour. Couple of yoghurt covered alpen bars. A banana. And a few jelly babies.
An energy drink in one bottle will work well. Water or squash in the other. Or 50 50 coke and water in one or both

Don't get too scientific. Or expensive

chrisaonabike

CiB wrote:

A lot of people can't stomach porridge in its normal cooked state (oddballs mainly ) but out of the packet with milk & sugar it's a good starter.

I'm one of those oddballs, can't stand the stuff

However, the idea of sprinkling some cold oats on other cereal quite appeals. Some mueslis have oats in them, so it would be much the same I guess.

Thanks for the idea.

#david2012

So worth taking something then.
It's my longest distance to date and I'm sure I will manage the miles, just want to be prepared.
Soreen slices & jelly babies it is

Mikey41

Definately take something.

I am finding porridge hard to deal with too, it's like eating glue. However oats can also be made into flapjacks, problem solved. I add some mixed nuts and currants to it. I'll be taking plenty of pieces with me on my 50mile Sportive in a weeks time. Fingers crossed.

marcusjb

Definitely soreen (if you want easy, two pre-buttered slices in a pack are available in most supermarkets). Soreen has helped me out many times on longer rides.

Chewier cereal bars.

Naked bars are a big hit around here at the moment.

What you eat in the morning is important; as per others comments, porridge is good - chuck in some nuts and raisins as well.

The most important thing on any longer ride is not to experiment too much with energy drinks/foods as you may find they don't suit your stomach well. I am not a fan of them in general and prefer to 'keep it real' with food as my stomach will thank me for it. I keep a gel in the saddlebag for real emergencies, but rarely have to resort to it.

Drinks wise, I use water and one bottle with a NUUN tablet in. This firstly encourages me to drink more because it tastes nicer (stupidly, I have managed to dehydrate myself in winter more than summer) and then it does have some good stuff in it that has cured any stomach cramp issues for me.

Best of luck!

damov2

I did 95km yesterday and for breakfast I had a bowl of porridge oats with almond milk topped with creme fraice and fruit, glass of fresh orange juice. I then had a banana before I set off, packed a gel and bar just incase I needed them (which I did). Fluids is one 800ml bottle of water + 800ml of water and maltodextrin mix.

ugo.santalucia

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

#david2012 wrote:

A week until my first sportive, just trying to plan what to take along?
Planning on a good pasta meal evening before, plus a few weetabix on the morning (porridge=yuk)
Advice appreciated

I had spaghetti last night, and I had two pieces of toast and marmalade this morning.

Then I took 7 pieces of flapjack and 2x600 ml apple juice diluted with water (about 1:3 apple juice: water) with me today, on a 55 mile ride. Not quite 100km, but not that far short.

I ate 6 of the 7 pieces of flapjack, and had about 1/3 of one of the bottles of diluted fruit juice left at the end.

I wasn't particularly hungry till dinner time.

Jeez... Pacman on a bike...

marcusjb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

#david2012 wrote:

A week until my first sportive, just trying to plan what to take along?
Planning on a good pasta meal evening before, plus a few weetabix on the morning (porridge=yuk)
Advice appreciated

I had spaghetti last night, and I had two pieces of toast and marmalade this morning.

Then I took 7 pieces of flapjack and 2x600 ml apple juice diluted with water (about 1:3 apple juice: water) with me today, on a 55 mile ride. Not quite 100km, but not that far short.

I ate 6 of the 7 pieces of flapjack, and had about 1/3 of one of the bottles of diluted fruit juice left at the end.

I wasn't particularly hungry till dinner time.

Jeez... Pacman on a bike...

Ha! That is a lot of grub!

Saturday's ride:

Breakfast - two slices of toast (one Marmite, one peanut butter)
2 Naked Bars
4 slices Soreen
1 toasted teacake
1 chocolate fridge cake thing
1 Ginsters ploughmans roll
1 Ginsters peppered steak pasty
1 Twix
1 Millionaire's shortbread

Lots of bottles of water, some with NUUN.
Can of coke
Bottle of Sprite
Bottle of ginger beer
2 bottles of lucozade sport stuff
Bottle of Frijj milk shake stuff
Latte

Got me around a pretty long ride for the time of year.

simon_e

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Then I took 7 pieces of flapjack and 2x600 ml apple juice diluted with water (about 1:3 apple juice: water) with me today, on a 55 mile ride. Not quite 100km, but not that far short.

I'd say you ate more than you needed but possibly didn't drink enough water.

I avoid apple juice while on the bike now, it doesn't sit very well. Prefer water, sometimes with some pink grapefruit juice. I find Nakd and similar bars a bit dry. Snickers and Torq mango are my preferred ride food.

Sunday morning I was out by 8am, rode about 45 lumpy miles with nothing beforehand (bean chilli with rice the night before). Took 1 Torq bar and 1 flapjack square, would have been fine without the flapjack. Drank about 1.2 litres of water. I was sometimes getting mild headaches in the afternoon after a weekend ride but that stopped when I began drinking more on the bike.

gloomyandy

66 miles yesterday on my club run with approx 5000 feet of climbing including a couple of long Pennine hills. Breakfast was a bowl of porridge. Banana just as we set off from the meeting point, two cups of tea and beans on toast at the cafe stop, one bottle of water. Mug of tea when I got home.

Beans on toast a little tricky in the back pocket if you aren't stopping though!

supermurph09

Was a bit foggy in the yesterday morning so delayed my ride until 12pm. Had eaten porridge in the morning (7:30am). Walked the dog for 45 minutes, then did the food shopping. Came home ate a banana and then got on the bike. In my pockets were 1 banana, 2 x Frusli cereal bars and a handful of wine gums. I had 750ml of drink with a tablet in the bottom. After 20 miles I'd eaten 1 cereal bar, a few of the sweets and drank about 600ml of the drink. I probably drank more knowing I'd be re-filling at a quick (2 min) stop at my mothers. 750ml replenished with another tablet dropped in, banana eaten.

Set off, after about 8 miles the sweets had gone and half the cereal bar gone, 8 miles later all the food had gone and down to about 200ml . That left me 15 miles from home. The furthest I had ridden prior to this was 35 miles. Luckily for me 15 miles from home I spotted a garage, replenished my bottle, ate a cadburys boost and filled pockets with wine gums and when I arrived home I felt good, surprisingly good, I was averaging 15.5 mph in breezy conditions riding on my own so it was a reasonable pace. I have an 80 mile sportive in very hill terrain in 8 weeks so as I up the mileage I'd guess the food intake wont go up that much, my body will just adapt.

marcusjb

gloomyandy wrote:

Beans on toast a little tricky in the back pocket if you aren't stopping though!

Pffft - amateur.....

Have you not tried this:

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/ ... =272791441

jgsi

It seems none of you lot have a weight issue apart from the contents of back pockets

There are some cracking on the go menus here...... :shock:

marcusjb

Supermurph09 wrote:

as I up the mileage I'd guess the food intake wont go up that much, my body will just adapt.

This definitely seems to be true as you get fitter and the body becomes more efficient with it's fuel usage. I was surprised at how little I actually ate on Saturday compared to rides even a few weeks ago. Hopefully means I am getting into shape.

Also, hopefully, by the time you do the sportive the temperatures will be higher so you're not burning fuel simply to keep warm as much as you are in winter (aside from the need to burn more calories to keep warm, there's a huge psychological side to hot food as well!).

supermurph09

[/quote] there's a huge psychological side to hot food as well!).[/quote]

I do think the food intake is more psychological at the moment, a nice taste in your mouth or the thought it will give me a boost later on seems to be the over riding factor. I think its the thought of being 20 miles from home and out of energy that's the concern. Probably stems from doing a 35 mile ride after owning the bike for 5 weeks and taking only a small biscuit bar and 1 500ml bottle. 15 miles from home (and a little lost) I was in trouble!!! :P

#david2012

Thanks again for all the ideas!

I guess my reason for posting this was as a novice I generally just cant wait to get out on my bike but so much so that I dont take anything.. no water bottle, no food.. nothing. ( I realise not sensible really )
I read a lot about nutrition, gels, snacks, jelly babies, jaffa cafes, cakes, flapjacks, etc etc so in an effort to be prepared for sunday ( forecast to be dry but cold ) i was interested to see what i should be prepared to take.
from all accounts 100km isnt really that far... but it is 'MY' longest ride and i want to enjoy the challenge. The experience will im sure stand me in good stead for future planned sportives, albeit warmer ones! :-)

il_principe

Did a very cold 100 miler 2 weekends ago:

Took 2 750ml water bottles with Nectar.
Ate 2 Apple Strudel Mule Bars one after 30 miles, one after 60.

Stopped at a cafe after 75 miles and had a chocolate tiffin, Hot choccy and an Espresso.

Did have to have a gel after around 80 miles or so as I felt a little off.

I'd normally get through far more water than that, but it was cold and I didn't fancy stopping.

Did 65 miles on sat on 2 bottles of water and a slice of coffee cake. Wasn't pushing that hard though.

Peddle Up!

I'm partial to malt loaf (Soreen) but at this time of year fig roll biscuits are very "glove friendly".

danowat

Need vs want IMO.

Obviously its better to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it, but people seem to be eating far too much for a 100km ride IMO.

CiB

danowat wrote:

Need vs want IMO.

Obviously its better to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it, but people seem to be eating far too much for a 100km ride IMO.

Quite. I reckon this slipped through in the race to see who can eat the most. Start well fed and hydrated, and one or two top ups on the way will see you round. I stopped carting piles of food around after the second or third sportiv when my pocket of sandwiches / malt loaf had done nothing but come along for the ride as there was never a point where it seemed a good idea to stop for a while.

60 miles is only about 4 hours. That's not a lot of effort, and certainly not requisite of the multi-thousand calorie intakes that are the norm acc to some posters. My understanding is that 20mph for an hour is about 1000 calories, slower = fewer clearly. 4 hours with a good breakfast etc already inside means you don't need to add that many calories to make it round, but keep topped up with fluids.

Yesterday I wrote:

60 miles is only about 4 hours so a couple of snack bars, cheese sandwich or similar will keep you topped up to the finish. Don't get carried away with the distance. 100km isn't that far.

danowat

CiB wrote:

My understanding is that 20mph for an hour is about 1000 calories

I did a reasonably hard 2hr ride at the weekend (speed isn't relavent, but it was over 20mph avg, it was very top end of Z3 tempo), and that was just under 1600kj

marcusjb

danowat wrote:

Need vs want IMO.

Obviously its better to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it, but people seem to be eating far too much for a 100km ride IMO.

100km can be done with very little extra food indeed, 1 maybe 2 small bars of something. As long as you've had a good breakfast and stay hydrated.

ademort

2or 3 Mars bars is all i would take.
Ademort

simon_masterson

For breakfast, lots of low GI carbs (oats do happen to be a very good option), some sugars (eg. berries), a bit of protein and fat (omelette or however else you like your eggs, yoghurt, whey powder, etc)

So that might be porridge, an omelette and a smoothie (this basic combination appears to be quite a common choice among athletes), it could be muesli with yoghurt and berries (my personal favourite of the moment, though I'd add more oats if I were going out on a really long ride), it could be some other permutation, or something else entirely. A day of hard training has different requirements to a single ride of a few hours.

You don't have to have porridge cooked - I love the stuff but a decent dry weight of oats makes for a very bulky meal that takes longer to eat - you can have them cold with milk (soaking them overnight makes them softer), with water (which isn't very nice but it does the job), powdered in a drink (which is OK)...

As for eating whilst cycling, frankly in my view it more depends on what you consider tolerably to consume on the move than anything; some people use jam sandwiches, bananas and the like, but though they are good choices I find them a hassle. You shouldn't need to use gels and bars unless you're racing or going out for a very long ride; these are essentially convenience foods. I've heard of people eating all kinds of stuff whilst cycling; from dates, new potatoes and rice pudding through to the perennial favourite that is malt loaf, and my personal favourite: flapjack. I make my own and put dried fruit in it.

overlord2

Personally I just fill my stomach before I go and then take either a banana or a flapjack.

Like someone said the more you do and the fitter you get you will be able to knock out 100k on 1 bottle of water and nothing to eat.

I find time more of an issue anything over 4hrs I'm starting to bonk.

Also I do think you need to feel the bonk when you are training to get the body used to fueling itself. Stories of pro riders deliberately going on long rides without food on empty stomachs so they can bonk out. I don't recommend this approach and straying far from home mind.

djm501

marcusjb wrote:

danowat wrote:

Need vs want IMO.

Obviously its better to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it, but people seem to be eating far too much for a 100km ride IMO.

100km can be done with very little extra food indeed, 1 maybe 2 small bars of something. As long as you've had a good breakfast and stay hydrated.

^^^

This. Some of you are way over the top for what 62 miles?

I wouldn't bother eating anything up to about 40 miles - for 60k I'd have isotonic drinks (maybe a litre max) and half an energy bar and that would do me.

Now if you go 100 miles plus - *then* you need to start eating.

*waves to marcusjb - see you over at yacf - over there I am known as Caerau*

supermurph09

djm501 wrote:

I wouldn't bother eating anything up to about 40 miles - for 60k I'd have isotonic drinks (maybe a litre max) and half an energy bar and that would do me.

Now if you go 100 miles plus - *then* you need to start eating.

djm501, I've mentioned above what i fill my pockets with and what my perceived need is as a newcomer (Aug12) to cycling. I feel it would help if you mentioned how long you had been cycling and what you took in the early days? its great to get advice from you and others, I certainly welcome it, but i wonder if the food issue relates more to where we latecomers started at. If you've been riding since you were a teenager (not sure of your current age) then your fitness and endurance will no doubt be light years ahead and your body will surely have worked out what it needs. I guess my body is still sussing that out and I'm a slim reasonably fit guy to start with.

Thanks