What Energy Food To Take?

Dannyboy95

I've been out on a few rides and i'm struggling to bring the correct energy foods I don't want to spend money on all these energy bars but just need some good satisfying energy food I usually take chocolate biscuits and crisps but they are no good and some bananas but i need more! What else can I bring? :roll:

step83

Jelly babies are good. I usually have something like those a flapjack an a banana or two

Polf

Dates. Get the pitted ones, couple of quid from any supermarket for a big bag. (Waitrose ones are fantastic). Full of carbs and natural sugars and easy to carry in the camelback.

cooldad

I think crisps and chocolate biscuits are classed as junk food, not energy food.
Unless you are doing epics a decent breakfast/lunch/whatever is of more use.
I suggest bacon obviously.

WindyG

Jelly Babies or Haribo, homemade oat cookies or flapjacks and banana's.

swod1

i've taken granola fruit n nut bars with me before or flapjacks etc

In my water bottle/hydration pack, i usually put a couple of high 5 hydration tablets in it as just water doesnt do it for me.

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

I think crisps and chocolate biscuits are classed as junk food, not energy food.
Unless you are doing epics a decent breakfast/lunch/whatever is of more use

+1 Eating a full English breakfast pre-ride is gonna do you far more good than eating crap during-ride

Not that I do either of those

I'm on Organic superfood protein shakes for breakfast and big salads for lunch during the week but somehow the comment below gives me the impression that sort of thing wouldn't interest you too much

Dannyboy95 wrote:

I don't want to spend money on all these energy bars

welshkev

mars bar duo's are great

bennett_346

Honestly, to the OP, unless you're riding more than 5 hours, the fatigue i am guessing you are experiencing isn't due to choosing the wrong food. Like has been previously mentioned, a proper breakfast will last you at least 4-5 hours with a lunch break at 12.

It's much more likely that you're fatigued because (and i'm guessing here) you're new to riding.

bluechair84

Formula for flapjack:
(Golden syrup = butter) = oats + dried fruit and nut in preferred quantity. Bake for 15min at 180c. I sometimes add dark treacle or honey for slightly different flavours.

Bennett - are you saying that noobs and pros experience fatigue for different reasons? And that only pros need to refuel?

The Rookie

No just that as a noob Danny is mistaking feeling knackered for not having eaten enough.

Personally I stick to seefood, that is see food and eat it....

welshkev

The Beginner wrote:

No just that as a noob Danny is mistaking feeling knackered for not having eaten enough.

....

but that's a huge generalisation to make with very little info. I do about a 20km ride with no food. anything more than that I tend to take gels or a mars bar with me. as i'm a fat fecker I burn about 6-800 calories an hour. that's a lot to lose, even if i'd had a full English breakfast

njee20

+1 Eating a full English breakfast pre-ride is gonna do you far more good than eating crap during-ride

I realise you're semi-joking, but I can't think of anything worse than a full english before riding!

Porridge for breakfast, cereal bars/bananas/haribo/jelly babies/fig rolls as you wish while riding.

but that's a huge generalisation to make with very little info. I do about a 20km ride with no food. anything more than that I tend to take gels or a mars bar with me. as i'm a fat fecker I burn about 6-800 calories an hour. that's a lot to lose, even if i'd had a full English breakfast

Conversely I often take one bottle of High 5 for a 40 mile MTB ride. Did 75 miles on the road yesterday with 1.5 bottles and a sandwich for lunch.

welshkev

[quote="njee20
Conversely I often take one bottle of High 5 for a 40 mile MTB ride. Did 75 miles on the road yesterday with 1.5 bottles and a sandwich for lunch.[/quote]

but as you're a fit fecker I bet that only took you around 2 hours :shock:

but yours and my point proves that everyone is different.

felix.london

njee20 wrote:

Porridge for breakfast

This ↑

or this ↓

http://thehairyrider.com/2013/02/20/the-hairy-breakfast/

felix.london

Step83 wrote:

Jelly babies are good

+1. They are really good hey - guess it's just a sugar hit but they do the job after a big Alpine climb. I have to buy them from Amazon in bulk

njee20

but yours and my point proves that everyone is different.

Which was my point, don't worry ;-)

bluechair84

I struggle to eat first thing in the morning, so I tend to make a banana and peanut butter sarnie to eat when my guts have woken up, often half way through my journey to the trail. It might not be ideal as I may have not digested it properly before riding but hey ho. Also, don't forget to drink plenty, and a little sugar and squash with the water goes a long way.

bennett_346

Or a monster energy if you're 7 years old like me...

gt-arrowhead

Step83 wrote:

Jelly babies are good. I usually have something like those a flapjack an a banana or two

+1 for the flapjacks.

I took 16 snickers flapjacks with me on my 50k ride. Just stopped every now and then and have 1 or 2.

They are light to carry, wont get messed up in your bag, they taste nice, they fill you up and keep you going.

DCR00

Malt loaf bars, Haribos and a High 5 tablet in my bladder

njee20

Bear in mind those High 5 tablets are just electrolytes, no energy as such.

felix.london

njee20 wrote:

Bear in mind those High 5 tablets are just electrolytes, no energy as such.

And they taste horrible and seem to make you (well me) more thirsty!..yuk

gt-arrowhead

felix.london wrote:

njee20 wrote:

Bear in mind those High 5 tablets are just electrolytes, no energy as such.

And they taste horrible and seem to make you (well me) more thirsty!..yuk

I took one of those, made me thirsty too and made no difference that i felt. Just gave me the "placebo" effect of thinking i was all energised.

batmo

I find porridge is the best start for a long ride. We assemble our own bags of nuts and sultanas and take bananas or grapes too.
+1 on the malt loaf bars, but the last couple of rides I've tried those Nakd pressed fruit bars and they seem pretty good.

Dan007

Fig rolls.

badhopper

Peanut butter and jam sandwich cut into quarters.

Woodmonkey

Muesli or porridge with honey for breakie, flapjack or cereal bar in my pack and usually a pack of jelly babies or similar sweets nicked out the kids treat box just in case. plenty of water or very occaisionally a high 5 tablet (the one with caffiene in) only if we go in my mates car he loves all that energy shizzle! This seems to do me for up to 4 hours, any more than that I'm stopping for lunch anyway.

bluechair84

badhopper wrote:

cut into quarters.

/\ this

Woodmonkey

bluechair84 wrote:

badhopper wrote:

cut into quarters.

/\ this

Squares or triangles?

bluechair84

I reckons triangles improve the flavours...