sportive food?

boomco21

Currently using generic flapjack, gels and drink. Should I spend extra on proper bars?

simonhead

No, make your own. So much better

cyclingsheep

Make your own banana bread....awesome

desweller

Fruit cake

desweller

How do you stop sarnies coming to bits in your pocket?

mfin

A fair few people that ride sportives look like they could probably go without eating too much for a few hours just for a change if nothing else.

pinarellokid

We all recipes, if you have any good ones please post em so we can all try then

Cheers

Anonymous

I mix and match, works so much better than either/or. The answer to most things in life is usually somewhere in the middle

'Proper' bars/gels/recovery are super convenient and can be a motivational treat.
Often take them out without using though.
If there is proper food at the feed station you may as well eat that.

sungod

pinarellokid wrote:

We all recipes, if you have any good ones please post em so we can all try then

Cheers

look up 'garmin ride cakes recipe', simple to make a batch and freeze them

you can adjust the recipe, i prefer them with less cheese and more bacon, and either tabasco or worcestershire sauce

Baby Trek

I dont tend to bother with the sports bars etc and prefer normal food. I have experimented a lot over the 2 years I have been riding because I used to get massive drops in energy. I now stick to jam sandwiches as they work for me and get me through anything my husband faces me with, sportives and the col d'izoard climb in France!
It is what works for you at the end of the day both from an energy giving point of view and mental boost.

sloppyschleckonds

boomco21 wrote:

Should I spend extra on proper bars?

Spend extra on proper food

pilot_pete

I thought it was obligatory to ride like hell to the first feed station then grab as many freebie, out of date chewy bars, gels and powdered drink mix as you could pack into your jersey pockets, saddle bag and anywhere else you could squeeze them?

PP

insella

For breakfast I find a good plate of pasta unrivalled in preparation.

For the ride a piadina (flat bread) with cream cheese, ham and lettuce wraps up tidily in foil and is a tasty main meal.

For continual munching I make my own 'energy cake'. The recipe is:
125g each of butter, honey, jam and brown sugar caramelised in a pan.
turn off heat and add: oats, SR flour, tropical mix, walnuts and ground nuts, coconut, sultanas (so dried fruit and nuts). Spread it out on a tray and pop it in the oven at 160° for around 30 minutes.

and a few gels for if I miscalculate consumption. Also extra sport drink tablets.

iPete

I really like Clif and Mule bars but make your own if you want, I'm too lazy for that.

Anonymous

Doing a sportive tomorrow and thinking about what they might have to eat/steal now.

Had proper sandwiches in plastic triangles on the tour of Britain sportive.
Unsurprisingly, not many people had them and they were too bulky to 'take away'.
There were loads left and its a shame they did not have them at the finish.

stueys

For me proper food always. I find that more than a few energy drinks or gels never sits that comfortably after a few hours riding. Soren is always a hit for me. Feed zone cookbook is also well worth a look.

Anonymous

^ Individual Soren bars are fantastic........... especially banana ones :P

(sound of door shutting) Dad's gone to Asda

IanRCarter

I use High5 bars, I'm a fussy eater so won't eat much but these have a good taste (I've tried banana ones and the mixed berries), easy to eat on the bike, not too chewy but still something more substantial than a gel and definitely doesn't make me feel like I'm going to chuck it back up. I tend to keep an eye out for offers on cheap supplement stores, the likes of Wiggle charge far too much for them. I don't use them much now though, I tend to have a nice slice of cake at a cafe (you don't get that at a sportive ) and generally prefer to take a quick gel if the energy levels are dipping.

Last year I did make some reduced fat chocolate chip cookies which were yummy, and made a nice change but I couldn't resist eating them off the bike too!

Saying all that, you probably wouldn't need to eat that much on a sportive. If you have a good breakfast and maybe a banana before the start then that should get you to the first stop no problem, get your freebies and top up the energy drink and that should give you enough really. I think some sportive riders tend to think they've got to eat and drink like a pro, taking a gel before every hill as if it's rocket fuel.

dombo6

I used to always take proper food, i.e. peanuts, dried apricots, jordans cereal bars and whatever was at food stops. Last two Dragon Rides I have used Torq gels and drink, which are all natural i.e. no arty sweeteners, and they seem to work quite well. One of those every 10 miles with a Clif Shot sweet stuck in my cheek in between gels.
Full english, porridge, pot of tea and OJ an hour or so before kick-off.

unixnerd

Unsalted peanuts work quite well for me. Don't have to eat them in one go either.

sbbefc

Just eat the cake and bananas provided at the feed stops, no point really eating anything in between. Perhaps have some sweets or something for the last 20 miles just in case.

chris_bass

DesWeller wrote:

Fruit cake

he was only asking!

hypster

I make up Dr Allen Lim's rice cakes. Something solid and savoury as a counterpoint to sugary energy drink in my bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UiuqIWGe_s

thegibdog

Why not just have the same food you'd have on a normal ride?