20 miles, no breakfast?

manick0de
manick0de Posts: 202
edited February 2009 in Commuting chat
Hi currently have a 12 mile each way commute which I do on no breakfast, can't stomach food first thing and breakfast is free at work. (i'm skint)

I'm switching premises so will have a 20 miler, does anyone else do a commute of simmilar distance on no brekkie, should I force down a banana or something?

Comments

  • fizz
    fizz Posts: 483
    I'd definatly being trying to eat breakfast or take something with you to eat on the ride.

    I'd also be trying to make sure I ate something decent like museli or something before I went to bed to.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Depends on you - but i can happily ride for a couple of hours without breakfast.
  • You'll live. A banana will be plenty. Save your appetite for the free stuff.

    Make sure you take water with you when it gets warmer though.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • You should never force a banana anywhere mate. Let it decide for itself.
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    If you really can't eat breakfst I'd concentrate on making sure you get a decent meal the night before.

    And take a bannana with you just in case.

    You could always try a liquid "pre-ride breakfast", and I don't mean lager, something like a shake or protein drink.
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    I do 23 miles with no breakfast without any problems, I do have a large very sweet expresso though which gives me a good kick . Make sure you have water though. I occasionally use an energy drink like High 5 if I'm feeling a bit low.
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • alien8
    alien8 Posts: 16
    From my experience a 20-mile commute without breakfast is fine. I also only tend to bother taking water in the heat of summer (assuming we ever have a hot summer again). Just eat what and when you normally would and see how you go.
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    Alien8 wrote:
    From my experience a 20-mile commute without breakfast is fine. I also only tend to bother taking water in the heat of summer (assuming we ever have a hot summer again). Just eat what and when you normally would and see how you go.

    I've found I'm not bothering to take in water on my 14 mile commute either way these days (in the winter, in the summer I've drunk my bottle early and then drink the taps in Hyde Park dry, both of them).
  • I don't do breakfast either. My commute is 15 miles. eat well during the day and you'll be fine.

    I don't think that eating before exercise is necessarily a good thing unless you leave a good time gap. thats just me but I feel better eating after exercise.
  • I feel such a sloth compared to most of the guys on here as I have a three mile trip each day each way and do that on a big bowl of cereal at least washed down with a lovely cup of coffee.

    It's about an hour between eating this and setting off and so it's not sloshing around inside me still then and will be hopefully starting to kick in about then - what is the physiology of eating?

    Can anyone give the rest of us the ins and outs of it ie pasta is a slow energy-releasing carbohydrate and so the best thing to have before a longish ride but I'm not so sure how alluring that'll be first thing in the morning ...

    Take care guys in this upcoming cold spell.

    Fortunately I live in a city (Salford) and by the time I'm on the road the main road that will pretty much take me all the way to work will have been gritted and also the snow melted by the heavy traffic pressing down on it.

    So without wanting to tempt fate I'll be alright on my Carrera Subway.

    By the way don't want to hijack this thread too much but can anyone please advise me as to a propstand for a bike that has a sideways-facing hole instead of a downwards one?

    Plus what can commonly be happening for a bike computer to stop working beyond the alignment of the magnet being wrong (tested that and that's where it should be) and the batteries being flat (have put in new ones)?

    Am I missing something really obvious?
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    You at least need to drink - the body is de-hydrated after a sleep.....my commute of 8-11 miles - I'll take a full bottle, usually drink about half on the way in, more if I've have a few beers the night before.
  • I can't eat before I ride...I can hardly drink anything either.....I have a little Actimel before I leave the house and then drink a bottle of juice when I arrive in London....if you can eat do it...if not...don't worry about it...some people get too scientific about it.....

    I did the Fred Whitton Challenge on two bottles of water and 2 bits of cake....if I take food or drink on when cycling i JUST FEEL SICK...
  • I can't eat before I ride...I can hardly drink anything either.....I have a little Actimel before I leave the house and then drink a bottle of juice when I arrive in London....if you can eat do it...if not...don't worry about it...some people get too scientific about it.....

    I did the Fred Whitton Challenge on two bottles of water and 2 bits of cake....if I take food or drink on when cycling i JUST FEEL SICK...
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Can I go for the 20 breakfasts no miles option :lol: ?
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • yes, but it isn't a good idea.