What food whilst cycling

funkydisciple
funkydisciple Posts: 65
edited February 2019 in Training, fitness and health
Hey people,

Hope you all well. What food do you take with you when you’re cycling? On my ride lately I been taking namedsport.com energy bars, they come in at £1.70 a bar...i was wondering what energy bars, or alternatives are available that doesn’t cost that much that you can eat whilst cycling.

I would take bananas but cant fit 3/4 of them in my jersey pocket..i was looking for something that can fit in a jersey pocket.

Went out for a 100km ride and didn’t take enough food with me...i had an energy drink and a couple bars...still thinking i need to take a lot more to cope with 100km rides...

Have a nice day :)

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    What makes you think you didn't take enough food? A lot will depend on how well adjusted you are to riding distance. 4x bananas should not be necessary on a sixty miler..
  • funkydisciple
    funkydisciple Posts: 65
    Imposter wrote:
    What makes you think you didn't take enough food? A lot will depend on how well adjusted you are to riding distance. 4x bananas should not be necessary on a sixty miler..

    Hey dude, suffered towards the end big time. About 10 miles out. Couldn’t spin those legs anymore. Ran out of my energy drink and only had my water and no bars left. I just figured i need to take more food, but asking for what other people have taken on their rides just to gauge I’m taking the right amount.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,612
    Dried apricots, mini malt loaves, fig rolls, Jelly Babies.

    Eat Natural do some decent cereal bars.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    funkydisciple wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    What makes you think you didn't take enough food? A lot will depend on how well adjusted you are to riding distance. 4x bananas should not be necessary on a sixty miler..

    Hey dude, suffered towards the end big time. About 10 miles out. Couldn’t spin those legs anymore. Ran out of my energy drink and only had my water and no bars left. I just figured i need to take more food, but asking for what other people have taken on their rides just to gauge I’m taking the right amount.
    What was your longest ride prior to the 100K.
  • sgt.pepper
    sgt.pepper Posts: 300
    Wife makes energy balls out of thick cut oats, peanut butter and raisins and stick it all together. No plastic, low cost, healthy energy.
  • tonysj
    tonysj Posts: 391
    Home made flapjack, fig biscuits, brioche with jam/peanut butter/chocolate spread in middle. I only tend to take 1 or 2 of the above on a typical cold weather 100km ride so your amount is a lot more than I would consider taking. Saying that on Sportive rides 60 to 100 miles I take some gels but only use about 2 as at the Feed stops I load up with cake and banana...
    T.
  • funkydisciple
    funkydisciple Posts: 65
    Webboo wrote:
    funkydisciple wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    What makes you think you didn't take enough food? A lot will depend on how well adjusted you are to riding distance. 4x bananas should not be necessary on a sixty miler..

    Hey dude, suffered towards the end big time. About 10 miles out. Couldn’t spin those legs anymore. Ran out of my energy drink and only had my water and no bars left. I just figured i need to take more food, but asking for what other people have taken on their rides just to gauge I’m taking the right amount.
    What was your longest ride prior to the 100K.

    67 miles.. and suffered 10/15 miles before end on that one too
  • shiznit76
    shiznit76 Posts: 640
    flap jacks, jelly babies, and convenient sized small packets haribos, can stick few packets of these in jersey pocket no problem and gub them every hour or so
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    funkydisciple wrote:
    Webboo wrote:
    funkydisciple wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    What makes you think you didn't take enough food? A lot will depend on how well adjusted you are to riding distance. 4x bananas should not be necessary on a sixty miler..

    Hey dude, suffered towards the end big time. About 10 miles out. Couldn’t spin those legs anymore. Ran out of my energy drink and only had my water and no bars left. I just figured i need to take more food, but asking for what other people have taken on their rides just to gauge I’m taking the right amount.
    What was your longest ride prior to the 100K.

    67 miles.. and suffered 10/15 miles before end on that one too

    Sounds like fatigue, rather than a lack of fuelling as such. You might just need a bit more time on the bike at those kind of distances, or ride them at a slightly lower intensity. How long have you been riding?
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    What mposter said
    You probably just need more endurance base training. If I go out on a 100k ride I will typically take 1 banana cut in half for two small snack. That is all I usually need. I also carry a Nature valley bar as backup. Back in the day I would carry 3 or fig roll biscuits as they are great energy.
    At the most you should only need 2 bananas and 4 fig roll biscuits, even that is excessive for your distance, but when I have a long lay off I do carry extra food as back up and build up to that distance.
    I sometimes carry a gel as backup but never really need it. I only use gels for races or long events not for training or just riding.
  • Tyresome
    Tyresome Posts: 113
    I find making my own flapjacks / snacks from scratch is preferable to buying them. I know exactly what’s in them that way. If I run out whilst on a ride, I might buy some fig rolls and / or Jelly babies, to help get me home.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Tyresome wrote:
    I find making my own flapjacks / snacks from scratch is preferable to buying them. I know exactly what’s in them that way. If I run out whilst on a ride, I might buy some fig rolls and / or Jelly babies, to help get me home.
    I thought you were a diehard Weatherspoons man or are you barred from there as well.
  • funkydisciple
    funkydisciple Posts: 65

    Sounds like fatigue, rather than a lack of fuelling as such. You might just need a bit more time on the bike at those kind of distances, or ride them at a slightly lower intensity. How long have you been riding?


    Hey dude, i’ve Been riding since June 2018...done about..1800miles since then. I have done 100ks every now and again but not every week...i think i’ve done about 4 100ks. When I haven’t done that distance i’ve Done regular 35/40miles. Maybe it could be an endurance thing. When i was about half way i felt really good, standing on pedals and cycling uphill, could hold a 20mph pace on the drops on the flats, even when on the hills near the end, I’m not great at hills, but i could get up them seated and in my own time but then the cramp, the high HR when i was doing 11mph.

    I always say to myself i’ll Go at a lower intensity but i always end up going at a pace where i try to aim for an avg 17mph at the end of the ride. I just thought it could be a nutrition thing as i feel my fitness is pretty good. Anyway, I’m waffling on. Thanks for the thought provoking post :)
  • david7m
    david7m Posts: 636
    Banana soreen with butter :)
  • Tyresome
    Tyresome Posts: 113
    Webboo wrote:
    Tyresome wrote:
    I find making my own flapjacks / snacks from scratch is preferable to buying them. I know exactly what’s in them that way. If I run out whilst on a ride, I might buy some fig rolls and / or Jelly babies, to help get me home.
    I thought you were a diehard Weatherspoons man or are you barred from there as well.

    That depends on there being a Wetherspoons somewhere en route, and ride length / intensity. I’ve got a few favourite ‘spoons on the longer routes, but I’m not usually going to bother if it’s a sub 100Km route.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Webboo wrote:
    I thought you were a diehard Weatherspoons man or are you barred from there as well.

    He's been barred from Wetherspoons nine times now, but he keeps turning up with a new ID.. ;)
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Imposter wrote:
    Webboo wrote:
    I thought you were a diehard Weatherspoons man or are you barred from there as well.

    He's been barred from Wetherspoons nine times now, but he keeps turning up with a new ID.. ;)
    I wonder what it takes to get barred from a Weatherspoons.
    Maybe turning up with a 40kg backpack, pulling out a crumpled 3 piece suit and changing in to it in the middle of the bar. Whilst repairing the rear wheel on your bike.

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