Cycling Forum: Best food while riding

I like E-gel and Clif Bloks. both E-gel and E-fuel are great if you sweat a lot like me, since it is high in potassium and sodium.  However the flavor is a bit strong, like Starbursts.   Cliff  Bloks are great  too, they're more subtle in flavor, and they don't get all sticky and nasty in your jersey pockets after you open them.  I also usually bring  Elete salt tabs with me.  A friend of mine just introduced me to a new product called "Bonk Blockers" they 're like little mussette sandwiches;  290-320 calories each, and they taste good.  They're smaller in size than a cliff bar, so they don't take up a ton of room in your jersey pockets either. 

-Corey 

You can buy the blocks online at http://www.clifbar.com/shop/clifshot.cfm?locations=shop

I buy all mine at Bicycle John's in Burbank, CA.

The "Bonk Breakers" I haven't seen in retail yet. They're great. I had one on Sunday and it was like a moist little PB&J. I got mine from a friend of the guy who owns the company. Apparently you can buy them at whole foods in the Southern California region. Their website is http://www.bonkbreaker.com

 I put elete in both my bottles, to add electrolytes.  I also carry the salt tabs in case it's really hot.  Here's they're website.

 www.eletewater.com

As far as how you should eat on the bike, this is my experience and advice:

You should expect to burn between 500 and 1,000 calories per hour when you're on the bike. Each bag of Bloks is 200 calories. (3 blocks = 100 cal.) I eat a bag every 30 minutes to an hour depending on my effort, washing it down with water, then drinking my sports drink every 10-20 minutes. This is fine for short rides (2-3 hours) however for my middle rides (3-4 hours) I will eat a bar or two depending again on the level of effort and for rides longer than that (4-7 hours) I'll stop for lunch and eat real solid food.

I hope all this helps!

-Corey

I have a lot of success with Gu.  It doesn't upset my stomach and it tastes pretty good to me.  (I don't like the chocolate, though, and I noticed that the chocolate has fat in it.  Hmmm.)  But that gets a little expensive after awhile at about $1 a shot, so a lot of times I just stick with fat-free Fig Newtons.  Nutritionally, they're pretty darn close to Gu.  Of course, I guess they're not digested as quickly, but it saves a little money.  I've never bonked on the Fig Newtons, eating about 2 per 45 minutes to an hour.

John

I'm a big fan of Carb-BOOM for my gel intake.  I think the Strawberry-Kiwi flavor is very good tasting and it's a mental pick-me-up on a long, hot ride.  Here are the "specs" on this gel:

Protein 0g, Calories 110, Carbs 27g, Sugars 3g, Caffeine NONE

I also like the PB&J about halfway through my really long rides (4-6 hrs).  Sometimes I've used a small bagel for the bread to help stop it from getting all squishy.

During my Ironman race I used PowerBars basically because I could cut them into small bite-sized pieces to stick on my top tube for easy access.  Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter, and Wildberry are all good flavors for me.  Of course I grab a banana or 2 during the race to add to my gut intake but I don't normally carry those on training rides.

Of course I've always got plenty of water, Accelerade (Orange is my favorite flavor so far), and I've recently added Vitamin Water to some of my medium rides (2-3 hrs) for the minimum calories (trying to drop a few pounds still) and the great balance of vitamins/minerals/electrolytes.  Not to mention there is NO high fructose corn syrup in Vitamin Water like in Gatorade.

- Matt

Call me an old curmudgeon, but I've never tasted GU and don't want to.  I just don't think of that stuff as being "food."

My favorite on the bike riding food is peanut butter and honey sandwiches made with 100% whole wheat bread.  Toasted English muffins work well, too.  For quick energy, I like Salted Nut Roll, and it doesn't melt like some other candies do.  I also have used small sausages, beef jerky, string cheese, almonds, etc.  If that sounds like part of a low carb diet, you're right.  The amazing thing is that you CAN do low carb and ride lots of miles, too.

On longer rides, I will stop for lunch and generally eat whatever is available.  A hamburger with a side of cottage cheese works well for me.

In hot weather, I need to drink a sport drink like Gatorade, because I need the electrolites.  I prefer the kind with reduced sugar, when I can find it.

Paul

Here's a good recipe for making your own powergels.

http://www.summitpost.org/article/239378/Home-Made-Power-Gels-Energy-for-Less.html

Dont forget the real stuff ;) when you are out for more then a couple  hours, your body will start to crave real food. A majority of tour racers will have hamburgers and PBJ sandwiches, candy bars. I dont ride for that long,2-6hrs max.

i will pack

FOOD

peanutbutter crackers(sodium&protien)

DRIED FRUIT(many antioxidents,electrolytes and carbs)

granola bars broken into pieces(to ward off hunger pains). 

BEVERAGES

Hammer Heed for the first 30min-90min 

Hammer Sustained Energy for 90+min and beyond

plain water- makes it easier for your body to digest solid foods

SUPPLEMENTS

e-caps or endouralytes by hammer (electrolytes)

 i follow a basic time plan

sip beverage every 5 min

a nibble of food and water every 20min

supplements every 40min

hope that helps