"Refeuling on the Fly"

[CycleChic06]

Reviews of energy snacks from the NY times. I, unlike the author from the NYtimes, have absolutely no problem eating plenty of sports beans while I ride :)

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2006/11/08/style/20061109_PHYSICAL_SLIDESHOW_index.html

Emily

[CycleChic06]

oh how embarrassing. You'd think I'd check my spelling!! I know, it's REFUELING!

[DebW]

How do you all package food and access it while riding? I need to learn this skill.

[SouthernBelle]

How do you all package food and access it while riding? I need to learn this skill.

I'm not too good at it either. But I can cut the top off of the clifbar wrapper and stick it in my jersey pocket and get to it ok.

Beans are too hard for me to get out of the bag while riding, even when it's already open.

[jobob]

I put my food in a dweeby little handlebar bag for easy access.

Also, when I think of it beforehand I'll unwrap some Payday bars and cut them up into smaller bits and place them in a snack size ziplock. If I try to unwrap them while riding I'm likely to drop the wrapper or run off the road. Or both.

[Trekhawk]

I love my Bento Box. I can tip my sport beans and pretzels in there and then just grab them as I need. The one I have also fits a couple of sports bar. Using this I have extra room in my jersey pockets for any other gear I might like to take on longer rides (camera, bolero or more food).:)

[TsPoet]

I love my Bento Box. I can tip my sport beans and pretzels in there and then just grab them as I need. The one I have also fits a couple of sports bar. Using this I have extra room in my jersey pockets for any other gear I might like to take on longer rides (camera, bolero or more food).:)

Vote #2 for the Bento Box. I put a small sandwitch bag liner in mine and fill it full of stuff to just dip out and use.
If you want a bigger and lower bag try this one
http://www.fastbacksystem.com/page27/page27.html
While it's been designed for a recumbent, I think it would work as long as the top tube is long enough.

[Pedal Wench]

I love the Clif Bloks. I tear open one side of the package and put it in my pocket with that side facing up, so I can easily grab one at time out of my pocket.
If heading up a long climb, (this is so gross) you can lick them and stick individual bloks to your top tube. I'm not saying I've tried it...

[profàvélo]

I snip one end of the Clif bar wrapper off, take the bar out, cut it into six pieces, reassemble and put it back in the wrapper. I put it in my jersey pocket open side-up and can pull out one piece at a time.

By the way, the new Banana Nut Bread flavor Clif Bar gets my vote as the best one yet. It really tastes like banana nut bread.

[spokewench]

You, of course, don't need to eat power bar (type bars) or gels, but they are easy to eat and travel well. I still eat them for my riding cause they are easy and I am lazy.

If you are riding a road bike, here are some tips for you to eat on the bike. What I am hearing here is probably not what to eat so much as how to get to it while you are riding. These are skills you can use to get your water bottles out of your cages to drink, to grab the hose on your camelback or to get something out of your back pocket to eat.

These are tips for road bikes with road bike drop style handle bars. When you have your hands on top of your bars, your bike will be more stable when you grab for something if the hand you have on your bars is in the middle of your bars, i.e. put your hand closer to the stem (not on the stem but closer to the stem) This will keep your weight from bearing down on the outside of the bars and causing your bike to go sideways. So, 1st step place your one hand near the stem on your bars, take your other hand off the bars, and reach for whatever you want, i.e. water bottle or bar in your back pocket. Practice this when you are by yourself so that you are comfortable doing this.

Also, it is a good idea to open the bar first, but I've learned how to use my teeth to open bars and gel packs so that you don't need both hands to do it. If you're hungry enough, you'll figure it out!

It is possible to do all of this when your hands are on the hoods or even in the drops, but the trick to that is that you do not put your weight on the handlebars (you hold yourself up with you core/abs) so that the weight on the outside of the handlebar does nothing to make the bike move sideways.

Hope this helps.

spoke

[Bluetree]

I love the Clif Bloks. I tear open one side of the package and put it in my pocket with that side facing up, so I can easily grab one at time out of my pocket.
If heading up a long climb, (this is so gross) you can lick them and stick individual bloks to your top tube. I'm not saying I've tried it...

I second the Clif Bloks. I cut away about half the package and place the rest in the back pocket for easy access. The bottom half of the bag acts as a liner inside the pocket.

I've never tried the top tube trick.. can they stick on your helmet, too? If bugs get stuck on them, do they affect the caloric count or is that just an extra shot of protein? :p

Note: Clif Bloks when swimming laps? They work well but don't get the Bloks wet when you reach for them in between laps. The chlorinated water has a dissolving effect of the rest of the bag, making for a squishy mess.

[spokewench]

I second the Clif Bloks. I cut away about half the package and place the rest in the back pocket for easy access. The bottom half of the bag acts as a liner inside the pocket.

I've never tried the top tube trick.. can they stick on your helmet, too? If bugs get stuck on them, do they affect the caloric count or is that just an extra shot of protein? :p

Note: Clif Bloks when swimming laps? They work well but don't get the Bloks wet when you reach for them in between laps. The chlorinated water has a dissolving effect of the rest of the bag, making for a squishy mess.

I never would have thought about swimming with Clif Bloks - I just have this picture of some big red blob on the pool deck - quite a picture!

[SadieKate]

Ditto everything Spokewrench said. That's what your teeth are for, ripping and shredding wrappers:D. I just don't like eating anything solid while I'm actually riding, but I can do it.

Maillotpois also suggested a gel flask rather than the gel packets. World of different. Better accessibility and no mess. I can sip on a bit at a time and have a steady caloric intake. When I get to the bottom of the flask, I add water at a stop and can then drink the last of the gel so nothing gets wasted nor is there litter from the gel wrapper.

BTW, raspberry and banana Hammergel mixed is pretty tasty.

[CycleChic06]

I've never really thought about snacking while swimming. As a former competitive swimmer, I don't think I've ever really seen anyone eating anything while swimming...sometimes people would keep a bottle of water on the side of the pool, but that's about it. I use sports beans mostly when I'm looking for endurance while riding, and while swim practice would often run 1-2 hours, I don't really see it as the same type of endurance as biking. Think about it, if you're at a meet swimming a 500, you can't really stop in the middle and eat some sports beans.

[Bluetree]

I'm at the gym at 4:30am to swim 2 miles, often on an empty stomach. If I've been fasting for the last 10-11 hours, my stomach starts seriously complaining by Lap 30. "Time to eat yet? Hello... Hungry here!" So I take a bag of Bloks with me and line up the pink squares at the edge of the pool on a paper towel. About every ten laps or so, one of the little suckers commits suicide by leaping off the edge into my gaping maw. It's quite a sight!

Seriously, I am usually so depleted after a long swim that eating bloks periodically also keeps me from scarfing vast quantities (aka overeating) afterwards.

[Rakekay]

Silly me. I always stop riding to eat and generally eat a whole bar at a time rather than little bits and pieces as I'm going along.

I clearly have so much to learn.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Silly me. I always stop riding to eat and generally eat a whole bar at a time rather than little bits and pieces as I'm going along.

I clearly have so much to learn.

Rakekay,
Don't feel bad. I usually pull into a cafe and have a croissant and latte, or maybe even some French Toast! :eek: :)

[spokewench]

Rakekay,
Don't feel bad. I usually pull into a cafe and have a croissant and latte, or maybe even some French Toast! :eek: :)

AHH - Lisa you really know how to live!

[Geonz]

I find anything that has as much packaging as product acutely annoying. I wish sport beans came in an economy sized bag - tho' I'd still be more likely to go for the other stuff without the additives and artificials.

Not-so-closet Granola here :)

[CycleChic06]

I'm at the gym at 4:30am to swim 2 miles, often on an empty stomach. If I've been fasting for the last 10-11 hours, my stomach starts seriously complaining by Lap 30. "Time to eat yet? Hello... Hungry here!" So I take a bag of Bloks with me and line up the pink squares at the edge of the pool on a paper towel. About every ten laps or so, one of the little suckers commits suicide by leaping off the edge into my gaping maw. It's quite a sight!

Seriously, I am usually so depleted after a long swim that eating bloks periodically also keeps me from scarfing vast quantities (aka overeating) afterwards.

I see your point, BlueTree. It's good afterwards to replenish the body of nutrients. I'd just never considered eating them during a swim workout.

[mlove]

I have to stop to eat and drink. I am not steady enough yet to let go of the handbars for more than a few seconds.

[inatree]

i dunno about where you all live...but around these parts, a little package of bloks cost about $2.50. i am a starving student who bought every single piece of cycling equipment (including the bike!) using my financial aid from school. i can barely afford clif bars which i can get on sale for a dollar a piece if i go to a certain store. i also love sharkies but they are pricey too, i get them from another store for 1.50 a piece and everywhere else they are 2.50. any ideas for *affordable* energy food? hah im probably being laughed at right now...oh well, at least im used to it! :)

oh, and i stop to eat, too. i know im still a beginner, but it just feels wrong to me to start eating while i'm excercising, i always think i will get a stomach ache. i make myself wait after i eat to, and i hate it. but i didnt wait one time after eating some sharkies, and i got stomach cramps during the ride home. how do you all not get stomach aches? i also have no idea how much to eat either. im trying to lose weight tho, but i havent lost any weight after riding vigorously for 3 mos :( i dont have very much to lose, thats probably why. oh well! :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...any ideas for *affordable* energy food? hah im probably being laughed at right now...oh well, at least im used to it! :)

Fig Newtons.

[sbctwin]

I use a bento box also...I get a little plastic bag and put cliff blocs in and I also cut up cliff bars to put together so I can have a variety. I put this into the bento box. I usually have it zipped closed and then when I finally feel like I need to eat something, I make the stop to open the bag and then I leave it open for the remainder of my ride. I would never eat before or during a ride because I felt like I would get sick, but when I started to take longer rides (30+ miles), I found I had to fuel along the way. My first long ride this summer, I didn't fuel and I only drank plain water. I went 45 miles...I got home and was feeling a little woozy. I was taking a shower and the next thing I knew, I was laying in the tub and the water was cold:eek: . I had passed out...hit my head on the side of the tub...not sure how long I was out...From then on, I realized I needed to be careful of my nutrition as I rode. It makes a difference!!! Even though, I want to burn the calories, I have to eat in accordance to the energy I was expending....:o

[Bluetree]

i dunno about where you all live...but around these parts, a little package of bloks cost about $2.50. i am a starving student who bought every single piece of cycling equipment (including the bike!) using my financial aid from school. i can barely afford clif bars which i can get on sale for a dollar a piece if i go to a certain store.

Yea, they can get expensive if you buy them individually. I usually wait until REI or Performance has a sale, add on a coupon if I can find it and then buy a box or two. I think the last box(12) of Bloks I bought came out to about $15-16. Mmmm... Cran-Razz...mmmm


I went 45 miles...I got home and was feeling a little woozy. I was taking a shower and the next thing I knew, I was laying in the tub and the water was cold:eek: . I had passed out...hit my head on the side of the tub...not sure how long I was out...

Yikes – this week on TE has featured a number of poster children for preventative care... from helmets to semis to nutrition. Take care gals!

[Bluetree]

Fig Newtons.

Yeah, but can you stick them on your top tube?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah, but can you stick them on your top tube?

Try kneading them into little balls, that should work. Then just line them up along the top tube, take two every hour and call me in the morning...

[TsPoet]

Yeah, but can you stick them on your top tube?

Or you could stick them under your shorts, if you wear typcial cycling shorts. This has the added advantage of mushing them up a bit and making them easier to digest :D

Seriously, I've found that fig newtons work better for me than many of the other products on single day, moderately distanced rides.