A few questions....

[Lesley_x]

Hi guys,

Pushed myself quite far today. Did just shy of ten miles with some hefty climbs with no real breaks.

However, in the last 1/2 mile or so I experienced something strange. I'm not sure if this was the dreaded 'bonk' because it's the furthest and longest I've gone (1 hour, is this good time for 10 miles 1 month into cycling?) I literally felt like I had hit a brick wall, I felt lightheaded, weak, unable to push myself any further and I just went home. I've read you should refuel after 90 minutes, but was this perhaps a sign to start carrying some jelly babies or something? Or just an indication of my fitness level? It felt very unusual and came on suddenly.

I tend to psych myself out as well during the first few miles... I don't feel like I can do it and get down on myself. Once I get over this and push through it I am fine. Does anyone else experience this? It's very frustrating.

Last thing - every ride I go on I get a terrible sharp pain in my right hand side. I presume it's a stitch but I'm not eating or drinking close to my ride. Is there any way to stop this?

Thankyou!

[KnottedYet]

Actually, you need to eat and drink before you ride. Don't hold back!

Yes, that sounds like a bonk. There's nothing mystical about it, it's just low blood sugar. Now you know that an hour uses up the amount of fuel you had on board. Either start off with more fuel, or add fuel as you go.

Figuring out energy needs is a lot of trial and error. Everyone finds their own way to fuel their ride, which is often quite different than someone else's way!

For example: before big rides I eat huge breakfasts that just gross out the folks around me. They work for me, so I eat them. And I know better than to ask if anyone wants to share...

In general, I eat a good snack (a tube of Clif Blox, or some cheese and nuts and crackers, a glass of soymilk) before a ride, then sip Clif Shot drink mix through-out the ride, and/or eat 3 Clif Blox every half hour.

And don't worry wondering if 10 miles in one hour is "good". It doesn't matter. Just ride!

[tulip]

You need to eat and drink before, during, and after your ride. I don't know where you got the 90-minute refueling info, but that's plain wrong.

Do a search on eating and drinking and nutrition here and you will find lots of useful information.

At the very least you should be drinking a bottle of water before your ride, a big swig every 10-15 minutes or less (depending on terrain, weather, and you), and a recovery drink or water after your ride. Eat something every 30 minutes. Adjust according to your needs.

Stay hydrated and well-nourished (not junk) all the time, not just when you are riding. You can't have fun if you feel bad, and the whole point of riding a bike is to have fun and feel good!

[Eden]

I'll address the side stitch.

This can be caused by two things. One is eating too much too close to the start of your ride, but your bonk seems to more indicate that was probably not the case. It can be caused by eating something your body disagrees with too close to a ride too (bananas give me awful cramp.... though I like them off the bike)

It can also be caused by not warming up. Don't go all out right off the start. Take some time to warm your body up and be ready to ride harder. Start slow and ramp it up a little at a time. Cramps from warming up sufficiently can be absolutely excruciating .

[alexis_the_tiny]

If you're heading off on a long ride, you need to start eating or drinking some sort of sports drink every 10 to 15 minutes or so. Don't wait till you actually bonk to get calories into you.

I'll usually carry a bottle of water and a bottle of regular strength sports drink with me for sub 2 hour rides. For the longer rides up to 4 hours or so, I'll carry two bottles of diluted sports drink and sports beans, cut up clif bars or cut up brownies in my jersey pocket. Also, I make sure to have a really good pre-ride and post ride meal. There are a lot of really good information out there about nutrition on a ride which you should read, then play around a little and see what works for your body.

The mental block part, well, I experience it a lot, usually within the first 10 to 15km of a ride. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do aside from knowing that this is how it is. I usually just break down rationally why I want to stop. Anything that's short of a cardiac arrest or a broken/torn something, I just tell myself "Sorry, its not a good enough reason to stop, keep going." Sometimes, it can be VERY helpful to have someone you can draft but keep working on it, eventually, you'll get to the point where you can get over that hump.

As for the pain, the moment you feel it, stop and stretch the area as well as you can. I get that too a lot in my lower left rib, it goes away eventually with some stretching. No idea why it happens though...

[ny biker]

I'm going to be a bit of a contrarian here -- for one hour of exercise (bike ride, long walk, workout at the gym) I don't find it necessary to eat during the hour.

However I make sure I have eaten appropriately beforehand, such as a snack of about 200 calories 1-2 hours before starting if it's been a while since my last meal. I also make sure not to eat anything too heavy or hard to digest, so nothing too high in fat or with extreme fiber content.

I drink water throughout the exercise.

However I usually have a pack of gu or two in my bike bag, just in case I get hungry on any ride.

[Eden]

You need to eat and drink before, during, and after your ride. I don't know where you got the 90-minute refueling info, but that's plain wrong.

I've heard similar.... there have been a number of articles like this one http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/05/sports-drinks-good-or-bad/ where the OP probably saw the 90 min info.

It is of course a *very* individual thing, but as a general rule of thumb we tell our new riders. Under an hour take at least water/water with electrolytes. 1-2 hours have at least fuel in your bottle - ie a sports drink with calories. 2+ hours fuel in your bottle and something more solid - bars, blocks etc. How well fueled you are before your ride and how hard you ride will of course have an effect too, as will a number of medical conditions. If you tend towards hypoglycemia or are diabetic you'll of course need to take more care and monitor you intake carefully.

Note we give minimums, we don't tell people to limit their intake - we certainly don't want bonks on our rides, but I think this advice is given because there is definitely a tendency for people to overestimate the number of calories that they burn and to not know the amount of calories in their drinks/foods. If I were to go on an hours easy ride, I'd probably burn about 300 calories. If I were to take a bottle of cytomax and eat a bar I'd eat about 340 calories worth of food. 100 extra calories/day is something like 1lb of weight a month I seem to remember.

[PamNY]

I find that I need to eat and drink a good bit when riding. I thought I wouldn't have to think about it much because I'm just a casual rider -- wow, was I wrong. I had a couple of experiences similar to yours.

Now I always take plenty of liquids and snacks. Experimentation will tell you what you need.

[Biciclista]

more side-stitch...

Are you breathing slowly, deeply, rhythmically? I have found that if i don't breath shallowly, I don't get the side-stitch. It's easy to forget, and of course once you get it....it's hard to get rid of.

[DarcyInOregon]

I want to add a few comments, and to affirm how different the needs for fuel are for different individuals, and how different the need for fuel can be on different days and different rides. For me, learning what and how and when to drink and eat was the most difficult aspect of increasing my miles when I started distance cycling 3-4 years ago. My doctor cautioned me that my blood lab tests indicate that the cycling takes my blood sugars down low and keeps them low, and so it is something I've been working on diligently this year, to fuel more often during my rides. I've even had rides where I go oh oh 6 miles into the ride and have to stop and eat a Power Bar, even though I had a huge breakfast of oatmeal. I only use the gel products during the last 20 miles of a century because of how the simple sugars in the gel bloks affect my blood sugars. No, I am not diabetic, it is just how my body is.

I also learned that when I fuel and drink correctly, the quality of my rides go up tremendously; I can go faster up the hills, I can go longer distances, I don't suffer undue fatigue or muscle tears and I enjoy myself wholeheartedly.

[indysteel]

I've heard similar.... there have been a number of articles like this one http://nutritionwonderland.com/2009/05/sports-drinks-good-or-bad/ where the OP probably saw the 90 min info.

It is of course a *very* individual thing, but as a general rule of thumb we tell our new riders. Under an hour take at least water/water with electrolytes. 1-2 hours have at least fuel in your bottle - ie a sports drink with calories. 2+ hours fuel in your bottle and something more solid - bars, blocks etc. How well fueled you are before your ride and how hard you ride will of course have an effect too, as will a number of medical conditions. If you tend towards hypoglycemia or are diabetic you'll of course need to take more care and monitor you intake carefully.

Note we give minimums, we don't tell people to limit their intake - we certainly don't want bonks on our rides, but I think this advice is given because there is definitely a tendency for people to overestimate the number of calories that they burn and to not know the amount of calories in their drinks/foods. If I were to go on an hours easy ride, I'd probably burn about 300 calories. If I were to take a bottle of cytomax and eat a bar I'd eat about 340 calories worth of food. 100 extra calories/day is something like 1lb of weight a month I seem to remember.

I agree largely with this.

I'm not one to eat a whole lot during a ride, but I almost always carry food with me. You never know when you're going to get really hungry, get lost or otherwise delayed. I'd recommend the same for you, especially as you get to know your body's needs a bit better.

[Lesley_x]

Right, I have ready everyone's replies and I am very grateful for all your help!

I guess I will need to pay greater attention to my eating and drinking habits. I did not think at this stage I would need to! But it's clear that I need to start. Perhaps some form of sports drink is the way to go.

Here's a question though, I'm very annoyed that I haven't lost any weight since I started cycling (in fact, I'm gaining). So if I'm not losing weight, but I'm not fuelling enough, what do I do? Surely any extra calories I take in is going to result in a greater weight gain?

I have been thinking recently I need to cut down my calories to enable me to lose weight. How do I balance this with fuelling my rides?

I think the side stitch could be a result of not warming up. Now I think about it this problem has only occurred after I changed my route, which has a large hill right at the start. I guess I could be exerting myself too much too soon.

Another technical question, my bike feels very inefficient. I would like the change the tyres for skinner, slicker ones. This was always my plan. I currently have 700c x 40 tyres on there and they're really knobbly. They feel like hard work. Can anyone explain to me what size I could go down to (so 700c x 28 or whatever) and if slicks would be recommended on a hybrid? Every day I regret not getting a road bike :rolleyes: lol I am constantly being overtaken by them!

[colorisnt]

First of all, good for you for getting out there and DO NOT worry about your time. There are days when just getting home in one piece is a triumph!

Second, you can put slicker tires on your bike. They do make slicker ones for bikes like yours. I don't know about how much you can change the width, though. I am still a newbie with that sort of thing!

Third, definitely drink and eat before a ride. Everyone is different. I love to eat a BIG meal before, but I don't want to eat a lot afterwards. If I will be riding for an hour or more, I bring a snack. If not, I probably won't.

Fourth, the weight question is one people ask a lot. I have lost weight, but gained a LOT more muscle while riding. You may not see weight loss and you may gain weight, after all as muscle weighs more. However, you will tone up and be healthier for doing so.

[HipGnosis6]

I have been thinking recently I need to cut down my calories to enable me to lose weight. How do I balance this with fuelling my rides?

Well, if you fuel your rides a little differently, you'll be able to ride much longer and stronger. Eating a 200 calorie snack along your route could enable you to ride for an extra hour - which burns FAR more calories than the food you took in! How on earth would that work?!? Simple - the fuel in your muscles needs replenishing, and it's a long slow process to do that by converting fat into fuel. Replenishing your fuel with food works quickly, though.

It's a tough balance - it's easy to eat too much without even realizing it. It takes some experimentation, but finding that perfect balance of just enough fuel and no extra is the key. As everyone else has said, it's extremely individual and will take some trial and error as to how much and what you'll need to eat and drink on your rides.

[zoom-zoom]

more side-stitch...

Are you breathing slowly, deeply, rhythmically? I have found that if i don't breath shallowly, I don't get the side-stitch. It's easy to forget, and of course once you get it....it's hard to get rid of.

The rhythmic thing is definitely key. I haven't had any side stitches on the bike, but I will get them while running once-in-awhile. Almost always when I am running with a friend and talking. Talking screws with my regular breathing rhythm, then come the stitches. I almost never get them when I run alone.