Good riding snacks?

[TexasKate]

Hello again, ladies! I've been away for a while, but have found my way home and am riding again...could BARELY do 6.7 miles two weeks ago (I hadn't ridden in about 2 months), and am now up to 26 and feeling pretty darn good!


Now, on to my question - since I'm doing longer rides, should I bring a snack or two along just to keep my energy up. I've read and been told that a lot of cyclists bring fruit along, but I've found that bananas and apples make me REALLY hungry. Does anyone else experience this, or am I a freak of nature? Maybe I should just pack a granola bar or two and forget about it...

What do you ladies think? Do you snack on long rides?

[makbike]

I carry a couple of Clif bars in my bag at all times just in case I get the munchies while I'm riding. If I know I'm going to partake in a long ride I will sometimes carry trail mix (peanuts, M & M's and raisins) and/or a couple of boxes of raisins (plain or yogurt covered).

I personally can't stomach bananas while riding for they really upset my stomach.

[KnottedYet]

If I eat something too sweet, I also get a rebound afterwards that makes me even hungrier than before I ate the sweet thing.

My blood sugar likes to bounce around, so I bring a variety of things in my handy pannier. Payday bars work well for me, and I usually bring some walnuts or cheese. Lara Bars are great, but expensive. Oddly enough, Clif Shot Bloks don't rebound on me, but also expensive. Bananas are usually no problem for me either. When I eat while riding I really do make a picnic of it: I get off the bike, take off my helmet, eat a few things, watch the world go by.

[Denise223]

Some yummy snacks would be...... Zoe bars, Whole Foods unsalted cranberry trail mix, raw almonds, Mi-Del Vanilla or Lemon snaps....... Just some things I like....

Denise

[caligurl]

i love the kashi brand bars!!!!!!

[TsPoet]

I can't find it now, but I read a blog awhile ago from a nutritionist/cyclist who suggested fig newtons, she claimed they have a lot of what people look for in energy bars, without the cost.
Anyway, they work well for me. Of course one reason I like them is I don't like them , so I only eat them on the bike and only 1-2 every 30 minutes or so. Things I like (like Luna bars) have a tendancy to be eaten too much.

[li10up]

My typical ride sounds alot like yours 20-25 miles. Unless you haven't eaten in quite awhile you PROBABLY don't need food while on the bike. You might want to eat a little something before you start your ride though. Sometimes I'll just eat a Power Bar gel before starting my ride. Gatorade or your sport drink of choice should help keep you from getting sluggish for that length of a ride. The people I know that do longer rides 40, 50+ do eat on the bike. Grapes and Fig Newtons seem to be popular with them.

[im4smiley]

I will agree with you, Texaskate, when I eat apples, it makes me hungry

[bcipam]

On rides less than 50 miles, I generally only eat a Balance Bar (half way) and use GU or Beans.

On rides greater than 50 miles, I carry fig newtons (full strength - need all the sugar they can offer), or a half pj sandwich (no jelly), maybe another Balance Bar. Generally I stop and have lunch somewhere if I'm out for over 4 hours. Don't like to carry too much but then again I live in an urban area. There's a convenience store every other block!

I wouldn't get in the habit of carrying too much food and/or eating too much. You should be fueling (lightly) every 20 miles and if into a long ride, maybe every 15 - 20 minutes (after 25 miles). GU, Hammer Gel, etc is great for that.

[KnottedYet]

I'd guess I have a picnic every 10 miles or so. (I'm slow, so that's every 45 min or so) If I don't eat a little something fairly often I get crazy-hungry and b*tchy and headachey. My ride turns foul, and then I eat waaaaaay too much after the ride.

You just have to experiment and find out what works best for you. My bod likes the way things are now; I have fun rides and feel great and lost 50 lbs and am down 8 sizes.

My wife, on the other hand, hardly ever wants to picnic as often as I do. She stays happy with just sports drink and eating maybe once to every 2 or 3 of my picnics.

[Tater]

If I don't eat a little something fairly often I get crazy-hungry and b*tchy and headachey. My ride turns foul, and then I eat waaaaaay too much after the ride.

I get this way as well if I don't eat! It isn't fun. I have gotten to where I have snacks stashed EVERYWHERE! Luna bars in my desk drawer at work, trail mix in the truck, and Sports beans in the Bento Box (pb sammy and Fig Newtons for rides over forty miles). I am a day long grazer, (Moo!) but it seems to keep my blood sugar on an even keel.

[dachshund]

I'm currently studying the information at the website below. It's like "everything you always wanted to know about eating for cycling..." although the information would apply to any sport. It's been posted elsewhere, but it has helped me make sense of the gazillion products available.
http://www.naturalstrength.com/nutrition/default.asp

We used to make jokes about carrying a cooked baked potato in your jersey pocket. I'm glad to see that the PBJ has replaced this as the perfect food.

[KSH]

Hey KnottedYet... are you a man... or are you woman married to a woman?

Just curious... as typically men stay away from... "Team ESTROGEN".

My wife, on the other hand, hardly ever wants to picnic as often as I do. She stays happy with just sports drink and eating maybe once to every 2 or 3 of my picnics.

[salsabike]

In case anyone's interested, I asked my family doc last year whether we should bring some kind of sports drink mix on the Seattle to Portland ride. She's a super jock, champion mountain climber, and has done the STP on a tandem 8 times as part of the medical team. She said she once asked a guy she used to date, a doc who was on the US Olympic team nutrition committee, about what is really important to take in on a long ride. He said if you drink plenty of water and eat the stuff at the food stops like PBJ, bananas, oranges, bagels, boiled potato, you would have everything you need. Worked for us last year.

On my weekly 30 mile rides, I usually eat a Balance or Luna bar, and that's it, with lots of water. 60 mile rides, two bars and water.

[CorsairMac]

yup - and I've started carrying hard-boiled eggs and rice cakes! The perfect ride food!