My favorite snack to bring on longer bike rides is Fig Newtons, I prefer the fat-free kind (and as a backup, my very favorite tangerine powerbar gel with 2x caffeine). I can fit 6 fig newtons in my bento box and they are right there waiting for me when I start feeling sluggish. I usually put one gel pack in my jersey pocket, then a backup in my set pack. Most often, I don't need either one, but they are there "just incase".

A big lessons learned for me that I'd like to share is that refueling during riding should be based on your own personal body needs, and not on other cyclists. (I'm only talking about food here, not water - water should be replenished before, during and after ride) When learning to ride, I read all of this stuff about cyclists eating energy bars, gel packs, and fruit while riding. So I thought I was suppose to do that during each ride. Well, I found that my body didn't need it and soon learned that I only needed refuleing when doing longer than 25 mile rides. Anything less than that, I was fine with my one bottle of water and one bottle of gatorade.

My lesson is that you really need to listen to your body and not what other cyclists do, becuase each cylcist is different. Just keep in mind that when refueling, you shouldn't be consuming more calories than you are actually exerting. If you add up a bottle of gatorade, an energy bar, and a gel pack, this will bring you well over 700 calories. So make sure to listen to what your body needs before refueling. Also keep in mind, the best fueling techniques occur 1 - 2 hour prior to your ride.

Also, never forget your water, spare tube, pump, multi-tool, cell phone, and emergency information.

Happy riding!
Roshelle from Milwaukee