Your Century Eat/Drink strategy?

[Fredwina]

How i approach it depends on wether it's supported or not
Pre-ride meal - Clif bar or a bagel
1 Hydration - set your computer on elapsed time - every 15 minutes - H20 every 30 enegry /electolyte drink
every hour food - enegery gel or carbs
get plenty of bannannas, you don't want to have killer cramps at mile 90
That being siad, I have a "garbage disposal" stomach - I usaullu don't have problems with Indigestion and riding. I think the key is that folks think if they burn XXX calories/hour, they have to consume the same or they will bonk. The problem is that you have to expend calories to digest food(Grasping at an opportunity to be wrong here), so if you put too much in you tummy, it could backfire (no pun intended).
It does take some expermentation to figure out what you need

[SouthernBelle]

I'm doing my first century this Saturday, but last Sat I rode a little over 75 miles. I carry a clifbar cut up into 8 pieces in my bento box and snack on it. I went through 3 bottles of liquids, so I figure 4-5 for a century. I also ate a Mojo bar in there somewhere.

I'll have my usual breakfast of cereal & banana with coffee. Start time is 7:00 a.m. and I have to drive about 80 miles to get there, so that should be plenty of digestion time.

I just try to eat and drink small amounts continuously.

[uk elephant]

I am by no means an expert but I did do 80 miles on Sunday and felt great the whole way....

Breakfast (about 1 hour before I headed out): oatmeal with raisins, seasoned with cinnamon and ginger, topped with brown sugar and whole milk. Also had a glass of water and a small coffee

Snack break at mile 25'ish (after 90 mins): home made English type of flapjack, which is really like a cereal bar made with oats, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter. I make mine with chopped nuts too (brazil nuts this time) and top with chocolate. Great energy food and very tasty.

Lunch: pot of proper English strong tea with milk, toasted ham and cheese sandwich with tortilla chips and coleslaw.

Snack break at 90mins after lunch: another flapjack

Snack break at 2hrs after lunch: some energy gel.

On arrival home I had a very yummy ice cream (chocolate cornetto) and a pint of coke in the pub then came home where BF served up yummy sausages, roasted veggies and gravy.

On the road I drank about three bottles of water and two bottles of blackcurrant squash (I can't stand sportsdrinks). Probably should have drunk more water, but I felt pretty good.

[michelem]

uk_elephant,

What is "squash"?

[makbike]

I'll eat a good dinner the night prior to the century on Saturday (probably steak & potato, salad, veggie). I'll also make it a point to drink plenty of water on Friday to keep myself hydrated.

Saturday morning I'll have a fried egg, bread, apple and a smoothie. I'll have a diet coke during my 45 minute drive to Georgetown.

I'm assuming there will be SAGs about every 25 miles or so. If this is the case I'll munch on peanut butter treats, fruit and fluids at each stop.

I'll fill both bottles at the start with Gatorade and refill them at each SAG.

I'll also pack a few Clif bars and MOJO bars to munch on if I feel I need an extra boost along the way.

[uk elephant]

Squash is concentrated juice that you mix with water to drink. Comes in all kinds of flavours.

[Trek420]

Squash is concentrated juice that you mix with water to drink. Comes in all kinds of flavours.

UK, since you hate sports bev, try to bring a lot of Squash with you or powdered bev of choice on AIDS Lifecycle. We will have Gatorade and water at the rest stops, no other sports bev is provided at stops.

There will be lots of juice options in camp.

My strategy is pretty much the same, try to eat balanced meals before a big ride.

Normally I don't eat oatmeal but it's oatmeal every morning on the AIDS ride. Yum.

Also (sorry for the slight hijack) UK, there is a continental style breakfast at the ride start (no coffeeeeee though). Knowing there's no oatmeal I'll pick up TJ's oatmeal scones.