Eat while riding?

[kat_h]

I tend to plan rides partly around eating. There's a new restaurant I want to try that's 30 km away, so I'll have a nice 60 k ride soon. There's another one that's 51 k so that'll get me a metric century next month.

[Yen]

The general rule is to increase your distance, time, or intensity by about 10% per week. You might want to taper back just a bit to where you're most comfortable, and then begin adding more mileage and time in smaller increments each week.

For fuel, everyone is different. A lot of people like oatmeal before a ride, and carb snacks during the ride. We like Nature Valley Oat 'n Honey bars for our rides, or dried apple pieces, oatmeal cookies or similar snack bars, and the like. Another thing I do is put a little O.J. (or apple juice) in the bottom of my water bottle, add a little honey (1-2 tsp.) and fill with water.

Be sure to not let yourself get hungry. Experiment and find what works best for you.

An excellent resource for learning about food as fuel for exercise is Chris Charmichael's Food for Fitness. He trained Lance Armstrong back from the brink of death to TdF victory, so I guess he knows a thing or two on the subject.

[IFjane]

S&TGirl - I usually eat every 15 miles or so. That seems to work for me. This time of year when the temps are cooler I take two bottles of just water, but as the temperatures heat up I usually take an energy drink in one bottle and water in the other. If we are on a long ride, then every-other time I eat a gel while I am riding to save time. I have to stop for bars though 'cause I choke if I don't!

Have you ever heard of Larabars? They are completely natural, easy to digest, provide lots of energy and are made right in Denver.

https://www.larabar.com/secure/index_.php

I love them because they are GOOD and easy to eat. If you can get your hands on some, give them a try.

[Di bear]

I did a lot of fueling on the bike last year. This year, I decided to hone back a little based on my ride times. For example, I no longer need a goo for a 1.5 hour ride. If I do 2 hours or more, I'll start to add things in. Then, it's a question of Heed vs solid food.

You may find one thing works one year and then you can switch it up the next simply because you're in better shape.

I've found that my body responds quite well to Hammer products. I like chocolate Hammer gel and Heed (Hammer Nutrition's vs of Gatorade, kind of). One thing I REALLY like about Hammer is that their products are all natural. I've found that by switching most of my foods to organic and trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup, I've gotten rid of my asthma and coughing of three years and my acne is now clearing up.

With that in mind, what you put in your body during your ride may not be nearly as important as what you put in when you're not on your bike.

Welcome to cycling! You'll find it's more than just a sport. It's a lifestyle that's well worth the journey.

[Aggie_Ama]

If 30 is a long distance for you, you probably will want a snack. When I started riding 30 would be hard without Gatorade and maybe a small snack. I was already running four days a week, so I had a good fitness base but 30 miles would wipe me out.

Four years later I will not eat on a 30 miler, I will however have one 20 oz bottle water and one 20 oz of something with electrolytes. I usually eat every two hours (in the normal area I ride this would be about 35 miles) because anything more tends to upset my stomach.

[smilingcat]

I used to carry a small pouch of cytomax powder, some fig newtons, luna bars still my favorite, water. When my two water bottle ran out, I would make a stop at 7-11, circle-K, deli wherever and get 32 oz bottle of water for a refill. One would have plain water the second bottle would have cytomax with water.

If your training ride is one hour or less, you don't need to refuel. but if your ride is over 2 hours, refuleing is a must. I just like to graze.

My rides are not that long right now so I just carry two bottles, one with plain water the second with Accelerade and water. I'm upping my milage to 40 miles per ride so I will start carrying fig newtons or luna bars. Graze while riding.

When I get home, I have jerkey with all that salt and a fruit smoothie before I do anything else.

Smilingcat

[la bicicleta]

Larabars

Peanut Butter to-go cup