Pre-ride meal

[alpinerabbit]

I usually have a soft boiled egg and bread, butter and jam. That's fine for the first 1-2 hours of a long riding day, and it seems you're done after 1-2 hours.

[indysteel]

For morning rides (and my morning rides tend to be 45 miles or longer), I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of yogurt. I may throw a banana in there, too, if the ride is 60 plus miles. For afternoon rides (which tend to be in the 25 to 30 mile range), I usually just eat a well balanced lunch. I may eat something small an hour before the ride, but I usually don't need to.

[ttaylor508]

For rides under 40 miles, I don't eat any different than I would any other day. I do make sure to have something with protein in it when I get back though. I usually just drink water on short rides, anything over 40 and I will grab something with electrolytes and usually eat something with protein and carbs before I leave like a whole wheat english muffin and an egg and maybe a banana.

Everyone is different though and you will need to find what works for you.

[OakLeaf]

It makes a huge difference what I eat before our Wednesday night hill rides. Because it's an evening ride but also hilly, it's 32-37 miles and anywhere from 1500-2500' elevation gain, both depending on sunset time. If I don't have a nice big bowl of brown rice three hours before we ride, I just start HURTING halfway through. It doesn't feel like a bonk, hunger, lack of energy or anything like that, it feels like I'm not in shape to do the ride. But that's not what it is, because if I eat properly the next time, I'm fine.

I had to discover this accidentally because it never felt like it was nutrition-related.

[Veronica]

If I have enough time I'll eat yogurt with cereal on top. That's my breakfast pretty much every day.

If the ride starts too early for me to eat than I drink chocolate milk in the car on the way there.

V.

[ehirsch83]

I eat just bread or cereal. Either toasted or not. Could be plain toast, english muffin, or a bagel. Orr cereal or oatmeal.

A lot of people I know don't eat. As long as my ride is under 60 miles I am fine with just the pre-breakfast and fluids in my bottles, anything longer and I tend to need a little more, which I prefer to take in on the bike instead of before the bike.

Also slowly change what you eat, some people have digestion issues while on the bike, and you might not realize it until it is to late.

For me, I can't have coffee or peanut butter before I do any ride that includes intervals, tempo work, or any other hard efforts; but I can have it if I am just doing a recovery or lsd ride.

[RockyRaquel]

Thanks for all of your replies! I really appreciate it!!