food question

[arielmoon]

My daily ride is between 15 and 25 miles at about 5 pm. A good breakfast and lunch seem to set me up so that a Clif bar or Clif Builder bar is perfect for pre-ride. I have yet to get hungry or need to eat during a ride.

[Eden]

It more depends on how hard you intend to ride more than how far. If you are going to be riding hard then eating several hours before you ride is best. Personally I prefer eating about 3 hours before a race, if I don't I will cramp. I don't find it necessary to worry as much about it if I'm just going for a casual ride.

Now what you eat - carbs or protein is a bit more determined by how long you are going to ride. A fast short ride think more carbs, longer rides throw in some protein for sustained energy.

[10yearstogether]

I'm new, so for now, I'm just going to have my typical pre-run breakfast of a breakfast bar (I prefer Kashi chewy bars or Larabars) and then bring along some Shot Blocks and Sport Beans to pop every 30 minutes or so.

[malkin]

The sorriest ride I ever rode was on the way home from a gigantic feed of enchiladas, beans, rice, etc.

It was only about 5 miles, but it was pure regret all the way.

[RoadRaven]

Like Zen says, every one is different.
Take a fruit bar or something with you and eat it if you need it.

On steady training rides up to two hours, I don't eat anything. If I have had good meals in the previous 12 hours, thats usually enough. But I always take a bar with me "just in case" on longer rides.

If my ride is only going to be about 60-90 minutes, I usually don't take anything to eat wit me at all.

I race most Saturdays, and the only time I take food with me is on on the longer (30-40km) hilly courses. I don't take food for the flat ones cause I finish those much more quickly, and I find I am more likely to need food in summer than I do in winter.

Have fun finding out what works for you... cause that'll mean lots of riding and that can only be a good thing