Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
Zippinalong, that is a lot of food for a 25 mile ride. I agree that hydration and eating, especially protein make a huge difference, but I might add that eating real food (of whatever type you can do before/after a ride) is a lot better. Sometimes people wonder why they are gaining weight when they ride a lot; those bars and gels add up and have a lot of sugar. I use bars as a snack during a ride, but generally only use Shot Blocks (like gel) when i am seriously tired or on a ride longer than 50 miles.
+1 on real food. Even protein bars that are home made are better nutritionally and taste-wise. Energy bars made with dried fruit are great. Protein bars can be made with whey protein. I just don't like ingesting something that has a shelf life longer than Mick Jagger.

I thought that sounded like a lot of food too for a 25-35 mile ride. I'll typically just ride it without stopping. But like you, a 50+ mile ride requires a stop for fuel. I do carry cytomax in a water bottle for electrolytes & fast energy if I'm doing a 25+ mile ride. So maybe that isn't "real food" but I haven't been able to duplicate it in terms of results.