Well, I'd say it depends on what you eat the night before. I learned the hard way not to have a Five Guys cheeseburger with fries the night before a big bike ride. And that dinner at the Mexican restaurant the night before my first-ever century was not a good idea, especially considering how nervous I was at the time. So you bring up a good point, which is to eat foods you know you can digest easily the day or two before the ride.

I will eat a slightly larger dinner than usual the night before a long ride, but it will be a tried-and-true meal that I've had many times before. Same with breakfast before the ride. I'll eat more than usual, but it will be the same waffles that I have most other mornings.

The trick is when the big ride involves a road trip with a stay at a hotel. That takes lots of planning to try to control your pre-ride meals.