Organized Ride: Suck it up -OR- Sit it out?

[caligurl]

ya know.... i really need to give that gel stuff a try some time! i know the big rule is never to try something new on a big ride... so i'll have to remember to try some when we do our national park climb here!

oh... to add to BG's advice (if it wasn't stated earlier in the thread) eat a GOOD breakfast!

for normal rides here at home... and "normal" (not climbing centuries that i can get to in a decent amount of time... say within 1/5 to 2 hours) i have my favorite pre-ride meal of oatmeal, natural peanut butter and light chocolate soy milk...

however for any of my epic climbers.... we stop at denny's and i have a good breakfast: eggs... bacon... (even the hashbrowns!) and a fruit filled pancake! so i get some protein... fat.. and carbs! i stay fuller longer than i do on oatmeal (i try to eat my denny's meal an hour to hour and a half before i leave!) seems to work for me! otherwise i get hungry quicker than the first rest stop.... and that's not good!