Eating during a ride.

[Trek420]

Hi ,I'm attempting my first 20 mile Charity ride this summer.It advises a snack along the way to refule. What should I have ? Do I need a cereal bar for sugar boost ,an apple??? (unfortunately I hate Bananas) Advice please ! Tbh I'm struggling with the whole food regime for cyclists. Cheers

Congratulations on your first organized ride. This is really something you will find out while training for the event. Everyone has different pre/during/post ride preferences. Disclosure: the following is just me, YMMV;

Pre-I often skip breakfast. I know that's not good. I NEVER skip coffee if I can possibly help it. But if I'm doing a long ride, and for me that'd be 40 - 60+ miles I like oatmeal or even an oatmeal scone if in a rush. Oatmeal keeps me feeling full and fueled longer with no upward tummy issues. Moat important for me is nothing sweet before I ride.

During-On longer rides I'll have water bottles in both cages. One's plain ol' ordinary H2O, the other might be a sports drink. Anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes in I'll start slugging water and mostly while riding. It's a skill you'll want to get eventually. If you can't drink and drive yet, don't worry. Grab a sip at stops, even a traffic light. I can sometimes tell especially if it's hot I start to slow down when I get dehydrated.

During longer rides: You're on a 20 mile so you might not have rest stops. Rest stops are often 20-30 miles apart. But as you get into the sport you'll want to master rest stop planning so you can eat and get back on the road. Again, this is just me but what I do is this:

* Park the bike. Remember where you put it. I don't like to be at the outside of an organized ride but somewhere closer to the middle. Bike thefts are extremely rare on an organized ride they sometime do happen in a grab and go style. I lock my bike. Noooooooo, I don't bring a bike lock but I'll attach my gloves on both front and rear wheels just looping the velcro wrist strap through a spoke, and do the same with my helmet. Sometimes I'll pop it in a slightly higher gear than I'd like. I just want to make things difficult for you if you want my bike.

But if you see me on a ride don't let me forget these things are there or I'll fall over as I leave

* Switch the water bottles; remember I've taken slugs of the front bottle, now the rear bottle goes forward, front bottle goes with me. Depending on heat I will be drinking as I go through the stop.

* Food! You're just going to have to learn what works best for you. Are you going to need a snack before the next rest stop? Put it in the back pocket of your jersey. Fill the now empty water bottle.

* Crew: Always always always thank the volunteers.

*Porta potty: Need I say more.

Now for you, this routine I'd use for the 2nd, 3rd and beyond rest stop might be what you'll do at ride end for this. Except your food needs are different at the end of a ride and it's mostly more leisurely. You're not trying to get back on the road before the sweep car as I often am . The longer the ride and the more often you do endurance events the more important this is.

After a long event our bodies are primed to refuel. To avoid a feeling of tiredness or soreness I find I want some protein right away. Chocolate milk is an excellent. As you train, perhaps doing longer and longer rides, you'll want to see what food work best for you after a long ride.