Potatoes as ride fuel

[nscrbug]

Does anyone here use boiled potatoes as a fuel on long rides? I read about it on another forum and decided to try it today...but I'm not sure if it was very effective for me. I used "red" potatoes, as they are good for boiling. I peeled about 8 small ones and then boiled (with a dash of sea salt) until fork-tender. I cut maybe 2 or 3 of them into small bite-size pieces and stashed in a ziploc. Did an 88 mile ride today and at our first rest stop (which was 27 miles into our ride), I ate 2 or 3 pieces. Then at our next stop (roughly 50 miles in), I finished the rest. But I felt completely "gassed" right around the 65 mile mark. The potatoes sat well in my tummy, but it seems like they just didn't give me the boost I was looking for. Just wondering if others have tried potatoes on long rides and what your results were.

Linda

[malkin]

I like potatoes as part of a pre-ride breakfast.
They're a bit bland for me to want them as an on the road food, though.

[zoom-zoom]

Potatoes are higher glycemic than refined table sugar...so perhaps they caused your blood sugar to spike fast, then you crashed. I'm thinking a lower-glycemic source of carbs would be a better choice while biking for a long time. Sweet potatoes/yams would be better than white-fleshed ones.

[Zen]

I like the new red potatoes cut up, brushed with olive oil, salted and roasted.
The skin is high in potassium.
That, and they taste really good.

[Pika]

I tried potatoes for some of my long rides too- I found that they are just not calorie dense enough- ie not enough calories per volume.
I need about 250 cal per hour I'm riding and I was suprised at how few calories potatoes had!( 78grams=65 calories) I just couldn't physically carry enough- it is too bad because they sat well in my belly
I'll bet that you just didn't have enough overall caories and that is why you crashed part way thru- it is a good thing that they have a high GI since you want to access the calories right away- but you need enough of them.
hope that helps

[smilingcat]

boiled red potato then salted is a common fair on organized ride. Along with banana and orange wedges. eat the skin too.

I usually go for fig newtons.

[Pedal Wench]

There's a great Youtube video of Allen Lim, now on Lance's team, talking about how he prepped potatoes for the Team Garmin guys - boiled, peeled, rolled in olive oil, parm. cheese and salt, then wrapped in little foil pockets. Sound yummy, but then I read how you can't keep potatoes at room temperature for very long without them becoming dangerously susceptable to food poisoning. So, been afraid to try it.

[Zen]

boiled red potato then salted is a common fair on organized ride. Along with banana and orange wedges. eat the skin too.

I tried eating banana skins. It didn't go well.

[nscrbug]

There's a great Youtube video of Allen Lim, now on Lance's team, talking about how he prepped potatoes for the Team Garmin guys - boiled, peeled, rolled in olive oil, parm. cheese and salt, then wrapped in little foil pockets. Sound yummy, but then I read how you can't keep potatoes at room temperature for very long without them becoming dangerously susceptable to food poisoning. So, been afraid to try it.

Eeeeks! I did not know this. I'm sure the Garmin guys were able to keep their food in coolers in the team cars...and since I don't ride with a team car following me (oh, how I wish!)...I guess the potato thing isn't such a good idea.

[Zen]

Peeled?
I discussed potatoes as fuel with my doctor who told me that all the potassium is in the skin

[OakLeaf]

Also in the skin are all the nightshade toxins, and if they're not organic, all the really scary fungicides and pesticides they use on potatoes.

I don't eat the skin unless they're both organic AND very freshly dug so they haven't had a chance to green. If there's any green in the flesh, I don't eat that part, either.

[Zen]

I can't afford to be that picky.

That, and I just don't care. I rarely eat potatoes and the level of offensive ingredients are comparatively low.

[smilingcat]

Zen and her infinite wisdom LOL... No I don't do the mellow yellow (smoke the dried out banana peel).

Don't eat the green colored potato skin (not mold) but green like the leaves Green color will be next to the "meat". Otherwise, yummy.

[KnottedYet]

Potatoes!?!?!

<Knot whips head around>

Potatoes? POTATOES!!! PO-TAAAAAAAY-ToooooooOOOOOOOooooES!!

-Knot has a slight potato "issue."

(cookie-monster-esque melee ensues)

My rides and half marathons are fueled beautifully by potatoes accompanied by some form of carbonized/oxidized mammal flesh with copious amounts of olive oil. If I can find no other mid-ride sustenance, a can of Coke and a bag of chips will suffice.

Potatoes are my friends. (they don't talk back and they do as I say=friends.) I haven't tried plain boiled taters in a baggie on rides, because I know that would send me crashing. But taters with a block of cheese and some pecans would be awesome.

(BTW - I eat any part of the tatoe that can't get away from me.)

[shootingstar]

Everybody's body is different.

I know that I only like have a potato ...1-3 times..per month. In actual fact, there are times I go for 4-5 months without having any potato. Potatoes seem to sit around in me a bit longer ...like sludge.

It's not hard to imagine this...whole regions of the world do not have much potato in their diet. Other sources of healthy energy.