I'd say it depends on how long the ride is. If it's just a short trip, then there's not much to recover from. For longer rides and very hard efforts, I think it's better to have something. I generally have orange juice right after a long ride, followed shortly by a sandwich. My short rides tend to be in the evening so I just follow up with a regular dinner.
I go with orange juice because it's got vitamins and minerals and is a quick way to get some calories, and it's always easy for me to drink. They say chocolate milk is a good post-workout drink, but it's not appealing to me on a hot day.
- Gray Trek Madone 4.7 road bike, mystery crack in top tube repaired by Calfee, Bontrager Affinity RXL saddle
- Red Trek 6000 mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver Trek 2000 road bike
- Two awesome and worn out Juliana saddles