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 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles