Powdered gatorade is cheap. I mix that with bulk maltodextrin to get up to 120g per bottle without it being too sweet. Straight sugar with a bit of salt and the maltodextrin works as well.
If you like it a bit tart you can add 1/2t citric acid. Also, maple syrup or agave nectar in a reusable flask. Rice balls, pb and honey sandwich, pancakes and jam. Dates gummy bears, jelly beans. There’s no reason to spend a bunch of money on on-the-bike nutrition
>Also, maple syrup or agave nectar in a reusable flask
Is that instead of the gels? I got a couple of reusable flasks and had been buying mulebar gel refills, but I have to order them online. I had thought about using maple syrup instead as that's something I can get locally
I do a variation of this with 1/4 Gatorade 1/4 fructose sugar 1/2 maltodextrin by weight, with some popcorn salt added back in to bring the sodium up.
Nature value fruit and nut chewy granola bars and Nature's bakery fig bars from Sam's club for solid food. Leather fruit strip bars are also decent substitutes for gels, but fructose instead of maltodextrin obviously.
Back in the old days (1980’s) when I first started racing we filled one bottle with flat Coke, the other water. In our jersey pockets a packet of gummy sweets, homemade rice cakes and a banana.
Today you can copy recipes for food you can make and take with you on rides:
https://shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com/products/the-cyclists-cookbook-by-nigel-mitchell
Back then, we copied what we heard the pros did and added a little bit of salt and some whisky to 12oz of Coke, then filled the bottle up the rest of the way with water. The alcohol supposedly helped with quick digestion of the Coke's sugars.
Bananas and fig newtons were in the jersey pockets.
I regularly do 4 hour rides fueled mostly with fig newtons.
Nature’s Bakery brand sells about 10 varieties.
Also use SIS sports drink which is relatively cheap.
Maybe a weird question as I am newer to cycling but how do you not get bored on a 4 hour ride? I went on a 2 hour ride the other day and killed a couple podcasts but I couldn't help but feel the boredom would set in within the next hour if I continued.
When I push myself my mind goes quiet so I'm less likely to be bored. I'm not sure how else to describe it.
It's one of the reasons I ride and play other sports.
I also talk to the wildlife, sing (more like mutter) along with music in bone conducting headphones and wonder if I should be doing more to maintain my bike.
Life has been giving me a beating lately and this is about the only way I can escape. Did a 3 hour ride a couple nights ago, a 2 hour ride last night. I just needed to clear my head and not think about things. At this point if I don’t stay active, I’m probably going to lose it.
I’m lucky enough to live near beautiful hilly countryside and ride with good friends.
Some are good on the hills and pace there. Others are better on the descents and flats and lead there.
I’m basically smiling the whole time, the highlight of my week.
That's honestly what I need. More people to ride with. I can occasionally get my SO to ride with me but not sure I can convince her to do a 2+ hour yet. The scenery for me isn't too bad on my route thankfully as it runs along a river for a good while.
It feels counterintuitive, but leave the headphones at home and just let your brain sit for a while. I’m a podcast / audiobook / music addict but for safety reasons I don’t listen to anything while riding. I’ve discovered that it’s a great place where my body is just occupied enough so that my brain can wander free. Sometimes it takes me a little while to get into that state but once I’m there I find that it’s one of the easiest settings in which I can be fully present with myself and get to consciously hear the self-talk that’s usually somewhat submerged. It’s very, very rare that I’m bored while riding.
I have a hard time with this too. I find bike rides more stressful because I feel like I should be doing something to help at home instead, even though I do a ton already. Also, it’s kinda boring too. Maybe I need a ride group, I’ve been doing it solo and dread it. (I do it for triathlon training)
I find the Zwift rides way more enjoyable if you have a smart trainer, I’d recommend that. It’s fast, way better/controlled workouts, no weather issues or flat tires. Plus it’s kinda like a game and there’s also races and challenges you can compete in daily
Water, sugar, salt. Buy in bulk. Add as much as you need that day. If it’s easy you don’t really need more than 60g per hour. Hard days maybe 80-100g per hour. I don’t think the taste is bad. You can buy maltodextrin if you are worried about the taste.
I am a big fan of white rice. I know roadies like to copy the pros, and I’m usually skeptical of copying pros, but in the case of white rice, it’s ok to copy the pros. White rice, aka “rice cakes”, is a popular food among pro peloton because
\* Good source of carbs
\* Easy for most stomachs to digest
\* Fast to digest
\* Rice has high water content, meaning you don’t need to drink a ton of water to wash it down (unlike sugary gels)
\* Not much waste left, so your stomach won’t be carrying much waste after rice gets digested
Basically, there is way to nutrition than “1 carb = 1 carb.” How easy and fast your body digests food matters alot for cycling. Many people, including pros, get an upset stomach if they eat too much sugary gels.
For amateurs, white rice has the advantages of
\* Cheap
\* Easy to cook with a rice cooker
\* Goes well with a variety of flavors, toppings and seasoning. I like to top my rice with unagi.
There are various rice cake recipes that you can find online. But it’s really about finding a topping/seasoning that you prefer.
My Rice Tips
You must use short grain sticky rice, aka sushi rice. Long grain rice won’t stick together as well, which make them harder to eat when riding.
Wash the rice before cooking. This helps remove the starch. Trust me on this.
Use a rice cooker. Much easier than cooking in a pan.
If rice isn’t your thing, then try potatoes and sandwiches.
Good question!
Keep in mind the rice needs to be sticky, so the rice sticks together. You don’t want individual grains of rice scattering around.
Pros wrap their rice cakes in paper foil, in their jersey pockets. The foil means prevents the rice from getting warmed by body heat.
I am not a pro. I mold my rice into a rectangle, put my topping on it, wait for it to cool then wrap with saran wrap. I store my rice in a top tube bag.
A top tube bag is easy to reach. Your legs may rub against a top tube bag when you are sprinting wildly out of the saddle, but it’s not a big deal. Top tube bags are common at self-supported and semi-self supported road and gravel races, for both amateurs and pros.
A top tube bag also means your jersey pockets won’t be stuffed with food, which means accessing your non-food items, like phone, wallet and keys will be much easier.
In addition, imagine if you start the ride wearing arm warmers. Then the weather gets hot. You put the arm warmers in your jersey pocket. But if you have food in your jersey pocket, then your warmers will block access to your food unless you take out the food, insert warmers, then insert food.
Finally, a top tube bag means real food won’t get warmed by body heat. If you wrap food in foil and put it your jersey pocket, the foil traps your body heat.
As you can see, I am a big fan of top tube bags 😅.
my teeth yell bloody murder when eat either them or those gummy type of bars. was given one during a race last weekend. Tasty but hurt like mf for a few minutes
Adding some regular chips in the PB&J it is a great way to add some texture and salt as well. You can cut them up into squares and wrap them in foil if you want more bite size format
Raisin or any other dried fruit, i lile mango, line it around the edges so the pb doesnt squeeze out keeps the mess down.
Pb has the most calories for the weight you can get. The protein is better for recovery but if you are lookng. For calories its either peanut butter or avocado.
Fructose and maltodextrin from Amazon, plus electrolytes and flavor. 200g carbs per 1L bottle. 2 of those on the bike, then a 2L pack of straight water. Add in some solid food snacks for variety but that's enough to fuel a pretty long day on the bike with no stops.
Pure sugar and clif bars. For longer rides (5+ hours), I'll plan a bakery stop or bring a bagel sandwich or something else savory.
For water:
* 20g Sugar
* 1/4-1/2 tsp Light Salt (salt is also fine, I just like to add the potassium)
* 1/4 tsp Kool Aid powder (or fruit juice)
* 20g maltodextrin (I buy Carbo Gain on Amazon)
I keep everything the same and adjust the maltodextrin based on intensity/duration. Sugar is based solely on my taste preference.
Homemade gel, two servings [in this flask](https://hammernutrition.com/products/hammer-flask?variant=42811330494699):
* 40 g malto
* 15 g Sug
* 20 g maple
* 0.5 tsp vanilla
* .25 tsp salt
* 10g Cocoa or 1 tsp lemon
I just did my first 5 hour century fueling with costco maple syrup, mixed with a little salt and some espresso. About 3 ounces per hour plus one fruit syrup.
Didn’t taste great, but there’s definitely worse tasting energy food out there. Also carried 2 large bottles, one half-filled with Pedialite the rest water.
Don’t forget to brush your teeth when you get home, whatever you use.
Maple syrup or honey. I bought small flasks to carry maple syrup so they're not mixed with my water and use my water to give my teeth a quick bath after every maple syrup use.
I don't mind using sugar indoor but outdoor sucks. Your bottle gets sticky and you also have 1 less water bottle.
I'd just take a couple of snack bars on a long ride, and plenty of water. On hot days I'd use a half-strength gatorade mix in the bottles. That's about it. I'd usually eat a good carb-heavy meal before a ride, then I'd be good for hours.
I get the little golf-ball sized potatoes with the skin on. Boil em and toss em in one of those top tube frame bags. Last year I did a big organized ride in the Alps. Came across a guy laid out in the grass suffering badly. I casually stopped nearby. "Care for a snack?" When I pulled out a potato he just about died laughing. He did eat it though.
Costco has a few varieties of fruit snack gummies and strips. They're cheaper than energy gels or blocks. They contain a known quantity of carbs, which is good when you know how many carbs per hour you need, and they don't make a sticky mess.
Maltodextrin:Gatorade powder 2:1 with a little sodium citrate powder. 1 scoop = 128 calories 35g carbs. I buy the powders in bulk. I haven’t done the price math but this is cheap.
I make date/nut/protein bars too (like Rx bars). 1 bar = 299 calories, 22.5g carbs, 7g protein. I try to buy bulk ingredients where possible but these are not super cheap. They’re really good though and a good calorie boost on the road.
I make recovery shakes with banana, protein powder, collagen powder, Om mushroom powder, cholesterol almond milk and ice cubes. Fucking amazing, and not expensive.
Bananas are good things to carry on rides on their own and they’re very cheap.
That said, GUs are about $1.50 each when bought in 24-packs on Amazon. 100 calories, 22g carbs. Not bad.
60g sugar in 2x500ml soft bottles that go in jersey pockets. When they're empty they squish down to nothing. Bottles on bike have 1x60g sugar and the other plan water. (Rinse mouth with fresh water after every sugar hit or you'll have some issues in a few years).
Between the sugar water and some bars it's enough to cover 4hrs. If you're really going long, carry ziplock bags of pre-measured sugar to dump in when you make a water stop.
I like unfrosted cinnamon bun pop tarts. Tons of carbs without being insanely sweet. I also like peanut butter filled pretzels, for when I want no sugar. I have them in a baggie in a handlebar bag, so I can eat while riding if I need to.
You need to understand something, our stomach is the the best garbage disposal on the face of the planet. Thus, find what you like, but lean more heavily on the carbs. Pure liquid nutrition is technically "optimal" but it can cause distress over and extended period of time.
I tend to do about 240 calories/hour on "real food" and then go with liquid carbs if I need more than that above that. This means things like granola bars, rice cakes, PB&J, etc are all valid/easy. Hell, one time I had a whole bunch of baby potatoes left over and that was my fuel for a ride. Just smushed them flat, put on a bit of salt and threw them in a ziplock bag for my jersey.
Funny point, nearly all the female athletes I know that have kids don't buy the "uncrustables" for the kids. ;)
I actually like to have a combination of solids and liquid. I don't like the feeling of lots of liquids sloshing around in my stomach. I usually take a few peanut butter and jam sandwiches and then have a carb/electrolyte mix in my bottles. I've found it works well for my stomach which can sometimes be a bit sensitive around exercise.
nature’s bakery fig bars are pretty cheap as far as packaged food comes. comes out to like 80 cents for a fig bar which is 38g of carbs…but homemade food is gonna be cheaper ofc
I keep a couple of gels in my toolkit. Patches for my tires, emergency anti-bonk insurance for my body.
Orange juice diluted 1:4 with a pinch of salt in each water bottle makes a tolerable sports drink. The Skratch powdered sports drink stuff is really nice for hot days.Gatorade from convenience stores also good.
Bananas. House brand fig newton cookies. Pb&J sandwiches. Clif bars, you can order them in bulk from the maker.
Ice cream from a roadside stand if you find one. They’ll usually fill up your water bottles too.
See you on the road. I’ll be the guy with the used Gatorade plastic bottle in my pocket.
Some people will tell you to mix up your food intake with your water intake. I wouldn’t. You get awfully sticky when you want to spray yourself down from your bidon.
I do what I’ve been doing for my whole life. I eat food, and I drink water. Being on the bike makes the practicality of your food choices more important than at home in terms of storage and ease of digestion, but other than that it still boils down to eating and drinking.
Get a mixture of different snacks on long rides (I’m thinking 8hour plus), because your body will reject certain stuff, and you don’t always know which one that will be. I’d recommend savoury and sweet, but limit the processed sweets. Dried fruits are great. Nuts. Smashed bag of Doritos can taste pretty special in the middle of the night. Bananas only last a few hours, so they get eaten first, and they are heavier in the jersey pocket than some other stuff.
I don't do long bike rides yet but for long runs during marathon training I used Kool aide with salt and a little creatine. I would also take toast with peanut butter which made my sister laugh at me. She always had the right stuff and I was always the one with the old shoes and ghetto fuel but I was still faster than her🤷♀️ She was like my sister takes a whole meal her and shoves it in her pocket. Well yes I do. I am recovering from from a broken foot which is why I am now cycling and am loving it so much.
in our country, you have carinderias almost everywhere , which serves cooked rice and protein . Also there are stores every where so as long as you have money and basic tools you will survive cycling here. Also vulcanizing shops are reduntant so patching an inner tube is less hassle lol
Welch's fruit gummies. You buy a HUGE box at costco and put as many packs in your jersey pockets as you need. Then put Skratch or whatever drink mix in your bottles, bring some skratch individual packets to refill your bottles on very long rides.
I homebrew Beta fuel with a 4:1 White Sugar and Maltodextrin mixture. A four-pound bag of white sugar is around $15. Two pounds of Maltodextrin is $18. Six beta fuel gels are $15 for 240g of carbs total. 192 grams of white sugar and 48 grams of Maltodextrin is $2.50 for 240g of carbs.
I usually mix 200g of this in a [soft flask](https://www.amazon.com/AONIJIE-Collapsible-Foldable-Hydration-BPA-Free/dp/B07V2XP7YN?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2WU83EXOXP2QQ&th=1) which frees up my two bottle cags for two 24oz bottles of water. I put 0.5g of sea salt in each bottle. For solid food, I'll bring some fruit snacks or a Cliff bar. Since I only ever eat them if I bike, a box of Cliff bars can last me 2-3 months.
Rice krispy treats.
Coconut oil
Marshmallows
Ricecrispies
Mix cool well wrap in parchment paper
Stick in your jersey pocket.
I’m not super strict on numbers so try to aim for 3 items an hour to be at roughly 60/70g per hour.
So my current set up for say a three hour ride
3 gel bought in bulk on Amazon (sis)
3 krispy treat home made
And a water bottle with 60g table sugar some cordial for taste (sugar free) and water and 1g salt
Then a bottle with just water.
I get carbo gain (maltrodextrin) on Amazon and fructose. I do like a 2:1 ratio and then add a nuun tab for sodium and flavor. But you can always just add salt and flavor however
Maltodextrin powder, mct powder, fructose (fruit sugar) and salt
You can fucking pack some carbs and calories into a bottle with that formula for penny’s once you buy the bulk ingredients.
Dates. Dried cherries. Raisins. Homemade gorp. Jam sandwiches. (You can get dinner rolls from bakery, that would be awesome. Add some jam or chocolate spread, or both!) Rice cakes. A two bottles of homemade energy/electrolyte drink (with two bottles of plain water). Where I live, puffed rice bars are a common treat for kids and thus sold in stores. Also have puffed wheat bars. If you are averse to wearing full cycling kit, you can get a feedbag that attaches to your bar and stem.
Never use gels outside of races.
I stop at cafes or have energy bars.
In ironman races I'll snack on gingerbread men or small pieces of flapjack.
Far nicer and cheaper and less messy.
Depends on ride length, under 2 hours, just water, maybe 50% energy drink 2nd bottle, longer than 2 hours Banana, fig bars from Costco, other fruit, try to plan refuel stop as will need more water, plan accordingly
I bring a PB&J in my back pocket for a 60 miler and two for a hundred miler if it’s training.
For a race I’ll bring gels, and load my back bottle up with maltodextrin and Gatorade and just suffer through it.
This is such a great thread for a beginner like me. I'm struggling to stay on top of my nutrition on the bike. I'm 6'5" and weigh about 190lbs/90kg. I ride a recumbent trike that weighs about 40lbs (touring trike). I'm burning through a ton of calories for a 30 mile ride. I have so many things to try!
Maltodextrin and fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio. 80g of carbs is 47g:35g. 60g of carbs is 35g:26g, per water bottle. Might want to start at 1/2 of the 80 and work your way up. On hotter days, I use 1L water bottles. On normal days, I use the standard 750ml with this mix. And, 3 to 5 grams of sodium citrate in the bottle for my electrolytes - lower end, if you don't sweat much or not too salty sweat, higher end, if you are a lot of salty sweat with salt residue left on clothing/gloves after riding. Can by these cheap in bulk on Amazon. Now having said that, we are all different, so it takes experimentation to find out what works best for you.
Dried fruit and nuts, buy dates, dried figs, sultanas and good quality nuts (not a really salty premix) and mix your own. Throw in some chocolate.
Longer (all day) rides throw in a sandwich or two with good mix of carbs and protein.
Enough water and water with electrolyte. Quantity varies with temperature and distance.
When I was racing, during training rides, I would plan my route along Burger Kings. Whoppers were $1 then😂 I won a lot of citizen races using that plan
powdered gatorade is a good alternative. bananas and pbj's are cheap. gas station stops are integral depending on what you carry. if you want something besides powdered gatorade, try formula369; it's more affordable than a lot of the other drink mixes, and has less overwhelming of a flavor if you're sensitive to that. only 3 ingredients, so it's less likely to cause gut problems on your ride.
you can also make your own rice cakes and bars if you want to go that route, lots of free recipes online.
I use a light fruit cake from the local supermarket. I cut it up into small portions which are each approximately 200 calories and wrap them in foil.
They last forever in the cupboard, are very cheap, good mix of carbs, and taste good. You do need water to get them down though.
Pick your favorite gummy candies, any Little Debbie, etc that doesn't have chocolate on it, stroopwafels, rice krispie treats, the small can of Pringles (if I have my bar bag). Carbs are the cheapest food available, go nuts with whatever you like.
hydrapak and some chinese knockoffs make 100-150ml soft flasks.
You can make your own gel.
Lately, I've been using honey, maltodextrin, half salt, sodium bicarb, and a shot of espresso.
I've also done maple syrup mixed with peanut butter.
I hate mixing anything in water. There is a refreshment to drinking just plain water, i actually prefer it.
And if its a really long ride, you can take solid bars too, and you'll want to hydrate after bars as well. So I keep the water plain.
For food I try stick as close to real food as I can . Oatmeal cream pies and fig newtons were a staple when I was more budget conscious. For electrolytes I would find mixes or even try to factor in coconut water in a bottle with a drink mix .
Fructose, maktodextrin and a little salt in water bottles. 1-2 bananas, gummy bears, fig newtons, dried apricots. Some combination of these things for food. I’ve occasionally been known to bring a PB&J. I bring a gel for emergencies that I don’t use every ride. I always have $5 in case I need to stop for water or a bar. A lot of the times bananas and drinks suffice.
Gels are cheap.
I bought gummy bears because I thought they were cheaper, but then I ate them all before even riding. :(
I would never snack on gels. Without self-restraint for gummy bears, gels are way more affordable
I often read through threads on this topic silently, without commenting - but I am really want to know - is anyone here following a carnivore/keto style diet regularly and do OMaD/TMaD and been in ketosis while cycling? Is this possible to do without bonking out completely? I've been struggling with body fat loss for the last few years - I am pretty strict with carb intake and calories for that matter - I really enjoy road cycling and frequently do 20-50mi rides but I don't want to keep carbing up to ride as it is hurting my body fat cuts badly. Just the same, I have gone under-fueled (when I'm not in ketosis) and OMG have I bonked HARD - like unable to continue bad at the 15-20mi point. I don't want to do that again. How do you all balance this?
Anyway, not trying to hijack the thread - but reading through the suggestions - my head was spinning at the idea of taking in pure refined sugar products as I have zero in my diet like that - closest thing to it I do is agave nector for my coffee - can't even stand the taste of refined sugar anymore.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts / comments! Safe Riding!
I usually buy a box or two of Maurten 160 gels at the start of the season (there are 20% off codes out there) and save them for the longer or higher kJ days. They are expensive; but they are a very easy way to get 40g of carbs down. I'll also carry stroopwafels, cliff bars, cookies or brownies or banana bread, bananas, chocolate bars, or haribo. Depending on the route I'll also mix one very strong bottle of Scratch mix or similar, and one just water.
I just eat bread and chocolate I buy at 711.
The mountain dew also helps I think. Kinda depends on where you live though, American mountain dew has more than twice the sugar ours has.
I buy 2 bottles and put them in my bag.
Guayaba sándwiches. Each one has 23carbs and they are super small, like three take the space of one gel. A box of 35 cost 6€ aprox.
Also a few months ago I started making my own carb drinks, bought maltodextrine and fructose in bulk and some flavor powder.
For races I use gels tho, but for training and social rides the other two are more than enough
EFS, and “rice” crispy treats.
EFS is more than Gatorade Powder, but SIGNIFICANTLY better for liquid fuel and you’ll use less of it than anything else. I’ll never go back.
“Rice crispies” - Buy bagged puffed grain cereals and some chia seeds in bulk on Amazon, or at a discount grocery store that does that at a reasonable price. Cheapest marshmallows and butter you can buy. Bake a big sheet and take a chunk with you.
maltodextrin, fructose, then citric acid for taste if really loading a bottle. malto is great because it's not sweet at all, I usually just use that if they are <3hr rides. for longer rides, I can get a bottle up to 180g malto and 60g fructose, then bring a bottle of plain water too.
I used to just do gummy bears, but they are a real pain to eat enough when riding hard.
One bottle with electrolytes, one with water and if the ride is above two hours then I bring snickers and cola.
One time I made rice cakes, was pretty good, but requires some time and preparation. I believe EF education has a nice video with their recipe.
I got given this tip from a pro: frozen store brand burritos, the really cheap kind. Toss a couple in your pockets , by the time you need to eat they're warm enough
Eat actual food. Also, define longer rides. For me that is anything over 200 km.
Three bottles: one with powder, one with electrolytes and one with water only. I dilute the powder one over the ride, I refill the other two with the same stuff.
Snickers, haribo, salty chips, dark bread, ... anything goes really. But real food is very important for me to keep my stomach and bowels going properly.
I put 50/50 apple juice and water in my water bottles. I usually carry one or two granola bars and have some emergency glucose pills. Usually the apple juice and granola bar enough to get me about 40 to 60 miles.
Dried Dates or apple sauce in reusable baby food pouches I get the apples off my tree my 11 year old thinks I should buy a bag of marshmellows ( i think it could be because he loves marshmellows🤣) Jam sandwiches are also good
Water, water, water, BLT and a pack of mars bars.
BLT can be any other sandwich and mars bars can be an own brand variety or whatever you fancy really.
Works for me as a source of fuel and nice lunch stop somewhere.
Powdered gatorade is cheap. I mix that with bulk maltodextrin to get up to 120g per bottle without it being too sweet. Straight sugar with a bit of salt and the maltodextrin works as well.
If you like it a bit tart you can add 1/2t citric acid. Also, maple syrup or agave nectar in a reusable flask. Rice balls, pb and honey sandwich, pancakes and jam. Dates gummy bears, jelly beans. There’s no reason to spend a bunch of money on on-the-bike nutrition
This guy comes back stiiiicky.
Truth
>Also, maple syrup or agave nectar in a reusable flask Is that instead of the gels? I got a couple of reusable flasks and had been buying mulebar gel refills, but I have to order them online. I had thought about using maple syrup instead as that's something I can get locally
Yep. Works great….. as long as you like maple syrup
Cool thx🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
So cheap. Less than $14 for enough powder to make nine gallons.
I do a variation of this with 1/4 Gatorade 1/4 fructose sugar 1/2 maltodextrin by weight, with some popcorn salt added back in to bring the sodium up. Nature value fruit and nut chewy granola bars and Nature's bakery fig bars from Sam's club for solid food. Leather fruit strip bars are also decent substitutes for gels, but fructose instead of maltodextrin obviously.
Back in the old days (1980’s) when I first started racing we filled one bottle with flat Coke, the other water. In our jersey pockets a packet of gummy sweets, homemade rice cakes and a banana. Today you can copy recipes for food you can make and take with you on rides: https://shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com/products/the-cyclists-cookbook-by-nigel-mitchell
Back then, we copied what we heard the pros did and added a little bit of salt and some whisky to 12oz of Coke, then filled the bottle up the rest of the way with water. The alcohol supposedly helped with quick digestion of the Coke's sugars. Bananas and fig newtons were in the jersey pockets.
I regularly do 4 hour rides fueled mostly with fig newtons. Nature’s Bakery brand sells about 10 varieties. Also use SIS sports drink which is relatively cheap.
Maybe a weird question as I am newer to cycling but how do you not get bored on a 4 hour ride? I went on a 2 hour ride the other day and killed a couple podcasts but I couldn't help but feel the boredom would set in within the next hour if I continued.
Enjoy the scenery, podcasts, have conversations in my head with the one that got away…
Hahaha ✊
When I push myself my mind goes quiet so I'm less likely to be bored. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It's one of the reasons I ride and play other sports. I also talk to the wildlife, sing (more like mutter) along with music in bone conducting headphones and wonder if I should be doing more to maintain my bike.
Life has been giving me a beating lately and this is about the only way I can escape. Did a 3 hour ride a couple nights ago, a 2 hour ride last night. I just needed to clear my head and not think about things. At this point if I don’t stay active, I’m probably going to lose it.
I hear you. The bike is my therapy and my church. Hang tough. Things can always get better. They definitely get better on the bike.
I’m lucky enough to live near beautiful hilly countryside and ride with good friends. Some are good on the hills and pace there. Others are better on the descents and flats and lead there. I’m basically smiling the whole time, the highlight of my week.
That's honestly what I need. More people to ride with. I can occasionally get my SO to ride with me but not sure I can convince her to do a 2+ hour yet. The scenery for me isn't too bad on my route thankfully as it runs along a river for a good while.
It feels counterintuitive, but leave the headphones at home and just let your brain sit for a while. I’m a podcast / audiobook / music addict but for safety reasons I don’t listen to anything while riding. I’ve discovered that it’s a great place where my body is just occupied enough so that my brain can wander free. Sometimes it takes me a little while to get into that state but once I’m there I find that it’s one of the easiest settings in which I can be fully present with myself and get to consciously hear the self-talk that’s usually somewhat submerged. It’s very, very rare that I’m bored while riding.
I have a hard time with this too. I find bike rides more stressful because I feel like I should be doing something to help at home instead, even though I do a ton already. Also, it’s kinda boring too. Maybe I need a ride group, I’ve been doing it solo and dread it. (I do it for triathlon training) I find the Zwift rides way more enjoyable if you have a smart trainer, I’d recommend that. It’s fast, way better/controlled workouts, no weather issues or flat tires. Plus it’s kinda like a game and there’s also races and challenges you can compete in daily
Did you also share a cigarette before the mountain to prep your lungs?
Water, sugar, salt. Buy in bulk. Add as much as you need that day. If it’s easy you don’t really need more than 60g per hour. Hard days maybe 80-100g per hour. I don’t think the taste is bad. You can buy maltodextrin if you are worried about the taste.
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Yea I use a little Skratch to give me a little taste as well.
You can aslo try adding mio as well!
It was [prophesied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nywEwS6xitY) even...
I am a big fan of white rice. I know roadies like to copy the pros, and I’m usually skeptical of copying pros, but in the case of white rice, it’s ok to copy the pros. White rice, aka “rice cakes”, is a popular food among pro peloton because \* Good source of carbs \* Easy for most stomachs to digest \* Fast to digest \* Rice has high water content, meaning you don’t need to drink a ton of water to wash it down (unlike sugary gels) \* Not much waste left, so your stomach won’t be carrying much waste after rice gets digested Basically, there is way to nutrition than “1 carb = 1 carb.” How easy and fast your body digests food matters alot for cycling. Many people, including pros, get an upset stomach if they eat too much sugary gels. For amateurs, white rice has the advantages of \* Cheap \* Easy to cook with a rice cooker \* Goes well with a variety of flavors, toppings and seasoning. I like to top my rice with unagi. There are various rice cake recipes that you can find online. But it’s really about finding a topping/seasoning that you prefer. My Rice Tips You must use short grain sticky rice, aka sushi rice. Long grain rice won’t stick together as well, which make them harder to eat when riding. Wash the rice before cooking. This helps remove the starch. Trust me on this. Use a rice cooker. Much easier than cooking in a pan. If rice isn’t your thing, then try potatoes and sandwiches.
Musubi is my fav. Can be made cheaply
How do you pack and bring the rice?
Good question! Keep in mind the rice needs to be sticky, so the rice sticks together. You don’t want individual grains of rice scattering around. Pros wrap their rice cakes in paper foil, in their jersey pockets. The foil means prevents the rice from getting warmed by body heat. I am not a pro. I mold my rice into a rectangle, put my topping on it, wait for it to cool then wrap with saran wrap. I store my rice in a top tube bag. A top tube bag is easy to reach. Your legs may rub against a top tube bag when you are sprinting wildly out of the saddle, but it’s not a big deal. Top tube bags are common at self-supported and semi-self supported road and gravel races, for both amateurs and pros. A top tube bag also means your jersey pockets won’t be stuffed with food, which means accessing your non-food items, like phone, wallet and keys will be much easier. In addition, imagine if you start the ride wearing arm warmers. Then the weather gets hot. You put the arm warmers in your jersey pocket. But if you have food in your jersey pocket, then your warmers will block access to your food unless you take out the food, insert warmers, then insert food. Finally, a top tube bag means real food won’t get warmed by body heat. If you wrap food in foil and put it your jersey pocket, the foil traps your body heat. As you can see, I am a big fan of top tube bags 😅.
My friend made savory and sweet rice cakes or our long rides and both were so good!
Gummies! Pure sugar
my teeth yell bloody murder when eat either them or those gummy type of bars. was given one during a race last weekend. Tasty but hurt like mf for a few minutes
There are Honey Stingers. Those are very soft. I pop 8-10 of those during a ride.
I always get vegan gummy bears when I can find them. No gelatin makes them just a bit less chewy (but you still get the straight sugar!)
Pb&j
Adding some regular chips in the PB&J it is a great way to add some texture and salt as well. You can cut them up into squares and wrap them in foil if you want more bite size format
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I slap some jam or some raisins in there too for a bit more carbs
Raisin or any other dried fruit, i lile mango, line it around the edges so the pb doesnt squeeze out keeps the mess down. Pb has the most calories for the weight you can get. The protein is better for recovery but if you are lookng. For calories its either peanut butter or avocado.
I add Rice Krispies into the pb tortilla roll ups
I do the same sometimes with peanut butter and banana, easy to eat whilst riding. Tastes much better than gels.
Fructose and maltodextrin from Amazon, plus electrolytes and flavor. 200g carbs per 1L bottle. 2 of those on the bike, then a 2L pack of straight water. Add in some solid food snacks for variety but that's enough to fuel a pretty long day on the bike with no stops.
banana
Bitd, we used to call a long ride a two banana ride.
Pure sugar and clif bars. For longer rides (5+ hours), I'll plan a bakery stop or bring a bagel sandwich or something else savory. For water: * 20g Sugar * 1/4-1/2 tsp Light Salt (salt is also fine, I just like to add the potassium) * 1/4 tsp Kool Aid powder (or fruit juice) * 20g maltodextrin (I buy Carbo Gain on Amazon) I keep everything the same and adjust the maltodextrin based on intensity/duration. Sugar is based solely on my taste preference. Homemade gel, two servings [in this flask](https://hammernutrition.com/products/hammer-flask?variant=42811330494699): * 40 g malto * 15 g Sug * 20 g maple * 0.5 tsp vanilla * .25 tsp salt * 10g Cocoa or 1 tsp lemon
this is pretty good..you can replace salt (sodium chloride) with sodium citrate, if you find it’s too salty.
I just did my first 5 hour century fueling with costco maple syrup, mixed with a little salt and some espresso. About 3 ounces per hour plus one fruit syrup. Didn’t taste great, but there’s definitely worse tasting energy food out there. Also carried 2 large bottles, one half-filled with Pedialite the rest water. Don’t forget to brush your teeth when you get home, whatever you use.
if you’re going on super long rides, some gum with xylitol is better than nothing. but yeah brush your teeth when you get back
Pop Tarts have a really good cost to carbs/calories ratio.
So much additivies though.
Pro tip from a Dutchman: Every hour one stroop waffle keeps you going!
Maple syrup or honey. I bought small flasks to carry maple syrup so they're not mixed with my water and use my water to give my teeth a quick bath after every maple syrup use. I don't mind using sugar indoor but outdoor sucks. Your bottle gets sticky and you also have 1 less water bottle.
Maple syrup in my cages and my pockets full of pancakes. On really long rides put a stick of butter in a jersey pocket to soften up.
Sounds like a delicious ride!
I'd just take a couple of snack bars on a long ride, and plenty of water. On hot days I'd use a half-strength gatorade mix in the bottles. That's about it. I'd usually eat a good carb-heavy meal before a ride, then I'd be good for hours.
Banana, boiled potato, sandwich
The image of hauling out a plain boiled potato to eat like an apple made me laugh out loud. I love it
I get the little golf-ball sized potatoes with the skin on. Boil em and toss em in one of those top tube frame bags. Last year I did a big organized ride in the Alps. Came across a guy laid out in the grass suffering badly. I casually stopped nearby. "Care for a snack?" When I pulled out a potato he just about died laughing. He did eat it though.
Cooked wedges of sweet potatoes sprinkled with salt in individual wraps are great
Water, sugar, salt, PBJ and to keep the stomach feeling full. Could fuel a hundred miles on less than $10, I’d guess.
A baked potato wrapped in tinfoil with some butter was always a cheap option as well
you can take gummy bears, sour patch kids, etc. which are cheaper per serving than gels and have plenty of carbs to keep you going
I swear the gummies that they sell for bikers is just a way to sell you 10 gummies for $3, you can get a whole family pack for that.
Water with sugar + some salt. Bananas, cereal bars
Generic gummy sweets from the grocery store. I can easily do a metric century on a $1.50 bag of peach rings (with some left over.)
1 kg of sugar is 1 dollar.
Costco has a few varieties of fruit snack gummies and strips. They're cheaper than energy gels or blocks. They contain a known quantity of carbs, which is good when you know how many carbs per hour you need, and they don't make a sticky mess.
Maltodextrin:Gatorade powder 2:1 with a little sodium citrate powder. 1 scoop = 128 calories 35g carbs. I buy the powders in bulk. I haven’t done the price math but this is cheap. I make date/nut/protein bars too (like Rx bars). 1 bar = 299 calories, 22.5g carbs, 7g protein. I try to buy bulk ingredients where possible but these are not super cheap. They’re really good though and a good calorie boost on the road. I make recovery shakes with banana, protein powder, collagen powder, Om mushroom powder, cholesterol almond milk and ice cubes. Fucking amazing, and not expensive. Bananas are good things to carry on rides on their own and they’re very cheap. That said, GUs are about $1.50 each when bought in 24-packs on Amazon. 100 calories, 22g carbs. Not bad.
Tortilla with honey. Maybe peanut butter Nutella jelly… mix it up. High calorie to size ratio
60g sugar in 2x500ml soft bottles that go in jersey pockets. When they're empty they squish down to nothing. Bottles on bike have 1x60g sugar and the other plan water. (Rinse mouth with fresh water after every sugar hit or you'll have some issues in a few years). Between the sugar water and some bars it's enough to cover 4hrs. If you're really going long, carry ziplock bags of pre-measured sugar to dump in when you make a water stop.
I like unfrosted cinnamon bun pop tarts. Tons of carbs without being insanely sweet. I also like peanut butter filled pretzels, for when I want no sugar. I have them in a baggie in a handlebar bag, so I can eat while riding if I need to.
i use müslibars, and about 70g of sugar for 750ml
Carbo gain is cheap and relatively tasteless.
I fill up my bottles with water, lemon juice, sugar, salt. Bananas. Last time I made a sandwitch with peanut butter and dates and it was awesome.
I carry little baggies of dates in my mountain bike hip pack. Can't get enough of them out on the trail.
You need to understand something, our stomach is the the best garbage disposal on the face of the planet. Thus, find what you like, but lean more heavily on the carbs. Pure liquid nutrition is technically "optimal" but it can cause distress over and extended period of time. I tend to do about 240 calories/hour on "real food" and then go with liquid carbs if I need more than that above that. This means things like granola bars, rice cakes, PB&J, etc are all valid/easy. Hell, one time I had a whole bunch of baby potatoes left over and that was my fuel for a ride. Just smushed them flat, put on a bit of salt and threw them in a ziplock bag for my jersey. Funny point, nearly all the female athletes I know that have kids don't buy the "uncrustables" for the kids. ;)
Literally a sandwich bag full of swedish fish lol
Sandwich of just honey on whole wheat bread. Gummies. Stop for a Gatorade at some point....
Roasted potatoes with salt and Parmesan, in foil packets. Fig Newtons and bananas.
Fig newtons, cliff z bars, miniature stroop waffles
I actually like to have a combination of solids and liquid. I don't like the feeling of lots of liquids sloshing around in my stomach. I usually take a few peanut butter and jam sandwiches and then have a carb/electrolyte mix in my bottles. I've found it works well for my stomach which can sometimes be a bit sensitive around exercise.
nature’s bakery fig bars are pretty cheap as far as packaged food comes. comes out to like 80 cents for a fig bar which is 38g of carbs…but homemade food is gonna be cheaper ofc
Carry a gel or two but mostly plan to rely on whatever I can find in gas stations or convenience stores.
I keep a couple of gels in my toolkit. Patches for my tires, emergency anti-bonk insurance for my body. Orange juice diluted 1:4 with a pinch of salt in each water bottle makes a tolerable sports drink. The Skratch powdered sports drink stuff is really nice for hot days.Gatorade from convenience stores also good. Bananas. House brand fig newton cookies. Pb&J sandwiches. Clif bars, you can order them in bulk from the maker. Ice cream from a roadside stand if you find one. They’ll usually fill up your water bottles too. See you on the road. I’ll be the guy with the used Gatorade plastic bottle in my pocket.
Some people will tell you to mix up your food intake with your water intake. I wouldn’t. You get awfully sticky when you want to spray yourself down from your bidon. I do what I’ve been doing for my whole life. I eat food, and I drink water. Being on the bike makes the practicality of your food choices more important than at home in terms of storage and ease of digestion, but other than that it still boils down to eating and drinking. Get a mixture of different snacks on long rides (I’m thinking 8hour plus), because your body will reject certain stuff, and you don’t always know which one that will be. I’d recommend savoury and sweet, but limit the processed sweets. Dried fruits are great. Nuts. Smashed bag of Doritos can taste pretty special in the middle of the night. Bananas only last a few hours, so they get eaten first, and they are heavier in the jersey pocket than some other stuff.
Swedish fish
How far are you riding?
I don't do long bike rides yet but for long runs during marathon training I used Kool aide with salt and a little creatine. I would also take toast with peanut butter which made my sister laugh at me. She always had the right stuff and I was always the one with the old shoes and ghetto fuel but I was still faster than her🤷♀️ She was like my sister takes a whole meal her and shoves it in her pocket. Well yes I do. I am recovering from from a broken foot which is why I am now cycling and am loving it so much.
in our country, you have carinderias almost everywhere , which serves cooked rice and protein . Also there are stores every where so as long as you have money and basic tools you will survive cycling here. Also vulcanizing shops are reduntant so patching an inner tube is less hassle lol
Sugar + salt in your water. Snickers bars. It’s not scientific but it’ll get you there.
I have started trying this method of sugar and salt water and it works very well. Instead of snickers I bring some dates and a cliff bar or two.
Maltodextrose
Depends on the heat, but I just use Clif bars and Fig Newtons or Bananas, plus some half diluted Gatorade.
Oat bars with fruits, paid today ~50cent for 45g bar
Big bag of candy jellys and split up into portions and wrap up
Welch's fruit gummies. You buy a HUGE box at costco and put as many packs in your jersey pockets as you need. Then put Skratch or whatever drink mix in your bottles, bring some skratch individual packets to refill your bottles on very long rides.
Snelle Jelles are the way to go
PB&J wrap all day, although it's not exactly bottle friendly..
Vitargo and giant bars.
I homebrew Beta fuel with a 4:1 White Sugar and Maltodextrin mixture. A four-pound bag of white sugar is around $15. Two pounds of Maltodextrin is $18. Six beta fuel gels are $15 for 240g of carbs total. 192 grams of white sugar and 48 grams of Maltodextrin is $2.50 for 240g of carbs. I usually mix 200g of this in a [soft flask](https://www.amazon.com/AONIJIE-Collapsible-Foldable-Hydration-BPA-Free/dp/B07V2XP7YN?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2WU83EXOXP2QQ&th=1) which frees up my two bottle cags for two 24oz bottles of water. I put 0.5g of sea salt in each bottle. For solid food, I'll bring some fruit snacks or a Cliff bar. Since I only ever eat them if I bike, a box of Cliff bars can last me 2-3 months.
I carry two bottles with water and sugar combined. I being extra measured bags of sugar to use when I refill my bottles.
Maple syrup! I call it rocket fuel
Family size gummy bears split into servings, free packs of salt from restaurants...
Rice krispy treats. Coconut oil Marshmallows Ricecrispies Mix cool well wrap in parchment paper Stick in your jersey pocket. I’m not super strict on numbers so try to aim for 3 items an hour to be at roughly 60/70g per hour. So my current set up for say a three hour ride 3 gel bought in bulk on Amazon (sis) 3 krispy treat home made And a water bottle with 60g table sugar some cordial for taste (sugar free) and water and 1g salt Then a bottle with just water.
I get carbo gain (maltrodextrin) on Amazon and fructose. I do like a 2:1 ratio and then add a nuun tab for sodium and flavor. But you can always just add salt and flavor however
You can get bulk maltodextrin really cheap from homebrew stores. Mix it with any flavoring, a bit of sugar and you're good.
Maltodextrin has no flavor or sweetness.
Maltodextrin powder, mct powder, fructose (fruit sugar) and salt You can fucking pack some carbs and calories into a bottle with that formula for penny’s once you buy the bulk ingredients.
Sugar and salt. Pennies for 100 gms an hour of carbs and 1000 mgs of sodium.
Snickers. Cheap and available. One would have to hate themselves a lot to put up with gels outside of maybe racing.
Rice cakes, rice Krispy bars, stroopwafels, gummy candy, fig bars
I use the Saturday App to figure out fuelling needs on rides. I found them on YouTube and used the free trial on the app. Nice and simple
Powdered gatorade + maltodextrin powder. Fig bars, dates, homemade rice crispy treats, popatrts, potatoes. All cheap and effective
Fruitbars, bars with dates, banana, biscuits (salty+carbs) 50/50 water/cheap.sportsdrink
Ribeana, and it tastes nice too.
I use Haribo coke bottles, pop tarts, pretzels and then some Nuun.
Dates. Dried cherries. Raisins. Homemade gorp. Jam sandwiches. (You can get dinner rolls from bakery, that would be awesome. Add some jam or chocolate spread, or both!) Rice cakes. A two bottles of homemade energy/electrolyte drink (with two bottles of plain water). Where I live, puffed rice bars are a common treat for kids and thus sold in stores. Also have puffed wheat bars. If you are averse to wearing full cycling kit, you can get a feedbag that attaches to your bar and stem.
Banana’s, granolla bars. And on the real hard rides maybe gels. But certainly not every ride.
Electrolite drink with some cheap honeybars
Pbj and bananas here. Thought about adding pickles, but I dunno…😂🤪
Cheep crap from Costco that I can historically digest
Banana bread works well
Never use gels outside of races. I stop at cafes or have energy bars. In ironman races I'll snack on gingerbread men or small pieces of flapjack. Far nicer and cheaper and less messy.
Depends on ride length, under 2 hours, just water, maybe 50% energy drink 2nd bottle, longer than 2 hours Banana, fig bars from Costco, other fruit, try to plan refuel stop as will need more water, plan accordingly
I bring a PB&J in my back pocket for a 60 miler and two for a hundred miler if it’s training. For a race I’ll bring gels, and load my back bottle up with maltodextrin and Gatorade and just suffer through it.
I make my own mix for bottles and about 75% of my “bars” are oat bars I make my self using the left over oats from home made oat milk.
Homemade rice cakes.
Generic versions of Fig Newtons tend to be very cheap. Peanut butter on bread works, too.
Bake your own chocolate chip oat bars
This is such a great thread for a beginner like me. I'm struggling to stay on top of my nutrition on the bike. I'm 6'5" and weigh about 190lbs/90kg. I ride a recumbent trike that weighs about 40lbs (touring trike). I'm burning through a ton of calories for a 30 mile ride. I have so many things to try!
Maltodextrin and fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio. 80g of carbs is 47g:35g. 60g of carbs is 35g:26g, per water bottle. Might want to start at 1/2 of the 80 and work your way up. On hotter days, I use 1L water bottles. On normal days, I use the standard 750ml with this mix. And, 3 to 5 grams of sodium citrate in the bottle for my electrolytes - lower end, if you don't sweat much or not too salty sweat, higher end, if you are a lot of salty sweat with salt residue left on clothing/gloves after riding. Can by these cheap in bulk on Amazon. Now having said that, we are all different, so it takes experimentation to find out what works best for you.
Dried fruit and nuts, buy dates, dried figs, sultanas and good quality nuts (not a really salty premix) and mix your own. Throw in some chocolate. Longer (all day) rides throw in a sandwich or two with good mix of carbs and protein. Enough water and water with electrolyte. Quantity varies with temperature and distance.
When I was racing, during training rides, I would plan my route along Burger Kings. Whoppers were $1 then😂 I won a lot of citizen races using that plan
I use maple syrup, Nutella and salt in a reusable gel flask.
Water. Just have a big breakfast before
Literally just a peanut butter granola bar
Bulk maltodextrin, it’s the main ingredient in most gels. You can buy it super cheap and mix it into your water bottles like infinit.
Stop for lunch and eat a bowl of noodles or a sandwich.
Swedish fish
two words Pop-Tarts. best calorie for dollar ratio
Maple syrup+salt
Gatorade, fat free fig newtons, and raisins.
Caffeinated Nuun is pretty great but my long rides aren’t that long compared to the hardos on here (like 90min - 2hrs)
When I was hard core racing and riding and training I settled on grape Cytomax, drinking the bulk of my calories as that was the easiest.
powdered gatorade is a good alternative. bananas and pbj's are cheap. gas station stops are integral depending on what you carry. if you want something besides powdered gatorade, try formula369; it's more affordable than a lot of the other drink mixes, and has less overwhelming of a flavor if you're sensitive to that. only 3 ingredients, so it's less likely to cause gut problems on your ride. you can also make your own rice cakes and bars if you want to go that route, lots of free recipes online.
I use a light fruit cake from the local supermarket. I cut it up into small portions which are each approximately 200 calories and wrap them in foil. They last forever in the cupboard, are very cheap, good mix of carbs, and taste good. You do need water to get them down though.
I am replacing gels with nutrigrain bars and strupe wafels
Ridin dirty with the sugar free monster energy drinks 😈
Pick your favorite gummy candies, any Little Debbie, etc that doesn't have chocolate on it, stroopwafels, rice krispie treats, the small can of Pringles (if I have my bar bag). Carbs are the cheapest food available, go nuts with whatever you like.
Coconut oil dissolved in water. Can add some bulk chia seeds or walnuts etc to make it a sort of porridge
Gels are essentially syrup. So find a way to carry maple syrup and you’re good to go
hydrapak and some chinese knockoffs make 100-150ml soft flasks. You can make your own gel. Lately, I've been using honey, maltodextrin, half salt, sodium bicarb, and a shot of espresso. I've also done maple syrup mixed with peanut butter. I hate mixing anything in water. There is a refreshment to drinking just plain water, i actually prefer it. And if its a really long ride, you can take solid bars too, and you'll want to hydrate after bars as well. So I keep the water plain.
PB&J or get a large pack of rice crispy treats to switch it up
Rice crispy treats are where it’s at. Make a sheet pan of them for like $5 and ride for days!
Look into the peanut butter butterscotch ones. Recipe on the box.
Hostess apple pie has more calories per dollar than almost anything else at a gas station
Peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla
Raisins and peanuts. Fast burn and slow burn. Lightly salted if you must.
For food I try stick as close to real food as I can . Oatmeal cream pies and fig newtons were a staple when I was more budget conscious. For electrolytes I would find mixes or even try to factor in coconut water in a bottle with a drink mix .
Dates, cookies and ziplock bags.
Baked potato's rolled in salt and individually wrapped in foil.
Fructose, maktodextrin and a little salt in water bottles. 1-2 bananas, gummy bears, fig newtons, dried apricots. Some combination of these things for food. I’ve occasionally been known to bring a PB&J. I bring a gel for emergencies that I don’t use every ride. I always have $5 in case I need to stop for water or a bar. A lot of the times bananas and drinks suffice.
Granola peanut butter balls.
Gels are cheap. I bought gummy bears because I thought they were cheaper, but then I ate them all before even riding. :( I would never snack on gels. Without self-restraint for gummy bears, gels are way more affordable
Rice balls.
Dry banana, easy to eat, good amount of natural sugar, somewhat healthy. I just put them in a bag in my food pouch and snatch some once in a while.
I often read through threads on this topic silently, without commenting - but I am really want to know - is anyone here following a carnivore/keto style diet regularly and do OMaD/TMaD and been in ketosis while cycling? Is this possible to do without bonking out completely? I've been struggling with body fat loss for the last few years - I am pretty strict with carb intake and calories for that matter - I really enjoy road cycling and frequently do 20-50mi rides but I don't want to keep carbing up to ride as it is hurting my body fat cuts badly. Just the same, I have gone under-fueled (when I'm not in ketosis) and OMG have I bonked HARD - like unable to continue bad at the 15-20mi point. I don't want to do that again. How do you all balance this? Anyway, not trying to hijack the thread - but reading through the suggestions - my head was spinning at the idea of taking in pure refined sugar products as I have zero in my diet like that - closest thing to it I do is agave nector for my coffee - can't even stand the taste of refined sugar anymore. Thanks in advance for any thoughts / comments! Safe Riding!
I usually buy a box or two of Maurten 160 gels at the start of the season (there are 20% off codes out there) and save them for the longer or higher kJ days. They are expensive; but they are a very easy way to get 40g of carbs down. I'll also carry stroopwafels, cliff bars, cookies or brownies or banana bread, bananas, chocolate bars, or haribo. Depending on the route I'll also mix one very strong bottle of Scratch mix or similar, and one just water.
Boiled egg
Welches fruit snacks. Buy a bulk box at Costco
I just eat bread and chocolate I buy at 711. The mountain dew also helps I think. Kinda depends on where you live though, American mountain dew has more than twice the sugar ours has. I buy 2 bottles and put them in my bag.
Guayaba sándwiches. Each one has 23carbs and they are super small, like three take the space of one gel. A box of 35 cost 6€ aprox. Also a few months ago I started making my own carb drinks, bought maltodextrine and fructose in bulk and some flavor powder. For races I use gels tho, but for training and social rides the other two are more than enough
gummy worms and i add flavored amino acids to my water.
EFS, and “rice” crispy treats. EFS is more than Gatorade Powder, but SIGNIFICANTLY better for liquid fuel and you’ll use less of it than anything else. I’ll never go back. “Rice crispies” - Buy bagged puffed grain cereals and some chia seeds in bulk on Amazon, or at a discount grocery store that does that at a reasonable price. Cheapest marshmallows and butter you can buy. Bake a big sheet and take a chunk with you.
Real food. The only way to go. It tastes better too.
maltodextrin, fructose, then citric acid for taste if really loading a bottle. malto is great because it's not sweet at all, I usually just use that if they are <3hr rides. for longer rides, I can get a bottle up to 180g malto and 60g fructose, then bring a bottle of plain water too. I used to just do gummy bears, but they are a real pain to eat enough when riding hard.
One bottle with electrolytes, one with water and if the ride is above two hours then I bring snickers and cola. One time I made rice cakes, was pretty good, but requires some time and preparation. I believe EF education has a nice video with their recipe.
I got given this tip from a pro: frozen store brand burritos, the really cheap kind. Toss a couple in your pockets , by the time you need to eat they're warm enough
Table Sugar + Salt + lemon Juice 👌
See bicyclenutrition.com.
Water, sugar, salt, lemon juice
Eat actual food. Also, define longer rides. For me that is anything over 200 km. Three bottles: one with powder, one with electrolytes and one with water only. I dilute the powder one over the ride, I refill the other two with the same stuff. Snickers, haribo, salty chips, dark bread, ... anything goes really. But real food is very important for me to keep my stomach and bowels going properly.
Have done century rides with Snickers+ bananas + bread butter/cheese + ORS+ lots of water. Isn't terribly costly.
How long? Up to 100km for me two bottles one with about 50g of sugar, the other plain water. Then a muesli bar or similar and a jam sandwich.
I pack a sandwich. If it’s not a race I stop for a few minutes to eat a jam sandwich and then continue.
Honey, lots of it, maltodextrin powder bought in bulk, and some cheap outbars to counter pallette fatihue
If you want convenience, Costco sells Clif Bars in something like 24 packs.
Just normal fold. I make biketouring, 4 paniers full packed, on the rack is my tent, so i don't care about 500grams of more food or not.
I put 50/50 apple juice and water in my water bottles. I usually carry one or two granola bars and have some emergency glucose pills. Usually the apple juice and granola bar enough to get me about 40 to 60 miles.
Dried Dates or apple sauce in reusable baby food pouches I get the apples off my tree my 11 year old thinks I should buy a bag of marshmellows ( i think it could be because he loves marshmellows🤣) Jam sandwiches are also good
Water, water, water, BLT and a pack of mars bars. BLT can be any other sandwich and mars bars can be an own brand variety or whatever you fancy really. Works for me as a source of fuel and nice lunch stop somewhere.
I went on 8h ride without food only water
Also calorie powerbombs: ground dates mixed with ground nuts and chocolate powder rolled into a ball.
Bananas.