I don’t eat during rides.

I’ve had this mental block against consuming anything but plain water for the duration of long and short rides. It’s been that way since as far back as I remember. Friends would swear by energy drinks, but not me.

Well, I’ve changed.

I’ve realized what a drastic mistake that was.

A few weeks back while gathering more details on riding long distances I ran across this article on nutrition during long rides at ultracycling.

Whoow, that’s not what I think is best. But she quoted a lot of fancy numbers and names of organizations I’ve never heard of so she must be onto something.

Eating in the morning

First thing to change was my habit of not eating before morning training. I’ve always thought “no food, so I’ll use up more energy, which will burn fat.” Go figure.

So I added a sandwich, readily available at 7-11, before my morning ride. It’s about 300 calories, goes down well and doesn’t taste half bad.

I’ve pretty much stuck with this habit, which has been acceptable so far.

Occasionally I’ll have a Snickers and a sandwich, or spread the two out by half an hour or so.

During the ride

Not eating before rides was not a deal-breaker and I would eat before rides sometimes. But eating during my ride was a once in a blue moon activity.

So I started with chocolate and sandwiches.

Warning! Don’t store sandwiches in your bike bag, especially if they have egg or something else that can go bad really quick.

After a slightly upset stomach up a very long hill after 5 hours of riding I will only eat them fresh. If you love sandwiches, then get something with non-perishables, like peanut butter or jam.

Chocolate and mango

So now I’m onto chocolate and mango.

The reason for the chocolate is because it has a lot of calories. One bar has more calories than a sandwich and is not nearly as filling. But getting the energy is the main point, so that will do.

It’s also a wonderful, guilt-free way to eat chocolate without worrying about gaining weight.

I eat less mango than other stuff, but it does go down easy and have a lot of carbohydrates. However, beware of the side-effects of any dried fruit and make sure there’s a bathroom nearby if you insist on eating lots.

So that’s my current regime.

Combined with energy drinks this give me enough energy to manage 7 hours straight (maximum so far) without hitting the wall. Previously this would happen after 4 or 5 hours.

What (if anything) do you eat before/during your rides?